Your Friendly Neighborhood Search Engine

January 12, 2006

Eric Holter

Newfangled Web Factory

SEM Contrasted with SEO

SEM: Search Engine Marketing

SEO: Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Marketing

Search Engine Marketing

Search Engine Marketing is...

Easy -

Buy ad, monitor click through/conversion rates.

Expensive –

Pay per click, bid for position.

Less Effective -

Lower click through rates, less trusted.

Search Engine Optimization is...

Harder –

Ranking based on math, for better or worse.

Free –

Relevant content equals free traffic.

Valuable –

7x click through compared to AdWords, implied authority, greater trust.

Why the Difference is so Important.

If you approach SEO with SEM goals you will be greatly disappointed.

SEM: get traffic to homepage for specific phrase.

SEO: every page discoverable with many phrases.

SEM: top down – from homepage to rest of site.

SEO: bottom up – from content page to rest of site.

Principles of Search Engine Optimization

Have good content.

Add content regularly.

Use words (as opposed to images) whenever possible.

Use the browser <title> tag effectively.

Principles of Search Engine Optimization

Have good content.

Bottom line: search engines index and rank content.

Content must be original: dupe content is penalized.

Content must be relevant to the search terms.

Content must meet expectation of the searcher.

If you do these basic things search engines will work for you. If you fake it, you will get dropped.

Principles of Search Engine Optimization

Have good content.

Add content regularly.

Use words (as opposed to images) whenever possible.

Use the browser <title> tag effectively.

Principles of Search Engine Optimization

Add content regularly.

An optimized page will be listed for related phrases.

Specific words and phrases are searched a limited number times per day.

Phrase usage is relatively constant.

Therefore to increase overall site traffic means you need to add content regularly.

Principles of Search Engine Optimization

Have good content.

Add content regularly.

Use words (as opposed to images) whenever possible.

Use the browser <title> tag effectively.

Principles of Search Engine Optimization

Use words (as opposed to images) whenever possible.

Standard search engine indexing does not read images.

A graphic containing words is simply a blank rectangle to a search engine.

Words contained in flash movies are likewise invisible to search engines.

Use words.

Principles of Search Engine Optimization

Have good content.

Add content regularly.

Use words (as opposed to images) whenever possible.

Use the browser <title> tag effectively.

Browser Title

Common Browser Title Mistakes

Welcome to our website!

Widgets USA

Press Releases

Our Mission

Principles of Search Engine Optimization

Use the browser <Title> tag effectively.

Distill the subject of the content.

Narrow the focus of your subject. What are you saying about what you are talking about?

Include words that specify how your particular content addresses the subject.

Translate the title to match the way someone might search for the subject.

How People Search

Short or general phrases provide poor results.

Searches include multiple qualifying words which result in lengthy unique search phrases.

Such search phrases make up the “long tail” of search engine results.

Searches are sometimes formed with questions, or words that imply intent (benefits of, advantages of, importance of, etc.).

Long Tail: “Advantages of Website Prototyping”

1 advantages of website 156

2 website prototyping 147

3 advantages of prototyping 102

4 prototyping advantages 53

5 define prototyping 42

6 prototype advantages 24

7 advantages of prototype 23

8 advantages prototyping 22

9 "website prototyping" 9

10 advantages of rapid prototyping 9

11 "advantages of website" 8

12 advantages of prototypes 8

13 advantages of a website 7

14 the advantages of website 7

15 advantages of a prototype 6

16 stages of designing a database driven website project 6

17 advantages website 4

18 database prototype explained 4

19 prototyping website 4

20 "prototyping" + advantages 3

21 advantages of prototyping 3

22 advantages of static website 3

23 advantages of the prototype 3

24 advantages of web prototyping 3

25 advantages of website design 3

26 advantages of website for users 3

27 definition of prototype website 3

28 prototyping and advantages 3

29 prototyping database 3

30 prototyping databases 3

31 prototyping for website 3

32 prototyping in the database development process3

33 rapid prototyping advantages 3

34 rapid prototyping benefits 3

35 rapid website prototyping tool 3

36 visitor advantages of website 3

37 advantages prototyping 2

38 advantages design prototype 2

39 advantages for website 2

40 advantages modelling and prototyping 2

41 advantages of web-site 2

42 advantages of website development 2

43 advantages of website development stages2

44 advantages prototype 2

45 advantages to prototypes 2

46 advantages to prototyping 2

47 benefits of prototype 2

48 benefits of rapid prototyping 2

49 benefits rapid-prototyping 2

50 define prototyping process 2

51 define website prototypes 2

52 develop prototype static html 2

53 grey-screen prototypes 2

54 navigation website prototyping 2

55 processes for communicating site maintenance 2

56 prototypes advantages 2

57 prototyping advantages 2

58 prototyping - advantages 2

59 prototyping, advantages 2

60 rapid website prototyping 2

Long Tail: “Advantages of Website Prototyping”

