SEO Midterm - Sweet
Step 5: Submit 2 Search Persona Templates for your site
(assignment in class)
One of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People:
-In the world of SEO, we must begin with the end user in mind. It's not about us, it's about them! -Goal: To understand key personas would likely connect with your site.***
Preliminary Template for Specifying Keyword Intent
-Keyword: Pittsburgh Web Design -Intent: I am looking for a web design company in Pittsburgh because my site needs to be redesigned. -Questions/Complaints/Needs: ->Can I have a professional site that also is affordable? ->My site is ugly. I need help fast. ->We are non-profit. We need a company to help us. -Content
Visualizing SEO: Two Main Types of SEO: (2. Offsite Optimization)
-Links -More links -Even more links -Focused on getting people to talk ->Buzz -Inbound links ->Credibility ->Links should include authority in order to be effective, otherwise they won't help. -Offsite content ->Content that you write on other sites ->Content that others write about you -->Reviews -->Articles -Active Social Media -Recommend Content -Connect with Influencers -Optimize External Anchor Text ->Text that links to your blog
Perspective on Content
-As your own custom product, Content is one of your most valuable assets and proprietary marketing tools. -People want to know what you know and benefit from your expertise. -If you are serious about doing business on the Internet, you must learn to do content well. -Let your content be a key to building trusted business relationships. -Content is the lifeblood of the Internet. -It is your biggest potential differentiator on the Web. -It is the biggest potential Achilles Heal of your competitors -Knowing the competitive landscape in terms of content is vital. -Getting content RIGHT alone is a big challenge for organizations -Getting it OPTIMIZED and TARGETED toward user intent represents a completely different kind of challenge -Keeping up with GOOGLE'S ALGORITHMS adds another level of complexity
More on Keyword Selection
-Back to Niche Clouds -Niche clouds related to keywords helps us identify and target keyword groups -Using a keyword cloud to categorize groups of questions related to each keyword will help you build a strategy for content development
More on the WHYs of Content
-Be systematic in developing questions which will guide your content strategy -E.g. Building a site for kids about the Stock Market ->What is a stock? ->How are stocks traded? ->Where are stocks traded? ->What is the stock exchange? ->How many stock exchanges are there? ->How can you make money trading stocks? -Articulate and Categorize the Range of Questions Your Users are Asking
Keyword Research Pitfalls
-Beware of being unrealistic ->High volume does not always mean high rate of success ->Low volume/low competition can = $$$ -Note the match type being queried, if function is available -Note plurals and singulars -Consider the goal: Conversion -Beware of terms taken out of context ->Consider the context through manual searches -Review keyword usage and referrals from SE's and be ready to adjust as the data suggests ->Refocus on new keywords ->Write new content ->Avoid wasting time on non-productive terms
Consider a range of persona types:
-Consumers of content -Buyers of products or services -Sociable types/sharers of content -Explorers of content -Business stakeholders -Topical stakeholders/industry experts -Key influencers -Webmasters
Visualizing SEO: Two Main Types of SEO: (1. Onsite Optimization)
-Crawlability ->Flash, protected content, iFrames, etc. -Usability ->Ease of use by people and devices -Develop rich content - text and rich media -Social Media Signals -Metatags, Alt tags ->Meta = about ->Alt = text/picture -Heading tags ->H1 = main tag that visitors see ->H2 = breaking up of the content ->H3 = similar to H2 -URL structure ->Url.com/ourproducts is more desirable and easier to find that url.com/?=p1234 -Google site map
Why do we Search?
-Curiosity -Gain useful information -Gain useless information -Convenience -Laziness -Social/Relational Motivation -Profit Motive -Fun/Entertainment -Buy/Acquire -Satisfy a Need -Find a Solution for PAIN
Content as a Product: Treat Content as a Product
-Demand, Cost, Value, Packaging -Content is your intellectual property -You can sell it, distribute it, and give it away -It can be a "loss leader" in free offer scenarios -No matter what kind of business you are in, content should be one of your products. -As such, you can market it!
