Search Engine Optimisation

What is search engine optimisation (SEO)?

SEO “is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the ‘natural’ or un-paid (‘organic’ or ‘algorithmic’) search results”. (Wikipedia)

Also called natural or organic optimisation

Image credit: creative commons,IconTexto

Search engines use complicated algorithms to determine relevance and ranking and these are always changing.

So keeping your website in shape to be ranked well by these algorithms is an ongoing process!

Why is it important?

1. Because the higher up your website is on the SERPs, the more likely you are to get traffic to your site

2. Search traffic is qualified traffic (users are explicitly looking for what you have!)

3. You don’t pay for each click (as you do with paid search)

In the early days of search engines, meta data was used to index and rank websites.

But this left the results open to manipulation

Hence the complicated algorithms that are used today.

Google says it uses more than 200 different factors.

These algorithms use page rank – simply put, the more a website is linked to, the more likely it is that the community considers it an authority.

So search results today are determined by on page and off page factors.

On page factors are the structure of the website (HTML code, content etc.).

Off page factors are elements which build links to the website.

Search engines look for:

1. Relevance2. Authority3. Popularity

Two types of SEO

White hat SEO works within the parameters set by search engines.

Aims for long-lasting success

Black hat SEO refers to someone trying to game or manipulate the search engines.

Aims for massive short-term traffic

5 main areas of SEO:

1. Search engine friendly website structure2. Well-researched list of key phrases3. Content optimised to target key phrases4. Link popularity5. Usage data

1. Creating a search engine friendly website structure

Remember, if spiders can’t find your website, then users won’t find it via search engines.

Use best practises

Search engine friendly design = usability and accessibility

Remove technical barriers

Ensure there are direct HTML links to the pages you want indexed.

Some barriers to visibility:

•Flash•Frames based design•No XML site map•AJAX•Video•Dynamic URLs

2. How to research key phrases

These are the foundation of search

Users enter words they think are relevant to their searches.

Aim to use keywords in your website content that your target audience is likely to use.

Finding keywords means understanding search psychology.

When choosing consider...

•Search volume: how many searchers are using that phrase?

•Competition: are other websites targeting that phrase?

Vs.

•Propensity to convert: How likely is the searcher using the phrase to convert to your site?

Consider which term will lead to more conversions.

•Value per lead: What is the average value prospect attracted by the keyword?

‘Budget Durban hotel’ vs. ‘Luxury Durban hotel’

Where to start?

Brainstorm

•What is your core business?•The needs of your customers?•What do they search for?

Also consider misspellings and synonyms

Keyword search tools can offer suggestions:

•Similar keywords•Common keywords used with that keyword•Common misspellings•Frequency of the keywords in search queries

•Industry related keywords•Keywords sending traffic to your competitors•Number of sites targeting your keywords

Use a keyword spreadsheet to store information:

Aim to get the right mix:

Low volume terms with low levels of competition are good in the short-term.

But high volume terms with high levels of competition can improve revenue over time.

3. Optimise content for key phrases

We need to ensure the site contains content to target those phrases.

Website content must:

•Provide information to visitors•Engage with them•Convince them to do what you want

On top of that it must send signals of relevance to the search engines.

Each web page should be optimised for two to three key phrases:

•Primary•Secondary•Tertiary

Guidelines:

•Title tag: use the key phrase in the title•Header tags: use H1 tag, and other H tags (H2, H3 etc)•Body content: use key phrase three times, more if it makes sense! About 350 words of content

•Bold: use <strong> tags around keyword•Alt tag for image: use at least once to describe an image•URL: use a URL rewrite so it appears in the URL•Meta description: Use keyword at least once

Optimise images and video with the relevant keywords as well.

You have to rely on how the image is described.

Description

If images are correctly labelled, search engines can index them.

