Week 2: Raising visibility, awareness and reach for your online project: SEO

April 23, 2013

Susan MernitKnight Circuit Rider,

Oakland Local Editor/Publisher

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WHO IS THE INSTRUCTOR?Susan Mernit, Linked In:http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmernitTwitter: @susanmernitFacebook: Facebook.com/susanmernit

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Today is about using SEO to increase your search

engine traffic & your discoverability

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Cheat sheet: What is SEO, exactly, and why should you care so much? Here’s some info to know….

Cheat sheet: What is SEO, exactly, and why should you care so much? Here’s some info to know….

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Search Engine Optimization: Things to know

SEO allows internet robots to scan, classify and rank your pages.•The robots rate your keywords, your links, how often your content is updated,•and the online tenure and reputation of the sites that link to you.•Then they score you and make results available to searchers. (Indexing)

“Good” SEO means:•You come up higher in Google search rankings•Your pages show up more consistently in search—which increases traffic to your site•You are indexed against specific keywords and show up (like a place name or topic)

“Bad” SEO means•No one can find your content when they search online•Your site is indexed less frequently so you have less fresh results•You are left out of news story lists, even when you have a story

Learning and doing good SEO is both straightforward and FREE.

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1. What are the basics?

•Check out:Is Google analytics installed?•Do you have access?•Does your site have a sitemap robots can read?•Do you have RSS/XML feeds?

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2. What are you telling—or not telling-the robots?

Do a site audit:How many of your headlines mention a place?

--Oakland Mayor runs marathon

How many headlines have a keyword as part of the title?

Running Festival comes to Oakland

Examples:Anti-bullying laws pass houseNew anti-bullying laws pass Iowa State House

Last milkman parks delivery truck for goodAberdeen, SD dairy ends home delivery

Examples:Anti-bullying laws pass houseNew anti-bullying laws pass Iowa State House

Last milkman parks delivery truck for goodAberdeen, SD dairy ends home delivery

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YOUR SEO CHALLENGE: REWRITE THIS!

Neighboring business finds silver lining after fire at Marion furniture store

SEE The Gazette http://bit.ly/11UbQvl

OrGrant could go to Maple Bay Park SEE Traverse City Record-Eagle http://bit.ly/171t0uE

YOUR SEO CHALLENGE: REWRITE THIS!

Neighboring business finds silver lining after fire at Marion furniture store

SEE The Gazette http://bit.ly/11UbQvl

OrGrant could go to Maple Bay Park SEE Traverse City Record-Eagle http://bit.ly/171t0uE

Examples: Berkeleyside.com

Best practice: Use your keywords in your headlines—repeatedly..

Readers know Berkeleyside is inBerkeley, CA—but robots need to be toldReaders know Berkeleyside is inBerkeley, CA—but robots need to be told

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Best practice: Use keywords in your headlines & content

Integrate keywords into your text to be more discoverable—by robots

1. Know the “best” keywords to drive traffic to your site and use them

2. Need help? Use Google AdWords to check popularity of possible keywords to use : see http://bit.ly/YnrhYz

Check keyword searches in Google Analytics under Traffic Sources Overview to see what previous queries have been.

Keywords for The Lens, NOLA, 2013

Best practice: Good use of SEO results in high search rankings & more discoverability

Check your search ranking as you work on this.

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Assignment to use SEO to improve visibility (do all or part):

Create a list of SEO-effective headlines you can share with your team as examples, either from your site, or from local sites nearby (3-5 examples)

Check Google Analytics and see what keywords are used in search queriesyou and your team might use more often and deliberately. List them.

Note the % of search referral from Google today and 1 month ago, and sharewith our group. Note % changes going forward.

Please post your work by Friday, April 28 so we candiscuss, share, comment before the April 30 class.Please post your work by Friday, April 28 so we candiscuss, share, comment before the April 30 class.

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Useful resources for SEO and related

BASIC TOOLS•Google Webmaster tools (google.com/webmasters) •Google analytics (google.com/analytics).•Build a sitemap for Google.com robots (Creating a News Sitemap - Webmaster Tools Help http://bit.ly/YBiep2)

SEO•Google AdWords: Keyword Tool http://bit.ly/YnrhYz •SEO tips by Google’s Matt Cutts http://bit.ly/13hO2AJ).•Beginner's Guide to SEO: http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo/keyword-research •Check your link authority a http://www.opensiteexplorer.org/

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mernit@gmail.com@susanmernit

http://oaklandlocal.com

Susan MernitKnight Circuit Rider,

Oakland Local Editor/Publisher

THANKS Third class on partners & syndication is April 30, 9 PT

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Virtual Class: Raising Visibility | Started on April 15, 2013Virtual Class: Raising Visibility | Started on April 15, 2013