Keyword Selection: Phase 4- Finalize Your List
-Find relevant search data from global Google search properties -Ask: which terms are winnable? -Prioritize Your List -Consider the Boston Matrix applied to keywords
Keyword Intent
-For this reason, Keyword Intent is vital. Always be asking, "What do people mean when they enter this phrase in Google?" -Keyword Intent is what the USER means when they enter a query. -What Google thinks and what you think they mean may be different. -All keywords have consumer intent. (e.g. "I am looking for such and such content because I want to answer such and such question...") -Some keywords have commercial intent (e.g. "If you give me the info I need, I may buy what you have...")
Lee Wishing (Guest Speaker)
-GCC is decades behind in the search/engine marketing subject -Who is the target market? ->61% public high schools students ->High achieving student -->Christian ->Private Christian schools ->Catholic schools ->Public charter ->16% home-schooled ->Hybrid student ->Online student -Pain...why? ->My major ->Affordability ->Campus life ->Academic benchmark ->Job placement rate ->Student body size ->Home-school friendly ->Location and environment ->International opportunities ->Fear of the unknown ->Conservative academic experience ->Sports and the arts -Keywords ->Conservative Christian College ->Affordable Christian College ->Top Christian Colleges in PA ->Private Christian College ->Geographical Modifier ->Cheap ->Small
Keyword Selection: Using Wikipedia
-Google and Ontology -Classically, Ontology = the study of "being" -In SEO, Ontology refers to a set of relationships within a topic domain, and the relationships among those ideas. -Google uses ontological constructs to establish relationships among websites and to determine the relevance of the content to a particular query. -Use Wikipedia as a source for information about a topic domain, including concepts related to taxonomy/ontology
-Has become a verb in our culture -Is the most efficient public search mechanism ever created -Is a Portal of Demand -Serves as a benchmark for authority and significance -Is always in flux -Is a sandbox for experimentation
Content is Critical for SEO
-Helps establish the relevance of a page -SE Results are all about relevance -Historic View: Content is King -Old School SEO developed content primarily for digital agents (i.e. Googlebot, Bingbot, etc.) -Now: Relevance for users trumps everything else -Ergo: The User is King
SEO involves pursuing experimental questions:
-How do we reach our target markets? -What content do they need/want? -How do we get them to engage with our content and brand more effectively? -What content converts best? -How do analytics inform our actions? -How do we introduce a new product/service? -How do we build a brand? -How do we enter new markets?
Keyword Selection (points)
-Identify some niche markets -Create a niche cloud -Use a keyword tool to drill down -Use forums to listen for keyword usage and topical demand -In Google: Keyword + "forums"
Visualizing SEO: Phase 3- Implement
-Implement Onsite Changes -Keyword Refinement -Contact sites for links and content -Refine and add content -Measure: Analytics & Results
Content: Google Webmaster Guidelines
-Make a site with a clear hierarchy and text links. Every page should be reachable from at least one static text link. -Offer a site map to your users with links that point to the important parts of your site. If the site map has an extremely large number of links, you may want to break the site map into multiple pages. ->Signup for GWT + Install Google XML Sitemaps -Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable number. -Create a useful, information-rich site, and write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content. -Try to use text instead of images to display important names, content, or links. Use ALT text as needed. -Make sure that your <title> elements and ALT attributes are descriptive and accurate. -Check for broken links and correct HTML. -Dynamic pages (where the URL contains a "?") are not crawled by spiders as well as static pages. Keep the parameters short and the number of them few.