•Use descriptive filenames•Use ALT tags and title attributes (Make sure websites make sense without images)

With image displayed Without image displayed

•Ensure meta information is relevant•Use descriptive captions, and keep relevant copy close to the relevant media•Make sure the header tags and images are relevant to each other

•For video, consider converting the script to text and making this available to search engines•YouTube offers an auto-captioning service that makes this easier to do

4. Links are vital to how the Internet works

They are there to allow a user to go from one web page to another

They help build signals of trust

They help to validate relevance

Relevant!

The content sends a signal of relevance; the link validates that signal.

e.g. A link with the text ‘Durban pet friendly hotel’ sends the message that you can trust the destination site is relevant to the term ‘Durban pet friendly hotel’.

Search engine spiders follow them

Not all links are equal

Pages with higher page rank themselves, will give you much more value when they link to you than pages with a lower page rank.

More votes = more trusted = more important = better rank on search engines

What does a link look like?

<a href=”http://www.targeturl.com/targetpage.htm”> Anchor Text</a>

(HTML code for a link)

http://www.targeturl.com/targetpage.htm

(Page the link leads to)

Anchor Text

(The text that forms the clickable link displayed to users)

But you can include more information

<a href=http://www.targeturl.com/targetpage.htm rel=”nofollow”>Anchor Text</a>

rel=”nofollow” – can be included when you don’t want to vouch for the target URL.

So, how do you get more links on a website?

Create valuable content people want to read

Position yourself as an expert in the field

Use infographics – they’re popular and useful

Create tools and documents that others want to use:

•Host interviews on your website•Think outside the box

Create games that people want to play.

Make sure the theme is based on the key phrases of your website!

Create widgets, browser extensions and useful software.

Use WebPR to provide valuable links to your content.

Use competitor analysis to find out who is linking to your competitors and which non-competing sites are ranking highly for your key phrases.

5. Usage data

Usage data is the most effective way of judging the true relevancy of a website.

How do search engines access it?

They use cookies to record search activity:

•Keywords used•Websites visited from the search engine•Clickthrough rate•Bounce rates

Most provide other services too.

Some of Google’s services:

•Google AdWords•Google AdSense•Google Checkout•Google Analytics

What does this mean for SEO?

Websites must:

•Be valuable enough to attract both visitors and links naturally•Retain visitors and make sure they return to the website•Convert visitors

Social media is important too!

Social content can appear in SERPs and is growing increasingly influential in search rankings.

Use social media properties to dominate brand SERPs.

Remember that real-time search relies on social media. e.g. Twitter

Links from social sites are used as signals of relevance.

Personalised results are influenced by your online social network:

e.g. If you are logged in to Google while searching for blogs, you might be more likely to see a friend’s blog.

Optimise your content for social search engines.

Consider mobile SEO

Mobile SEO is a little different to desktop SEO but the fundamental principles remain.

There are some differences

•Search engines can deliver precise location-based results to mobile users•The importance of usability in sites for mobile devices•Search engines having less data to work with in terms of site history, traffic, and inbound links

So remember to:

•Create usable, crawlable sites•Format content for mobile usage•Use links from mobile to desktop and vice versa•Submit a mobile XML sitemap•Use the word “mobile” so search engines know this is the mobile version of your site

Local search means that location matters. ‘Claim’ your location to verify yourself.

A little advice:

•Avoid hidden text or hidden links•Don’t use cloaking or sneaky redirects•Don’t send automated queries to Google•Don’t load pages with irrelevant keywords•Don’t create multiple pages, subdomains, or domains with duplicate content

•Don’t create pages with malicious behaviour, such as phishing etc.•Avoid “doorway” pages created just for search engines or other “cookie cutter” approaches

•If your site participates in an affiliate programme, make sure that your site adds value•Avoid links farms and focus on attracting quality, valuable links

At the end of the day, create content that users want, and make sure that content is accessible to both search engines and users.

PPC Advertising

What is PPC advertising?

Pay per Click (PPC) advertising is where the advertiser pays only for each click on their advert.

PPC adverts

They’re easy to spot – on the top of SERPs and on the right hand side.

They also appear on content sites and social networks.

PPC advertising revolutionised the online advertising industry and today it generates 99% of Google’s revenue.

