Free Webinar presented by Hitwise on 29th July 2009.
Agenda:
- SEO Fundamentals
- Tactical SEO
- Structural SEO
- Promotional SEO
- Analytics / Conversion Optimisation
Please note, this presentation has been updated to include image attribution.
7. Structural Promotional Tactical Fundamental Components Sub Domains vs Sub Folders Meta Data Keyword Focus URL Structure Navigation Structure Accessibility Sitewide Optimisation Internal Linking Focus Social Media Video Syndication Press Releases Social Bookmarking Directory Submissions Article Submissions Competitive Analysis Keyword Research Keyword Gaps Content Gaps User Generated Content Segmenting Content
8. Tactical Preparation / Planning / Execution Improved rankings = more targeted traffic = more sales
9. Advanced Keyword Research Research Tools Actions Goals & Objectives Opportunities Permutations (i.e. cheap) Gaps in current Content Internal Search Competitor Search Terms Industry Search Terms Seasonal Fluctuations Commercial or Informational Hitwise CI Search Intelligence Clickstream Data Google Keyword Tool Google SK Tool Analytics Data MSN Keyword Estimate MSN Forecaster Optimise Meta Data Generate New Content Restructure Site Segment Customers Plan Seasonal Offers Increase Conversions Improved rankings = more targeted traffic = more sales
10. Compare Data Sources Data sources can be wildly different, always include multiple sources during the keyword research & selection process. Improved rankings = more targeted traffic = more sales
42. Identify your SEO Red Flags There’s over 100 structural factors that can impact SEO performance, some of these include: URL Canocalisation URL Structure 301 Redirects Title Tags <title> Javascript Menus & AJAX Navigation, Category & Brand Structure
43. Canocalisation This page: http://www.ebay.com.au/cars/ Can technically exist at 8 locations: http://www.ebay.com.au/cars/ http://www.ebay.com.au/cars https://www.ebay.com.au/cars/ https://www.ebay.com.au/cars http://ebay.com.au/cars/ http://ebay.com.au/cars https://ebay.com.au/cars/ https://ebay.com.au/cars Not redirected properly & this can lead to duplicate content & usability problems
51. Navigation & Category Structure ‘Grab the handle & spin the cup for navigation’ Clear, usable & search engine crawlable navigation with rich anchor text
52. Promotional Link Building / PR / Social Media Improved rankings = more targeted traffic = more sales
55. Logarithmic / Geometric – Typical link profiles look like this, slow to start and build up over time at the site becomes a more trusted source of content.Improved rankings = more targeted traffic = more sales Image Copyright SEOBook.com
56. Link Quality Factors “Backlink profiles are being scrutinised more than ever & paid links are easy to detect.” Permanance Named Anchor Text Anchor Text Spread Contextually Relevant Domain Authority In Content Surrounded by Relevant Content Temporary links indicate paid links or low trust Does the link have relevant anchor text (i.e. Car Hire Melbourne) Natural link profiles have varied anchor text Is the domain linking in highly relevant to yours? Is the domain linking in Strong / High Authority / Backlinks Is the link within content or in the sidebar (could indicate paid) Is the content surrounding the link relevant? Improved rankings = more targeted traffic = more sales
57. Outside the Box Link Building Hiring journalists to write eye grabbing, sharable content Bookmark the content on Digg, Stumbleupon, Tweetmeme & Reddit Contact blogs and websites and promote the content (hint: offer incentives) Create useful tools that your industry will use and link to (i.e. mortgage calculators) Offer prizes and incentives to get people talking about your content Improved rankings = more targeted traffic = more sales
58. Analytics & Conversion Optimisation Analysis / Actionable Data Improved rankings = more targeted traffic = more sales
59. Channel Conversion Rates 0.5% TV 1% Display Conversion Optimisation 2.5% 3.1% PPC 1.2% Increase to Conversion Rates 2.5% Organic SEO Huge increase to bottom line 3% Email 2% XML Feeds
60.
61. Use segments & filters to split up sections of your site for deeper analysis
62. Notice trends within specific product categories that aren’t apparent with unfiltered data
69. PPC Cost can reduce over time as the campaign becomes optimisedImage Source - http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/11/excellent-analytics-tip-measuring-value-of-ecommerce-sales-tools.html
73. Layout is just one part of the equation, notice in the example above how use of language can also have a huge impact on conversion rates
74. Other factors to consider – removing noise on the page (navigation etc), adding testimonials, reducing ‘barrier to entry’Image Copyright SiteTuners.com
SEO is a monster, there’s thousands of:Onpage Factors to considerLink Building Avenues & methodsSEO is constantly evolvingThe game is changing, things are becoming more socialCompetition is growingWebsites need to have unique value propositionBecoming more transparent, more people are tracking ROI
We break SEO down internally into 3 segments:Tactical (40%) – Your research, the most important part imoStructucal (20%) – The onpage changes that have the impact (these cannot be executed without the Research)Promotional (40%)– Using PR/Social/Link Building to propel your content into the web
Tactical SEO is about preparation, how do you know which keywords to target or execute upon without the correct research?You do the research, use the tools then decide which actions to take.Goals & Objectives – What are the goals & objectives of your site?Opportunities – What are the opportunities for growth & keyword developmentPermutations – What language are people using to find your products & services?Gaps – Do you have long tail gaps in your current content or is your content too thin/not engagingInternal Search – What are YOUR users looking for when they use your site. Are they not finding what they’re looking for?Competitors – What search terms are your Competitiors targeting & why?Industry – What search terms are key in your industry?Seasonal Terms – Do terms for holiday accommodation in byron bay peak at certain times of the year? Are you planning around this? Do you have a content or SEO schedule?What’s the intent? Are people using commercial or informational terms to find your site Microsoft Adlabs has a commerical intent tool
During the process of Keyword Research you’ll need to compare data sources, DO NOT rely on a single source for all your data. The above example shows how Google’s Keyword data varies differently to Hitwise CI data (there’s no download related keywords, preorder keywords or price related keywords?). If you ran a price comparison website then the data on the left wouldn’t be very actionable for you?
Unfortunately the homepage is often the most underused pageQuick Exercise:Look in your analytics at the top performing productsLook at the top things people search for internallyResearch the keywords around these productsFor example you notice that you sell a lot of digital SLR cameras, you do your research & see the term “digital slr camera” & “digital slr cameras” are the top traffic permutations of digital cameras. You can now bring this content forward & link via the homepage using the anchor text.
Tactical content is the art of using existing content that you have in your database & segmenting it towards a tighter or more targeted keyword focus.Lets use the example above, you have a generic real estate site that lists everything at once when you search. Land, Apartments, Rentals etc. It’s easy to segment this data & create static pages for each group of terms. Have a static landing page that just shows apartments, one that shows land, one that shows rentals. You can then take the tactical content even further by generating location specific & state specific permutations.
Once you identify any tactical content area’s it’s pretty easy to bring this content forward & promote it. Homehound is a great example of this break things right down to a granular level. If you don’t have content around a specific term then how do you expect to rank for it?
Internal linking & navigation is key to good rankings. The Adobe reader example is a great example of the power of anchor text.