Fred Dirkse CEO, OIC Group, Inc. Getting Your Website to the Top! Increase Your Audience, Grow Your Business Fred Dirkse CEO, OIC Group, Inc.

Agenda: Definitions How Search Engines Work Types of Search Results Action Items Q&A

Definitions: Search Engine = A searchable database of content that returns a weighted result of search (SERP). Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, Dogpile, etc. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) = the process of getting a website to the top of the search engines for particular keyword searches – and keeping it there. “SEO is not an exact science. It's not operating with a scalpel, it's making bigger moves with a machete that make the most impact.” Keyword / Keyphrase = one or many words that a user types into a search engine. Example: “peoria car mechanic” SERP = Search Engine Results Page. This is the result that a search engine gives a user after performing a search, generally a list of websites ranked in order of relevancy (according to the search engine!).

Definitions: Relevancy = how closely related a website’s content is to a keyword. Authority = in SEO, authority means a “powerful” website. Meta Data = information in the coding of a website that “describes” the website. Not as important in SEO as it once was, but should be addressed in any SEO plan.

Definitions: On-Site Optimization = optimization work performed directly ON your website. Off-Site Optimization = optimization work performed on OTHER websites – generally building backlinks to your website. Backlink = a link FROM another website TO YOUR website. Social Media =  websites and applications use for interaction among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn

Curious Facts In 1999, it took Google one month to crawl and build an index of about 50 million pages.  In 2012, the same task was accomplished in less than one minute.  Google now processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average, which translates to over 3.5 billion searches per day 16% to 20% of queries that get asked every day have never been asked before.  A single Google query uses 1,000 computers in 0.2 seconds to retrieve an answer.

Search Engine Myths: Myth: “Submitting” your site to the search engines will get your site to the top. Truth: Wrong. Search engines find sites on their own and rank them using a complex formula. Especially bad is PAYING a company to “submit” your site – waste of money and may very well HARM you. Myth: SEO services can “guarantee” your site will rank. Truth: ½ wrong. No one can truly guarantee search engine placement, as it is 100% dependant on the search engines. A GOOD SEO agency can estimate where they think you will end up; a SHADY SEO agency will make guarantees to get your business, and then provide results with inadequate keywords.

How Search Engines Work: Spiders Small programs called spiders…job is to crawl, or spider, websites.

How Search Engines Work: Crawling

How Search Engines Work: Follow Links SEO Bootcamp: How to Get To #1 On Google How Search Engines Work: Follow Links

Without links, the engines might never find this page Crawling & Indexing Without links, the engines might never find this page

How Search Engines Work: Search SEO Bootcamp: How to Get To #1 On Google How Search Engines Work: Search

How Search Engines Work: Search SEO Bootcamp: How to Get To #1 On Google How Search Engines Work: Search

How Search Engines Work: SERP SEO Bootcamp: How to Get To #1 On Google How Search Engines Work: SERP

Type of Search Results: SEO Bootcamp: How to Get To #1 On Google Type of Search Results: Organic, or Natural Paid – PPC, or Pay-Per-Click Shopping YouTube Video * Google+ * Local Images, News, Discussions, Blogs Not a comprehensive list Sometimes you get only one, usually a blend – rarely all of them.

At least 9 general areas just on Google alone

How Do We Build a Flywheel?

SEO Action Items: Get Your Site Right Do Keyword Research, the Right Way Optimize the Content of Your Web Pages Build Links: 3 Ways to Build Links by Yourself Get Your Message Out: Blog, Social Media

Algorithmic Ranking Factors

Algorithmic Ranking Factors You have to do these right, before you can do these right Algorithmic Ranking Factors

Install Google Analytics

Install Webmaster Tools

Shallow folder structure with relevant words Search Friendly URLs www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/african-elephants Keywords in page name, separated by hyphen Single domain Shallow folder structure with relevant words

Title Tags

Meta Descriptions

Search UN-Friendly URLs Xyz3.nationalgeographic.com/a/?q=31z&mg=vv7z&sd=8 No keywords in the URL string Unnecessary Subdomain Dynamic URLs don’t perform as well as static and engines recommend against more than two parameters

XML Sitemaps www.sitemaps.org/protocol.php

Good keyword usage in the alt tag Image Alt Attributes Good keyword usage in the alt tag

Search Engine “Submission” Things that do not matter much Meta Keywords Tag Search Engine “Submission”

Keyword Research: Keyword Planner

The Long Tail of Keyword Demand Keyword Research The Long Tail of Keyword Demand

Salespeople & Customers

On Page Content Optimization

Link Building The #1 Long-Term Strategy for Ranking your Website Who is this for..?

Submit to Directory Listing Sites Visit one of our blog posts for a huge list of directory sites: http://bit.ly/LyuBAe

Publish Online Content: Articles

Create Your Own Blogs – On-Site and Off Your Blogs Links Links Your Site

343mm 1.1B+ 250mm 225mm 33mm 25mm 43mm 517mm 170mm 48mm Engage In Social Media Users: 343mm 1.1B+ 250mm 225mm 33mm Users: 25mm 43mm 517mm 170mm 48mm

Engage In Social Media Social Media is ALL ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Other Tips Make your Site Secure: In the summer of 2014, Google declared that HTTPS is now a ranking signal. Although its immediate impact on the search landscape is marginal, we can expect this signal to grow stronger as time goes on. Use optimized videos and images ‘above the fold’ Create an Image Sitemap Implement Schema on your site everywhere possible – ‘Structured Data Markup’

Thank You! Q&A Who is this for..? Fred Dirkse CEO, OIC Group, Inc.