search engine optimization (seo) for small businesses
DESCRIPTION
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for small businesses. This is an introductory presentation which covers the basics of SEO including on-page optimization, blogging, link backs and social media.TRANSCRIPT
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Search Engine Op0miza0on • The Search Landscape • How Search Engines Work
• Building SEO’d Sites • Conduc0ng Keyword Research
• Link Building Strategies • Social Media & the Web’s Influencers
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The Search Landscape
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Value of Search
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Market Share (US)
ComScore Inc.
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Click-‐Through Rates
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Local Search
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Image Results
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How Search Engines Work
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Key Components of Google’s Algorithm � Freshness of Content � Website Op0miza0on � Links back to your website � Social Media Ac0vity
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Freshness of Content
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Blog � Set-‐up a blog – Wordpress is common blogging pla]orm � Plan your content categories � Posts consistently – 1 per week minimum � Posts should be 300 – 400 words � Include images
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Blog Content � Answer industry ques0ons � Comment on industry news � Provide how-‐to based content � Encourage readers to comment
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Engage and grow with a Blog � Pose Engaging Ques0ons -‐ At the end of a post, pose a brain-‐s0mula0ng ques0on.
� Get readers to offer 0ps -‐ It could be a problem that you’re facing, or something your customer is facing. Make it a contest; publicly credit the reader with the best 0ps on your blog so that everyone can see.
� Start With An Engaging Opener – Your opening should engage the reader from the word go, something that’ll ignite their curiosity, mo0vate their thought process and get them engaged. Make your opener funny, insigh]ul, wify and outrageous if need be.
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Engage and grow with a Blog � Make The Content Graphically Vivid -‐ Paint a picture with your words, and draw people into the scene you’re pain0ng.
� Write in your speaking voice, as though you’re chagng with friends.
� Provide A Conclusion – sum up the essence of your ar0cle in a short conclusion. Your conclusion should ideally 0e up your points together and provide a short glimpse of what the ar0cle is all about.
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Website Op0miza0on
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Building SEO’d Sites � Crawlability � Understand your keywords � Claim/set-‐up your Google business lis0ng � Op0mize your website � Measure and adjust
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Crawlability
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www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769
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Choose the Best Keywords
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“Long Tail” Keywords
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Keyword Research
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Internal Search
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Step 2: Op0mize Your Website � Title Tag � Body Copy � Image Name, Image Alt Tag � Meta Descrip0on � Search Friendly URLs � XML Sitemap
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Page Title
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Page Title in Google Results
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Use of keywords
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Image Names and Alt Tags
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Meta Descrip0on
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Tag Length
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Duplicate Page Content – Bad!
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Use 301 Redirect to fix
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Duplicate Page Titles – Bad!
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Search Friendly URLs
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Not Friendly!
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XML Site Map
www.sitemaps.org/protocol.php
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Step 3: Google Business Lis0ng www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter
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Step 4: Link Building
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Step 5: Measure
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Social Media Ac0vity
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Social Media � Google has made it known that social media ac0vity in included in it’s algorithm
� SMO is the distribu0on of social objects (videos, blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates) so that they’re op0mized to rise to the top of any related search query, where and when it is performed.
� SEO + SMO = Amplified findability in the tradi0onal and social web.
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It’s Huge � Facebook: 1,000,000,000 ac0ve users � Google+: 540,000,000 ac0ve users � LinkedIn: 150,000,000 registered users � YouTube: 800,000,000 unique visitors last month
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Gegng Started -‐ Social Media Plan � Define the goals for social media
� increasing sales, brand awareness / engagement or simply more people who “like” or “follow” your business
� Create your plan – align with marke0ng calendar � Iden0fy the most important keywords for your business. Use these consistently in all posts, tweets, updates.
� Set-‐up your profiles and pages and start pos0ng � Ensure you have a consistent design/branding across all pla]orms
� Measure and adjust – traffic, comments, leads, etc.
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Social Media Plan � Listen to what’s already out there:
� Set-‐up Google Alerts for all your keywords, your compe0tors, your own company name, your personal name, etc.