61 sample website prototyping 2

62 simple website development flow 2

63 the advantages of having a simple website2

64 the advantages of using a prototype 2

65 thorough input 2

66 web page prototype advantages 2

67 web page prototyping 2

68 website development benefits of prototyping 2

69 website prototype database 2

70 website prototype design 2

71 website prototype process 2

72 website prototyping + how to 2

73 website prototyping example 2

74 website+prototyping 2

75 what are advantages of prototype 2

76 what are the advantages of prototyping2

77 what to ask a client for website 2

78 "advantages of website1

79 "grey screen" rapid prototype 1

80 "grey screen" site prototype 1

81 "prototype""website""review" 1

82 "prototyping","advantages"1

83 "rapid prototyping" advantages 1

84 "rapid prototyping"advantages 1

85 "static html" vs database website 1

86 "website" prototyping 1

87 definition prototype website' 1

88 (advantages of web-site) 1

89 a design of programming prototype 1

90 a prototype database driven 1

91 advantages of prototypes 1

92 advantages php website 1

93 advantages + databases 1

94 advantages + prototypes 1

95 advantages + website 1

96 advantages brought by the internet 1

97 advantages database for programmers 1

98 advantages database website 1

99 advantages flexible budget vs. static budget1

100 advantages for linking databases with websites1

101 advantages for prototyping process 1

102 advantages from website1

103 advantages in prototype approach 1

104 advantages of "prototyping" 1

105 advantages of prototype 1

106 advantages of using database driven site versus html 1

107 advantages of web prototypes 1

108 advantages of website 1

109 advantages of a website 1

110 advantages of a website from the perspective of the client1

111 advantages of budget database 1

112 advantages of database backed websites 1

113 advantages of database driven website 1

114 advantages of database driven websites 1

115 advantages of having a website of a factory 1

116 advantages of having a website 1

117 advantages of having database on websites 1

118 advantages of html website 1

119 advantages of modelling and prototyping1

120 advantages of prototype approach 1

Long Tail: “Advantages of Website Prototyping”

121advantages of prototype process model 1

122advantages of prototyping to the developer 1

123advantages of rapid prototyping approach 1

124advantages of rapid prototyping process 1

125advantages of using database on websites 1

126advantages of visual prototyping 1

127advantages of web development process 1

128advantages of website design company 1

129advantages of website features 1

130advantages of website for user 1

131advantages of website personalization 1

132advantages of website prototype 1

133advantages of website site map 1

134advantages of website user 1

135advantages of website using 1

136advantages on prototyping 1

137advantages on website 1

138advantages point website email 1

139advantages team database development 1

140advantages to a team to develop a database 1

141 advantages to prototype 1

142 advantages using database 1

143 advantages+website 1

144 • advantages of prototyping 1

145 benefits advantages prototype model + prototyping 1

146 benefits clickable prototype 1

147 benefits of doing prototyping 1

148 benefits of prototype process 1

149 benefits of prototyping 1

150 benefits of prototyping for website 1

151 benefits of rapid development vs. functionality 1

152 benefits of web prototyping 1

153 benefits of website prototype 1

154 benefits prototyping 1

155 changes for database design prototype 1

156 client communicate with website 1

157 client profile things to ask before beginning web 1

158 compare fleshed out layout vs centered web pages 1

159 constraints in developing database driven website 1

160 data modeling prototype advantages 1

161 database driven html prototype 1

162 database driven website advantages 1

163 database programmer definition 1

164 database prototyping with html 1

165 define prototyping 1

166 define advantages of a website 1

167 define prototyping and give its advantages?1

168 define prototyping. 1

169 define website prototype 1

170 define: prototyping 1

171 definition + prototyping 1

172 definition of prototype( web design) 1

173 definition of prototyping 1

174 definition of prototyping a web site 1

175 definition of prototyping process 1

176 definition of working prototyping 1

177 definition prototyping and advantages 1

178 design and prototype website 1

179 design document advantages 1

180 design prototype for website 1

Long Tail: “Advantages of Website Prototyping”

