Google It: The Nuts and Bolts of Search Engine Optimization

GOOGLE IT

THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)

VANESSA THEOHARIS `10ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR,INTEGRATED CONTENT STRATEGYBABSON COLLEGE

DAN HURLEYSENIOR MANAGER,SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)CONNELLY PARTNERS

AN ANECDOTE FOR CONTEXT...

Riley (a.k.a the guy who knows how to use the can opener)

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Search has fundamentally changed our daily ritual; becoming a second-nature behavior that didn’t exist

15 years ago...

WE USE SEARCH FOR...

Finding Information...

WE USE SEARCH FOR...

Shopping...

WE USE SEARCH FOR...

Getting around...

WE USE SEARCH FOR...

Checking the weather...

WE USE SEARCH FOR...

Booking travel...

GOOGLE: EVOLUTION OF THE MOTHERSHIP

GOOGLE HAS COME A LONG WAY...

Google originated as a Stanford University research project by Sergei Brin and Larry Page in 1998.

WILDLY SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTS...

Gmail

WILDLY SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTS...

Google Maps

WILDLY SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTS...

Google Analytics

WILDLY SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTS...

Android O.S.

A FEW CLUNKERS...

Google Buzz (2010-2011)

A FEW CLUNKERS...

Google+ (2011 - Currently on life support)

A FEW CLUNKERS...

Google Glass (2013 - 2015)

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Google has shown us time and again that they’re not sitting still, and are not hesitant to enter or invent new

markets...

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Google’s flagship search product is also ever-evolving...

UNDERSTANDING GOOGLE SEARCH

NOT THE FIRST TO MARKET!

EARLY SEO: THE WILD WEST...

Unsophisticated natural language processing algorithms:

The best search engines are search engines that please that search engine’s users. Other search engines cannot compete with our search engine’s processing power.

EARLY SEO: THE WILD WEST...

Unsophisticated natural language processing algorithms:

Have you considered online casinos for gaming? Online casinos offer casino players the ability to use an online casino wherever they have internet access. Our online casino offers a complimentary $20 casino credit for new online casino members.

GOOGLE NOT THE FIRST TO MARKET...

...but elevated search engine’s reliability beyond keyword stuffing:

AND KEPT IMPROVING...

Florida Update (2003) : Nullified antiquated SEO tactics from core algorithm (keyword stuffing, cloaking,

hidden text, etc).

AND MONETIZED ...

Google AdWords Established Between 2000-2005 (IPO August 2004)

AND KEPT IMPROVING...

Google Caffeine (2009) : Radically increased the crawling and indexing power

AND KEPT IMPROVING...

Google Panda (2011) : Dramatically downgraded sites producing low quality/thin content

AND KEPT IMPROVING...

Google Penguin (2012) : Algorithmic downgrade of sites engaged in backlink spamming

AND KEPT IMPROVING...

Google Knowledge Graph (2012) : Google exhibited a more comprehensive of web entities and their

properties

AND KEPT IMPROVING...

Google Hummingbird (2013) : Synchronized integration between knowledge graph and core

ranking algorithm

MARKET DOMINATION...

Search Engine Market Share

AND MONETIZED...

Google AdWords Revenue 2001-2015

GOOGLING BABSON

GOOGLING BABSON

BABSON-BRANDED TERMSbabson collegebabsonbabson universitybabson mbababson executive conference centerbabson college rankingbabson college tuition

NON-BRANDED TERMSgmat sample questionssan franciscogvvinternational business environmentgmat practice testindustry specific interview questionshazing statistics

64%

48%Google Search is the No. 1

source of traffic to www.babson.edu and

blogs.babson.edu.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO YOU?

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Google has evolved from an algorithm that identified patterns between keywords and pages to one that

connects human questions and motivations to content and experiences...

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Their business model requires them to focus on the integrity of the search experience for those people

who will never click on ads...

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

And therefore...

WHAT CAN WE DO AS CONTENT CREATORS TO FEED THE MOTHERSHIP?

WHAT CAN WE DO?

If you want a piece of content to rank well organically, always invest in quality over quantity.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Consider all the questions that would lead people to your content...Then consider the keywords that they might use to ask those questions.

LEARN TO LOVE METADATA!

Google uses signals from coding elements called metadata to index and rank content against search queries. Title Tag (Blue text)

Meta Description (Gray text)

LEARN TO LOVE METADATA!

Use the title tag to include keywords you want to rank well for (limit 55 characters total).

Title Tag (Blue text)

LEARN TO LOVE METADATA!

Use the meta description to enter a compelling description that would entice a user to click through. Don’t be concerned with keywords here! (150 character limit)

Meta Description (Gray text)

LEARN TO LOVE METADATA!

Use the primary heading field of your page to include keywords in your article/page title.

This is the H1 header element on the page

WRITING FOR GOOGLE...

Avoid keyword stuffing! Use a natural distribution of important keywords and their synonyms.

WRITING FOR GOOGLE...

Avoid keyword stuffing! Use a natural distribution of important keywords/phrasings and their synonyms.

‘homebrewing’

“Making your own beer can be a fun way to understand the production process for the ales and lagers you love. Homebrewing requires patience and some small upfront equipment costs, but quickly begins to pay dividends when stocking up for a party with friends sends begins with your homemade pilsner and IPA, rather than a trip to the store”

WRITING FOR GOOGLE...

Consider Co-occurring Phrases! What are the phrases that would naturally co-exist in other documents about the keyword you want to rank for?

‘wine making’

‘Channeling your inner vintner requires a working knowledge of grape flavor profiles, the patience to get past a couple batches that resemble more vinegar than viognier, and a little luck. You should invest in a good hydrometer to understand the fermentation period, as well as familiarize yourself with the many yeast strains available.’

WRITING FOR GOOGLE...

Structure your page in a way that’s easy for Google and Hummingbird to understand.

WRITING FOR GOOGLE...

Consider what keywords tell us about searchers and speak to those questions and motivations...

‘babson college’ ‘where is babson’ ‘roger babson’ ‘best mba program’

‘babson mba ranking’ ‘babson tuition’ ‘babson undergrad admission’

‘how to apply to babson’ ‘babson library hours’’

HOW YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT

HOW YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT

Test searches. Talk to your audiences about their search behavior.

Audit your webpages.

Consider SEO when creating blog content.

GOOGLE IT

THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)