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

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Dana LookadooYo! Yo! SEO

dana@yoyoseo.com@lookadoo & @YoYoSEO