getting found online: the ins and outs of google (and the seo process)

Getting Found Online: The Ins and Outs of Google

Gere Jordan, Holony Media, 8/11/15

Hi!My name is Gere Jordan and I’m President of Delaware based digital marketing company Holony Media.

We use the internet to grow businesses.Through website design, SEO, online advertising, and consulting.

How often do you search Google? What’s the last thing you searched for? (Keep it PG13, Holly)

Quick Survey

Agenda for today:

1. The Power of Search Engines2. What is SEO?3. The Types of Results4. How SEO Works5. Local SEO in Action

The Power of Search Engines

Source: American Marketing Association

90%of users use

search engines

19bsearches per month

2ndmost popular online activity (email is #1)

Sources: Pew Internet and comScore

Search is user friendly

Search establishes credibility

Search educates

Search drives business

SEO Leads Convert to Sales


Importance to Local Businesses

Source: American Marketing Association Source: BrightLocal

95% of smartphone users have looked for local information.

88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

77% of smartphone users contact a business after looking for local information.

Source: American Marketing Association Source: Google.com/think

^It all starts here.

Bottom Line:


If you don’t show up on search engines for the terms related to your products and services in the area you operate, you’re effectively invisible.

SEO 101

Search engine optimization is the process of improving the volume or quality of visits from search engines to a website.

What is SEO?

Internet search engines span as far back as the early 1990’s.

Google’s Original PageRank Algorithm

● Method of ranking websites pioneered by Google in 1996

● Numerical weighting of hyperlinked documents

● Ranked by relative importance

● Not the only algorithm in play; factors have evolved over time

Search Engine Market Share


Source: comScore

Google dominates because they provide the best results.

The Standard Search Engine Results Page

(SERP)

3 Types of Results:

Paid (Pay-Per-Click)

Organic Results

Local Results

Pay-Per-Click

● These are the paid ads on Google

● Placed through Google AdWords

● Pay for each click to your website

● Target keywords, locations

Organic

● The normal or “natural” search results

● Earned, not paid for

● Ranked by relevance and authority

Local

● Local business listings

● Shown for queries tied to a specific geographic location

● Include directions, reviews, click-to-call, and website link

● Ranked by relevance, authority, and local factors

Organic vs. PPC (Pay Per Click)


● Organic is a long-term play; investment● Organic is inexpensive relative to PPC● People often ignore ads and trust organic● PPC produces immediate results

70% of the links search users click on are organic,

not paid.

Ranking on Google: 3 Pillars of SEO

On-Page Elements Off-Page Elements

Technical Content Authority

Involve the technical elements of website design, performance, and accessibility.

● HTML code● URL structure● Duplicate content● 301 redirects● 404 errors● Indexation (robots.txt)● Load speed

TechnicalOptimization

ContentOptimization

Involves the substance, organization, and targeting of everything that can be consumed on a website. Includes:

● Keyword research● Copywriting● Images, video & other media● Keyword density● Freshness● Content architecture

Authority

Involves off-page factors that influence the value and perceived importance of a given web page. Includes:

● Backlinks● Anchor text● Link velocity● Social signals

But wait, what impacts the local search results?

Local Ranking Factors

The regular pillars play a role in ranking local results, but there are also distinct local ranking factors.

● Local keywords● Directory citations● Name, Address, Phone Number

(NAP) consistency● Business categories● Review signals

Google’s Advice to Businesses


● Give visitors the information they’re looking for● Make sure that other sites link to yours● Make your site easily accessible

The Local SEO Process in Action


Keyword Research & Competitive

Analysis

Claim & Optimize Local Directories

(Citations)

Website and Content

Optimization

Build Authority and Online Reputation

Measure and Improve Local

SEO

Keyword Research & Competitive Analysis

Keyword & Competitive Research


Keyword & Competitive Research


● How do your customers search for your products and services?

● What variations of keywords exist and how are those terms grouped or related?

● What keywords are your competitors targeting on their websites?

● Who is ranking well for your target keywords?

Keyword Research Tools


● Google AdWords Keyword Planner

● Google Suggested Search

● WordStream Free Keyword Tool

● KeywordTool.io

How would you search for an attorney in Delaware, OH?

Gathering Additional Seed Keywords


● Mine the related searches: ○ divorce attorney delaware ohio○ law firms delaware ohio○ dui attorney delaware ohio

● Add additional variations from experience and customers

● Together, these are our seed keywords

Use Google Keyword Tool to Uncover Ideas & Volume


lawyers salarydriving under influencedivorce paperslegal separationpower of attorney formcar accident attorneydurable power of attorney formlegal aid lawyersuncontested divorcepro bono lawyerask a laywer online freemedical malpractice attorney

lawsuit lawyersssi lawyersauto accident attorneybankruptcy lawyersdiscrimination lawyerschild support lawyersattorney reviewslawyer free consultationcorporate attorneyhow to find a lawyerreal estate lawyerscriminal law attorney...

5 seed keywords

spawned over 800 related terms and nearly

1K monthly searches in Delaware

Website & Content Optimization

Website Optimization: First Things First

● Professional design

● Easy to navigate

● Mobile friendly

Elements to Address on Each Page

● Title tag● Meta description● Keywords in headings● Keywords in body● Search engine friendly URL● Internal links● Image tags● Name, address, phone

number

Build out your website logically. Map one keyword to each page.

Create pages for different cities and locations you wish to target.

Attorney Example Without SEO

A basic website outline that hasn’t considered SEO may look like this:

Homepage

About Practice Areas Contact

Attorney Example With SEO

Targeting more keywords means adding more content. Each mapped to a single topic.

Homepage

About

Criminal

Contact Practice Areas

Family Law

DUI Traffic Divorce Adoption

An SEO friendly website should grow larger over

time.

Client Example: 2007

Not All Content is Equal

● Focus on user needs

● Detailed and useful pages

● Easy to browse and scan

● High quality

Claim & Optimize Directory Listings

(Citations)

Claim & Optimize Directory Listings

(Citations)Citations are defined as mentions of your business name and address on other web pages -- even if there is no link to your website.

Why are citations important?

● Citations increase the certainty search engines have about your business contact information and category

● Citations help validate businesses as being located in a certain area or part of a community

● More citations = better rankings

The Most Important Citation: Google

● Claim free Google My Business listing● Add name, address, phone number● Place your business in the proper category● Add business description, website link, and images

Other Important Citation Sites

Build Authority & Online Reputation

Links Build Authority

All things being equal, a website with more, higher quality links than the competition will rank better on Google.

Using a political analogy, links are like votes or endorsements.

Methods for Earning Backlinks

● Publish on other websites● Earn press coverage● Build content that attracts links

and sharing● Directories and profiles● Get involved on community

websites and forums● Get creative!

Your Reputation Matters, Too

Encourage reviews on sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook.

Measure & Improve

Track Results and Never Stop Improving

Install Google Analytics. Track visits, popular pages, and your geographic reach. Run searches to track your positions and competition.

In Summary

With 90%+ using search to find local businesses, SEO is important.

There are 4 major groups of ranking factors including local

Technical Content Authority Local


Keyword Research & Competitive

Analysis

Claim & Optimize

Local Directories (Citations)

Website and Content

Optimization

Build Authority and Online Reputation

Measure and Improve Local

SEOLocal SEO is an ongoing process.

Discussion time. What SEO questions do you have?

For more information, including a copy of this presentation, visit:

http://www.holony.com/bed