We will focus on PPC advertising on search engines and social networks

PPC advertising is keywords based.

It is based on the search term a user enters into a search engine. This means that it uses a “pull” strategy rather than a “push” strategy.

The beauty of PPC advertising on search engines is that adverts are displayed when potential customers are already expressing interest.

Users are spoken to when they are already in the right frame of mind, the message is not pushed on to them like TV advertising.

How does it work?

Usually runs as an auction model – advertisers place bids to appear based on certain criteria.

Then advertising platforms determine when adverts are eligible to appear.

So the advertiser:

Creates the advert copyDetermines the landing page for the advertSelects the keywords or criteriaChooses the maximum amount they are willing to pay per click

And the advertising platform:

Checks the advert for compliance to editorial guidelinesDisplays the advert for relevant search criteriaDetermines the rank of the advert - based on the advertiser’s maximum bid and the relevance of the advert

The majority of PPC advertising spend is on Search network PPC advertising – this is the more targeted network.

They appear on SERPs and are mostly text – but more formats are becoming available.

But display advertising (on content pages, like news sites) and social networking advertising are important growth areas.

More advertisers are now moving to the display and mobile networks in order to attract relevant traffic and increase exposure.

Types of PPC adverts

Text advert format:

Heading

www.DisplayURL.com

Two lines of advert copy,

Which can be displayed on one line

Vanity URLS: The URL shown is not necessarily the URL that the user will click through to.

Roses for Valentine’s

www.flowers.co.za/roses

A dozen red roses for your love

Fast, free delivery in RSA

The display URL:

What the user seesDomain must match destination URLCan use vanity URLs

The destination URL:

Domain must existOne ad group per domainDomain must match display

Vanity URLs make them look appealing and keywords can be used to further increase the relevance of the ad to the user’s intent.

When writing PPC adverts, the number of characters are limited and restrictions exist.

Google AdWords guidelines:

Heading: max 25 charactersDisplay URL: max 35 charactersLine 1: max 35 charactersLine 2: max 35 charactersNo repeated exclamation marks

No word in capitals onlyNo nonsense wordsNo claims of “best”, “number one” or superlatives, unless they can be verified by a reliable third-partyProduct numbers may be used

Remember, there are usually no images in PPC adverts – the copy is key!

To help, use dynamic keyword insertion – inserting the search keywords dynamically into the advert copy.

Also use compelling calls to action or mention special offers:

Buy now, sign up now, enter now, 10% discount...

Advert extensions can be used to add more information to text PPC adverts.

Google offers five text ad extensions:

Location extensions

Image credit: Google Adwords, http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=188235

Sitelinks extensions

Image credit: Google Adwords, http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=188235

Phone extensions

Image credit: Google Adwords, http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=188235

Product extensions

Image credit: Google Adwords, http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=188235

Seller rating extensions

Image credit: www.adwords.blogspot.com

Not all extensions are supported in all countries – look to see if you country is included in the AdWords help forum.

Facebook PPC adverts are based on the interests a user enters into their profiles and their demographics.

They can be used to drive traffic to assets on Facebook or to an external site.

They contain images as well as text.

How do you target PPC adverts?

Keywords are central!

There are an estimated 200 million searches performed each day and nearly 50% of all searches are unique.

It would be impossible to find all the terms searchers use so there are different keyword match types.

Broad match: keywordPhrase match: “keyword”Exact match: [keyword]Negative match: -keywordModified Broad match: +keyword

Broad match – i.e. Tennis shoes.

Your advert will be found when any of or all words are searched for.Also includes some synonyms and misspellings.

Search includes:

tennis shoesred tennis shoestennis sneakerhistory of tennis shoes

Phrase match – i.e. “Tennis shoes”

Your advert will appear when the phrase appears complete or in order.

Direct match extension – i.e. red +sneakers

Your advert will appear for any search containing red and sneakers and variations of sneaker (the marked keyword).

Modified broad match – i.e. Tennis +shoes.

Each word preceded by a + must appear in the user's search exactly or as a close variant. Close variants will include: misspellings, singular/plural forms, abbreviations and acronyms, and stemmings.

