optimize your content to improve google search rankings · steps to raising your search ranking on...
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Optimize Your Content to Improve Google Search Rankings
Google for Communicators Workshop | June 6 2016
Victoria L. Holmes | Digital and Event Specialist Government of the District of Columbia
@ToriLHolmes
How do you stand out in the sea?
@ToriLHolmes #social16 #social16
Steps to raising your search ranking on Google
Collaboration •Working together to
establish goals
Improve User Experience •How you find
balance and maintain relevancy
Cultivate Your Audience •Writing well works
Tips and Tools •Getting started
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[collaboration]
Determine what you NEED to
accomplish and WHO can help
you deliver
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[collaboration]
Common website goals • Inform the public • Generate sales • Recruit participants/volunteers • Get donations • Build awareness
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[improve user experience] Ask yourself if you are providing the
product, service, or information that the TARGET AUDIENCE desires.
Relevancy is essential.
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[improve user experience]
Indexable Content Title Tags
Meta Descriptions URLs
Use descriptive FILE NAMES as well as ALT and IMAGE TAGS that provide context
to web visitors
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Working with Images
Not great: <img src=”car.jpg" alt=""/>
Better: <img src=”car.jpg" alt=”car"/>
Best: <img src=”car.jpg" alt=”2014 Ford Focus parked at
campsite">
What not to do: <img src=”car.jpg" alt=”ford motor company
compact car sedan hatchback hybrid ford focus used car bad
credit"/> @ToriLHolmes #social16 10
Alt tags
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[cultivate your audience] Navigate your website as if you are the
intended audience then create COMPELLING and USEFUL content.
Intuition is a valuable asset.
10 Tips for Writing Well (for Google)
1. Be clear 2. Check for spelling and grammatical errors 3. Write in easy to follow, plain language 4. Use a mix of keywords 5. Create new and fresh content; don’t duplicate 6. Use descriptive anchor text 7. Keep content length appropriate 8. Provide calls-to-action (CTAs) in the text @ToriLHolmes #social16 12
[tips & tools]
Getting Started with your SEO Audit Check for:
• Duplicate or missing title tags • Missing meta description • Broken links • Duplicate or outdated content • File size – slow loading page speed • Wrongly attributed nofollow links • Images without "alt" tags • Too low word count
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QUESTIONS
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[tips & tools]
Google Webmaster Tools
Google Analytics
Google Keyword Planner
MOZ
SEMRush
Search Engine Land
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