July 2007

1. Search engine optimization: Organic search authoring basics July 2007 Content Quality Council: Schema and terminology work group slide Next slide Next

2. slide slide Next Previous Interactive table of contents Search COE mission and goals Course purpose and scope Why take this course? What is your missed opportunity? What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? How users view search engine results pages How search engines work How to improve rankings: Keyword usage Improve search results: Writing techniques Writing techniques for title tags Optimizing abstracts and short descriptions Examples Tools for researching optimal keywords Pop quiz on SEO Searchresources and checklists How to use this course • This course is best used in slideshow mode. • Throughout the course, there arelink icons at the bottom of slides that enable you to move around the course. • The table of contents at right is interactive. Click the links to jump to the sections you want to learn about. • The keyword usage and writing techniques sections are also interactive. Click the guidance statements to access more information. Click the link back icons to go back to the guidance list. • At the end of the course, you can take a pop quiz to see how well you have done. • In the pop quiz, wait for the questions and use the down arrow to display the answers. 2

3. slide slide Next Previous The Search COE consists of four pillars Audience Programs Measurement Standards & Infrastructure WW Community SEM Methodology program support infrastructure program support 3

4. slide slide Next Previous This course is part of the SEM Methodology pillar Audience Programs Measurement Standards & Infrastructure WW Community SEM Methodology program support infrastructure 4

5. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO SEM Methodology activities • Defined SEM process • Defined and delivered the SEM Roadmap for IBM • Scoped and created leading-edge workshops and best practices • “Resolving keyword conflicts” (July 15, 2007) • “Understanding paid search ad copy” (May 23, 2007) • “Beating click fraud” (June 6, 2007) • “Organic search authoring basics” (July 18, 2007) • Six more workshops by the end of 2007, including: • PR & Search • MM & Search (product/solution naming etc.) • “Advanced organic search authoring” • Others • Evaluate and scope supporting tools 5

6. slide slide Next Previous Course purpose and scope This course helps authors, editors, terminologists, and folks who are not writers by trade improve the visibility of their content for search engines. This course focuses on organic search—how external search engines find content on ibm.com pages. It does not address paid search—how ibm.com pays for position on external search engines. Organic search results Paid search results 6 TOC TO

7. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Why take this course? 84% of technology buyers begin looking for information on products and services through search engines. 70% of buyers click organic results before they click paid results. IBM pays by the click for paid search placement. Organic search results cost nothing but author awareness and education. Source: KnowledgeStorm survey, May 2007 7

8. slide slide Next Previous What is your missed opportunity? Software Group (SWG) search data shows that organic search effectiveness is a key traffic driver to its brand sites. There is a strong correlation between search ranking and traffic to SWG Web pages. When the visits, share of clicks, and the ranking are low, it means the content is not well optimized for organic search. There are 5.33 million missed opportunities in this month alone. Source: Lee Moore, Search and syndication program manager, ibm.com 8 TOC TO

9. slide slide Next Previous What is search engine optimization? • Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of guiding the development or redevelopment of Web content so that it naturally attracts visitors by winning top ranking on the major search engines. • SEO increases traffic to content containing selected search terms and phrases. It includes the following practices: • Ensuring that your site enables spiders to visit and index the content on your site • Ensuring that the pages on your site are as compliant as possible with the search engine scoring algorithms • Ensuring that your pages do not resort to keyword or metadata spamming or other tricks to entice spiders to come to your site • Ensuring that your pages include the keyword phrases actually used by searchers • Ensuring that your site’s pages are shown in the top three in organic search results • Ensuring compelling and action-oriented abstracts or descriptions that encourage visits 9 TOC TO

10. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO How users view search engine results pages (SERP) 10

11. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Searchers mainly focus on the title or snippet Note: Search Engines highlight the keyword phrase used by the searcher when found in the title and snippet (also known as the abstract or short description). This draws the attention of the searcher to those places. 11

12. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Users scan search engine results in this pattern Aggregate heat map: All consumer-search activity Red is most-viewed; black is notviewed. X indicates user clicksSource: Enquiro 12

13. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Get in the top three if you want users to click through Visitors view their results for an average of 6.3 seconds before clicking on a link. 6.3 seconds is just enough time to scan the first three results and the top two ads. 13

14. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Technology buyers are particular in how they search • Technology buyers conduct sophisticated, patient searches. • 56% of technology buyers using a major search engine typically use complex phrases of three or more words when they look for technology information. • More than 53% will scan three to five pages (30-50 results) before finding a result that interests them, redefining, or abandoning their search. • Marketers can reflect the more complex search terms used by technology buyers when they optimize their pages for search. • 47% of technology buyers click on one of the top five organic results. Source: KnowledgeStorm survey, May 2007 14

15. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO How search engines work 15

16. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO How does a typical search algorithm work? • Spam and inflation detection • Verifying that no unethical tricks are being used • Verifying that the page honestly reflects its content and its relationship to other pages on the site • Keyword phrase inclusion or content relevancy • How are the keywords located on the page and relative to each other? • What is the relationship of the keyword to the content? • Internet relevancy • How many other sites and pages are linked to this site and page? • How “relevant” are the pages and sites linking to the page? • How are the other links referenced that point to the page? 16

17. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Leverage keyword placement to increase relevance 1 2 3 17

18. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Before optimization, this page ranked #175 on Google • Only the acronym is used. The full term product lifecycle management searched 100 times more frequently. • The keyword phrase is in a graphic that is invisible to search engines. • Content is not very compelling to a searcher nor does it help relevance. And there isn’t enough content on the page. • There are no contextual cues for these links. Source: Bill Hunt 18

19. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO After optimization, the page ranked #1 or #2 on Google and Yahoo in all countries • Used the full search term • Converted image to text so search engine can read and score with prominence • Linked to SWG PLM page, which helped push it to #2 • Content is more relevant and compelling • Site updated to 2006 ibm.com design template • 74% of all traffic to page is from search engines Source: Bill Hunt 19

20. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Improve search rankings: Keyword usage • Use your keyword frequently and spread it throughout the page. • Structure your content to include your keyword. • Bolded text increases click-through rates. • If your keyword is more than one word, keep the words adjacent. • Use terms related to your keyword. • Stem your keyword and use its plural when possible. • Use synonyms and the complete forms of acronyms with any acronym based keywords. • Marketing writers: Check with your business unit search leader to ensure that you are using the right words. 20

21. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Improve search results: Writing techniques • For content heavy pages, use inline links and anchors to different parts of the page and include the keyword. • Use descriptive link text rather than generic text. • Use direct and simple language to complement the searcher’s mindset to get information quickly. • Include problem statements, not just solution names. • Include at least 300 words per page. 21

22. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Writing techniques for title tags 22

23. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Where is the title tag? The title tag displays in this field The page title is not the title tag 23

24. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Generic writing techniques for title tags • The copy you use in the title tag isone of the most important factors in how search engines rank your site. • The title tag is also what appears in the search engine result pages as the clickable heading describing what your site is all about. • It’s very important to get the balance right in optimizing the title tag with keywords relevant to the Web page. • Also, make it stand out in a way that people are more likely to click your listing instead of your competitor’s. • Think of the title tag as the title of a movie, book, or magazine; it is the first experience most users and customers have with your Web site. It helps them find the content in your site that responds to their need. • Follow the tips below to optimize the title tag: • Use primary, unique keywords in the <title tag>. Title tag could be up to 65 characters that count. Place the primary keyword towards the beginning of the title. • There should only be one title tag per page which should include the "Primary Keyword" identified for the page. Each title tag should be unique and relevant to the content of the page. Avoid repeating keywords within a title tag. Remove stop words (for example a or the) from title tags where possible. • IBM should be the first word but the keyword should be second if possible. Title tags must be compliant with 3.3.0 standards. If you use acronyms in Title tags, they should be spelled out as well. http://w3-03.ibm.com/transform/sas/as-web.nsf/ContentDocsByTitle/HTML+Authoring • Format: <IBM – Primary Keyword – Additional Keywords – Country> For example, “IBM Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Solutions for Small and Medium Business – Canada” • Include call to action words in title tag such as benefits right within the title tag. 24

25. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Writing title tags that humans can scan • Titles should be easy to scan for the human user and the search engine. The title should make sense to the user who will see the title in the search results; it should also contain keywords that will make the page rank well. • For example this title… <title>IBM WebSphere - e-business on demand, middleware, application server, portal, business integration, infrastructure software</title> might rank well in a search engine for a search on those terms, but it does not tell the human reader what the page is about and would not encourage the user to click on the link and the page. Instead, a title such as this… <title>IBM Websphere Application Server Software</title> This is more user-friendly and has the specific keyword most relevant to the page. Source: Jennette Banks: developerWorks External search and community lead 25

26. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Writing ever more detailed title tags in a hierarchy • The more detailed the page, the more focused the title tag keywords should be. For example, rather than giving the title WebSphere Portal Server for a page focused on software, use a title such as WebSphere Portal Server Software. Also, top level overview pages (those closer to the top of the directory) need to be labeled with just a short keyword description of the individual content.  As you drill-down deeper into the directory, you can elaborate further within the title tags and add more keywords. Example of hierarchy: Top page: IBM Software Landing page : IBM Rational Software Leaf page (Article): IBM Rational Application developer Source: Jennette Banks: developerWorks External search and community lead 26

27. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Title tag optimization matrix Source: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company’s Web Site, Mike Moran and Bill Hunt 27

28. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Optimizing abstracts and short descriptions 28

29. slide slide Next Previous Techniques to help ensure clear and concise abstracts in search results • Structure the first three sentences as follows: • In addition to the keyword phrase, clearly explain the problem and how IBM solves the problem. • Eliminate any unnecessary words. • Keep your information at the highest level. You can always fill in the details lower on the page. • Avoid jargon, brand names or technical terms. • This abstract is often pulled into search results as the description for the page. Ensure that it gives enough relevant information to encourage the user to click the link. 29 TOC TO

30. Before you save your PDF, set the document properties by clicking File > Document Properties Google scans the Title field first before reviewing the content within the PDF. If you don’t fill it in, some authoring tools will fill it with gibberish, and Google will display that gibberish in its abstracts. It helps to have the same subject in the document properties file as the metadata you tag the content with. Don’t spam the keyword field, but a few keywords can help. slide slide Next Previous Techniques to improve abstracts for PDFs PartnerWorld improved search placement on selected PDFs on average from 20th to 1st using this method alone. 30 TOC TO

31. slide Next TOC TO Examples 31 slide Previous

32. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Avoid keywords based on internal product names (IBM speak) or add the generic term as description. • Have some links above the fold– search engines assume information above the fold is most relevant • Include keywords within links: Replace all “Learn More \ Next Steps” links with “Learn more about drug development”. • Have some context to the links on the page: Ask are they linked to relevant content? • Have links to related content and other Life Science solutions, it’s effective marketing and increases the number of relevant links on the page. • Organize contentusing headings, bold and ordered lists, on page anchor links. • Use terms related to your keyword. • Stem keywords and use their plural forms when possible. • Use your keyword in the opening sentence of the page. • Include at least 300 words per page. • Have the keyword occur at least 2-10% of the total word count (e.g. for 300 words, primary keyword needs to show up 2-3 times at least!). Wherearethe keywords? Is this relevant? 32

33. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO • Use terms based on keyword demand and what users actually search for – for example. “Drug Development” instead of “Drug discovery”. • Make use of breadcrumbs navigation trail to increase links with relevant keywords. • Replace graphic page titles with text. • Add secondary keywords in bold. • Write compelling content; include the primary keyword, ensure that it is easy to read, concise and free of IBM-speak. • Use keywords within page headings. • Include featured products, related services, spotlight, and special offer modules. (You increase cross-selling and search at the same time.) 33

34. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO • Browser title:IBM – Drug Development & Life Science Solutions – United States • Breadcrumbs:Express Advantage for medium business > Industries > Life Science Solutions > Drug Development • Page title:<H1>Life sciences: Drug Development</H1> • Subtitle:Drug discovery solutions for midsize Life Science Businesses • Keywords within page headings:Benefits of IBM Drug Development Solutions • Include featured products, related services, spotlight, special offer modules 34

35. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Create content that search engines will find and place in the top three results Keyword phrase: Create, manage, and distribute digital media Google scans the first 100 words of Web pages to help determine content relevance. 35

36. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Example: Title tag with keyword 36

37. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Tools for researching optimal keywords 37

38. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO What are keywords? • Keywords are content elements that you want search engines to find relevant, and to highly rank your content on search engine results pages. Depending on your audience, your keywords can be one word, a combination of words, or an entire phrase. • Keywords are the emphasized words in the visible text of search results pages. • Optimizing your content for keywords means using keywords in ways that match user queries when they enter terms and phrases into search fields, and maximizing your rankings on the pages that result from user search queries. 38

39. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Tools in selecting keyword phrases that work Google AdWords: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal The site does help you choose keywords, but it doesn’t give you numbers. Source: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company’s Web Site, Mike Moran and Bill Hunt 39

40. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Tools in selecting keyword phrases that work Free Web sites tell you what people are searching on:Use the Digital Point Solutions “Keyword Suggestion Tool” (create an account first): http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/keywords/?action=create&lang=englishThese tools give you numbers. But the results are based on information from Webcrawler, Dogpile, and Yahoo, so the numbers are not completely definitive. Source: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company’s Web Site, Mike Moran and Bill Hunt 40

41. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Keyword selector tool Try the Overture Keyword Selector Tool: http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/at no cost from Yahoo. Yahoo uses the Google engine, so results reflect how the keywords would work on Google. Source: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company’s Web Site, Mike Moran and Bill Hunt 41

42. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Free tools for the Web copywriter • To check a Web page for keyword prominence and density use Ranks NL located at http://www.ranks.nl/tools/spider.html . • To check for synonyms you can use the Synonym Directory located at http://vancouver-webpages.com/synonyms.html • For related words and synonyms you can also use the Lexical Freenet located at http://www.lexfn.com/ • The Acronym, Abbreviation, and Initialism Dictionary can be found at http://www.acronymfinder.com/ • IBM Mulilingual Terminology located at http://w3-117.ibm.com/standards/terminology/cgi-bin/lookup.pl?user_group=corporate Source: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company’s Web Site, Mike Moran and Bill Hunt 42

43. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Keyword usage in the body 43

44. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Keywords in the first sentence Place keywords in the first 25 words in the visible text of the page to increase keyword prominence. The first sentence of the page should be a brief statement of a specific call to action or purpose of the page. Engines such as Google create the description for the results page by displaying the first sentence on the page that encapsulates the keyword that was entered by the user in the search field. If possible the keyword should be the first word of the string. Your page will also be more relevant if your keyword appears at the end of the visible text. To do this, put your keyword in the last paragraph of your copy. 44 TO 20

45. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Keyword density Your keyword should constitute between 2% and 10% of the total number of words on the page. This is referred to as keyword density. Break the page into subgroups and use the keywords in headings, subheadings, bold statements, bulleted lists, and anywhere it captures a person's attention and tells them they are in the right place. Use the keyword phrase often and do not switch exclusively to an acronym replacement. 45 TO 20

46. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Keyword ordering How you order your keywords on a page helps search engines determine how important that keyword is for search. If it is in the first sentence of every section or subsection within a page, the search engine will flag it as a primary keyword on that page. If you build a logically structured page, with a hierarchy of terms and concepts, the spider will more easily rank the relative importance of keywords within the hierarchy. HTML formatting, such as headings, bolded text, ordered lists, on-page anchor links, and organization, is critical to determining the page structure. 46 TO 20

47. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Keyword formatting Keywords appearing as emphasized or bolded text stand out to search engine spiders by increasing the keyword prominence factor. For example, spiders allocate more value to words found in the <h1> HTML tag, which creates the content page title or headline. Include keywords in and around hyperlinks. Like emphasized text, if your keyword phrase appears in or near a hyperlink, search engines will determine that it is more relevant. 47 TO 20

48. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Keyword proximity Keep keyword phrases together. When search engines cannot find an exact match they will look for the individual keywords that are close to each other. This is called keyword proximity. This is an excellent way to integrate keyword variations on the page. 48 TO 20

49. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Keywords in context Search engines examine all of the text in a documenton a page to determine to what extent the words are relevant to each other, or to commonly used terminology. For example, if your keyword phrase is PC hardware, and other terms such as RAM, CPU, and hard drive also appear on the page, the search engine will determine that the page has a higher relevance than a page that did not have as many related terms on it. 49 TO 20

50. slide slide Next Previous TOC TO Keyword stemming Include other grammatical variations of your keyword on the same page—called stemming. Users might enter your keyword in many different parts of speech. For this reason, search engines give pages with multiple variations of the same keyword a higher degree of relevance than pages with uniform keyword usage. An example of stemming is diet, dietician and dietary. If a keyword is stemmed to its root form (for example financing and financial to finance) search engines will view anchor text, search queries, and the like containing that term as equivalent and interchangeable. 50 TO 20