Search Engine OptimizationSearch Engine Optimization

Information Systems 337Information Systems 337

Prof. Harry PlantingaProf. Harry Plantinga

Hymnary.orgHymnary.org

You build a nice website thatYou build a nice website that Satisfies a needSatisfies a need Looks goodLooks good Does its job wellDoes its job well Users find easy to use and helpfulUsers find easy to use and helpful

Traffic is too low to sustain the site. Next step?Traffic is too low to sustain the site. Next step?

What proportion of your effort should go into What proportion of your effort should go into SEO?SEO?

What now?What now?

Search engine optimization: Search engine optimization: Identify search terms users might use to find Identify search terms users might use to find

youyou Be on the first page of results (top ten) for as Be on the first page of results (top ten) for as

many as possiblemany as possible

Amazing Grace, How Amazing Grace, How Sweet…Sweet…

If someone wants to find If someone wants to find Amazing GraceAmazing Grace, , what will they search for? Hyfrydol?what will they search for? Hyfrydol?

How does hymnary.org rate in those How does hymnary.org rate in those searches?searches?

Search Engine Search Engine OptimizationOptimization

DefinitionDefinition: gaining organic (unpaid) traffic by : gaining organic (unpaid) traffic by improving placement in search enginesimproving placement in search engines

Techniques:Techniques: Improve HTML of pagesImprove HTML of pages Get more organic links from highly-rated sitesGet more organic links from highly-rated sites

Google PageRank Google PageRank AlgorithmAlgorithm

PageRank: the billion (trillion?) dollar patent…: the billion (trillion?) dollar patent… Invented by Google cofounders Page and BrinInvented by Google cofounders Page and Brin Patent (2001) is credited to Lawrence Page and held by Patent (2001) is credited to Lawrence Page and held by

Standford UniversityStandford University Licensed exclusively to Google for 1.8 million shares (about Licensed exclusively to Google for 1.8 million shares (about

$1 billion)$1 billion) Pageranks for some sites?Pageranks for some sites?

The algorithmThe algorithm count each link to a page as a "vote"count each link to a page as a "vote" count links from more important pages more heavilycount links from more important pages more heavily Let the link juice flow…Let the link juice flow… Each page has a PageRank 0..10Each page has a PageRank 0..10 Now, many more factors are consideredNow, many more factors are considered Still vulnerable to manipulation Still vulnerable to manipulation

Using PageRankUsing PageRank

Your page's PageRank "juice" gets passed Your page's PageRank "juice" gets passed through to all linked pagesthrough to all linked pages Though you can't control the total amount of Though you can't control the total amount of

PageRank juice your page has, you can PageRank juice your page has, you can distribute it differently (nofollow, limit links)distribute it differently (nofollow, limit links)

Each page starts with a fixed amount of Each page starts with a fixed amount of PageRank, so the more pages, the more "juice" PageRank, so the more pages, the more "juice" you have.you have.

Try Try PageRank Calculator

Improving HTMLImproving HTML

Your goal:Your goal: Let Google and other search engines know Let Google and other search engines know

what your page is aboutwhat your page is about More precisely, make your page appear more More precisely, make your page appear more

relevant for the searches that should lead to relevant for the searches that should lead to your siteyour site

Techniques are "white-hat" as long as you are Techniques are "white-hat" as long as you are trying to improve SE performance and not trying to improve SE performance and not violating violating SE guidelines (or trying to trick the SE)

A useful resource: Google's webmaster toolsA useful resource: Google's webmaster tools

Main ConsiderationsMain Considerations

Content is KingContent is King

Links are Queen (especially from a high-PR Links are Queen (especially from a high-PR site)site)

Optimize landing page for your keywordOptimize landing page for your keyword

Help the search engine understand what your Help the search engine understand what your page is aboutpage is about

Avoid black-hat techniques that can get you Avoid black-hat techniques that can get you bannedbanned

Improving web pages for Improving web pages for SEOSEO

Use keywords appropriatelyUse keywords appropriately Get important keywords into the URL, especially the Get important keywords into the URL, especially the

domain namedomain name <title> and <meta> should be accurate and <title> and <meta> should be accurate and

contain keywords (but don't spam)contain keywords (but don't spam) Use <h1> for what your page is aboutUse <h1> for what your page is about Keep keyword ratio reasonably high, especially at Keep keyword ratio reasonably high, especially at

the start of your pagethe start of your page

Have a single, unique URL for each pageHave a single, unique URL for each page

Use a SiteMap to specify which pages on your site Use a SiteMap to specify which pages on your site are most importantare most important

