tm170: a comprehensive approach to search engine optimization september 23, 2009 kristine wirth, seo...

TM170: TM170: A Comprehensive A Comprehensive Approach to Approach to Search Engine Search Engine OptimizationOptimizationSeptember 23, 2009

•Kristine Wirth, SEO Expert

Search Engine Optimization 101By Kristine Wirth of BoneheadSEO.com

© BoneheadSEO.com - 2009

What you’ll learn…

• What SEO is and why it’s important to your success online. • Understand the differences between paid listings & organic listings.• Understand the difference between White Hat SEO & Black Hat SEO.• What keywords are, why they’re important and how to find them for your own business.• You’ll learn what on-page SEO & off-page SEO is. • Basic On-Page & Off-Page SEO Techniques.• What PPC (Pay Per Click) is and why you may want to use it.• How to use local listings to your advantage.• Where to go for more information.


What is SEO?

• SEO = Search Engine Optimization• Getting your website seen on the first page of major search engines like Google, Yahoo! and MSN (now called Bing) without paying for it.• Also called “natural” or “organic” listings.• Only the top 10 listings for any keyword are on the 1st page of Google.• Google’s own SEO Guide –

•http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291• Or simply do a search in Google for “Google’s SEO Starter Guide”

• Two parts to SEO – On-Page Optimization & Off-Page Optimization


http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291

On-Page SEO – Keywords

• Keywords = words & phrases used to search for something in a search engine. • “Keyword” & “Keyword Phrase” often used interchangeably.

•Keyword = “one word”•Keyword phrase = “three or more words”

• The right keywords bring you qualified traffic.• Web pages ranked alone.


Keywords – Where to Start

• Start with keyword phrases.• Poor keyword choice = “law firm”• Good keyword choice = “Louisiana criminal defense law firm”


Keyword Research

• Inventory of words & phrases about your business.• Don’t censor yourself. Single words as well as entire phrases. • Using local keywords.• Competitors Keywords.• Descriptive Terms – free, help, advice, research, etc.• Ideas from your printed material.• Current website’s keyword logs.


Free Keyword Research

• Google search for “Google Keyword Tool”• or visit https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal


https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Google’s Keyword Tool


Using Those Keywords Your Title Tag

•Keyword in the web page title.•No business name in title.•60 Character Limit


Using Those Keywords A Heading

•Each web page should display a heading that contains the keywords you’ve chosen for the page.•<H1>The Heading of the Web Page</H1>


Using Those Keywords The Content

•The Content– keywords worked into the text where necessary.


Using Those Keywords The Anchor Text

•The Anchor Text – The “clickable” portion of a link.


Using Those Keywords The Page Description

•The Description – 250 Character Limit. •Purpose: To entice people to visit your site over your competition.

Using Those Keywords Keywords in Alt Tags

• Search engines cannot read images.• Search engines can read an images “alt” text.

• Example: <img src=“image.jpg” alt=“description of the image”>• Can also add a caption below the image itself.


On-Page SEO Techniques Recap

• Brainstorm keywords.• Research keywords using Google’s Keyword tool.• Pick a keyword.• Keyword in the title of the page.• Keyword in the heading of a page.• Keyword sprinkled into the content of the page.• Reference another page on your site and link to it using it’s keyword.• Write a description for your page that entices visitors.• Add alt tags and captions to images.• POLL


Off-Page SEO

• Off-Page SEO = Link Building• The Number & Quality of links to your site largely determine where you rank in the search engines. •Two types of links: outbound links & inbound links.


Your WebsiteYour Website

External SiteExternal Site External SiteExternal Site

Inbound link Outbound link


Outbound links…

• Websites that you link to should:• be related to your website’s content• “Will this be helpful to my site visitors?”• “Does this site directly compete with me?” • “Is it relevant to my own content?”

• Should not link to a “bad neighborhood”


Outbound links (how to avoid linking to a bad neighborhood)

• Get the Google toolbar at http://toolbar.google.com • Visit the site you want to link to and look at the toolbar.• Gray = brand new site or banned in Google.• To determine ban or not visit Google.com, and enter in site:http://websiteaddress.com (where websiteaddress.com is the site you want to link to.

• No results = Site banned• Large companies do not always equal “a safe site”.

• BMW Germany was banned.


http://toolbar.google.com/

Inbound links…

• Critically important to have.• Links to your site should ideally:

• Be authoritative• Link to an interior page on your site• Have variations of anchor text

• your website address• “click here”• “for more information visit this link”• the name of your site (e.g. Leo’s Law Services) • etc.

• Links from varying website addresses.