Meta Tags
-Meta = about -Title tag is actually not a meta tag in a formal sense -Title Tag is known as the "Page Title Element" -Google may choose their own snippet despite your best efforts to manage your meta tags -Google is more likely to choose your title/description if it is helpful, relevant and informational -Beware of duplication among titles/descriptions
Keyword Targeting
-Old School SEO used a variety of techniques to gain favorable rank in the search engines ->At worst - keyword stuffing - (black hat SEO) ->At best - keyword density (3-10% of content) ->No effect: using the Keyword Tag -You still see some of these practices on older sites -If you see this sort of thing on competitor sites, it could represent an opportunity -Now: Natural Keyword Targeting is Norm -Anything that smacks of deception, spam, unnatural usage, or an "end run" could be problematic -KEYWORD TARGETING = intentionally positioning pages on your site for specific keywords and phrases by using a consistent on-site optimization methodology -Critical: Meta Tag Optimization -Currently - some debate in the SEO world about the nature of keyword targeting -Old School methods were somewhat mechanical -Google algorithmic initiatives, particularly the Hummingbird update -Hummingbird was a radical change in Google's algorithm ->So called because it is fast and precise ->Focuses on delivering results to "conversational search" ->A better algorithm that attempts to discern searchers intent more effectively -Keyword Targeting is concerned with genuinely connecting with with the intent of searchers -Keyword Targeting is also about CONVERSIONS
Visualizing SEO: Phase 2- Focus
-Onsite Issue Refinement -Keyword Selection -List of Prospective Links -Develop Initial Content -Measure: Competitor Content
Keyword Selection: Benefits of Solid Keyword Research
-Provides Insights into Demand -Provides Insight into the Mind of Your Search Personas -Gives You Direction in terms of Content -Keyword Research Leads to Entrepreneurial Focus -It may even cause you to pivot
Boston Matrix
-Question Marks -Dogs -Stars -Cash cows -Y-axis: keyword growth potential -X-axis: keyword performance
Choosing a Project: Primary Qualifications
-Questions about SEO -Blogs can be Exploratory -Results of Your Reading/Research -Discoveries -Tools -Tips -Industry Changes -Topics from Class
Keyword Selection: Phase 3- Consult Various Keyword Suggestion Tools
-Search for "Google Adwords MCC Account" -Create a Google Adwords My Client Center account to access it -Enter basic info: email, time zone, country, currency -Alt: create an account, start a campaign, and pause it -Designed for Paid Search, but useful for general keyword research -Data is complied from multiple device types
A Content Processor might look like this:
-Selected Keywords and Phrases -> -Meaning -> -Questions, Complaints, Needs
Keyword Selection: Phase 1- Brainstorm a List of Potential Keywords for each Persona
-Still no tools at this level -Review your empathy maps and generate terms and phrases from the maps -Think both Broad & Targeted -Think both Purchase-oriented and Content/Research-oriented -Think both single words and phrases -Look at competitors and related topical sites for ideas
Keyword Selection: Phase 2- Talk to Real People
-Still no tools at this level -Share the idea of your site with others and survey them about words/phrases they might enter into Google to find a site like yours -Talk to friends, family, etc. -Talk to industry experts -Talk to skilled searchers -Talk to real customers/users if possible (people who typify the personas)
First Stages of SEO: Understand the Main Elements of Planning
-Technology Choices -Market Segmentation -Prospective User Need/Demand -Content Development Ideas/Resources -Sources of Quality Links -Strategy for Promoting Content -Branding and Positioning -Considering Your Competition
The WHYS of Content
