Easier than you thinkImproving your ranking in online search

Search is fundamentally simple

To find the best results for a user, Google matches:• What users want; with• Content offered online

…and ranks your page based on:• How well it matches what they want; and• Your site’s reputation

…relative to everyone else’s pages

Computers are fundamentally literal

At the most basic level, Google matches:• What users want—What they type; and• What’s offered online—Text on pages

…and ranks your page based on:• How well it matches—How often keywords appear; and• Your site’s reputation—How many other sites link to you

…relative to everyone else’s pages

Your goal

Improving your ranking in search results is not about rising to the top of any one search. It’s about being relevant to the whole search picture on your issue and thus maximizing the traffic of people interested in your content. Your goal is to be the authority on your issue.

Your tasks

• Understand what users are looking for in your issue area based on the keywords they’re typing

• Increase your use of these keywords (without going off the deep end) and fill in content gaps

• Increase the number and quality of links to your site

The Googlebot cares most about quality content

Focus on creating great content, keeping in mind the fundamentals.

Understand what users wantImproving your ranking in online search

Search is fundamentally demand-driven

Focus on your role as the supplier.

Tools can help you understand what users want

…and the keywords they use to describe what they want.• Keyword Tool• Insights for Search• Hot Trends• Google Analytics• Custom Search• Website Optimizer

Keyword Tool

What terms do users search for on my issue?

Insights for Search

Is interest in my issue increasing or waning?

Insights for Search

Is interest in my issue increasing or waning?

Insights for Search

Is interest in my issue increasing or waning?

Hot Trends

What do users care about today across the web?

More tools for understanding what users want

Google Analytics, Custom Search and Website Optimizer can help you answer questions like:• What terms do people use to find my site?• What pages on my site are popular?• What do people search for on my site?• What’s the best way to present my content?

Case study: Do people want “financial security”?

Explore gaps in your content. Speak their language.

Case study: Do people want “financial security”?

Explore gaps in your content. Speak their language.

Case study: Do people want “financial security”?

Explore gaps in your content. Speak their language.

Case study: Do people want “financial security”?

Explore gaps in your content. Speak their language.

Is it a “death tax” or an “estate tax”?

Explore gaps in your content. Speak their language.

Is it a “climate crisis” or “climate change”?

Explore gaps in your content. Speak their language.

Is it a “climate crisis” or “climate change”?

Explore gaps in your content. Speak their language.

Develop content using keywordsImproving your ranking in online search

Develop content using what you learned

Once you understand what users want, you can then:• Fill in content gaps where appropriate with new pages or sections• Use popular keywords to describe your content (accurately)

Describe your content using popular keywords

With an understanding of the popular keywords in your issue area, you can make sure to include them in your content where appropriate.Targets for optimization:• Titles• Page content and section headings• URL anchor text • Video tags and descriptions • Page meta descriptions• Image ALT tags and filenames• URL pathways and “vanity” URLs

Avoid pitfalls

• Don’t overdo it on keywords• Be careful about inaccessible content• Avoid duplicate content

Become the authorityImproving your ranking in online search

PageRank

Determined by the number and importance of links pointing to you.

You

What do people like to link to?

People link to:• Interesting and useful content• How-to guides and tutorials• Lists (“Top 10 best…”)• Thought-provoking or unexpected content• Sites that update frequently

Research your issue community and reach out. Encourage linking.

Use social media to generate links

Use blogs and Twitter as focal points for users looking for the latest.• By telling users what’s new on your site, they’ll be more likely to link to it• By building community, you generate a constant flow of traffic• Links from your blog to your site count, too

Mind your reputation

Your links convey authority.• Watch out for comment link spam• Your site’s reputation can be affected by who you link to