Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

1. CS4047 Multimedia Industry Perspectives • Introduction to SEO • Martina Skelly • Activate Marketing • 15 November 2010 Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Martina Skelly

2. Agenda The Elements of a successful SEO strategy On-site Optimistion 1 2 Off-site Optimisation 3 Tactics to Avoid Slide 2

3. Why SEO is Crucial Why SEO is Crucial • 90% of purchasing decisions begin online [Forrester]. • 86% of online sales lead in hospitality are generated by organic search [Uptake] • The top result on a search engine page gets clicked 42% of the time (compared to 3% for result # 10 [Google] Slide 3

4. [1] On Site Optimisation Synopsis 1.1 Meta Data 1.2 Heading Text 1.3 Internal Links 1.4 Body Text 1.5 Site Structure 1.6 Alt Tags 1.7 Fresh Content (why blog) Slide 4

5. On Site Optimisation The Various Elements HotelDealsIreland.ie as Example • Hotel Deals Ireland was launched in Feb 2010 • By May 2010 it was # 4 in Google for the keyphrase “Hotel Deals Ireland” • By August 2010 it had surpassed €100k in sales Slide 5

6. On Site Optimisation Meta Data: Meta Title HotelDealsIreland.ie Meta Title • The Meta Title of a page is visible in the browser title bar. • The Meta Title is one of the most important on site elements of Optimisation • Pick one or two phrases per page • The best position is right at the beginning of the tag • HDI focussed on “Hotel Deals Ireland” and “Hotel Offers Ireland” for the homepage • Code is written as: <title>Hotel Deals Ireland - Hotel Offers Ireland - HotelDealsIreland.ie</title> Slide 6

7. On Site Optimisation Meta Data: Meta Description HotelDealsIreland.ie Meta Desc • The Meta Description of a page is not visible in the browser or on the webpage • It is the description that users see when they search in Google • Very important to write an appealing snippet that includes keywords • Google will ‘bold’ keywords which draws users eye to them • Recommend having a unique Meta Title and Meta Description for each page Slide 7

8. On Site Optimisation Meta Data: Meta Keywords Meta Keywords • Meta Keywords are not widely used by Search Engines now, due to misuse and spam • No longer seen as an accurate representation of a page’s content • However it is not harmful to use them • Use 5 – 10 per page, comma separated • Don’t repeat the same keywords • Code is written as: <meta name="keywords" content="Ireland, hotel, hotels, deals, offers, breaks, last minute, cheap, budget, 4 star, 5 star”/> Slide 8

9. On Site Optimisation The Header Tag <H> <H> Tags • By putting words in a heading, you are indicting that those words are very important to that particular page, and in some way define the page. • Search Engines therefore give more weight to keywords in header tags than to keywords in body text • You can use <H1> <H2> <H3> tags to give additional prominence, with <H1> having more weight then <H2> etc. • Choose a succinct and relevant keyphrase for your page • Seach Engines can’t ‘read’ images. Don’t put key phrases in images. Slide 9

10. On Site Optimisation Body Text Body Text • Each page needs content, not only for visitors and sales effectiveness but also to enable Search Engines determine what the page is about. • Using Keywords at the top of the page gives those keywords more prominence • Use various permutations of your keywords • Don’t overdo it, or the Search Engines may categorise the page as Spam • HDI uses main keyphrase “Hotel Deals Ireland” and also “hotel deals”, “hotels” “offers”, “hotel break in Ireland” etc naturally in the body of text. Slide 10

11. On Site Optimisation Internal Links Internal Links • Links help Search Engines find other pages in your site • Keywords in links tell Search Engines about the content of those pages • Use suitable link text to complement your Meta Data, Headings, and Body Copy • All your pages should be part of the navigation structure (no orphan pages) • HDI uses “5* Hotels” rather than “5* Hotel Deals Ireland” as the link text as it would detract from user experience. Slide 11

12. On Site Optimisation Alt Tags Alt Tags • ALT text was originally text that was displayed if the browser viewing the page could not display images • Now used for accessiblity • Often the ALT text pops up if you hover over the image • ALT tags offer another clue to Search Engines about the content of a page • However due to misuse and spam, their importance has diminished • Do still use them, but sparingly and accurately Slide 12

13. On Site Optimisation Link Title Tags Link TitleTags • Link Title Tags are again used for accessiblity • In most browsers the text pops up when a user hovers over the link • Some SEOs claim that they have no SEO benefit • I believe that they are of SOME importance but less so that image ALT tags (as search engines have no way of reading an image and therefore no clue to it’s content) • Keep them relevant and don’t overuse them Slide 13

