SEO DO’s….and SEO Don’ts

#1: Do Make Sure Your Website is a Foundation for SEO

Success

Own…Do Not Rent…Website, Domain and Hosting You Need to be in Control

Responsive Design 50% of Search on a Mobile Device

Open Source with Content Management System (CMS)

Don’t be tied to Proprietary Site DesignProminent Phone Number & Contact Form

Top Left & Each Page

#2: Don’t Count on “If You Build it, They Will Come”

Today a lot of people have already “built it” (i.e. 3,400,000 websites competing for “replacement windows Richmond”)

650+ Million Websites…Long gone are the days where a site can show up organically for competitive keywords

Organic Visibility requires great content and also needs links, a strong technical base, fast page downloads…the list goes on and on.

#3: Do Make Sure Your Website is “SEO Friendly” and “Mobile Friendly”

Proper URL Structure www.example.com/richmond vs.

www.example.com/?p=2588176

Simple and Descriptive Navigation

Create an XML Sitemap + Robots.txt File

Room for Content – 350+ Words/Page

Ability to Customize Page Titles and Meta Data

Must be “Mobile Friendly” or Google will not show in Mobile Search Results

#4: Don’t Think SEO is Something You Can Give to IT

SEO has a technical component (Code), but…

It’s main drivers (Content Development and Link Building) require a Marketing and Writing skill set.

Most IT professionals do not possess this expertise. It takes very special training to have this perfect blend.

#5: Do Understand Google’s Mission

Google’s Mission –

“Organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and

useful.”

Other Things We Know About Google –

Focus on the user and all else will follow. Fast is better than slow. Democracy on the web works. You can make money without doing evil. Great just isn’t good enough

#6: Don’t Believe Google Changes Its Algorithm to Force People to Buy Ads

Their Organic Algorithm is the Mathematical Formula which drives this engine.

Google is focused on delivering the absolute best search experience…and is, now more then ever, constantly refining their “method” which delivers this “madness”

#7: Do Comprehend What is “SEO”

Code Site Architecture & Navigation Page Titles & Meta Tags Clean Code

Content Unique Content Regional Relevance

Link Building Inbound Links “Natural” Quality vs. Quantity

#8: Don’t Think that Paying For Google AdWords Will Give You Higher Organic Rankings

In Google’s words…“AdWords advertising has no impact on your organic or natural ranking in the search results; the two are completely separate”.

Bottom line – Paid Search (PPC) absolutely does not affect Organic Search (SEO)

However…a brand which has both an AdWords ad and a high ranking Organic Result for the same keyword, will usually see metrics, like conversion rate, go up for both channels.

#9: Do Recognize that Content is King

A few years ago many SEO professional went overboard on Link Building – and largely ignored regular content generation. Penguin reigned this in.

Regular, Quality Content – related keyword themes – is again a big, big SEO factor, but…

Unique Content is a Must. Google’s Panda Update continues to punish sites with Duplicate Content

#10: Don’t Think Keywords Need to be an Exact Match

Keywords repeated verbatim throughout a piece of content on a website are now Red Flags to Google.

Google’s new Algorithm, Hummingbird, is less and less about the keyword & more about the Intention behind it

Google moved from traditional “Boolean Search” (keyword matching) to “Semantic Search” (the theme, or concept meant to identify intent).

Hummingbird gives Google more ability to understand the Content and Context of the documents it indexes

#11: Do Natural Link Building

Almost all SEO pundits agree that… Offsite Link Building is the #1 factor in SEO

“To say that links are a dead signal is wrong. I wouldn’t. write the epitaph for links just yet.” – Matt Cutts, Google

Today…Link Farms, Spammy Links, etc. are out

”Natural” Link Building, featuring Link Quality has been taken to the next level with “Trust Flow” and “Citation Flow” Metrics.

Links are alive. Just some of the methods died.

#12: Don’t Consider for a Minute that Social is the New Link Building

Social media sites, particularly Twitter, can create backlinks to your site, but...

It is a lot of work to do this and the impact of this is a hotly debated topic…without any resolution

At best, there is an indirect relationship between social media visibility and search visibility...which may impact only 5%-7% of the search algorithm.

Social is not the New Link Building; Link Building is the New Link Building.

#13: Do Grasp How Google Feels About SEO

Google Doesn’t Hate SEO…Google Hates Manipulative SEO

Google readily states that SEO can "potentially improve your site and save time" and that many SEO agencies "provide useful services."

While Google seems to encourage search engine optimization, it almost certainly hates the type of SEO meant to trick search engines into believing false popularity and relevancy signals in order to rank content higher.

#14: Don’t Expect that SEO Tools & Software Will Solve All Your Problems

SEO is practically all Labor – Code, Content & Link Building.

Straight from Google’s Matt Cutts…"And so the idea that you're going to be able to buy some software

package and solve every single problem you've ever had, is probably a little bit of a bad idea."

Successful Tools & Software will allow you to Measure & Report, but…

Successful SEO requires hours upon hours of hard work, there are no short cuts…and No Magic Tools or Software

#15: Rankings Do Matter

91% of Searchers never go past the First Page, and…

There is a direct relationship between Keyword “Position” and Organic Traffic (1st delivers more than 5th and 5th more than 9th, etc.)

What Matters is Traffic which Delivers Leads and…

Leads generally come from a combination of Core (higher searched) and Long Tail (higher converting) Keywords

Position – for Core & Long Tail Keywords - Does Matter…as long as they Deliver Leads

#16: Don’t Believe that Black Hat SEO… …Does Not Work!

It depends on what “work” means.

Many Black Hat SEO tactics will get you higher in the search rankings on in the Short-Term, however…

Long Term Black Hatters will most likely be Penalized Severely by Search Engines, and…

Could possibly even result in their Website being Banned from the Search Engines

#17: Do Absolutely Track Everything

You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure

SEO Company should provide Reporting or SEO Dashboard

Organic Leads – Phone Calls & Form Fills Organic Traffic Organic Rankings for Core/Relevant Keywords Website Analytics & More

It’s all about ROI……for your SEO Investment

#18: Don’t Believe that SEO is Easy!

The Rules Are Always Changing

Google Updates 2012-2014: 66 (Ave. 22/yr.) Google Updates 2008-2010: 14 (Ave. 5/yr.)

Over 200 Rankings Factors

Many Definitions of “SEO” Beware of “Fake SEO”

#19: Do Remember the words of the great philosopher, Yogi Berra…

When You Get to a Fork in the Road…

Take ItYour Prospects are Online…Understanding How Google &

SEO Works Will Allow You to Successfully Market to Them

Organic Space is FREE (no cost per click)

Organic Search responsible for 65%-70% Web Traffic

#20: Don’t Forget Knowledge is Power!Ask

Questions&

Find Reliable Sources

Mike MeyerNetSearch DirectMikeM@NetSearchDirect.com 804) 228-4401www.NetSearchDirect.com