©2006-2010, digital axle, llc all rights reserved website optimization, seo, and analytics bruce...

©2006-2010, Digital Axle, LLC All Rights Reserved

Website Optimization, SEO, and Analytics

Bruce CarlisleDigital Axle

@rbcarlisle


Optimization means many things

• User Interface• Click Paths• Keywords• Social Marketing Opt.• Forms• Copy• Call to Action• Colors• Search Text copy• Participation• Inbound Links

• Demographic targeting• Behavioral Targeting• Image tagging• URL Naming• Alt Text Copy• Use of HTML headlines• Matching copy to URL• Content Strategy• Headline Copy• Sharing Buttons• Page Load Speed

AND MORE…….


Optimization:

SEO Technical

Expectations

SEO Technical

Expectations

External FactorsExternal Factors

Usability & User

Experience

Usability & User

Experience

ContentContent


Things you have lots of control over

SEO Technical

Expectations

SEO Technical

Expectations

Usability & User

Experience

Usability & User

ExperienceContentContent


Things you have less control over

• Algorithm Changes

• Competition• Social Activity• Inbound linking• User searches• Content Virality• Tags• News• Video• Images• Recency

• Algorithm Changes

• Competition• Social Activity• Inbound linking• User searches• Content Virality• Tags• News• Video• Images• Recency

External FactorsExternal Factors


The economics of optimization

• Not build it and forget it• Requires budget and maintenance

– Baseline marketing expense

• Activities should have their own ROI– Content– Social– UX testing & Optimization


SEO


Search today is…….


Social Networks


Social Sharing


SEO: a new language to learn

• Page Rank• Anchor text• Text link copy• Google penalties• Adwords• Bid• Relevance

• Keyword stuffing• Paid Inclusion• Spiders• Bots• BackLink• Recency• Google Analytics


Search Engine Optimization

• Without strong SEO all other marketing dollars contain waste

• Strong Google ranking can make your website a success

• Weak Google ranking means your company is spending good money against bad

• But….. There is a lot of voodoo involved


The non-technical stuff

• Decide what keywords matter most• Create shareable content• Increase your linkability• Make tagging and bookmarking easy• Reward inbound links• Help your content travel• Get communities connected• Proactively share content

Partial Source: Rohit Bahgavra


Analytic Tools


Analytic Tools

• Near Universal Usage:– Google Analytics

• Different tools do different things• Movement toward “dashboards”

– Marriage of “analytics” and “management”


FREE


Google Analytics


Google Analytics: Traffic Sources


In Page Analytics


Other Analytic Tools

There are now dozens if not hundreds


Quantcast


Alexa


ChartBeat


Case Studies


NorCal Honda Dealers Website Optimization

Problems:• No home page text for

search engines to read• Multiple prominent home

page buttons siphoned traffic away

• Zip code entry diminished• Three page registration

path• Lengthy form with

multiple entry fields• Graphic tags don’t reflect

content• Only 25% of leads

trackedInherited Site


Norcal Honda Dealers Website Optimization

Fixes Made:• Zip code entry prominent• Other links minimized• Shortened registration

path• Shortened form• Relevant home page text• All text keyword stuffed• Full tracking solution• Graphic tags optimized• More active look & feel• Web 2.0 usability• Google mapping features• Metatags matched to

content• 800# implementedRebuilt Site


Honda Metrics: UI Optimization

Inherited Website

Period: 10/22/07 – 12/20/07

•Total website visits: 20,487•Daily visits: 341•Unique visitors: 18,944•Avg. time on site: 0:56•Avg. pages/visit: 1.78

Rebuilt Website

Period: 03/17/08 – 06/05/08

•Total website visits: 53,594•Daily visits: 661•Unique visitors: 46,600•Avg. time on site: 1:13•Avg. pages/visit: 1.99

+ 94%+ 30%+ 146%+ 30%+ 12%


Honda: Landing Page Optimization

• Minor differences in copy, graphics layout, etc can result in dramatic increases in conversions

• Create three different ‘landing pages’ based on

three separate keyword appeals.


Honda: Lead Form Layout Test

CHORIZONTAL FORM

BVERTICAL FORM (test)

AVERTICAL FORM (default)


Lead Form Optimization Layout Test: Results

• Option C created a 128% improvement in lead capture

• Cut lead acquisition costs by more than half• Notes:

1) The default vertical layout (A) has the lowest average conversion rate1) C > A: 99% confidence2) B > A: 90% confidence

2) The horizontal layout (C) is top performer1) C > B: 85% confidence

FORM LAYOUT IMPRESSIONS CLICKS LEADS CONV RATE

A (default vertical layout) 117,060 1,311 13 0.99%

B (vertical layout - test) 116,543 1,352 22 1.63%

C (horizontal layout) 117,704 1,315 30 2.28%


What optimization really implies

• Constant measurement• Constant testing• HTML maintenance• Tagging• Content Strategy• Content sharing• Social Strategy


Whether you like it or not………

• Web traffic and performance and by extension your brand and product are captive to:– The Relevance of your content– The Recency of your content– Your use of HTML to comply with Google’s “rules”– Social currency as measured by Twitter, Facebook, etc.

a– Your online “authority” as measured by inbound links

(quantity and quality) – How people search (keywords)– How people see and use web pages (UX)– What your competitors do


You can attempt to control the digital space or the web will control you

• In many respects, it’s not fair• It’s generally not cost effective to do

everything• Resist the “You must do this” chatter / trap• Be strategic first…• Then tactical• Only commit to doing what you can

realistically do• Only analyze what you can impact


Bruce CarlisleDigital Axle

@rbcarlislewww.digitalaxle.com

[email protected]

©2006-2010, digital axle, llc all rights reserved website optimization, seo, and analytics bruce...

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