SEO Boot Camp
Jenny Munn SEO Consultant/Trainerwww.JennyMunn.com
[email protected] Twitter @JennyMunn
Mickey MellenTechical Director
http://[email protected]
Twitter @mickmel
Go Here: jennymunn.com/seo-bootcamp-templates/
What We’ll Do, Learn, Discuss
Ready for the fun?
9:00-9:30am: Welcome & SEO Overview9:30am – 10:30am: Keyword Research Deep Dive + Hands On10:30-10:50: Technical SEO10:50 – 11:30: Analytics11:30-12:15: Ongoing SEO12:15-12:45pm: 30 minute lunch
12:45pm – 1:45pm: On-page +
Hands on 1:45pm – 2:00pm: Conversion 2:00pm – 2:10pm: WordPress SEO2:10pm – 2:25pm: Break/?’s3:25pm – 2:40pm: Local SEO2:40-3:15pm: Linkbuilding3:15-3:45: Recap + Hands On3:45pm – 4:00pm: Questions and hands-on time
SEO Overview
Important Basics About SEO• Marketing 101 = Using the language of your customers• Google ranks webPAGES…not a webSITE• Keywords are the absolute foundation of SEO• SEO does NOT happen on accident• The real goal of SEO: not just rankings, but traffic and
conversions
SEO = Improving the Discovery of CONTENT
Is SEO Right For You?
Are your customers the type that would turn to search engines to find you?– Fiction Writer?– Commercial Real Estate Broker?– Corporate Marketing Agency?– Massachusetts Bankruptcy Lawyer?– Atlanta Copywriter?
If there are no fish in the pond, no amount of bait in the world is going to catch
you a fish.
History of SEO
Jenny Munn
• SEO used to be about going down a checklist of technical “to do’s”
• Historically a very technical discipline
• The industry is overrun with shady professionals who “guarantee” 1st place rankings
Why Y
our
Clie
nts
Don’t
Need S
EO
…
They N
eed L
evera
ge
Canonical Tags… “rel=”nofollow”
Meta TagsGeo-Targeting
Robots.txtXML Sitemaps
<head> tagPanda Update
HUH?!
SEO On Page Optimization Gone Wild
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SEO Bootcamp
4 Phases of Keyword Research1. Brainstorm Keyword Possibilities2. Verify the Data3. Keyword Selection and
Prioritization4. Assign Keywords to Content
Phase 1: Brainstorm Keyword Possibilities1. SEO Home base: Open up Excel2. Brain Dump: Take 5-10 minutes and brainstorm
ALL the words you think you should rank 3. Add to that list:
• Google Autosuggest• Poll a partner• Poll your customers• “Spy” on competitors with Spyfu• Look in your analytics
4. Get a good solid list – and let’s VERIFY these words
Keyword Research TipsGroup Like Words Together … Put In As Many As You Can
Think Of
park city utah fly fishingpark city fly fishingpark city utah trout fishingpark city trout fishingservice, guide, excursion, activity, etc.
Tips: *don’t forget plurals*don’t forget synonyms*person, product or service?
Horsinality: Disconnect:“horse training” vs “natural horsemanship”
Love coachDating coachMatchmakerMatchmaking professionalDating coachesMatchmaking for men
Meeting plannerConference organizerIndependent meeting plannerFreelance meeting plannerEvent coordinator
Questions to Generate Keyword Ideas
• What problems does your product or service solve?
• What if they were trying to SHORTLIST providers who do what you do?
• What words/themes/pain points do you hear from your customers and prospects?
Braindump keywords you want to rank for
(paper or Excel)
Deliverable: A list of brainstorm keywords in column A
Poll a Partner
Instructions: 1. One person will give their 20-second elevator pitch2. The other person will suggest keywords that they – or the
desired target market – might type in to Google if they were looking for that product, service, or information
3. Record good ideas your partner suggests into Excel4. Switch
Keyword Research Tips1. Put in lots of
combinations of words into your research tool
2. Look through every option:
Pay attention to hidden gems: (LOW Competition, HIGH Search Count)
3. Add all the reasonable keyword choices -> export to Excel
“How to Find Keywords” Free Report
Jenny Munn
http://jennymunn.com/are-you-an-seo-beginner/
• “Where do I LOOK for keywords?”
