Search Engine Optimization for Web Sites

1
Search Engine Optimization for Web Sites

• For TCs, TWs, and the like
• Prepared by Danny Hoffman of http//firstplace.co.
  il
• And
• Neil Churgin of The Text Store

2
Introduction

• Who are we?
• Why Technical Writers/ Communicators

3
What is the Goal?

• What is the most important part of a manual?

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Goals

• If you said the most important part of the manual
  is the cover, than you are a marketing person.
• If you said the content, you are probably a
  technical communicator and not invited to many
  parties.

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Goals

• Add 3 inches to your site exposure
• Increase Targeted Traffic
• Enhance internal search engine

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The Process

• Evaluation
• Optimization
• Submission

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Thats it

• You can go home now!

Thank You for your time Anyone who wants to buy
a bridge
8
Case Study
SIXT

• RGB

http//www.rgb.com
http//www.sixt.co.il/
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Method of Attack

• RGB
• Found best versions of keywords scan converters
  vs. scan conversion, etc
• Changed head tags title, description, keywords
• Added alt tags, link keyword text made sure
  pages were linked one to another
• Adjusted text to reflect keywords

• SIXT
• Keyword research to pick power keywords
• Changed head tags title, description,
  keywords-all pages
• Added keyword link text to several pages
• Added keyword text to home page

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Results After
RGB Multiple 1 or top 10 rankings for targeted
keyword phrases at multiple engines Increase in
targeted traffic to site.
SIXT Top 10 on Google, Yahoo, etc for "discount
rental cars Multiple high rankings for various
terms related to car rental and israel.(car
rental israel, car rental tel aviv)
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Whos Who

• Everyone involved should have a basic knowledge
  of HTML. A good founding in HTML will help
  designers and writers create content that is not
  only quality but also optimized for the web and
  for qualities search engines are looking for.
• Content Designers
• Content Creators
• Webmaster/Programmers
• SEO Expert

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Evaluation
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Evaluation

• What is a good ranking
• Do I have to be first?
• Is 12th out of 1,200,456 good?
• I am number 1(for Israel toe nail clippers
  Haifa, in Freds Manicure Search Engine)

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Evaluation

• Relative Rankings
• In consideration of your current standings,
  evaluate your site and one or two competitors to
  get an understanding of how you rank. Keep in
  mind that some rankings are gained by payment and
  not by the sweat of the brow.

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Evaluation

• Rankings vs. Performance
• You have the rankings but the traffic from the
  search engine is less than expected. Why? How can
  this be improved?

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Evaluation - Example

• Yahoo search for -Technical Writing Israel
• In Other WORDS Technical Writing, Translation
  Services, ...  - Scroll fast forward/back,
  start/stop, by using the icons on the scrollbar
  Trendline Strategic Partner, What's new. ...
  www.words.israel.net/
• hosted by tripod  - ... Technical Writing in
  Israel (originally appeared in the September 1999
  issue of Forward the Newsletter of the STC UK
  Chapter). Research ... dfarbey.tripod.com/writing
  .html  search within this site
• Laor Technical Publications And Engineering ?
  Technical writing- ...  - The summary for this
  Hebrew page contains characters that cannot be
  correctly displayed in this language/character
  set.www.laor-dtp.co.il/
• AZ Writing Mailing Lists - Israel Technical
  Writing and Technical ...  - Topic Technical
  Writing in Israel Name TECHSHORET Address
  techshoret-subscribe_at_egroups.com Message (no
  subject, no message) Preferred subscription
  method ... www.klariti.com/mailing-lists-writing/
  Mailing-Lists-Technical20Writing-Israel.html  sea
  rch within this site
• Technical Writing in the Netherlands  - ... if
  you could give me some advice as to how to go
  about finding a position in technical writing
  in the Netherlands. For example, here in Israel
  there are ... sigchi.nl/praktijk/forum/messages/1
  17.html  search within this site
• Text Store - Technical Writing, Search Engine
  Optimization, Web ...  - Quality technical
  writing for Israel's export industries software,
  hardware, tourism, and the Internet. We deliver
  precise, readable ... textstore.co.il/  search
  within this site

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How do you rate?

• Engine
• How do you decide what engines to target?
• Keyword phrases
• How do you choose ?

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Search Engines

• Which engine is best?
• How often do they update?

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Search Engines The Guts

• Spiders
• Manually Edited Indexes

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Optimization
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3,245 Site Listings

• Whats it worth?

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Keyword Selection

• Choose a strategy
• Finding a good tool
• What is reliable?

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Site Donts

• The curse of Flash
• Frames
• ASP?
• Avoid emptyhome pages

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Flashy but

• The beauty of Flash
• The simplicity
• The annoyance
• There is a work around, but the solution is to
  use true content.

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Frames

• User Confusion
• Meta Problems
• Crawl Space
• Who uses frames?
• Google, CNN, Amazon, Macromedia

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ASPs, and Other Snakes

• Avoid ? in links
• Focus on content that is less dynamic

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Site Donts Examples

• Title Tags
• Default Document
• New Document
• ALMB Manufactuers of DSP Annually
• JS Scripts that go on forever
• Heavy Java Animation/graphics
• Spam Meta Tags

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Site Dos

• Descriptive Title Tags
• Buttery smooth peanut brittle and sweets - DSP
• Free graphics and design tools Qualpoint
  Studios
• Structured HTML Meta Tags
• Use Text - esp. on home page
• File names that use keywords

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The Title of the Property

• Marcom it - First
• Company Name Second optional!
• Make or break

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HTML Simple and Boring

• Avoid long Heads
• Use clean HTML

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Text

• CSS Buttons
• Text Links
• Never use graphics

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META Tags

• 1st
• 2nd content"Offers top Web positioning and search
  engine optimization for your site. Professional
  and personal agency for both small and large
  businesses."
• 3rd content"ranking, web positioning, search engine
  optimization,agency, affordable, firm,
  placements, search engine, results,optimisation,
  israel"

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Submission
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Submission

• When to Submit
• Paid Submissions
• Prepare for Spam

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Submit or Not to Submit

• Is your site optimized?
• Will your site be changing soon?

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Submit Donts

• Submit before optimizing
• Over Submit
• Submit to Joes Pizza and Anchovy Search Engine

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Submit Dos

• Read the rules for each search engine
• Optimize your description texts
• Leverage a submission tool
• Schedule for off hours
• Re-submit

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Paid Submissions

• Are you optimized?
• Should I pay or should I go now?
• Who should I pay?

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Dont Forget

• Links
• E-mail
• Printed Advertising
• PPCPay-per click (Overture, FindWhat, etc.)
• etc.

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ReciprocalacorpiceR

• Links
• Other Corporate Web Sites
• Dont Overdue

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Leverage E-mail

• Use e-mail to increase targeted traffic
• Do NOT SPAM
• Add URLs to footers and include relevant links in
  correspondence
• Adopt a newsletter format
• Targeted campaign

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References Links

• http//www.webpositoning.co.il
• http//www.seodynamite.com/index.html
• http//www.web-visibility.net/search-engine-optimi
  zation.htm
• Each search engine details howto submit
• http//www.wordtracker.com/

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References Tools

• Webposition Gold
• Page Critic
• Submission Tool
• Keyword Selection
• Word Tracker - Payhttp//www.wordtracker.com/
• Overture free keyword tool http//inventory.overt
  ure.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/