Search Engine Optimization & Content Marketing

Jen Callahan & Daiv Whaley

What is SEO?

SEO is the process of improving the visibility of a website or Web page in a search engine’s natural, or unpaid, search results. For nonprofits, the target might be to attract more visitors to your website for donations, volunteerism or awareness of your mission.

What is Content Marketing?

Content Marketing is about telling your story in a manner that engages your audience so they wish to support you. Content marketing uses visual and text-based information to elicit a response.

Examples include an infographic, whitepaper, article, video, webinar, etc.

Most Popular Search Engines

Number of Search Queries a Day on Google

The SEO Pyramid of Success

Keyword Research

Google AdWords is a free keyword tool that can help you discover phrases that relate to your nonprofit’s mission, which you can then use on your website:

Google Analytics can also help you discover new keyphrases:

Meta Data

Meta data is used to help search engines understand what your Web pages are about. Effective websites always use meta data.

Most people will only encounter meta data in the blue bar at the top of some Web browsers. This “tag” is called the Title Tag.

Meta Data

Title Tag: <title>Digital Marketing Firm, Analytics Agency | Fathom</title> [ Describes what the page is about]

Meta Description: <meta name="description" content="Get sales leads &amp; profitable revenue from a digital marketing firm: predictive analytics, email, SEO, PPC, video, social media, Web design, mobile."/> [What searchers see on search results pages]

Meta Keywords: <meta name="keywords" content="online marketing, seo firm, search engine marketing, online marketing firm, search engine optimization, seo marketing, paid search, online video production, email marketing"/> [features words RELATED to page content – don’t use more than 8 terms]

Onsite SEO

A variety of tactics are used to get important keywords researched using the Google Keyword Tool on your pages. The trick? Getting them to read well for human visitors as well as be recognized by search engine robots.

Keywords in URLs Keyword enhancement in content Page headlines and sub-headlines H1, H2, H3 tags for those headlines Content-based links to other pages that use the same keywords

(internal linking) Sitemap Copy blocks at the bottom of pages (optional)

Calls to Action

Your website should provide information about your nonprofit while eliciting a response from your audience. How can someone enter your offices if there is no doorbell in existence? Calls to Action enable your website to engage visitors to:

Donate funds Sign up to volunteer Donate items Request more information Schedule site visits, interviews, etc.

Content: Essential Elements for Nonprofits

If you’re not giving your visitors the essential pieces of content they need, they’ll go elsewhere to find it. Put yourself into the shoes of your audience and determine the essential elements that need to be on your website or distributed through social media.

Your content should revolve around your mission, your clients, and how to get involved with your organization.

Content: Essential Elements, Cont. Home page test: Within 5 seconds, visitors should understand

what your mission is about. Share your mission: Use concise, plain language about what

your organization does. If your goal is donations, make it easy for visitors to donate

(and use a compelling call to action). Credibility: Donors want to know they can trust you and what

you will do with their money. Showcase credibility, accountability & good stewardship.

Talk to your volunteers. Have content ready and waiting for them.

Media kit: Make it easy for journalists and bloggers to find the information they need on your site.

Content: Essential Elements, Cont. Be sure content meets your visitors’ needs: resources pages,

educational guides, position papers, multimedia resources. Show transparency: Before donating, many want to know what

you’ll do with their donations, their time or their gifts. Content such as infographics, charts, graphs and photos can captivate visitors.

Keep it fresh. If you never update your website or add new pages of content, why would anyone come back? Keep content fresh with a blog, testimonials, stories of how you use donations, new images, etc.

Take advantage of user-generated content: A forum where like-minded people can share community stories can keep beef up new content.

Content: Essential Elements, Cont. Always make it easy for visitors to share information via

social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ icons should be on your Web pages.

Encourage visitors to share your content via their favorite social network.

Be sure that your branding is consistent throughout all marketing materials: logos, fonts, colors and taglines should be incorporated into your website’s design.

Match design & content: use compelling images and text that resonates with visitors. If you’re able, add video.

Add clear, bold calls-to-action.

QUESTIONS?