Nationalgeographic.com In House: Big SEO

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Nationalgeographic.comIn House Big SEO
Brendan HartDirector, Customer Acquisition
MarketingNational Geographic Digital Media
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Lets Discuss

• Determining an SEO Strategy
• Isolating Challenges, Creating Opportunities
• Evaluating Success

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Nationalgeographic.com

• Our Mission Empowering individuals to act as
  global stewards
• Increasing access to content meets consumer,
  corporate, client needs
• How do we acquire customers, build audience,
  increase reach?
• Buy it (SEM, display media)
• Hope for it (visitors type-in URL)
• PR/Word-of-mouth
• Customer evangelists
• The Linkerati

..Make it happen by enabling a solid SEO strategy
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Divergent Goals

• Segment site contents to focus strategy

• CONTENT SITES
• Traffic
• Brand Interaction
• Refer/Retain

• COMMERCE SITES
• Qualified Leads
• Multi-channel
• High cart value!

• MARKETING SITES
• Vanity URLs
• Quick Hits
• No loyalty

Tailor SEO strategy to maximize site goals
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Getting SEO on the Radar

• Why / how does SEO become a strategic priority?

Giant Catfish, 2005
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
Shark Hoax
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Owning Strategic Terms
Top 2 Search Results for Shark Photo
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Building Category Ownership
Top 2 Search Results for Giant Catfish
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Create a Starting Point

• Benchmark all known SEO variables
• Use web logs, seek 3rd party research
• Focus on a set of metrics to increase
• Create KPIs, the basis of your success
• Not all content is created equal in search
• Dont apply the same goals for static html
  content to flash, video, and dynamic content

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Prioritize

• Determine branding objectives
• Consolidate URLs to create more meaningful
  mega-categories
• Sub-domain where possible to create market
  advantage

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Search Traffic Core KPI

• Percent of traffic to site that comes from search
  engines
• Search engine reporting in our web logs has
  changed starting in 09/06

Time to redefine the core Search KPI
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Search Traffic Other KPIs

• Which terms drive highest/lowest on-site
  consumption
• Engage content managers to be opportunistic
• Optimize any media buys

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Search Traffic Other KPIs

• What is the on-site consumption behavior of
  search visits, by engine
• How does content display in search results?
• How does intl compare to domestic
• Time to localize?
• GeoTarget Ads?

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Search Traffic Other KPIs
834,560 Inlinks
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Search Traffic Other KPIs
39.9MM results for national geographic
34.7MM results for national geographic
Brand ownership for strategic sites in core
search results pages
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Hit the Reset Button

• Complete SEO strategy will touch everyone in the
  publishing process
• Everyone has different knowledgebase, skill set,
  and interest
• Search Industry evolves
• Conduct a vendor review, evaluate consultants,
  purchase 3rd party reports
• Start the SEO process

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Challenge 1 Video

• Created a video portal, in flash, new sub-domain
• Video categories are core to the brand
• Submit to directories
• Create a media RSS feed
• Unique, free, high-quality content does its own
  link-building

Please index this video!
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Change the Paradigm

• Review all current SEO processes
• Determine stakeholders, bottlenecks,
  inefficiencies, and create opportunities
• Designate SEO-owner
• Individual/team responsible for oversight of all
  SEO activities, goals, and actions
• Make SEO a priority
• Management needs to understand it, and
  reinforce its place in the production process

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Creating Ownership

• Develop an easy process that reinforces goals,
  inspires entrepreneurs, fits in the natural
  production flow
• One-sheet for priorities during content
  development, post-launch any questions get
  elevated to SEO-owner for resolution
• Content owners tweak content based on search
  results and reporting

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Challenge 2 Kids Site Launch

• Created a kids portal, in flash, new sub-domain
• Content categories are include flash-based games
  and videos
• Submit to specialized kids directories

Please index this site!
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Empowering Ownership

• New SEO process must have accountability across
  all levels
• De-mystifying SEO creates acceptance
• SEO goals drive adoption
• Training and tools make action
• Reporting rewards the diligent
• Proven ROI will lead to increased budgets,
  resources, focus and higher targets!

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Integrated SEO

• Keyword research drives content development
  decisions
• Production process ensures SEO content
• SEM supports all new content launches, creates
  entry into competitive categories, provides rich
  insights
• Directory submissions and RSS feeds increase
  reach and link popularity
• Link building strongly encouraged
• Reporting tweaking optimization

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Success New Core KPIs
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Success

• Most traffic ever from Google US, all Google
  search (including int'l), Stumbleupon.com, and
  Wikipedia
• Highest UVs and Pageviews since April
• Highest traffic week ever for Animals,
  Photography, and Video Player
• Highest average time spent on the site ever -
  9.35 minutes. (Video portal contributing)
• DATE Week ending 12/2/2006

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Thanks for listening to me!

• Email Me bhart_at_ngs.org