• “How do I know that I am using the RIGHT keywords?”
• “Why am I not RANKING for my keywords?”
Phase 3: Keyword Prioritization and Selection
Dive in to the Excel Data….• Sort the keywords from
1) high monthly search count to low 2) low competition to high
• Look through words one by one• Goal: shorten this list• Eliminate• Bold• Highlight
• Pick the 10 best words • 5 for a blog/article• 5 for a website page
• Understand the competition you’re up against
Danger - Important Tip
The most important thing is to get started. A half decent keyword is better than NO
keyword
Know What Existing Pages You Need to Optimize
• General/Broad pages: Home, About, Services, Contact
• Specific: specific services pages, location pages, blog posts, articles, other interior website page
• Tip: Map out in Excel
Take a minute and list out your most important 5-10 pages
Refine Your List
Dive in to the Excel Data….• Sort the keywords from
1) high monthly search count to low 2) low competition to high
• Look through words one by one• Goal: shorten this list• Eliminate• Bold• Highlight
• Understand the competition you’re up against • DELIVERABLE -> 10 best-guess words
• 5 for a blog/article• 5-10 for a website page
Issue: Not Getting Found/Not Getting Found for the RIGHT words?
What content – or lack thereof – are you putting out there?
Blogging for SEO• More keyword opportunities• Google LOVES fresh content• Long-tail keyword opportunities• Better linking – internal and inbound • Hub of Your Content Marketing Plan• Social Media Fodder
Content Creation• Create keyword-driven content
– Go back to your keyword research spreadsheet – What keywords are a great match for your business but don’t fit with
existing content?
• Niche pages– Example “Travel Insurance” -> Mexico Travel Insurance, Backpackers Travel
Insurance, Golf Travel Insurance, etc.– Id Theft Services -> Medical ID Theft, Tax Fraud Services, etc– “Sales speaker” vs “sports speaker” vs “executive team building”
“corporate team building”
• “Phase 2” keyword pages set aside
Tip: Back to Excel!
Where Do We Go From Here? Putting Together a Plan
• Do you optimize old blog posts? Or create new blog posts?
• Do you go back and optimize old web pages? Or create new web pages?
• What other content formats should you create?
Idea: Audit Your Content Assets
• On your site• On other sites: SlideShare, YouTube, etc.• What is evergreen vs what is outdated?
Idea: Create Different Forms of Content
• What format is best?– Blog post?– Video?– Infographic– Article– Service/product page?
Go back through
keywordsWrite down next to keywords:• Blog post• Video• Phase 1 (Top 10) – Primary or Secondary
• Existing pages• New pages
• Phase 2• Niche pages
SEO On Page Optimization Gone Wild
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can help you in many ways. The first benefit of career counseling is finding a job quickly. Career counseling can also help you avoid
making interviewing mistakes that cost you the job. When you need career counseling
services, don’t hesitate to call the best career counselor in Atlanta.
On-Page Optimization
• On-page is just good, solid SEO copywriting
• Good, ETHICAL on-page optimization has not changed in a number of years
• Don’t be worried about the algorithms
On-Page Optimization
Most Important On-Page SEO Elements:
1. Google wants original, unique, useful content2. We want visitors to engage with the content 3. Content that is focused/niche does better4. Must include the keywords in the headings, sub-heads,
and copy without going overboard or sounding spammy5. Don’t forget your CTA on every page
Content
• Any content piece with its own URL can be optimized for its own keyword (website landing page, individual press release page, blog post, etc.)
• 99% of we put online can and should be optimized • Content is the bigger part of SEO nowadays• The goal of content is ENGAGEMENT:
– Does anyone see this page as a good resource? – How much time are they spending on the page?
SEO Copywriting Tips & Tricks
• Awkward Keywords– Copywriter Atlanta
Jenny Munn, Copywriter: Atlanta-Based Professional Writer Serving Small Business Owners
– Marketing conference atlantaLooking for a great marketing conference? Atlanta has a plethora of interesting events, but one in particular, WordCamp Atlanta is the best.