Modified broad match has the broad match reach, the exact match precision, and the phrase match flexibility.

Specify languages and locations your advert is targeted for.

Include country, city and postal code

Use Facebook advertising to target based on:

GenderLocationRelationship statusAge groupLikes and interestsBrand interactions

Bidding

Advertisers must decide the maximum they are willing to pay per click - max CPC bid.

But every time there is a search, there is an auction for the adverts for that search term – a Generalised Second Price Auction (GSP).

Each advertiser pays the bid of the advertiser below them, plus a standard increment.

Ranking is not as simple

The bid and other factors are taken into account = Quality Score (QS)

Quality Score is determined by:

The bid amountRelevance of keywords to search termRelevance of advert copy to the search termRelevance of the landing page to the search termHistoric performance of the advert

Conversion rates and click-through rates

Those adverts nearer the top of the page (best ranked) attract the highest CTRs.

They also have a higher cost per click.

More clicks aren’t necessarily better

Set up goals to track conversions

Goals can be:

Buying a productBooking a plane ticketFilling in a formSending an enquiryMaking a phone call

Click-through rate (CTR) is clicks / impressions (each time the advert is shown) %

Click-through rate tells you how well your copy is performing.

Conversion rate tells you how well your campaign is performing.

You need to know the value of each conversion so that you don’t pay too much per click.

With this info you can adjust accordingly:

Change keyword match typesChange bidsChange ad copyChange budget allocationsImprove website conversion rate

Use Adwords conversion tracking to report on campaigns

Google AdWords offers conversion tracking tags.

But for other networks use third-party tracking.

Set budgets to:

DailyMonthlyNone

How do you choose a platform?

This is subjective and most large advertisers run PPC campaigns on a number of platforms.

The key is testing!

Use the long tail of search to figure out low volume, niche searches – it can do wonders for a PPC campaign!

The sum of the unique searches is the same as the sum of non-unique searches.

So, low volume, niche search terms:

Are more targeted Have less competitionCan have a lower CPCAnd a higher conversion rateMay have a lower quality score so can take a while to get traffic

Landing pages are also vital

Aim to create landing pages that keep the user focused on the conversion goal – the home page gives them too many options to consider.

Create dynamic landing pages to simplify the process

How to plan a PPC campaign

1. Do your homework – conduct an online and offline analysis of the business

Identify:

•A clear brand•Identity•Unique selling point

2. Define your goals

What do you want users to do once they click on your advert?

3. Budget, CPA and targets

How much are you willing to spend?Determine your target CPA.

Keep in mind, it can take months for a campaign to stabilise.

4. Keyword research

What keywords are potential customers using?

What words indicate undesirable clicks?FreeCheap

Similar or related keywords.

5. Write the adverts

Write compelling copyMake your headings and display URLs stand outUse keywords in your copy

Target the landing page to advertsAdverts need to be worded differently for the different platforms – different types of user behaviour

6. Place your bids

Tweak them as you test your campaign

7. Track

Get your tracking tags in place

8. Measure, analyse, test, optimise!

Use conversion trackingTest text vs image/videoTest different landing pagesTest different networks/platformsTest different demographicsTest different bidding strategies

Social Media Channels

What is social media?

Media designed to be shared (written, visual, audio, audio visual, etc.)

Also called Web 2.0, consumer generated media (CGM) and new media.

Traditional vs. Social Media

Traditional media has adapted to keep up with audiences.

e.g.Newspapers are published in print and onlineTV adverts are available online

www.thetimes.co.za

What are the social media channels?

Bookmarking and aggregatingContent creatingSocial networksLocation based social networks

Bookmarking and aggregating:

Storing a website’s URL so that you can locate it again easily.

Use chiclets to make it easier to submit and share the articles.

Social bookmarking: Delicious (www.delicious.com)

Aggregating sites where users can vote on content:

Digg (www.digg.com)Muti (www.muti.co.za)Reddit (www.reddit.com)

Select categories of your choice to ‘stumble’ through the web: Stumbleupon (www.stumbleupon.com)

How can you use these as marketing tools?

