SEO

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SEO Simpler than You Think (A Step-by-Step
Guide to Ranking on Google)
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SEO Simpler than You Think

• What well cover
• Why SEO?
• Why Google?
• How it Works
• Whats Changed
• Running Your SEO Campaign

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Why SEO? (Search Engine Optimization)
• Traffic from Search versus traffic from other
  sources
• Traffic from Search converts better
• SEO is one way to get search traffic.
• Consider it a large tool in your business
  toolbox.
• Its biggest advantage free traffic
• Its biggest disadvantage it takes time it
  takes some skill

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Why Focus on Google
• Now more than ever the three major search engines
  are behaving differently in how they rank sites.
• Google is the main source of search traffic.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Why Focus on Google?

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Why Focus on Google
• Hitwise says 64
• Rich Skrentas analysis 70
• Our own analysis 70
• Its safe to say that positions on Google will
  bring 65 - 70 of available search traffic.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works
• Start with Goals
• Keyword Research to find competitive (high
  traffic)phrases
• Niche Markets Produce Niche Money
• You can beat the top dogs

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works
• When SEOing a site, plan on spending 80 of your
  efforts on competitive phrases.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works
• The top site returned is the one deemed by the
  ranking algorithm to be the most relevant, the
  most important and the most trustworthy.
• These determinations are made based on
• On-page factors
• Site factors
• Off-page factors
• Visitor Behavior

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SEO Simpler than You Think
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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works
• The more competitive the phrase, the more youll
  rely on off page factors and site factors to
  obtain the ranking.
• Less competitive (low traffic long tail)
  phrases can be obtained by proper on page factors
  plus 1 or 2 backlinks

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page
• Title Tag
• Announces what the page is all about.
• Pulled as the top line in SERP listings
  (usually).
• When properly constructed can significantly
  improve SERP positions.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page Title Tag Examples
• Before Sterling Silver Jewelry - Animal Jewelry
  by the Magic Zoo
• After TheMagicZoo.com - Silver Jewelry Gifts -
  Sterling Silver Animal Jewelry
• Positions B/4 Change Silver Jewelry 178
  Sterling Silver Jewelry 160 Animal Jewelry 2
• Positions Immediately After Change Silver
  Jewelry 100 Sterling Silver Jewelry 113
  Jewelry Gifts 110 Animal Jewelry 2

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page Title Tag Examples
• Before Designer Dog Beds Luxury Dog Beds
  Small Dog Beds
• After BlingBlingPuppy.com Dog Beds Dog
  Collars Jewelry
• Positions B/4 Change Dog Beds 53 Dog Jewelry
  21
• Positions Immediately After Change Dog Beds 22
  Dog Collars 160 Dog Jewelry 22

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page Title Tag Summary
• For competitive phrases, use a toss away word
  (from and SEO perspective) to reduce keyword
  prominence.
• Recommend you use your URL for the toss away
  word as it promotes branding and potentially
  increases click through on SERP pages.
• Do not keyword stuff. A keyword phrase density
  of 30 - 40 is sufficient.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page
• Description Meta Tag
• Provides a description of what the page is about
  (near the top of the page) to search engine
  spiders.
• Is typically pulled for the 2 line SERP listing
  description.
• When constructed properly can improve visitor
  click through and position page for variations on
  the main phrase.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page
• Description Meta Tag
• Write good sales copy.
• Do not keyword stuff.
• Try to get in at least 75 words in the
  description tag.
• Make good use of modifiers for additional
  secondary and long tail listings without
  significant effort.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page Description Tag
• Example from BlingBlingPuppy.com
• Find luxury and designer pet beds for large and
  small dogs at discount prices. If your precious
  puppy is deserving of the finest dog jewelry,
  shop our wide selection of fancy collars. Our dog
  toys collars are great quality gifts and your
  pal will love them. They will also enjoy our
  treats and toys. And if your faithful companion
  prefers to bed outside, shelter your puppy with
  one of our outdoor designer dog houses. Dog
  collars, jewelry and pet beds for large and small
  dogs.
• Word count 85
• Good use of modifiers luxury, designer, large,
  small, discount fancy, outdoors, puppy

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page Factors
• A discussion of Modifiers
• For example the words designer, luxury, outdoor,
  small and cute make good modifiers for the phrase
  dog beds.
• Check out SEOBooks tool (http//tools.seobook.com
  /keyword-tools/seobook/index.php)
• Use Googles suggestions

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page Description Tag
• Example from BlingBlingPuppy.com

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page Description Tag
• Example from BlingBlingPuppy.com

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page Description Tag
• Example from BlingBlingPuppy.com