– Insurance iphoneWe understand you want to do your research to find the best insurance.
iPhone users won’t shy away from paying well to protect their beloved gadget (as long as they’re getting the best value….)
SEO Bootcamp
Title Tag Tips• 45-55 characters (formerly 70)• Front load your keywords – this is VALUABLE real
estate; put your name/brand at the end
• Use enticing and descriptive language• ALWAYS include your primary keywords,
secondary if you can• Write unique title tags for each page
Meta Description Tips• The size of a tweet – 150 characters• 1-2 sentences that succinctly summarizes what that
page is about• Use engaging, descriptive language• ALWAYS include your primary keywords, secondary if
you can – frontload when possible• Write unique descriptions for each pageTip: Google your keyword to see what your competition is/get
ideas for what to write
Learn On-Page Optimization/Promotion Best Practices
How to make it findable– Foundational on-page
optimization– Clarity trumps cleverness –
every time– Template for blog post – Social media copy
• Right away create 2 social media posts
• Writing the content is only HALF the job
– Use images
2013 Concept: Linkbuilding
• You can’t live in a bubble
• Make news or make friends
• Think of linkbuilding as “community building”
SEO Bootcamp
Linkbuilding Ideas• Pursue your competitor’s links: http://
www.opensiteexplorer.org• Do expert interviews, write testimonials, do blog reviews • “52” series• Social media links, Google+, etc. • Going to events or sponsoring events• Speaking • Being part of a community • Guest blogging• Blogger outreach• Blogging & Social Media Participation
SEO Bootcamp
Off-Page SEO• Quantity used to be important - now it’s all about QUALITY• 2 types of links:
– Follow– “nofollow”
2 Linkbuilding Quick Wins
1. Start inter-linking your website pages where appropriate (but don’t be that guy)
2. Reclaiming links3. List out competitor links
Linkbuilding: Your TurnWhat things are you doing in your everyday business?
Without being obnoxious, keep link opportunities *always* in the back of your mind.
Ex: Out of 44 speakers at WordCamp Atlanta 2013, how many linked to their site in their bio? 11
Social Media Optimization
• Social signals are becoming more important• Be where your audience is• Trust, authority, and engagement.• Direct links (from your social media profiles
and activity) and indirect links from your content getting promoted by other users
SEO Bootcamp
Takeaways & Create Your Plan• SEO is common sense, but people get
sidetracked (phases)• SEO is all about the keywords (aka the
language of your customers)• Watch out for SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME• You might experience a dip in traffic, but it
will be more targeted traffic• Measure success – can track rankings for
keywords; can keep up in GA
Overview and Resources• Keyword Research• Technical SEO• Analytics• Ongoing Content• Social Media• Structured Markup• On-Page Optimization• Conversion• Local SEO• Linkbuilding• SEO Integration/Program
Management
• Analytics Excel template• “Top 10” template• Keywords Master spreadsheet• Content/Blog Writing template• Editorial calendar
Managing SEO in Your Business• One-time SEO Projects: keyword research, on-page
optimization of existing pages, competitive research, setting up GA & GTW
• Ongoing SEO Projects: linkbuilding, content creation, content optimization, blogging, social media, tracking
• Assess What Activities You’re Already Doing -> Optimize Those Activities
• Create a Practical Plan Based on Your Resources
SEO Bootcamp
SEO Integration • Keep up with changes – but don’t overly worry (me,
Mickey, Hubspot, Distilled)
• One-time: Phase 1• As needed: Keyword Research
• Weekly: blogging• Monthly: editorial calendar, ranking report• Quarterly: editorial calendar, keyword research• 2x/year: Phase 2 content “top 5” or “top 10”• Annually: technical audit
Questions?
Jenny Munn SEO Consultant/Trainerwww.JennyMunn.com
[email protected] Twitter @JennyMunn
Mickey MellenTechical Director
http://[email protected]
Twitter @mickmel
“How to Find Keywords” – Free Report (http://jennymunn.com/)