Viewing your SEO Strategy separately from the selection, implementation, and day to day management of your CMS is fairly common. This can be a big mistake. Too often, changes made to a website through a web CMS don't take into account SEO must-dos.

1. Give
Gi your CMS an SEO J lt
Jolt
Learn how your CMS can have a HUGE impact on your
SEO efforts
F R E E e B O O K

2. Acronym Soup
» Content Management System. This is the technological system that companies use to
manage all of their websites’ content (text, photos, videos, PDFs)

3. Acronym Soup
» Search Engine Optimization refers to the strength of a website as viewed by search
engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo. Highly optimized websites rank very well.

4. Acronym Soup
» Search Engine Optimization refers to the strength of a website as viewed by search
engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo. Highly optimized websites rank very well.

5. Overview
» Content Management Systems (CMS) are extremely popular; allow internal teams to
manage their own web properties
» This helps foster efficiency, speed, and accuracy
» Past decade has proven the power of the search engine (e.g. Google)

6. Overview
» Content Management Systems (CMS) are extremely popular; allow internal teams to
manage their own web properties
» This helps foster efficiency, speed, and accuracy
» Past decade has proven the power of the search engine (e.g. Google)

7. Overview
» Content Management Systems (CMS) are extremely popular; allow internal teams to
manage their own web properties
» This helps foster efficiency, speed, and accuracy
» Past decade has proven the power of the search engine (e.g. Google)
» All too often, CMS overlooks SEO
» CMS are overly focused on Technology not Marketing
Technology,
» SEO is a relatively recent surge compared to legacy of some CMS platforms
» There have been strides, but few CMS take care of all your SEO needs

8. Today, Businesses Must Be Found
It doesn’t matter how good your website is. If no one can find it, you don’t matter.

9. Give a Jolt
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/e3000/211592000/

10. SEO 101
» How do search engines judge you?

11. SEO 101
» How do search engines judge you?
Relevancy
» What is your site or p g about?
y page
» How relevant are you to specific search terms?
» Will a visitor find what they’re looking for?

12. SEO 101
» How do search engines judge you?
Relevancy
+T
Trustt

13. SEO 101
» How do search engines judge you?
Relevancy
+T
Trustt
» Are you an older, stable web site?
» Do other sites appear to trust you?
» Will a visitor get valuable information from you?

14. SEO 101
Can a CMS make your site …
relevant?
trustworthy?

15. SEO 101
Ultimately, that’s up to you.

16. SEO 101
Ultimately, that’s up to you.

17. SEO 101
Ultimately, that’s up to you.
A CMS should help,
not hinder, your S O strategy.
SEO

18. How to Give a Jolt
» Editable Page Title and Metadata
» SEO-Friendly URL stems
y
» Web Analytics
» Sitemaps (XML/HTML)
» 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Edit bl P
Editable Page H di
Headings
» Landing Page Creation

19. How to Give a Jolt
» Editable Page Title and Metadata
» SEO-Friendly URL stems
y
» Web Analytics
» Sitemaps (XML/HTML)
» 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Edit bl P
Editable Page H di
Headings
» Landing Page Creation

20. Editable Page Title and Metadata
» Page Titles are one of the most important pieces of SEO
» Search Engines place considerable weight; UX effect as well
» While meta keywords have gone extinct, meta descriptions are still important
y g , p p
» Ability to edit these is imperative

21. How to Give a Jolt
» Editable Page Title and Metadata
» SEO-Friendly URL stems
y
» Web Analytics
» Sitemaps (XML/HTML)
» 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Edit bl P
Editable Page H di
Headings
» Landing Page Creation

22. SEO-Friendly URL Stems
» Important factor in engines understanding page relevancy
» Page URLs are a great area to populate target keywords
» Easier on site users; more memorable than a random string
; g
» CMS should have intelligent, automated method to generate SEO-Friendly URLs
www.acme.com/products/red-oven-mitts www.acme.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PC-11122

23. How to Give a Jolt
» Editable Page Title and Metadata
» SEO-Friendly URL stems
y
» Web Analytics
» Sitemaps (XML/HTML)
» 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Edit bl P
Editable Page H di
Headings
» Landing Page Creation

24. Web Analytics
» Whether it’s a separate tool or integrated – use your analytics
» Knowing what keywords drive traffic helps identify opportunities
» Driving traffic isn’t the only g
g y goal – drive the right traffic
g
» Understand what traffic converts and expand those efforts

25. Web Analytics
» Whether it’s a separate tool or integrated – use your analytics
» Knowing what keywords drive traffic helps identify opportunities
» Driving traffic isn’t the only g
g y goal – drive the right traffic
g
» Understand what traffic converts and expand those efforts
Your search referrers
Y h f Their
Th i performance
f

26. How to Give a Jolt
» Editable Page Title and Metadata
» SEO-Friendly URL stems
y
» Web Analytics
» Sitemaps (XML/HTML)
» 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Edit bl P
Editable Page H di
Headings
» Landing Page Creation

27. Sitemaps (XML)
» XML Sitemaps are standardized files that search engines utilize to better understand
pages on your website
» They are not required for your website to be crawled
» Very helpful for new websites and those with dynamic content
» CMS should automatically generate XML Sitemaps

28. Sitemaps (XML)
» XML Sitemaps are standardized files that search engines utilize to better understand
pages on your website
» They are not required for your website to be crawled
» Very helpful for new websites and those with dynamic content
» CMS should automatically generate XML Sitemaps

29. Sitemaps (HTML)
» HTML Sitemaps are pages containing a hierarchy of links to areas of your website
» HTML Sitemaps help the engines to efficiently ‘spider’ the content on your site
» Engines validate XML sitemaps with spider’d content
g p p
» Users seek out sitemaps as browseable navigation
» CMS should automatically generate HTML Sitemaps

30. How to Give a Jolt
» Editable Page Title and Metadata
» SEO-Friendly URL stems
y
» Web Analytics
» Sitemaps (XML/HTML)
» 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Edit bl P
Editable Page H di
Headings
» Landing Page Creation

31. 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» What is a 301 Permanent Redirect?