-Think about the WHYs of content for your audience. -What drives them to search? -We typically consume content for the following reasons: 1. To solve problems ->Financial/Business ->Emotional ->Relational ->Psychological ->Spiritual ->Multi-dimensional problems! 2. To gain leverage or advantage ->What will help my users gain an advantage in the work they do? ->What will help them gain leverage for success? ->What key information that I know as good or better than others will position me as an authority and a trusted "provider of leverage?" 3. To satisfy curiosity ->I don' know about (blank), but I want to know about (blank) ->I need to know (blank), so that I can (blank) 4. To be entertained ->What would be really FUN for my users? ->What would they get a kick out of? ->What kinds of content would they instantly pass along to their friends, co-workers or peers? ->What FUN content would be unique in our industry? Any inside humor? 5. To answer questions ->Think very carefully about the questions of your target users ->Brainstorm a list of questions they typically ask -Some businesses forget that their prospects and customers are driven by PAIN and the QUESTIONS that are constantly emerging from that PAIN -Questions = content inspiration -Continually return to the simplest formula to re-energize your content strategy: ->Pain --> Questions --> Content -Having a mix of content types and purposes is good -Think about speaking to the WHOLE person, head and heart! -Think about how you can deliver content to meet the multiplicity of needs -The WHY of search demand is as critical as the WHAT! -The WHY of search demand can be fleshed out in a multiplicity of questions
Best Practices for Keyword Research
-Think like a user. Sit down at the user's keyboard or imagine you are the user holding a mobile device -Develop a strategy ->Find keywords that represent "low hanging fruit" ->Advance to more competitive phrases later -->IMMEDIATE = cheap patterned laptop skins -->MEDIUM TERM = cheap laptop skins -->LONGER TERM = laptop skins -Be sure to dig - go granular - specification is everything -Niches to Riches -Articulate natural keyword variations -Compare data from multiple sources -Don't get hung up in details; pay attention to the big picture -Use common sense
Website Analysis: Typical elements of a website audit
-Usability, accessibility/spiderability - pro or anti-SE?, SE health check (into the Google database) -Keyword health checks - any cannibalization? -Duplicate Content? -> we want to be careful of this because Google will default the authorization to the first website -a canonical redirect is also called a 301 redirect (Canon = list) -Canonical URL: A search engine friendly URL that you want the search engines to treat as authoritative. In essence, a canonical URL is the URL that you want visitors to see. -Title tag review (are they significant or relevant?) -> Are they unique and descriptive? Are keywords mixed with brands? Are keywords at the beginning? -Content review (Enough content? Balance of high and low content pages?) -Meta tag review (Presence of tags, length of tags, are descriptions unique?) -Sitemaps file and robots.txt verification -Internal linking checks -Any excess links per page (Google = 100 max -> because if more it feels spammy, or that you're a link farm, or you're trying to fool Google into thinking that this website is authoritative) -Good use of anchor text? -Any unnecessary sub-domains? -Geolocation issues? -External linking (Use linkpopularity.com) -Number of links -Quality of links (authoritative sites?) -Anchor text? (Overabundance of the same anchor text? Balance? Paid links and unsolicited links?) -Compare to competitors -Page load time -Image alt tags? -Code quality
Content Development
-Use keywords naturally throughout body of text, but don't overuse them. -Write first for users. -Don't be spammy. -Don't write "mechanically." -Shift from mechanical relevance to Keywords to semantic relevance to User Intent -Sometimes, more relevant content alone helps you get better positioning -So...analyze the quality of the content of your competitors
Visualizing SEO: Phase 1- Research
-Website Analysis -Keyword Research -Link Research -Preliminary Content Plan -Measure: Current and Competitors
Knowing What Your Customers Need: The Demand for Content - Evaluate the Content Needs of Your Target Groups
-Who are my target user groups? ->Main Groups ->Sub Groups -Why would they do business with me online? Why do they want to connect? ->Pain? ->Challenges? ->Needs? ->Opportunities? -What keywords are they using? ->How are my prospects and customers talking about solving their pain? -What do they need/demand in terms of content? ->What will satisfy their need or pain? ->What will really help them? -What are calls to action on the website? ->What specific invitations will be provided to the users? ->What should they know and do? -What content do you need to meet the demand of your customers and prospects represented by keywords?