See how your brand is perceived:

TagsMentionsLikesEtc.

Create free content to share:

Articles

Video

Images

Share videos

On YouTube over 65 000 videos are uploaded daily.

Tap into existing online video audiences.

2 ways to market through YouTube:

Promote content through YouTubeAdvertise next to content on YouTube

e.g. www.youtube.com/Sienna

Customise your own YouTube Brand Channel

(www.youtube.com/BMWSouthAfrica)

If an advert is good enough, people will want to watch it

Place Google AdWords on YouTube videos

Share knowledge – the wiki

Create and update documentsReview versionsCommunity-oriented tools

Available to all:www.wikipedia.comwww.wikitravel.org

Or for specific groups:geekdinner.pbwiki.com

www.pbwiki.com

Create your own wiki.

What about Blogging?

175 000 new blogs created dailyOver 1.6 million posts updated every dayThat’s a lot

Include the basics:

AuthorBlog post title Tag CommentTrackBack

Make it easy for readers by including:

RSS feed to subscribeCategoriesBlogroll Archives

RSS = Really Simple Syndication

Instead of visiting various websites for updates, information is packaged andsent to your RSS reader.

Image Credit: Creative Commons, Maja Bencic

Use Corporate blogging to communicate with staff, investors, customers etc.

Keep them

RelevantAppealing Transparent and honestPersonal and entertaining

And post regularly!

List your blog in directories.

e.g. Google’s Directory (www.google.com/dirhp) and BlogCatalog (www.blogcatalog.com).

Use blogging as a marketing tool by listening and engaging in the blogosphere – comment on relevant posts.

Set up a blog:

Wordpress (www.wordpress.com)Tumblr (www.tumblr.com)Posterous (www.posterous.com)Blogger (www.blogspot.com)

Use microblogging to broadcast news, improve customer service and market a brand’s profile.

To do this use:

Instant Messaging (IM)The webMobile text messagingFacebook applications Or Twitter (www.twitter.com)

Get content out without using media channels.

Create a podcast

Have your own radio show – which can be listened to at any time.

Why? Because they’re:

TargetableMeasurable – you can see # of downloadsControllable – it’s your contentRelatively inexpensive

And they can be distributed via RSS.

But always make high quality, real content!

Build relationships through social networking

Social networks can be for general audiences: www.facebook.comor for niche audiences: www.linkedin.com.

You can build your own social network

Ning (www.ning.com) Motribe (www.motribe.com)

Or use existing platforms like Facebook which offers different ways to connect with potential customers.

Use pages to create profiles for brands.

Introduce branded applications to create experiences.

Include viral sharing to expose the application.

Use engagement ads and ASUs.

Engagement ads are large and interactive.

ASUs are small and simple.

Facebook also offers:

PromotionsFacebook connectLike buttonNews feed

But how successful is your social media campaign? Track it to find out!

Use:

Facebook InsightsYouTube InsightsTwitter analytics

If you’re not a Twitter advertiser use:

www.hootsuite.com orhttp://www.twitalyzer.com/

Use click tracking with URL shorteners.

An easy way to share long links by providing a short URL that redirects to the original link.

bit.lygoo.glow.ly

e.g. If we want to tweet a link to a blog post...

The URL before:http://www.gottaquirk.com/2011/02/08/the-future-of-online-reputation-management-software/

That’s 89 characters!

The URL after using goo.gl:http://goo.gl/wQXMo

Only 19 characters, and can be tracked.

For further tracking use web analytics

In Facebook, tracking script can also be inserted in pages served through an iFrame.

iFrames allow you to draw information from other websites to display. For example, a YouTube video.

Finally, the Rules of Engagement

Market to bloggers (they’re influential)Go to where your consumers areUse chiclets and easy to share URLsUse targeted advertising

Use social media to engage with audiences in a channel they have selected and prefer.

Establish direct, personal contact on a level not available to traditional marketing campaigns.