SEO: 15 simple techniques for better traffic Creative Services 2008

Based on internal best practices, an iMedia Connection article by Andrew Hazen (July 9, 2008) and the input of

Brian Kleisner (Intuit Inc.).

Overview

Employ best SEO practices (organic), including:• The proper use of metadata• Site structure• Link building• URL naming conventions• Web copywriting techniques

Outcomes

Increase visibility, deliver better qualified traffic, lower customer acquisition costs – and make our Web sites user-friendly with:– Effective navigation– Clear visual design– Proper search functionality– Hyperlinks– Page titles– Clear headings

All of this equals increased quality traffic – both first time and returning traffic.

TECHNIQUES:Writing for the Web

1: The right messages

Create a unique selling proposition that sets your product/service apart from the competition, and highlight that proposition on the landing page.

• Speak to real problems our users are trying to solve – even if it means admitting that, yes, there may be problems

2: Better keyword writing

• Optimize unique individualized page titles with targeted keyword phrases that generate more monthly searches.

• Use no more than two keywords per page• Keywords should be non-branded phrases• Titles should contain the non-branded phrases

first, followed by the brand– E.g. "Accounting Software - QuickBooks"

The importance of page titles

Does this search result inspire your confidence that this website will meet your needs?

Compare this result to this one. Which one better meets your request as a searcher?

This is how the page title appears in the search results.

3: Optimize home

Enhance the home page by increasing relevant copy and internal linking.

• For every “Learn more” button on the home page (and throughout the site), include at least one text link to compensate

• Add an alt tag to every button (+images, etc.)• Include anchor text (build the keyword phrase

into the copy and link out accordingly)

TECHNIQUES:Content Strategy

4: Alt tags for images

Create alt-tags for all images on the site (and in emails!). Include non-branded primary keyword phrases in unlikely locations, such as image file names, like the name of the logo.

Ensure these alt-tags are SEO-friendly with searchable terms.

Tip: This is also a best practice for Web accessibility (for the vision impaired).

5: H1s & H2s

Revise H1 tags to target the primary chosen keywords for each page. Update pages to include H2 tags for each article represented.

How many times to use the keywords

Jury’s out! Depends which camp you fall into. • Use keywords only once on each page – in strategic

places, such as the H1, H2 or text link• Repeat keywords, striving for a density of 3-5% of the

copy (a US practice)

6: Keyword maps/flows

Develop keyword-rich optimized content to further improve consistency among:

• Page title

• Meta-descriptions

• Meta-keywords

• Header tags (H1, H2)

7: Use useful resources

Post helpful informational documents on the home page.

Examples:• 5 things you must know before purchasing

accounting software• Top 10 tips for entrepreneurs• Top 5 considerations for online software

8: Handshake between FAQs and home page

Add a link from the FAQ section of the site to the home page.

• Answering FAQs educates visitors and improves their chances of doing business with us (add-ons, etc.)

• Lessens the risk of them leaving the site

TECHNIQUES:Interaction Design

9: Get more out of ‘contact’

Move the Contact Us link (which performs very well) to the header on every page to increase accessibility, creating a better experience for customer.

10: 301s

Implement a canonical 301 redirect so that all traffic points to http://www.quickbooks.intuit.ca to avoid penalties from search engines for duplicate content.

11: Keyword-rich URLs

Name URLs so they all contain primary keyword phrases (where possible). – Improved search engine visibility– User readability

Use hyphens to separate individual words in multi-word keyword phrases.

12: Text-based where possible

Convert navigation bars from JavaScript (not read by search engines) to keyword-rich text-based navigation (read by search engines.)

OR

Use JavaScript… and then submit a non-JavaScript version of the navigation to the search bots.

13: In-site search

Implement an internal search bar. • Enhance visitors’ overall experience with the

Web site• Enable users to quickly locate sought-after info• Provide Intuit with analytics by tracking

keywords searched – If a keyword is searched frequently, it may warrant a

landing page, which then further drives qualified traffic and increases organic search results

14: XML sitemap

Generate an XML sitemap. • Sitemaps provide a way for sites to specify what

pages within the site should be indexed and what new content has been added

• XML sitemap allows administrators to include additional information about each URL, which lets search engines crawl the site more intelligently: – When the page was last updated– How often the content changes– How important it is in relation to other URLs on the

site

Additional techniques

15: Update flash

If we use flash, update it on a regular basis to improve Web site credibility.