SEO 101 The Benefits of Doing SEO

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SEO 101:
The Benefits of Doing SEO

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SEO 101: The Benefits of Doing SEO

SEO 101:
The Benefits of Doing SEO

Table of Contents:
3  Introduction

4  First Page Search Results Can Yield More Traffic Than PPC

5  First Page Placement Results in Well Qualified Traffic

5  SEO Done Right Has Long-Term Durability; How to Achieve & Maintain a High Rank

7  Conclusion

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© 2012 Optify, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

®

Introduction
The Benefits of SEO: Why Ranking on the First SERP is So Important:
Websites that enjoy high rankings from search engines enjoy the benefits of SEO. Internet users often believe that
these results on the first Search Engine Result Page, or SERP, must be the best websites available hat match their
t
search. While in some cases this is true, usually websites have a high SERP ranking due to the skilled implemen-
tation of an important web marketing technique known as SEO, or Search Engine Optimization.

What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process
of improving the ranking of a website on a search
engine by using natural (also known as organic)
methods vs. paid advertising. Although the actual
method that big search engines like Google use to
calculate webpage ranking is a top-secret affair,
Internet experts agree that there are many elements
involved in page ranking that remain unchanged over
time, such as updating content regularly. Websites
that have high page one rankings on search engine
results reap the many benefits of SEO. In this
whitepaper we’ll present the top three reasons
why SEO is beneficial to businesses.

The Benefits of SEO
There are multiple reasons why implementing SEO
is a good practice for any online business. However
in this paper, we focus on the three frontrunners.
They are:

1. Landing on the first SERP can drive more
traffic than PPC placements

2. First page placement results in well
qualified traffic

3. SEO, when done well, has a long-term impact
on your site’s ability to be found

To understand why we’ve arrived at these
conclusions and what this means for your
business we’ll explore each one.

Introduction 3


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First Page Search Results Can Yield More Traffic Than PPC
Typical search engine users will navigate to one of the websites listed on the first SERP because they
perceive high SEO rankings as a strong indication that the websites listed first are the best ones available.
Website owners benefit from high ranking SERP’s because this leads to more website traffic and greater
revenue from ads on their website.

According to an Organic CTR Curve study researched
and published in December 2010, the top three
natural (unpaid) positions on page one of Google
search results receive 58.4 percent of all user visits,
or clicks. The overall average click-thru results (also
known as CTR) for websites on the first Google SERP
is 8.9 percent. For websites that appear on the second
Google SERP, the number of web users who actually
visit one of these websites drops to only 1.5 percent.
The reasons to achieve a page one SERP ranking are
clear; over half of all search engine users visit one of
the top three listings on page one of SERP.
Visit our Blog to understand the value of ranking on page one.

Keyword Basics
In order to build your target keyword list, the first place to look is your own site. It is important to review the
content carefully to see what words may be utilized as keywords. If you were searching for your own particu-
lar product, ask yourself what it is that makes your product unique, original and different than other similar
products? What word or words might be entered in a search engine by an individual in need of your product?
How are people finding you now? What words are entered? Study those words. It is also important that you
enter your brand names as they might be misspelled by searchers. Sound out the words phonetically and
take note of the creative spellings that others might use. Products and names are frequently misspelled –
this is a viable source of keywords.

It is also important not to overuse keywords – often called keyword stuffing. Keyword stuffing can actually
result in a lowered search result ranking. Be safe, somewhat conservative and keep your keyword usage un-
der 5%. Resist the temptation to overuse keywords. Write “organically” – or naturally – with rich, high-quality
content. That, in combination with intelligent keyword use, will result in improved search engine rankings.

First Page Search Results Can Yield More Traffic Than PPC 4


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First Page Placement Results in Well Qualified Traffic
Even a website of high quality is of no use unless it is seen by searchers. And searchers, of course, are the best
potential customers. They are the pre-qualified clients and buyers who are already looking for the products and
services that you have to offer. They are the clients who sustain and create business growth through sales, word
of mouth referral, testimonials, and real-life advertising by product utilization, whether it is an item of clothing, a
salad dressing or an automobile. Internet commerce is dependent in great part upon visibility.

Unless a company is so well known that it does not need help from the Internet, visibility and exposure is always
of paramount importance. Additionally, even the most successful business will create and maintain a strong web
presence to improve and maintain its dominance in the marketplace. Keywords are at the heart of all the searches
that lead visibility and exposure to your target audience. Peppering your site and content with strategically chosen
keywords is an important step to landing on the first SERP and leading the most highly desired visitors directly to
your site.

SEO Done Right Has Long-Term Top 10 SEO Best Practices
Durability; How to Achieve &
Maintain a High Rank 1. Identify your target keyword(s) for each
page
Google’s changes to its algorithms aren’t new to the SEO
2. Use the target keyword in the page name/
community, and seasoned SEOs have experienced several
URL
major algorithm changes over the last decade. Google actu-
ally confirmed making on average at least one change per 3. Use the target keyword in the first four
words of your title tag
day to its search algorithms. If Google and other search en-
gines are always changing, then won’t SEO be an exercise in 4. Keep your title tag to less than 65 charac-
ters and make it unique
futility? Not so. There are durable elements of SEO, based on
Google’s statements and implicit motivations that will stand 5. Use a single <H1> style tag for your page
the test of time. These are the four cardinal elements of SEO headline
that will stay true regardless of search engines’ future 6. Include your target keyword in the <H1>
“improvements” to their algorithms. tag

7. Make sure the body copy includes the
Durable SEO Element #1: Basic Keyword target keyword
SEO Rules
8. Write a unique, compelling meta descrip-
What it is: The very basic SEO rules. See sidebar for list tion that includes the focus keywords

Why it’s durable: Every game needs rules and the basic 9. Create a network of cross-linked pages
wherever target keywords are used
keyword SEO rules are easy to communicate (See Google
Webmaster’s SEO guide) and easy to follow. They level the 10.Use alt-text and descriptive file names for
your images
playing field and make Google seem like a “team player” and
not a game-dictator. If you follow these rules you will have a
better chance of being found by Google and others while being presented in a way that you would like pros-
pects and customers to see you.