Tips for Optimizing H1 Tags
-Your H1 Tag ought to connect with your Title Tag Heading Tags: 1. Key part of Onsite/Onpage SEO 2. HTML tags that are defined from <h1> to <h6> 3. Hierarchical system of tags that show relative importance and relationship of content. 4. Demonstrates hierarchy to both Google and users 5. Heading tags are built into WordPress admin 6. ,h1> tag is, by default, the navigation/page title
Google Trends
-a snapshot in time of what people are searching on Google all over the world -demonstrates the power of search as a global, cultural data collection phenomenon -shows relative popularity of a search term over time and in specific regions, NOT total search volume -data is normalized on a scale of 0-100 to allow for apples-to-apples comparisons -search reflects the PULSE of the world -knowing the PULSE of a search subject is vital to any business or organization
Keywords and phrases may have multiple meanings:
-e.g. "Grove City gifts" could mean: ->I am looking for a gift shop in Grove City ->I am looking for gifts that are made in Grove City ->I am looking for a gift that has a Grove City logo -The challenge is to: 1. Understand clearly and specifically the range of meanings for your keywords 2. Pick the user intention(s) that relate to your site 3. Plan content around those meanings
Choosing a Project: 4 Options
1) A site you have already built 2) A site you want to create using your own original content -Hobby, Passion, Interest -Academic or Professional -May have business potential -Exploratory in nature 3) Existing business or organization known to you 4) Existing business or organization known to me (Dr. Sweet)
SEO Goals
1) Raw Traffic (eyeballs, ad revenue) 2) E-commerce Sales (drive revenue) 3) Mindshare/Branding (shape perception) 4) Lead Generation/Direct Marketing (fill pipeline) 5) Reputation Management (eg displace negative pages) 6) Ideological Influence (eg political or cause sites)
Content Development: Content Tips from Rand Fishkin - Moz.com
1. Calculation, Analysis or Comparison Tools -Could be a web-based function -Could be data you've collected 2. Articles and Writing -Conclusive -Authoritative -Direct -Pragmatic 3. Diagrams, Animation, and Visual Content -Custom Charts -Custom Infographics -Original Images -"Beauty Breeds Attention" 4. Interactive Elements -Polls -Quizzes -Surveys 5. Original Videos -Instructional/Educational -Editorial -Personal -Viral ->Sensational: Crazy-Wacky-Extreme ->Funny ->Extraordinarily Useful
Description Tags: 3 Purposes
1. Describe the content of the page accurately and thoroughly for USERS (SE's do not use for ranking purposes.) 2. Serve as teaser text or ad copy for SERPs. 3. Display relevant keywords and context for optimizing click-throughs and conversion.
Keywords & Content: 4 Dimensions of Content Suggested by Keywords:
1. Identify specific topics and pages 2. Identify how you are going to organize your content (e.g. navigation) 3. Think about how you can differentiate yourself from competitors 4. Bottom Line: think about how you can meet the needs of your visitors
Tips for Optimizing Description Tags
1. Keyword Proximity: Relevant keywords near the beginning of the description tag will help users get a quick handle on the relevance of your site to their search. 2. Be Truthful - Avoid bait & switch 3. Character Limit: Traditional limit: 156. But we are seeing 275-300 in some results. Counts includes spaces. 4. Create succinct, descriptive, compelling, pithy, memorable, inviting ad-worthy copy. Sizzle, as they say. 5. Always be refining your copy to get the best results. Watch analytics to monitor and track. 6. Analyze the psychology of your users. Think about their goals. What do they need and what are you delivering? 7. Ask, "What language, style, or tone resonates with the users?" Casual? Formal? Whimsical? Serious? Clever? No Frills? 8. Think of a SERP result as a 'wayfinding' sign. Would it help YOU find your way? 9. Beware of deploying descriptions universally. SE's will default to initial sentences. This may be a good practice on huge sites. 10. Make sure your description tag includes a Call to Action (CTA)
Title Tags: Tips for Optimizing Title Tags
1. Keyword Proximity: use the keyword in the tag and place it near the beginning of the title tag. This is helpful for users AND is relevant to the Search Engines. Brand names, if needed in the title, should go at the end. 2. Character Limit: Traditionally 65, including spaces and pipes. Some now say that Google has increased the limit to 70-71. 3. Make titles page-specific to the keyword you are targeting. This is sometimes overlooked or titles are not specific enough. 4. Nuance your keywords, and use separate pages to target short and long variations. 5. Don't be afraid to use long key phrases if they are relevant. 6. Use a colon, pipe or dash to separate | phrases. 7. Think about "click-through-ability" and conversion when writing tags. Use imperative and invitational language 8. Test and modify titles to optimize your results 9. Target the INTENT of the searchers. Let the title expand on the perceived meaning more specifically. 10. Be consistent across all tags on the site. 11. Use language that grabs ATTENTION and is CLEAR.
