SassySEO Tales of a Human Search Engine

[email protected] @TheSassySEO

SassySEOTricks & Treats

or…Tales of a

Human Search Engine

Kristin Rohan


Tonight’s Tricks & Treats• What is SEO?

• Why is SEO Important?• What can YOU do to improve

your site?• How can SEO build your

personal & company brand?• What are White Hat/Black Hat

Techniques?• Dark Promises…Beware.


The Secret of SEO• Everyone can do it!

• Everyone can be good at it!

• SEO is fun!

It's great if you are:

• Curious• Nosey

• Diligent

• love data

You don't have to:

• be good at math

• be a statistician

• have a marketing degree


Before you begin, know…

• Objective of your Site/Business

• Focus = What’s Your Message

• Customers

• Competition

• Products/Services = $$$

• If You Have Analytics In Place


Key Terms or Phrases• Choose 10 Terms that Focus on your

Business for Home Page• Research Terms• Change Terms/Content for each Page• Not your Business Name• Phrases 3 - 5 Words• Check Rankings - may need to tweak if too

much Competition• Use Analytics to see how People Find you• Use Terms to Tag Media


Content• Relevant• Valuable• Contains Key Phrases• Refresh/Add Periodically• Don’t Overuse/Stuff Site with Key Phrases• Home Page Content Most Important


Home Sweet Home Page

• Most Important Page• Contact Info Easily Found• Capture Visitor Info• Social Media Badges/Links• Explain Exactly What You Do• Use Little Flash - don’t give up best real

estate to images


Friendly URL’s

• Include Key Terms:– Original:

http://SassySEO.com/content.php?content_id=75– New:

http://SassySEO.com/searchservices


Internal Links• Link to Other Pages on Your Site


Meta Data• Title - Business Name Last• Description - Include Contact Info• Key Terms/Phrases - Variety is the Spice


CustomerCommunication Plan

• Relevant• Valuable• Periodic & Realistic- Monthly, Bi-Weekly• Keep it Up - Have a Long Term Strategy• Goal is to Build a Community

– Surveys– Offers– Newsletter

• Prospect Content• Customer Content• Call To Action• Send on Tuesdays


Tag Media with Key Terms

• Images• PowerPoint Presentations• Videos• Articles• PDF’s

Always Use Key Terms!


Video, Video, Video

• Product Demos• Advertising Opportunity• Message from an Executive• Promote an Event• Testimonials• On-Site Tours


Use Your Users’ Content

• Get Customers Involved & Excited to Submit:– Images– Videos– Personal Blog Entrys– Testimonials– Content as a Guest Blogger

Highlight Content using theirPreferred Channel - don’t create anew channel!


External Links or Back Links

• Users,• Relevant Sites

• Link to Relevant Sites• Links to Your Site


Get Listed• Find Relevant Placements -

– Free & Paid (ie Yahoo)


Search EngineSite Map Submission

• Google -http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=156184

• Yahoo -http://au.docs.yahoo.com/info/suggest.html

• Bing -www.bing.com/docs/submit.aspx

Submit by Hand -

don’t use Automated Tool!


Monitor Rankings• No Guarantee to #1 on Search Engines• Make Sure Your Site is Indexing Under Key Terms• Better to be on Page 1 or 2 in Organic Search Results• Most Click-Thru’s Happen with Organic Results


Take a Peek at the Competition• Put in Key Terms & See who Ranks• Look at their Site & Key Terms• http://backlinkwatch.com- for possible Listings &

Directories


Get Social

• Facebook

• Twitter - Tweet & Monitor• LinkedIn

• All About Social MediaSBTUG– 25 November 6pm– Laurel Papworth @SilkCharm


Blog

• Who is an Expert in Your Company?• Will You Blog on a Regular Basis?• Do you have Valuable Contributions?• Read Relevant Blogs & Post Thoughtful

Comments• Link Back to Your Site• Use Newsletter as a Guide and Expand on

Content• Invite Guest Bloggers


Submit Media to Sites

• Google Video

• YouTube

• Flickr

• Slideshare


Measure

• Use Google Analytics

• Too much Data is Too Muchif you don’t use it

• Analyze Periodically

• Optimise


Handy Tools• SEO Book: seobook.com• Google Analytics: google.com• Back Link Watch: backlinkwatch.com• SEO Quake: seoquake.com• RankChecker: rankchecker.net• WebCEO: webceo.com• SEOMoz: seomoz.org• WordTracker: wordtracker.com• Trellian: trellian.com or keyworddiscovery.com


Reading is Fundamental

• Digital Ministry:DigitalIndustry.com

• SEOMoz:SEOMoz.org

• Search Day/Search Engine Watch:SearchEngineWatch.com

• SiteProNews:SiteProNews.com

• ClickZ:Clickz.com


Follow Smart People• Impact Watch: ImpactWatch• Hitwise : Hitwise_US• B2b Networking: b2bNetworking• BBX Australia: BBXAustralia• The Next Web: TheNextWeb• Bnet Australia: BNETAustralia• Gavin Heaton: ServantofChaos• Switched on Media: SwitchedOnMedia• Tiphereth Gloria: Tiphereth• Laurel Papworth: SilkCharm• Oliver Palmer: OliverPalmer• Brew Sydney: TheBrewCrew• CP Communications: CPCPR• Denise Tung: SchmediaChick


Mix & Mingle• SBTUG: sbtug.com• Ignite Sydney: IgniteSydney.com:• Ad:Tech: ad-tech.com/sydney• ADMA: AdmaForum.com• SMX: SearchMarketingExpo.com.au• SHTBOX: The Clock 6:00pm Fridays• Web Directions South: south09.webdirections.org;• Brew Sydney: thebrew.com.au• Social Media Group Sydney: SMCSYD• Coffee Mornings: 8:00a Friday Single Origin;

CoffeeMornings• Open Coffee: 8:00a Every other Thurs - Allianz

Building/City Espresso


Be a Human Search Engine• Attend Events

• Meet People

• Watch Twitter

• Read Articles

• Connect & Share

• Play with Tools

• Experiment w/ a Personal Site


From Me to You…

FREEOne hour Consultation

with the SassySEO

Contact me:

[email protected]

0427 326 013