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page
• Keywords Meta Tag
• May not help you can hurt you.
• Do not keyword stuff.
• Keep it short.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page
• Visible on page content
• Keep it natural. If ecommerce site, use good
  copy for sales. If an informational page,
  provide good information.
• H1 tag dont use more than once.
• Bolding Another tactic to emphasize keywords
  and make the copy pop to humans.
• Text links within content, even when pointing to
  another site can sometimes help also.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page
• On page trust factors
• Price/Product comparisons
• Wish list or gift registry
• Actionable add to cart function
• Quotes
• Recipes
• Coupons
• Contact Information
• From Googles 2007 Quality Guideline Document

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works On Page
• On page spam factors
• PPC Ads
• Parked Pages
• Thin Affiliates
• Hidden Text Hidden Links
• Java script and/or Sneaky Redirects
• 100 Framed Pages
• Keyword Stuffing
• From Googles 2007 Quality Guideline Document

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Site Factors
• Age
• Older is better Over 2 years preferred
• Size
• Bigger is better Over 500 indexed pages
  preferred

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Site Factors
• Deep Link Ratio
• The of total links pointed at a domain that
  link to interior pages.
• Considered More Natural.
• Higher Deep Link Ratios are Better.
• Target a 30 Minimum DLR

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Site Factors
• Theme Development
• A more unified theme is a boost.
• Multiple related themes can exist within a site.
• Build your site emphasizing and unifying themes
  with link structure.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Site Factors
• Site Structure
• Flatter structure is better than a deep one.
• Focus Funnels vs. Silo Building

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Visitor Behavior Factors
• Visits
• Duration of Visit
• These metrics have been specifically referenced
  by Google in Patent Application Document 7346839
  published March 2008.
• Not likely to be big factors until you are on
  page 1 of Google.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Off Page Factors
• Link Reputation
• What does the link say? (Anchor Text)
• For competitive phrases you need to keep your
  anchor text weighting on the major Keywords to
  under 35.
• If you are going after the term dog beds do not
  have more than 1 in three links use the word
  dog or beds.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Off Page Factors
• Link Reputation More on Link Anchor Text
• Use modifiers in anchor text to rank quickly on
  secondary terms.
• Using our dog bed site get links that say things
  likediscount dog beds, luxury pet beds,
  designer puppy blankets, fancy dog collars

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Off Page Factors
• Link Quality
• Google looks for Linkage of Independent Peers
• Growth rates should not spike up quickly

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Off Page Factors
• Link Quality
• Importance of the page providing the link
• Used to be page rank only
• Now freshness is highly important
• Relativity of the page providing the link
• How theme related is it?
• Links embedded in good content count more.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• How It Works Off Page Factors
• Critical Mass
• The more competitive the phrase you are after,
  the more backlinks you will need.
• However this does not need to be anywhere near as
  many as you might think.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• Review or establish goals for your business.
• Keyword research to determine whether your
  keywords, once attained, will generate enough
  traffic to get you to your financial goal.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign Traffic by Position

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• Traffic by Position
• Value of 1 55 - 60
• Value of 10 about 2
• All the money on any phrase is in top of page 1.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• Establish Your Rank
• Use a tool that can measure the top 1000 and
  store history.
• Dont worry if you are not in the top 1000 if you
  are just beginning. Can take up to 90 days to
  get on the scoreboard.
• If you can measure it you can move it.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• Create a Portfolio of Sites/Keywords/Positions
  you watch.
• Helps you determine if there is an algorithm
  change or if its your site alone thats moving.
• Run the portfolio every day.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• Review Your Site for On Page and Site Structure
  Changes
• Do this first build or fine tune the engine
  before adding fuel (links).

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• Set up network sites to facilitate the
  acquisition of links from independent peers.
• Use a blog. I recommend Wordpress.
• Its easy
• Its free software
• Content is fresh
• Rank a page in 10 minutes tactic used a
  Wordpress blog.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• For Instant Age and Backlinks for a network site,
  consider the Expired Domain market.
• Tdnam.com owned by Godaddy.
• Over 1,500,000 expired domains on any given day.
• Look carefully and you can find domains with .EDU
  or even .GOV backlinks.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• Article Marketing
• Still works
• Use only original content
• Submit only to High Authority Directories

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• Directory Submissions
• Not as effective as they once were.
• Some good directories still exist
• Consider using a reliable directory submission
  service to gain critical mass links.

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• Conducting an SEO Campaign
• Just Do It

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SEO Simpler than You Think

• For ongoing information
• Go to www.liveblueprints.com/seotalk/
• Sign up for vNews

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SEO Simpler than You Think

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