Narrative
1. Optics -Visuals? 2. Story -Text -Video 3. Buzz -Social Shares -Reviews ->Product reviews -Comments
Basic Strategy for any Page or Post
1. Target Keyword 2. User Intent 3. Conversion Aim 4. Write and interesting title of the post or page 5. Write a conversion-friendly title tag 6. Write a conversion-friendly description tag
Keyword Selection (basic process)
1. Think about and research the needs of your target users -What do they need to know in order to do what they want to do? 2. Do some quick initial brainstorming 3. Explore fuller range of semantic variables 4. Use Google Keyword Planner and other tools to modify this list 5. Generate master list of potential keywords 6. Conduct searches on these keywords -Who are the competitors? -Which terms are winnable? -Where are the content opportunities relative to these keywords? 7. Reduce your list to a manageable number 8. Identify the top 3-5 keyword you will target 9. Identify 3-5 secondary keywords 10. Actively target keyword with onsite optimization efforts
Content Development: The 8 C's of Great Content Development
1. Who Cares? 2. Is it Compelling? 3. It is Clear? 4. Is it Complete? 5. Is it Concise? 6. Is it Correct? 7. Does it Connect? 8. Is it Contagious?
Target Market Research
Bottom Line: -What do users want? -What do they need? -How will you give it to them?
Step 2: Pain/Gain
Pain/Gain Map: -Goal: Capture specific pains/gains for each persona type -Pain/Gain influences decision-making -It helps us understand core motivation -It is the foundation of persona development -It will lead you to keywords -Think about it in connection with your main topic ->Pain -->Needs -->Fears -->Frustrations -->Gaps -->Challenges -->Obstacles -->Threats ->Gain -->Hopes -->Goals -->Wants -->Opportunities -->Profit -->Acquisitions -->Success Factors
Step 1: ID Target Users
Who are Your Target Users? -Brainstorm a quick list of prospective users -Divide them into main groups and sub groups -Consider these "rough or preliminary" personas ->Influencers -->Bloggers -->Industry Experts -->Journalists ->Consumers -->College Students -->Young Professionals -->Grandmas
Step 4: Map Your Personas
Empathy Map -(on course folder)
Target Market Research: Phase 1
Keyword Research
Target Market Research: Who are the target users?
Rarely a homogeneous group. Most often target markets can be segmented. Segmentation is important for keyword research. -What does site content suggest about who's in the audience? -Ask the business contact to define/describe the target market segments we're trying to reach. -We can divide this audience by: A. Product/service demand B. Sales volume C. Geography D. Age groups E. Industries F. Roles G. People types H. Business problems I. Prospective budget
Defining SEO: moz.com
SEO is the active practice of optimizing a web site by improving internal and external aspects in order to increase the traffic the site receives from search engines.
Defining SEO: seomoz
SEO is the process of taking a page built by humans and making it easily consumable for both other humans and for search engine robots.
Defining SEO: Bruce Clay
SEO is the science of increasing traffic to your Website by improving the internal and external factors influencing ranking in search results. It includes Web programming expertise combined with business, persuasion, sales and a love for competitive puzzle solving.
Defining Search
Search has become so embedded in our culture that the Google brand has become both a VERB in our everyday language.
Defining SEO: Natural or Organic Search
Using a variety of methods to achieve favorable ranking for specific terms in the organic results for a query in a search engine or directory.
Step 3: Think About Your Internet Personas
Who are the Target Users as an Internet Persona? -Target Market Research -What are their Internet habits like? -Where do they spend time online? -Where do they reveal what they think about relative to your products or services? -What motivates them to think about connecting with a company like yours? -What is their primary pain? -How do they talk about solving their pain? -Any industry language or jargon? -Any brand modifiers? -Any geographical modifiers? -Brainstorm Keywords and Phrases
Search Persona
composite profile of target users
Definition of Onsite Optimization
elements over which you have lots of control directly on the page(s) you wish to optimize
Definition of Offsite
elements which stand outside of pages you are optimizing and over which you have varying degrees of influence
