1. Search Engine Optimization Information Systems 337 Prof. Harry Plantinga

2. Hymnary.org You build a nice website that You build a nice website that Satisfies a need Satisfies a need Looks good Looks good Does its job well Does its job well Users find easy to use and helpful Users 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 SEO? What proportion of your effort should go into SEO?

3. What now? Search engine optimization: Search engine optimization: Identify search terms users might use to find you Identify search terms users might use to find you Be on the first page of results (top ten) for as many as possible Be on the first page of results (top ten) for as many as possible

4. Amazing Grace, How Sweet… If someone wants to find Amazing Grace, what will they search for? Hyfrydol? If someone wants to find Amazing Grace, what will they search for? Hyfrydol? How does hymnary.org rate in those searches? How does hymnary.org rate in those searches?

5. Search Engine Optimization Definition : gaining organic (unpaid) traffic by improving placement in search engines Definition : gaining organic (unpaid) traffic by improving placement in search engines Techniques: Techniques: Improve HTML of pages Improve HTML of pages Get more organic links from highly-rated sites Get more organic links from highly-rated sites

6. Google PageRank Algorithm PageRank: the billion (trillion?) dollar patent… PageRank: the billion (trillion?) dollar patent… PageRank Invented by Google cofounders Page and Brin Invented by Google cofounders Page and Brin Patent (2001) is credited to Lawrence Page and held by Standford University Patent (2001) is credited to Lawrence Page and held by Standford University Licensed exclusively to Google for 1.8 million shares (about $1 billion) Licensed exclusively to Google for 1.8 million shares (about $1 billion) Pageranks for some sites? Pageranks for some sites? The algorithm The 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 heavily count links from more important pages more heavily Let the link juice flow… Let the link juice flow… Each page has a PageRank 0..10 Each page has a PageRank 0..10 Now, many more factors are considered Now, many more factors are considered Still vulnerable to manipulation Still vulnerable to manipulation

7. Using PageRank Your page's PageRank "juice" gets passed through to all linked pages Your page's PageRank "juice" gets passed through to all linked pages Though you can't control the total amount of PageRank juice your page has, you can distribute it differently (nofollow, limit links) Though you can't control the total amount of PageRank juice your page has, you can distribute it differently (nofollow, limit links) Each page starts with a fixed amount of PageRank, so the more pages, the more "juice" you have. Each page starts with a fixed amount of PageRank, so the more pages, the more "juice" you have. Try PageRank Calculator Try PageRank CalculatorPageRank CalculatorPageRank Calculator

8. Improving HTML Your goal: Your goal: Let Google and other search engines know what your page is about Let Google and other search engines know what your page is about More precisely, make your page appear more relevant for the searches that should lead to your site More precisely, make your page appear more relevant for the searches that should lead to your site Techniques are "white-hat" as long as you are trying to improve SE performance and not violating SE guidelines (or trying to trick the SE) Techniques are "white-hat" as long as you are trying to improve SE performance and not violating SE guidelines (or trying to trick the SE)SE guidelines SE guidelines A useful resource: Google's webmaster tools A useful resource: Google's webmaster toolswebmaster toolswebmaster tools

9. Main Considerations Content is King Content is King Links are Queen (especially from a high-PR site) Links are Queen (especially from a high-PR site) Optimize landing page for your keyword Optimize landing page for your keyword Help the search engine understand what your page is about Help the search engine understand what your page is about Avoid black-hat techniques that can get you banned Avoid black-hat techniques that can get you banned

10. Improving web pages for SEO Use keywords appropriately Use keywords appropriately Get important keywords into the URL, especially the domain name Get important keywords into the URL, especially the domain name and should be accurate and contain keywords (but don't spam) and should be accurate and contain keywords (but don't spam) Use for what your page is about Use for what your page is about Keep keyword ratio reasonably high, especially at the start of your page Keep keyword ratio reasonably high, especially at the start of your page Have a single, unique URL for each page Have a single, unique URL for each page Use a SiteMap to specify which pages on your site are most important Use a SiteMap to specify which pages on your site are most important