14. Create a Sitemap with links to all the pages in your site Using a flat site structure is better (not too many sub directories) Avoid Flash and Javascript Navigation Domain Names with the Keywords in the URL can help your SEO efforts Descriptive page names also give clues to the search engines about a page’s content (e.g http://www.toys.ie/Video_Games.aspx) On Site Optimisation Site Structure Slide 14

15. On Site Optimisation Fresh Content Fresh Content • Search Engines love to see FRESH RELEVANT content, that a website is being maintained and developed and kept up to date • Many of us don’t have time to change our pages often, especially if they are already working well in terms of SEO • Integrating a Blog/News or Twitter feed is an easier way of adding fresh content • Search Engines love blogs, the Titles, the Tags, the Categories are all customisable and all help your SEO Slide 15

16. [2] Off Site Optimisation Synopsis 2.1 Inbound Links (esp Keyword Links) 2.2 Cultivating Inbound Links Slide 16

17. Off Site Optimisation Inbound Links Slide 17

18. The key off site factor determining SEO success is cultivating inbound links (links to your site from other sites) This can be MORE important that the actual on-site SEO Keyword rich links offer the highest value to your SEO efforts Buy Video Games Online at www.toys.ie” is a more valuable link than “www.toys.ie for all the latest video games online Off Site Optimisation Inbound Links Slide 18

19. Link building can be the hardest part of any SEO strategy Link building should be ongoing Some ideas on how/where to generate quality inbound links to your site: Off Site Optimisation Cultivating Inbound Links Slide 19

20. Off Site Optimisation Cultivating Inbound Links Directories • Irish Directories and Travel Directories are good places to start gaining inbound links. • Submit your link to the correct category Swap Links • Add a Links page to your own website and start swapping links. • Contact local businesses, suppliers, partners, your web development agency, suppliers of complentary services etc and ask to swap links. Blogs and Forums • Read related Blogs and Forums and start to post comments. You can include a backlink in most blogs and in a Forum signature. • Don’t spam, keep comments relevant and don’t pretend to be someone else. Slide 20

21. Off Site Optimisation Cultivating Inbound Links Check your Competitors’ Backlinks • Make a list of suitable site and contact to suggest a reciprocal link Contribute Articles to Online Mags/Blogs • Offer to write content for suitable online publications in return for links • This also helps establish you as an authority on a subject Slide 21

22. Bad links can seriously harm your SEO efforts Case study of Cork Company that outsourced site-build and SEO Off Site Optimisation Remember Slide 22

23. [3] What to Avoid Synopsis 3.1 Gateway Pages 3.2 Hidden Text 3.3 Duplicate Content 3.4 ‘Bad’ Links Slide 23

24. What to Avoid Gateway Pages • These are pages created purely for the search engines, but not linked to the internal navigation structure of your website • If identified, your site will be penalised for using Gateway Pages Hidden Text • This is text or links that use some device, often the same colour as the background. It is done purely for SEO and adds no value to user experience • Search Engines can identify hidden text and it is considered bad practice Duplicate Content • There can often be good reasons for having duplicate content on websites • However Search Engines view it as spam and may drop a page or a website from its index as a result, therefore it is to be avoided Slide 24

25. What to Avoid Bad Links • As mentioned, bad links can have a detrimental effect on your SEO • Research your link requests, and always checkup on incoming link requests • Does the person have a free email address or is request coming from a company? • What is the PageRank of the page on which they will add your link? • Is their website related to yours in terms of content? • Is it a blog with lots of links but not much content? • Are they offering a 3-way link? You link to their site and a different site will link to you? Slide 25

26. ? Any Questions? ? ? Contact me at martina@activate.ie Twitter.com/ActivateIreland Slide 26

27. Google Keyword Tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal Google Trendshttp://www.google.com/trends Google Page Rank Toolbar Google PageRankTM is a numeric weighting from 0 – 10 for each page online. It determines the ‘importance’ of a page based on the number of links to a page and the ‘importance’ of those links. Pages with higher PageRank tend to do better in the search engine resultshttp://www.toolbar.google.com SEOMoz Term Extractorhttp://www.seomoz.org/term-extractor Find your Competitors BacklinksType “link:http://yoursite.com” into Google or Yahoo Site Explorer to see who is linking to your competitors’ websites (or your own) Tips & Tools Slide 27