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Continuing EducationUCC Fall 2010Search Engine OptimizationOverviewWhat is SEO?What Effects Rankings?What Can You Do?Tracking ResultsResources & ToolsQ & A

What is SEO?Search Engine OptimizationA definition: The modification of a web sites build, content, and inbound linking to better position the site in the natural/organic results of the major search engines.Pull vs. push marketingWhy Search is So PopularThe SEO ProcessWhite Hat vs. Black HatWhich Engines to Target?

Why is SEO So Popular?Consumer skepticism towards advertisingConsumer trust in advertising has plunged 41% in the past 3 years only 10% of consumers say that they trust ads todayWith todays media choices, the consumer is increasingly in control70% of consumers are actively trying to block out, opt-out or eliminate advertisingiProspect study shows that 61% of internet searchers think natural listings are more relevantB2B users have a 63% preference for organic listingsOrganic listings get higher conversion rates than paid

SEO Process5-step process:ResearchReportingOptimizationSubmission/Re-CrawlFollow Up Reporting

White Hat vs. Black HatWhite HatQuality content creationLight keyword optimizationSound website building tacticsEverything out in the openNothing designed to trick the search engine or the user

Black HatCloakingHidden text or tiny textKeyword stacking or stuffingUse non-related keywordsDuplicate pages/ duplicate contentDomain spam / cybersquattingRe-directsPage swapping

Which Engines?Google and Yahoo 79.8% of total searches for top 2 enginesGoogle and Yahoo are critical to SEO success

What Affects Rankings?Where does the optimization happen?On-Page FactorsContent is KingEvaluate existing contentDevelop additional content with targeted keyword phrases in mindProminence of keywords in contentRegular updates will bring spiders more often >> higher rankingsBuildSpiderability or IndexabilitySite Navigation & Site MapStop CharactersTitle, , meta and alt tagsTrim down codeOff-Page FactorsLink PopularityQuality of Incoming Links (backlinks) e.g. PR4+Age of backlinksLinks in prominent directories (ODP, Yahoo Directory)Anchor text of inbound linksAge of Site

Site BuildSpiderabilityA measure of if or how well a site can be indexed (or crawled) by a search engine spider Site NavigationSite MapSplash PagesFramesFlashA view from a spiders eyesSE Spider Simulator: http://www.webconfs.com/search-engine-spider-simulator.phpLive Examples

Title, , Meta, and Alt TagsUse keywords only once in each tagUse unique tags for each page dont copy and paste throughoutTitleLead with most important keyword phrase8-10 words, or shorterMax of 75 characters, including spacesWill be used as the search results listing linkWrite titles that serve as an ad campaignHeadings Lead with single most important phrase for that pageSee my site as exampleMeta DescriptionMaximum of 150 characters, including spacesWill be used to describe site in some SEs search resultsUse to your advantage treat as an adAltKeep it related to a description of the imageLive Examples

What Can You Do?Spend time on quality content developmentBuild sites that have the following:Text-based navigationAnchor text that contains keywordsSite map with a text link to it on every pageNo splash pagesContact info on every pageDesign layout that allows for plenty of contentUse the page titles and other tags to your advantageMove css and javascript code to external filesDont build with framesLimit the use of flashIn a re-build, keep pages names the same if possible

Slim Down CodeMove JavaScript and CSS to external filesMoves site content (read keywords) up in the code, giving them more importanceDecreases download time for the userDecreases download time for the SE spidersMakes universal changes easy with edits to only one documentUniversal SearchBeyond Ten Blue LinksMay 16, 2007: Google begins delivering blended results Universal SearchDigital content that used to be in separate search verticals is now delivered together (images, news, blogs, video, books)Everyone else has followedYahoo: Launched The New Yahoo! Search in OctoberAsk: Launched Ask 3D in JuneMicrosoft: Announced upgrades to Live Search in late SeptemberBottom line: The competition for valuable real estate on the results page is steeper

Tracking ResultsSite TrafficLog AnalysisWeb TrendsTracking ScriptGoogle AnalyticsNet ApplicationsInformation TrackedLevel of trafficSource of trafficKeywords UsedChanges over timeConversionsBounce Rates

Site RankingsWeb PositionSpecify engines and phrasesShows rankings and changes over timeResources & ToolsSearch Engine Watch (and SearchDay newsletter)www.searchenginewatch.com Link Popularity Checkerhttp://www.linkpopularity.com/ Worktracker Keyword Research Toolhttp://www.wordtracker.com Search Engine Spider Simulatorhttp://www.webconfs.com/search-engine-spider-simulator.php SEMPOwww.sempo.com Google Mapshttp://local.google.com/ Yahoo! Localhttp://listings.local.yahoo.com/ Online Web Training (certification programs)http://www.onlinewebtraining.com/ Search Engine Visibility (by Shari Thurow)http://www.searchenginesbook.com/