Process for Online Visibility: From Information Architecture to Killer Content
November 2011
Dana LookadooYo! Yo! SEO
@lookadoo & @YoYoSEO
Search & Social Domination Search & Social Domination EquationEquation
BuildinBuilding g BlocksBlocks
Breaking It DownBreaking It Down
Information Architecture Information Architecture (IA) is the structure that brings all
your website content assets content assets together while providing a flow for
your visitorsvisitors — in language they use and understand.
BuildingBuilding BlocksBlocks
InformationInformationArchitectureArchitecture
FoundationalSite Structure
Sets Visitor & Link Flow
Keyword Focus
Building BlocksBuilding Blocks
UnderstandiUnderstanding Audience ng Audience BehaviorBehavior
DesiresNeedsTasks
Process & FrameworkProcess & Framework
Creating ContentCreating Content
ResearchCreation
OptimizationPublishing
Online Visibility!Online Visibility!
Information Information ArchitectureArchitecture
PlanningPlanningJust say “NO” to developers who skip it…
Information Architecture provides the path to lead your path to lead your audience audience to their desired location.
IA gets them to your kick-butt content that puts you top of top of mindmind in social media & in the SERPs!
New Site or Redesign New Site or Redesign BlueprintBlueprint
Your IA is like your floor plan.
You wouldn’t build a house without it!
IA != Library ScienceIA != Library Science
Information Architecture is NOT just a site map.
It’s NOT just classification, labels, navigation, wireframes, design, HTML 5…
IA = Behavioral ScienceIA = Behavioral ScienceYour audience demographicsaudience demographics are the center of your IA universe.
Keyword ResearchKeyword ResearchBeyond Google AdWords Keyword Tool…
Who? What? Where?Who? What? Where?
Optimized IAOptimized IA
Optimized IA ProcessOptimized IA ProcessHead Head
Keywords on Keywords on Primary SEO Primary SEO
PagesPages
AudienAudiencece
NeedsNeeds
Content TypesContent Types
Page-By-Page MappingPage-By-Page Mapping
Cluster / Cluster / Theme Content Theme Content
into Bucketsinto Buckets
TargetTargetAudienAudien
cece
Content withContent withKeywords,Keywords,
Calls to ActionCalls to Action
Taxonomy & SchemaTaxonomy & Schema
How you serve up your site's content can have a dramatic effect on search engine rankings.
Depth of Navigation
Folder Structure
Types of Content
Categories & Internal Categories & Internal LinkingLinking
Plan logical categories with an internal linking structure to send PageRank to most important pages.
Internal StructureInternal Structure
ThemeThemeddVerticalVerticalss
““Silos”Silos”
Internal LinkingInternal Linking
Internal Internal LinkingLinking
Keyword-Keyword-rich Anchor rich Anchor TextText
IA NavigationIA Navigation
URLs &URLs &HierarchyHierarchy
Where does each page live?
What’s its name?
Naming convention is CMS-dependent.
Optimized Information Optimized Information ArchitectureArchitecture
Traditional SEO:URLs & Directory Structure
Page TitlesKeywords
Quality ContentLinks & Anchor
Text
Content design process Content design process from the ground up.
IA FoundationIA Foundation
Like a bridge, your IA has a foundation.
Its footings are your audience!
Understanding Understanding Audience Audience BehaviorBehavior
Say “NO” to designers, copywriters & SEOs who don’t think about your people 1st!
BehaviorBehaviorOrganized based on tasks your Organized based on tasks your target audience is likely to perform.target audience is likely to perform.