11. Web pages SEO: more ideas SEO considerations SEO considerations Make sure alt text is accurate and has correct keywords Make sure alt text is accurate and has correct keywords Make sure your HTML is valid, links good Make sure your HTML is valid, links good For big sites, make a site map For big sites, make a site map Make sure important stuff (e.g. menus) not hidden by JavaScript or Ajax Make sure important stuff (e.g. menus) not hidden by JavaScript or Ajax

12. Buying & Selling Links Ethics of purchasing/selling links from high-PR sites? Ethics of purchasing/selling links from high-PR sites? Does this devalue search result rankings and make search experience worse? Does this devalue search result rankings and make search experience worse? Highly debated in the webmaster community Highly debated in the webmaster community Google has warned that they will devalue links of sites discovered doing this Google has warned that they will devalue links of sites discovered doing this Google recommends the nofollow attribute Google recommends the nofollow attribute

13. Black-Hat SEO Ethics of creating a "link farm"? Ethics of creating a "link farm"? Black-hat SEO Black-hat SEO Methods are unethical; may be illegal Methods are unethical; may be illegal They degrade the relevance of search results and the user experience of search engines They degrade the relevance of search results and the user experience of search engines They may be against Google's rules and get you blacklisted They may be against Google's rules and get you blacklisted Techniques Techniques Keyword stuffing Keyword stuffing Link farms Link farms Article spinning Article spinning PageRank spoofing PageRank spoofing

14. Keyword Stuffing Load your page with (unrelated?) keywords, in the tags, URL, title, or content (possibly hidden) Load your page with (unrelated?) keywords, in the tags, URL, title, or content (possibly hidden) Goal: to get your page to show up for popular search terms, even though it is not relevant Goal: to get your page to show up for popular search terms, even though it is not relevant [reference] [reference]reference A fine line between adding appropriate keywords and keyword stuffing A fine line between adding appropriate keywords and keyword stuffing

15. Link 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 control, and add links to your own site (and to others, for pay)? Why not create hundreds of sites that you control, and add links to your own site (and to others, for pay)? [reference] [reference]reference According to Google, seeking relevant links from relevant sites is appropriate, but sites that participate in link farming may be penalized According to Google, seeking relevant links from relevant sites is appropriate, but sites that participate in link farming may be penalized

16. Article Spinning Article Spinning is creating many web pages by copying other web pages to increase PageRank Article Spinning is creating many web pages by copying other web pages to increase PageRank Article Spinning Article Spinning Rewrite (modify) existing articles – often plagiarized Rewrite (modify) existing articles – often plagiarized Manual or automatic (automatic synonym substitution, for example) Manual or automatic (automatic synonym substitution, for example)

17. PageRank Spoofing Spoofed page ranks Spoofed page ranks PageRank is (has been) subject to spoofing (how?) PageRank is (has been) subject to spoofing (how?)how E.g. forwarded URL results in the PageRank of the target URL. E.g. forwarded URL results in the PageRank of the target URL. What if you forward only for GoogleBot? [Called Google Jacking] What if you forward only for GoogleBot? [Called Google Jacking]

18. Also… Cloaking: present different content to Google and to users Cloaking: present different content to Google and to users Hidden text (size, color, javascript, …) Hidden text (size, color, javascript, …) Doorway pages (fast redirection with meta refresh, JavaScript, server-side perl, etc) Doorway pages (fast redirection with meta refresh, JavaScript, server-side perl, etc) Blog spam Blog spam

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

20. Tools Tools that may be useful: Tools that may be useful: Google's webmaster tools Google's webmaster toolswebmaster toolswebmaster tools Firefox extensions for SEO such as SEO Doctor, SenSEO, SEOpen Firefox extensions for SEO such as SEO Doctor, SenSEO, SEOpen