32. 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Let’s say search engines bring you web traffic, which in turn lead to sales
» This camera is your hottest item, with search engines referring 25% of buying users

33. 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Let’s say search engines bring you web traffic, which in turn lead to sales
» This camera is your hottest item, with search engines referring 25% of buying users
» All is well until your company decides to redesign/redevelop your website
y p y g py
Danger Ahead

34. 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
Nikon Digital Cameras | Acme Liquidators
Shop Acme Liquidators for Closeout Prices on Digital Cameras. Popular Brands
Include Nikon, Canon, and More…
www.acme.com/electronics/nikon-12-1-digital-camera-1a.aspx
g p

35. 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
Nikon Digital Cameras | Acme Liquidators
Shop Acme Liquidators for Closeout Prices on Digital Cameras. Popular Brands
Include Nikon, Canon, and More…
www.acme.com/electronics/nikon-12-1-digital-camera-1a.aspx
g p
» Search engines have ranked this webpage for “Nikon Digital Camera”
» The engines have given this page a certain rank or “weight”
weight

36. 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
Nikon Digital Cameras | Acme Liquidators
Shop Acme Liquidators for Closeout Prices on Digital Cameras. Popular Brands
Include Nikon, Canon, and More…
www.acme.com/electronics/nikon-12-1-digital-camera-1a.aspx
g p
» Search engines have ranked this webpage for “Nikon Digital Camera”
» The engines have given this page a certain rank or “weight”
weight
» After the redesign, the page name changed, but search engines are trying to reach
the page from the link above
Nikon Digital Cameras | Acme Liquidators
Shop Acme Liquidators for Closeout Prices on Digital Cameras. Popular Brands
Include Nikon, C
I l d Nik Canon, and M
d More…
www.acme.com/prods/closeout-elec/nikon-camera-1674a.cfm

37. 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Search engines take note that your page no longer exists
» They drop you for your lucrative “Nikon Digital Camera” phrase
» Has an overall effect on website’s SEO grade
g
» Keep in mind this negative effect also occurs when you rename your own pages on
your website

38. 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Search engines take note that your page no longer exists
» They drop you for your lucrative “Nikon Digital Camera”
» Has an overall effect on website SEO
» Keep in mind this negative effect also occurs when you rename your own pages on
your website
» A 301 permanent redirect is the standard method to inform search engines that your
page names have changed. 301s transfer existing “page weight” to the new page.
Users also trying to access the old URL will be sent to the new page.
» CMS should have an automated method to generate 301 Permanent Redirects

39. How to Give a Jolt
» Editable Page Title and Metadata
» SEO-Friendly URL stems
y
» Web Analytics
» Sitemaps (XML/HTML)
» 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Edit bl Page Headings
Editable P H di
» Landing Page Creation

40. Editable Page Headings
» Along with Page Titles, Page Headings are an important SEO item
» Search engines give more consideration to content within heading tags
» A great area to insert target keywords you’re trying to rank for
g g y y y g
» These tags are represented in HTML as:
» <h1>My Page’s Heading</h1>
» <h2>A Second Level Page Heading</h2>
» CMS should allow for editing of Page Headings

41. How to Give a Jolt
» Editable Page Title and Metadata
» SEO-Friendly URL stems
y
» Web Analytics
» Sitemaps (XML/HTML)
» 301 Permanent Redirect Automation
» Edit bl P
Editable Page H di
Headings
» Landing Page Creation

42. Landing Page Creation
» Remember why you got a content management system
» Create new content – based on opportunities identified through analytics
» Every p g is a page visitors might land on – welcome them
y page p g g
» Recency is an important factor – create new content often
Know who’s coming.
Know why they’re coming.
Welcome them accordingly.

43. Summary
» Content Management Systems help businesses maintain their websites, however
make sure they won’t hinder your SEO
» Search engines assess relevance and trust when judging your website
» Ensure you have control over Page Titles, Metadata, and your pages' URL Stems
» Make sure your CMS can create and continually modify XML/HTML Sitemaps
» 301 permanent redirects - is your CMS handling this for you?
» Leverage web analytics to identify opportunities

44. About Bridgeline Digital
About Bridgeline Digital
» A developer of powerful web application management software and award winning
Interactive Technology Solutions
We help organizations achieve or exceed their interactive marketing and
business initiatives by leveraging web based technologies
» Maximize revenue
» Reduce operational and administrative costs
» Improve customer service and loyalty
» Enhance employee knowledge and productivity
Expanding market presence
» We have over 700 customers with an expanding geographic presence

45. Over 1,000 Success Stories and Counting…

46. Thank You For Reading!
» You can revisit this presentation on Bridgeline’s slideshare account:
» http://www.slideshare.net/bridgeline
» http://www.bridgelinedigital.com
» http://twitter.com/bridgeline
» 800.603.9936