Web pages SEO: more Web pages SEO: more ideasideas

SEO considerationsSEO considerations Make sure <img> alt text is accurate and has Make sure <img> alt text is accurate and has

correct keywordscorrect keywords Make sure your HTML is valid, links goodMake sure your HTML is valid, links good For big sites, make a site mapFor big sites, make a site map Make sure important stuff (e.g. menus) not Make sure important stuff (e.g. menus) not

hidden by JavaScript or Ajaxhidden by JavaScript or Ajax

Buying & Selling LinksBuying & Selling Links

Ethics of purchasing/selling links from high-PR Ethics of purchasing/selling links from high-PR sites?sites? Does this devalue search result rankings and Does this devalue search result rankings and

make search experience worse?make search experience worse? Highly debated in the webmaster communityHighly debated in the webmaster community Google has warned that they will devalue links Google has warned that they will devalue links

of sites discovered doing thisof sites discovered doing this Google recommends the nofollow attributeGoogle recommends the nofollow attribute

<a href="…" rel="nofollow"><a href="…" rel="nofollow">

Black-Hat SEOBlack-Hat SEO

Ethics of creating a "link farm"?Ethics of creating a "link farm"?

Black-hat SEOBlack-hat SEO Methods are unethical; may be illegalMethods are unethical; may be illegal They degrade the relevance of search results and the They degrade the relevance of search results and the

user experience of search enginesuser experience of search engines They may be against Google's rules and get you They may be against Google's rules and get you

blacklistedblacklisted

TechniquesTechniques Keyword stuffingKeyword stuffing Link farmsLink farms Article spinningArticle spinning PageRank spoofingPageRank spoofing

Keyword StuffingKeyword Stuffing

Load your page with (unrelated?) keywords, in Load your page with (unrelated?) keywords, in the <meta> tags, URL, title, or content the <meta> tags, URL, title, or content (possibly hidden)(possibly hidden)

Goal: to get your page to show up for popular Goal: to get your page to show up for popular search terms, even though it is not relevantsearch terms, even though it is not relevant

[reference][reference]

A fine line between adding appropriate A fine line between adding appropriate keywords and keyword stuffingkeywords and keyword stuffing

Link farmsLink farms

You want many external links to your site?You want many external links to your site?

Why not create hundreds of sites that you Why not create hundreds of sites that you control, and add links to your own site (and to control, and add links to your own site (and to others, for pay)?others, for pay)?

[reference][reference]

According to Google, seeking relevant links According to Google, seeking relevant links from relevant sites is appropriate, but sites from relevant sites is appropriate, but sites that participate in link farming may be that participate in link farming may be penalizedpenalized

Article SpinningArticle Spinning

Article Spinning is creating many web pages Article Spinning is creating many web pages by copying other web pages to increase by copying other web pages to increase PageRankPageRank

Rewrite (modify) existing articles – often Rewrite (modify) existing articles – often plagiarizedplagiarized

Manual or automatic (automatic synonym Manual or automatic (automatic synonym substitution, for example)substitution, for example)

PageRank SpoofingPageRank Spoofing

Spoofed page ranksSpoofed page ranks PageRank is (has been) subject to spoofing PageRank is (has been) subject to spoofing

(how?)(how?) E.g. forwarded URL results in the PageRank of E.g. forwarded URL results in the PageRank of

the target URL. the target URL. What if you forward only for GoogleBot? [Called What if you forward only for GoogleBot? [Called

Google Jacking]Google Jacking]

Also…Also…

Cloaking: present different content to Google Cloaking: present different content to Google and to usersand to users

Hidden text (size, color, javascript, …)Hidden text (size, color, javascript, …)

Doorway pages (fast redirection with meta Doorway pages (fast redirection with meta refresh, JavaScript, server-side perl, etc)refresh, JavaScript, server-side perl, etc)

Blog spamBlog spam

SEO for Amazing GraceSEO for Amazing Grace

What should I do to get better search results What should I do to get better search results for Amazing Grace?for Amazing Grace?

ToolsTools

Tools that may be useful:Tools that may be useful: Google's webmaster toolsGoogle's webmaster tools Firefox extensions for SEO such as SEO Doctor, Firefox extensions for SEO such as SEO Doctor,

SenSEO, SEOpenSenSEO, SEOpen