First Page Placement Results in Well Qualified Traffic 5


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How to use it: Make sure your pages are optimized for the basic SEO rules – include target keywords in your
URLs, titles, meta tags, h1’s, etc. Track what pages rank for what keywords and “double-down” your efforts
on these pages with these keywords (see our SEO campaign guide for more details).

Durable SEO Element #2: Inbound (quality) Links
What it is: Inbound links are links from external websites to your website that tell Google that the content they are
pointing to is relevant to the subject surrounding that link. Inbound links are presumed to be effective only when
they are “follow” and not “nofollow” and have greater impact when they come from an authoritative source (see
next element – Authority).

Why it’s durable: Getting quality inbound links is hard and it truly shows that your content is good enough for
someone else to reference. In addition, this has been the SEO currency for years and is believed to be the most
impactful element on ranking; moving away from this method is highly unlikely.

How to use it: Keep building your inbound links (using white hat practices) through content syndication and
promotions, create unique content that people would
want to reference and link to, and build relationships
with other web writers, so they will be aware of
your content.

Durable SEO Element #3: Authority
What it is: Google PageRank, Social Media Authority.
To date, Google has confirmed using only these two
types of authority signals in their ranking algorithm.
These authority signals determine how Google will treat
a domain and an inbound link from a different domain
or a social signal (retweet, link within a tweet, Like) for
a specific page in its ranking considerations.

Why it’s durable: The World Wide Web by Google is a
meritocracy and authority is the way to determine your
standing, but as long as there’s an SEO game there
will always be people who will try to trick the system and advance not by their own merit. Google’s authority is one
of its main ways to deal with SEO fraud and the addition of social authority is another sign as to why authority will
keep being a crucial element in Google’s algorithm.

To Read a full list of The Durable Elements of SEO visit our Blog.

Durable Elements of SEO 6


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How to use it: Build your authority by creating unique content and follow white-hat practices. Build relationships
with high authority sites and pursue links from them to benefit from their authority.

Durable SEO Element #4: User Experience
What it is: Page load speed and low bounce rate are two measurable indications for good user experience (and
were also confirmed by Google to be used in its algorithm). Other immeasurable factors like good design, easy
navigation and a solid UI (User Interface) increase user engagement and signal to search engines users have
found what they want. Therefore your site will benefit from a low bounce score.

Why it’s durable: First rule in marketing – it’s all about the customer. Search engines aren’t any different than any
other business-to-consumer company; they want to satisfy users. Their goal is for you to have an engaging experi-
ence where you find what you are looking for. It’s in their best interest to point you to compelling content so you’ll
be inclined to use their search engine again.

How to use it: Keep your site updated, measure your bounce rate and page load speed and create clear alignment
between the keywords you target, your content and the experience you’re creating for your visitors.

These are the tried-and-true methods of website development that search engines like Google have always
responded favorably to. For a brief review, they include:

» Creating a target keyword list, and using it throughout the website.
» Making the website compatible with new browsers and mobile web technology.
» Using different ways to communicate information, including blogs, videos and images on a website.
» Adding fresh, high-quality content to a website on a regular basis.

Conclusion
For website owners looking to achieve a page one SERP, it is important to execute an SEO campaign that
comprehensively addresses all the elements of search engine optimization. Getting your site onto a page one
SERP will pay off in spades but there is no quick fix or shortcut. Time and again, those who try to beat the system
lose. But, by using sound, durable SEO practices you will reap the benefits of having increased, sustained, and
well-qualified traffic head straight to your digital front door.

Conclusion 7


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About Optify

Optify delivers an integrated top-of-the-funnel solution for marketers responsible for fueling their company’s
growth. Optify helps B2B marketers reach more buyers and generate more demand for their products or services
month-after-month. The Optify Inbound Marketing Software Suite brings together the enterprise-class SEO
and social marketing tools that marketers need to increase awareness of their business, influence buyers across
social networks, and engage with prospects at the earliest point of their buyer’s journey.

Optify’s Solution Includes

Inbound Demand: create a sustainable flow of inbound leads into your
marketing funnel with enterprise-class SEO and social marketing.
INBOUND DEMAND
Sales Enablement: help sales reach prospects and engage with them Enterprise-class SEO and
early in the sales process with visitor intelligence and prospect alerts. social marketing to reach
more buyers and generate
Tracking & Analytics: get more of the prospects you want with full more leads.
insight into what influences your buyers and the path they take to
find and evaluate you during their research process.

Optify offers a fully-featured free trial;
start your free trial now www.optify.net/sign-up
SALES ENABLEMENT

Visitor intelligence and
prospect alerts help sales
reach prospects while
they’re hot.

TRACKING & ANALYTICS

Insight into what
influences your buyers
so you can get more
buyers into your funnel.

About Optify 8


SEO 101 The Benefits of Doing SEO

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