Intimately Know Thy Intimately Know Thy AudienceAudience
Audience Persona ExerciseAudience Persona ExerciseWebsite Visitor Website Visitor Task AnalysisTask AnalysisGroup BrainstormGroup Brainstorm
SuppliesSuppliesWhiteboardWhiteboard
WorksheetWorksheet
PhotosPhotos
Glue StickGlue Stick
Pens / PencilsPens / Pencils
Thinking CapsThinking Caps
Persona WorksheetPersona Worksheet
Potential Audience PhotosPotential Audience Photos
Individual PersonaIndividual PersonaDemographics
•24-30 years old
•Student, BA in Business Management
•Power Computer User, spends free time on Facebook
•Interested in Networking, Career Opportunities
Psychographics
Motivations / Needs
Activities
Your Benefit•How your product or service provides benefit to this persona
Your Solution•How your product or service solves their motivations needs, burning desires, eases their pain
Marketing Channels
•Best channels to reach this persona
•Types of content will they consume
•Web, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube
ProcessProcess / FrameworkFramework
Information Information Architecture Architecture BlueprintBlueprint
Audience Audience PersonasPersonas
Content Content Planning Planning FrameworkFramework
Content Creation Content Creation - -
Planning &Planning &ProcessProcess
Say “NO” to publishing content without a plan!
IA Nav & Content IA Nav & Content WorksheetWorksheet
IA Content Worksheet Template: http://yseo.us/IAworksheet
WorksheWorksheetet
Tabs:
“IA Navigation”
“Content Worksheet”
Content Planning Content Planning FrameworkFramework
Pre-Content Creation
Persona Persona Needs,Needs,
Pain PointPain Point
Content Planning Content Planning FrameworkFramework
Pre-Content Creation
Types Types of of
ContentContentEach page Each page
must have a must have a goal!goal!
Content ObjectsContent Objects
Content ObjectsContent Objects
Step-by-Step-by-Step PDFsStep PDFs
Video Video DemosDemos
Keywords, Competition, Keywords, Competition, SERPsSERPs
Research. Research. Research.
Blended / Blended / Universal?Universal?
Create Create content to content to beat Top 3beat Top 31 primary keyword 1 primary keyword
phrase per pagephrase per page
Know Thy “Query Know Thy “Query Space”Space”
Shopping Shopping Results – Data Results – Data
FeedFeed
YouTube - YouTube - VideoVideo
Yahoo! Yahoo! AnswersAnswers
Know Thy “Query Know Thy “Query Space”Space”
Local Local ResultsResults
Image Image SearchSearch
News News SearchSearch
CompetitivCompetitive Ad Spacee Ad Space
Content Optimization Content Optimization FrameworkFrameworkOn-Page Optimization
=LEN()=LEN()
On-Page Optimization
Content Optimization Content Optimization FrameworkFramework
Train Content Train Content WritersWriters
Headlines = Semantic Headlines = Semantic StructureStructure
Digital Asset Optimization
Content Optimization Content Optimization FrameworkFramework
PDF PDF “SEO”“SEO”Image Image
StorytellinStorytellingg VideoVideo
CTAs / Engage!CTAs / Engage!
Optimize Categories, Tags, et al
Blog PublishingBlog Publishing
Tags != Tags != CategoriesCategories
Optimize Categories, Tags, et al
Blog PublishingBlog Publishing
ThumbnailThumbnail
Read Read MoreMore
ExcerptExcerpt
<HEAD> Is Content Too!<HEAD> Is Content Too!
Page Control
Indexation & CachingIndexation & Caching
Restrict: <meta Restrict: <meta name=“robots”name=“robots”
More <HEAD> …More <HEAD> …
Meta / Social Control
Social Sharing Social Sharing “cheat” w/o “cheat” w/o
Facebook OGPFacebook OGP
Say Say “NO” to “NO” to DMOZ & DMOZ & Yahoo!Yahoo!
Facebook ShareFacebook ShareControl without OGP
Or…Facebook Open Graph Protocol:http://yseo.us/ogp
FINAL Publishing FINAL Publishing ChecklistChecklist
Dot your “i”s and cross your “t”s…
bit.ly + UTM bit.ly + UTM Variables = Variables =
Social Referral DataSocial Referral Data
Anchor Text Anchor Text PlanningPlanning
Process for Online Process for Online VisibilityVisibility
Your Your
Competitio
Competitio
nn
Dana LookadooYo! Yo! SEO
[email protected]@lookadoo & @YoYoSEO