Where to Find Links

• Search at Google.com for one of your keywords.• Visit the site in the first position and copy their website address.• Head over to http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com


http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/

Where to Find Links

1. Paste in the website address you just copied.2.Click the “inlinks” button.3.Choose “except from this domain” from the drop-down list.4.Visit any one of these sites and attempt to get a link yourself.


Getting More Links

• Forums & Message Boards• Website address in your signature.

• Locate Blogs on Your Topic• Visit Google to locate these resources:

• “Your Topic” + “Message Board” or “Forum”• “Your Topic” + Blog


Red Flag Linking Strategies

• Reciprocal Links = Trading links with another site.• Un-Wavering Anchor Text• Link Farms• Purchasing Links

• See http://www.Google.com/webmasters


http://www.google.com/webmasters

Off- Page SEO Recap

• Choose a keyword. • Search Google & copy site address in first natural position.• Visit http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com.• Paste in the URL.• Choose “inlinks” & then choose “except from this URL”• Visit each site & attempt to get a link.• Visit blogs & forums on your topic. Make helpful & useful comments.• Keep reciprocal linking to a minimum.• Avoid link farms & purchasing links.


PPC Marketing

• Google AdWords most recognizable PPC program.


Getting Started with PPC

• Sign up with a PPC program (ex: AdWords)• Tell Google what keywords you want to use.• Tell Google how much you’re willing to pay per click.• Each time someone searches in Google on the word you’ve chosen, you’re ad shows in the PPC listings.• Each time your ad is clicked, you get charged the fee you agreed upon.• The more competitive the keyword you’re bidding on, the more money you’ll have to pay to show up on the first page of Google’s sponsored listings.


Getting Started with PPC continued…

• Highest bid does not guarantee top ad listings.• Many factors are considered:

• CTR (click through rate)• Keyword quality score• More

• PPC not suggested unless you’re educated on the topic.• More information located at http://www.Google.com/adwords/learningcenter

•POLL


Black Hat SEOWhat it is and Why Some People Use It

• Google’s Webmaster Guidelines• http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/

• Yahoo’s Webmaster Guidelines• http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/search/basics/basics-18.html

• MSN’s (Bing’s) Webmaster Guidelines • http://help.live.com/help.aspx?project=wl_webmasters


Black Hat SEO TacticsTactic #1: Keyword Stuffing

• Keyword Stuffing = using the keywords you want to rank well for multiple amounts of time on the same web page.


Black Hat SEO TacticsTactic #2: Doorway Pages

• Doorway Pages = Web pages specifically created for the search engines that website visitors do NOT see but the search engines do.• See Google’s Explanation: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=66355


Black Hat SEO TacticsTactic #3: Invisible Text

• Invisible Text = Using text the same color as the background of the web page so that it is undetected by site visitors but read by search engines.


Black Hat SEO TacticsTactic #4: Cloaking

• Cloaking = Using a script to detect who is visiting; a search engine or a site visitor & then being shown a web page specifically for the kind of visitor.• See Google’s Explanation: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=66355


Black Hat SEO TacticsTactic #5: Map Spam

• Map Spam = Finding websites listed locally that have not claimed their listing and making changes to it that point to the spammers own website address.


Local Listings

• Extremely important for local businesses.


Get Your Local Listing

1.Visit http://www.google.com/local/add/


Get Your Local Listing


CLAIM Your Listing!!!

1.Submit all of your information to Google.2.Google will then ask you to claim your listing.3.Google will display a PIN number on the screen and then call you at the business phone number you provided .

1. You can also have this number mailed to you.4.As a local business the following should be added to the footer (or very bottom) of each page of your website:

1. Your complete address.1. Your telephone number (not an 800 number)


In Closing…

If you want to learn more about SEO and how to use it for your own business, visit me at http://www.BoneheadSEO.com/blog/

I also have a complete online video course that takes you step by step through the SEO process so that you’ll always have the knowledge you need at your fingertips.

Normally $49.95/month if you’re viewing this presentation you can get it for only $29.95 / month with a 7 day free trial.

To sign up visit http://www.BoneheadSEO.com/special

To schedule your own personal one-hour consultation, visit: http://BoneheadSEO.com/SEO-Consulting.html


Thank You!!!

Questions?


THANK YOUTHANK YOUDon’t forget to complete our survey

Rachel R. Medina [email protected] Coordinator LSNTAP

Kristine Wirth [email protected] Expert

tm170: a comprehensive approach to search engine optimization september 23, 2009 kristine wirth, seo...

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page seo keywords keywords

page of google

keyword keyword phrase

lawyers page

page optimization

lawyers keyword

page description

keyword phrases