SEO Update

1. SEO Update

2. Agenda • What is SEO? • Time to re-write those marketing plans • 5 Major Trends in SEO • Universal/Blended/3D Search • Google Maps (Google Local) • Social Media and its impact on SEO • Online Press Releases – prweb.com • Google Tools • Tracking Results with Google Analytics • Making the most of Google’s Webmaster Central • Q & A

3. What is SEO? • Search Engine Optimization • A definition: The modification/optimization of a web site’s build and content to better position the site in the natural/organic results of the major search engines. • Off-page factors vs. On-page factors • Which Engines to Target? • Why we care what Google does

4. Which Engines? • Google and Yahoo (August 2007) • 79.8% of total searches for top 2 engines • Google and Yahoo are critical to SEO success

5. Universal Search • Beyond Ten Blue Links • May 16, 2007: Google begins delivering blended results – Universal Search • Digital content that used to be in separate search verticals is now delivered together • Everyone else has followed • Yahoo: Launched The New Yahoo! Search in October • Ask: Launched Ask 3D in June • Microsoft: Announced upgrades to Live Search in late September • Bottom line: The competition for valuable real estate on the results page is steeper

6. Universal Search • SERPs now include a wide range of digital media, not just links to web sites: • Blogs • Images • Videos • Books • News • Music Files

7. Universal Search • Example: a search for “hillary clinton” • Results on page one of SERPs include: • Video • News archives • Blog posts • Web sites • Her campaign site • Her senate site • Her MySpace page • Her Wikipedia entry

8. Universal Search ASK.com a search for “hillary clinton”

9. Universal Search • The key to success in blended search is to make sure that your site/products/services has a wide range of digital media to support its message: • Start that blog • Optimize your images • Create videos • Post news items

10. Google Maps • Roughly 30% of all searches are local • Started as Google Local • Self-edited local business listings • Database of listings provided through local phone listings • Now completely integrated with Google Maps • A great opportunity to add to your listing, making it stand out from others • Expanded description • Additional business details (hours, rates, etc.) • Add Photos • Reviews • Coupons • Ranking within Google Maps determined by Allpages.com • Data supplied by local phone company > Acxiom > Allpages > Google

11. Google Maps • Example: Birmingham AL Web Design

12. Google Maps • Example: Birmingham AL Web Design

13. Google Maps • Example: Birmingham AL Web Design

14. Google Maps • How to take advantage of Google Maps • Navigate to your existing listing • Click “Edit this Listing” • Follow onscreen instructions • Validate changes • By phone – they call you to validate • By mail (PIN)

15. Social Media • Online Community • A category of sites that is based on user participation and user-generated content. • Examples: • Social Networking: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn • Social Bookmarking: Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon • Social News: Digg or Reddit • Other: Wikipedia, YouTube

16. Social Media • Reaching out beyond the confines of your domain to talk to potential site users at the other places they frequent – participating in a wider online community • Participation in social media does two things: • Widens the reach of your site (people will go directly to your site from the social media outlet) • Improves your visibility in the SERPs as the social media sites are spidered regularly • e.g. liketotally80s.com

17. Social Media • Word of caution: • Participation must be genuine and not transparently self-serving • Example: The Social Media Press Release • Be a good community member • Contribute something of interest to users

18. Press Releases • The new way to get your message out • Prweb.com • Allows for search engine optimization with anchor text in links matching targeted keyword phrases • Other features: • Use images and video (also optimized for SEO) • Target MSAs and Industries • Use in conjunction with Google Trends • Watch their video: http://www.prweb.com/destination.php?awsrc=prweb_plainenglish_fp

19. Press Releases • Tips: • Brainstorm to create a list of topics that are news-worthy and of interest to your target audience • Do not treat it as a sales piece • Try to target one phrase • Include that phrase in the title, near the beginning of the text and then several more times throughout article • Add a link to the targeted phrase that goes directly back to your optimized page for that phrase • Target by MSA if applicable • Use Google Trends to research geographic hot spots

20. Google Tools • Google Analytics • makes tracking easier (and cheaper – FREE) than ever before • Small script on each page of site • Allows goal setting and tracking (with values if preferred) • Ties seamlessly into AdWords • Allows for sharing statistics by managing users • Export data to PDF, XML, CSV, or TSV • Email reports

21. Google Tools • Google’s Webmaster Central • Diagnostics • See errors encountered by Google when accessing your pages • Statistics • Top search queries • What Googlebot sees • Crawl stats • Index stats • Subscriber stats • Links • Internal, External, Sitelinks • Google Sitemaps • Ensures that Google sees complete site • Tools • Analyze robots.txt • Manage site verification • Set crawl rate • Set geographic target • Set preferred domain • Enable enhanced image search • Remove URLs

22. Resources & Tools • Search Engine Watch (and SearchDay newsletter) • www.searchenginewatch.com • Universal Search Overview Article by Danny Sullivan • http://searchengineland.com/070516-143312.php • PrWeb • www.prweb.com • Podcast: Where Search and Web 2.0 Meet • http://buzzmarketingfortech.blogspot.com/2007/05/search-vs-social-media-podcast-with.html • Google Maps • http://local.google.com/ • Google Trends • http://www.google.com/trends • Yahoo! Local • http://listings.local.yahoo.com/ • Free XML Sitemaps Tool (for use with Google’s Sitemaps) • http://www.xml-sitemaps.com

23. Questions & Answers