Let’s start at the very beginning!(It’s a very good place to start)

SEO

Why SEO?

Hubspot.com, 2013

Why SEO?

93% of online activities begin with a search engine. College of Marketing, 2013

Why SEO? •  For today’s purposes “Google” = “search engines” •  Optimizing your content for Search = SEO

–  Increase brand awareness –  Sell more products –  Get the most out of your valuable content

Search Market Share

SEO is a Mindset

SEO is a Mindset •  Every time you write for the Web, consider SEO •  People may call your product/topic something other

than what you do •  There are no guarantees •  There is no perfect, just keep at it to take advantage of

unseen opportunities •  Marketing is experimenting

SEO is Everywhere •  Google indexes your:

–  Website –  Social media –  PDFs –  Other channels

•  Get the robots talking –  Google likes keywords &"

technical best practices •  It’s evolving and not going away soon •  Only 2% of searchers click to 2nd page

SEO State of the Union •  SEO = Relevance + Authority •  Google’s job = provide relevant content for

Web searches •  Used to rely primarily on keywords in

content & links but now other factors •  Don’t mess with Google Bots

SEO Tactics – 5 Segments •  User Accessibility •  Robot Indexability •  On-Page SEO •  Off-Page SEO •  Competitive Analysis

SEO Tactics – User Accessibility "Robot Indexability

•  XML Sitemap & Robots.txt –  CMS should auto-generate

•  Canonical URLs –  wiley.com -> www.wiley.com

•  301 URL Permanent Redirects –  Every time you change page URLs

•  ADA Compliance –  disabilitycomplianceforhighereducation.com

SEO Tactics – Off-Page Content

•  Optimize with Keywords – HTML Title (70 char., unique) – Meta Description (150 char., unique) – H1 (unique)/H2 Tags – Optimize Images

•  File size for speed •  Image file names •  HTML alt tags

SEO Tactics Visualized Meta Title Meta Description

Keywords

SEO Tactics – On-Page Content

•  Google loves freshly updated original content –  Creates more frequent indexing

•  Use your content advantage –  Keywords and audience segments

Keywords •  Google scans your content for keywords

–  Product more important than brand –  Keywords near the front are ranked higher

•  Go for long tail keyword phrases –  More specific & less competition

•  Research to learn how people refer to your product/topic – it may even inspire you to change it on paper

Keyword Research •  Google AdWords Tool •  Why use a PPC (pay per click) Tool?

–  It’s free –  Google data

•  Learn what people call your product •  Look for High Search, Low

Competition •  SEO helps PPC campaign

performance –  Consider PPC as complement to SEO

Keywords – Long Tail

Competition Pay attention to what your competitor is doing!

•  What keywords are they using? •  What is their content strategy for their products? •  Can you find a different strategy that doesn’t

compete with them for search? •  Are they optimized? If not, can you do it better

and compete with their search positions?

Mobile SEO

Hubspot.com

SEO Tools – Research/Evaluation •  SEO Guides

–  Google: http://bit.ly/WoKpXA –  SEOmoz: http://mz.cm/YkE8QN

•  Keywords –  Google AdWords Tool –  SEMrush – PPC competitive research

•  Evaluation –  Google Analytics + Webmaster Tools –  SEOmoz – whole site –  SEO Quake Firefox toolbar plugin – page by

page –  Screaming Spider –  HubSpot Website Grader –  Google Site Speed Report

Thank You! Andy Swindler

@aswindler

John Armstrong @johnequatro