� Use Social Men0on to search social media for men0ons of your organiza0on / compe00on
� Use Google Search and Google Blog Search to find bloggers and other content creators in your space
� Use Muck Rack to find journalists
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Social Media Plan � Create your Content Calendar For Pos0ng
� Define 5-‐6 content categories � Set-‐up a 3-‐month calendar � Add your key offline events and any milestones, holidays, etc.,
� Align with your marke0ng calendar � Content should be a mix of original content/images, news updates and curated content/images
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Social Media Plan � Set-‐up your profiles and pages and start pos0ng
� Ensure you have a consistent design/branding across all pla]orms
� Set-‐up Google Analy0cs to monitor web traffic � Measure and adjust – traffic, comments, leads, etc. � Set-‐up and use a dashboard (Hootsuite, etc.) to manage your social media updates
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Why Use Facebook � Increase visibility � Connect with customers � Increase engagement � Promote your brand � Create a community � Promote and manage events � Give back to loyal customers through special offers and discounts
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Engage and grow your following � Write interes0ng and relevant posts will encourage followers to engage with your posts � Liking, commen0ng and sharing are important � Facebook uses the level of engagement to determine how many people see your posts
� Reveal the human side of a company, give it personality � Provide useful informa0on that people won’t get elsewhere (or at least not as quickly)
� Respond to comments, complaints, requests real-‐0me � Have a pla]orm for announcing news, promo0ons, events
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Google+ Page – Gegng started � hfps://plus.google.com/pages to create your page � Follow the wizard and choose the most appropriate op0on to classify your business
� Customize your page’s profile � Promote your page – first complete the profile, share some updates
� Op0mize your page
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Google+ -‐ Gegng started � Circles -‐ When gegng started, you can organize those you’re connected to in different circles. This allows you to tailor your company’s posts to specific people who are interested in that topic. Now your page looks rela0ve to a user who enjoys nature, as well as another user who enjoys technology.
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Engaging with Google+ � Share lots of photos
� Think about your business – what images, charts, slides can you share to ignite conversa0ons
� Share fresh content, interact with fans, etc. � Promote your Google+ page on your blog and website � When you post a message, photo or link, ask your subscribes to share the content with their Circles
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Engaging on LinkedIn – Status Updates
� Share links to interes0ng ar0cles, websites or video you have found that some individuals in your network might appreciate. Try to use words that grab the readers and encourage them to click the link.
� Pose a ques0on that could lead to solving a problem you have, like: "Anyone know about…?"
� Conduct an informal poll rela0ng to a topic that is of interest to you, such as: "What interest rates are you seeing for lines of credit in the current environment?"
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Engaging on LinkedIn – Status Updates � Men0on a person or a situa0on that might be helpful to some of your connec0ons, like: "I just met with John Jones from ABC Company and found out ….”
� Talk about an event you are afending or have afended to encourage involvement and/or ques0ons about what you learned there.
� Use the "Like" feature when you see a helpful update from one of your connec0ons. Doing this shares that update with your en0re network. This is a great way to give the writer of the helpful update exposure to your network that he/she wouldn't normally have.
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Company Pages � Central hub where millions of LinkedIn members can go to keep in the loop on company news, products and services, business opportuni0es, and job openings.
� Also perfect place to start conversa0on with your customers, prospec0ve clients, job seekers, post company updates.
� Post industry ar0cles and fun facts. � These updates appear on your company page and also the pages of your followers.
� Have followers Like your post so it goes viral. � Analy0cs pages to see ac0vity on the page.
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YouTube � YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos
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Engaging with YouTube � Powerful, on-‐demand communica0on channel � Market your business to millions of people at virtually no cost
� Build more personal rela0onships with your current client base
� Inform, Educate, Entertain � Good content, plan ahead, don’t blatantly market, keep it short
� Curate exis0ng videos if you don’t have your own
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Engaging with YouTube � Setup a branded channel using your colors and logo
� Allows users to subscribe to your content and the op0on to search just your uploaded content
� Engage With the YouTube Community � Check out other videos, favorite appropriate videos and make suitable YouTube “friends.”
� Use tags and categories to iden0fy your videos � Add transcript � Promote your videos elsewhere (blog, FB, etc.) � Run contests, giveaways, have calls to ac0on � Keep your channel current
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Thank You! Bridget Gibbons
[email protected] Gibbonsdigital.com @gibbonsdigital
~.com/gibbonsdigital