181example web form prototype design document 1

182features, advantages and benefits of a website 1

183forms database advantages 1

184functionality website prototype 1

185future modification of database 1

186give me advantages prototype only 1

187how many database prototyping. 1

188html rapid prototype database interaction 1

189html static prototype process 1

190html website prototype 1

191notes project database driven website 1

192present website prototype to client 1

193programmer: advantages 1

194prototype as specification 1

195prototype benefits 1

196prototype database driven website 1

197prototype defined in web page development 1

198prototype design advantages 1

199prototype design website 1

200prototype development advantages 1

201 prototyping & advantages 1

202 prototyping (advantages)1

203 prototyping + clients 1

204 prototyping +website 1

205 prototyping advantages* 1

206 prototyping and databases1

207 prototyping and website and example 1

208 prototyping html form 1

209 prototyping in the database developing process 1

210 prototyping suggestion 1

211 prototyping websites 1

212 prototyping would not work 1

213 prototyping+advantages 1

214 prototyping,advantages 1

215 prototyping: advantages 1

216 rapid development database driven website 1

217 rapid prototype benefits 1

218 rapid prototyping +website +applications 1

219 rapid prototyping process diagrams 1

220 rapid prototyping team dynamics 1

221 screen flows in website development 1

222 structures of website development teams 1

223 team approach: database design: advantages 1

224 technical nature that are also often overlooked 1

225 the advantages communicating with internet 1

226 the advantages of having database on web 1

227 the advantages of prototype 1

228 the advantages of prototype development 1

229 the advantages of rapid prototyping process 1

230 the advantages of web-site 1

231 the advantages to having a website database 1

232 the advantages to prototyping 1

233 the definition of prototype website 1

234 things required in developing a database driven website1

235 things to know ask client before developing website 1

236 visual design website benefits 1

237 web site prototyping 1

238 website prototyping 1

239 website "prototyping" 1

240 website advantages 1

Long Tail: “Advantages of Website Prototyping”

241website content prototyping 1

242website developer client make changes 1

243website development prototyping 1

244website functionality defined 1

245website prototype benefits 1

246website prototype definition 1

247website prototype definition and benefit 1

248website prototype page example 1

249website prototype site map 1

250website prototypes - schematics 1

251website prototypes examples 1

252website prototyping and prototypes 1

253website prototyping explained 1

254website prototyping process 1

255website rapid prototyping benefits 1

256website schematic site flow database structure 1

257what advantages of website 1

258what are the advantages on web development 1

259what are advantages of prototyping? 1

260what are the advantages of a database in a website1

261 what are the advantages of a prototype 1

262 what are the advantages of prototyping? 1

263 what are the advantages of website 1

264 what are the advantages of website? 1

265 what is advantages of website to users 1

266 what is prototype?advantages 1

267 what is prototyping ? + definition 1

268 what is prototyping and the advantages of it 1

269 what is prototyping website 1

270 what is the "advantages of website" 1

271 what is the advantages of prototyping in the user aspects 1

272 what is the advantages of website ? 1

273 what is website prototyping 1

274 what the advantages of website 1

275 why prototype advantages 1

276 why prototype in database development process 1

The Benefits of Long Tail Search Results

Every word on your page can contribute to its “findability.”

A long tail shows the searcher's exploration. The effort in such searching makes finding results more “valuable” to them.

The more terms used that match your content the more relevant the content is likely to be to the searcher. Less search engine “bounce.”

Who’s Your Homepage?

Who’s Your Homepage?

The homepage doesn't usually have the most relevant content.

Search engine traffic to the homepage is usually dominated by “navigational searching.”

Most valuable searches hit content-rich sub-pages.

For such sessions, the sub-page is, in a sense, that visitor’s homepage.

Who’s Your Homepage?

Pay attention to how your sub-pages work as “surrogate homepages.”

By studying your sub-pages and what phrases are used hit them, you can glean the intent of the visitor.

Consider how sub-pages fulfill the expectation of the visitor. How you can point them toward the intended purpose of your website?

Who’s Your Homepage?

Accessibility of Information is a Good Thing

Websites and search engines make information accessible.

Effective search engine optimization makes it work even better.

I hope these tips and insights help you maximize your content's value and improve your website's effectiveness.