In this short presentation you will learn 8 simple ways to optimize your website for search engines. With the recent changes in the search algorithms and the ever changing search world, it is important to stay on top of the latest trends and best practices so your website ranks for the keywords it is intended for. In the slides, we will cover: keyword mapping and referrers, title tags, meta tags, PageRank and domain authority, XML sitemaps and microdata. Learn more by clicking on the listed resources and share!

1. 8 Ways to Optimize Your Website for
Search Engines
Alberto Cantor | Product Strategist | acantor@redbricksmedia.com

2. 1. Map Your Keywords
A keyword map is a document that helps you determine which
keywords to associate with which pages and sections.
Steps to create a Keyword Map:
● Come up with a list of keywords and do some research.
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Use several keyword tools: Google Keyword Planner
Think about the different intents: information, buying, research, etc.
Think about the different level in the purchasing funnel
● Find a logical keyword structure
● Think about your brand
● Build (or repurpose) pages according to your keywords

3. 2. Find Your Top Keyword Referrers
If you already have a live site, check your analytics and find which
keywords are already driving traffic.
● It is easier to work with these keywords than to target new ones because
search engines are already associating your content with them
If you do not have a live site, work off your keyword map and
frequently check your analytics to learn which keywords are
performing well
Since there is no keyword data available, make sure to check the individual page performance and keyword rankings.

4. 3. Use Title Tags Properly
Title tags—technically called title elements—define the title of a
document
Title tags show up in both the top of a browser's chrome and in tabs
Best Practices:
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Have unique title tags for each page on your website
Be mindful of length - no more than 70 characters are recommended
Place important keywords close to the front of the title tag
Leverage brand elements
Consider readability and emotional impact

5. 4. Use Meta Tags Properly
Meta descriptions are HTML attributes that provide concise explanations of the contents
of web pages.
Meta descriptions are commonly used on search engine result pages (SERPs) to display
preview snippets for a given page.
Best Practices:
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Write compelling ad copy
Be mindful of length -keep it no longer than 150 characters
Avoid duplicate meta description tags
Use performing keywords

6. 5. Knowing Your PageRank
PageRank is an algorithm used by the Google web search engine to rank
websites in their search engine results
Knowing your highest “pageranked” pages will help you focus efforts in terms of SEO.
Remember that link juice and authority is somehow passed from page to page.
How can you find the PageRank?
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PageRank Tool (Google)
Check Page Rank
PageRank Checker

7. 6. Determine Your Domain Authority
“Domain Authority represents Moz’s best prediction for how a
website will perform in search engine rankings”
Knowing your Domain Authority will serve as a benchmark and an opportunity metric to
build your site as an authoritative source of information
Great resources:
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Search Engine Watch
Moz

8. 7. Have an XML Sitemap
Sitemaps are a way to tell Google about pages on your
site we might not otherwise discover. In its simplest
terms, a XML Sitemap is a list of the pages on your
website
In addition, you can also use Sitemaps to provide Google with metadata about specific
types of content on your site, including video, images, mobile, and News
Resources:
1. How to create a Sitemap
2. Sitemap protocol
3. About Sitemaps

9. 8. Tag Content with Microdata
Microdata is a way to add more context to a website.
The extra bits of code that these tags represent give a
greater meaning to your content in the eyes of the
search engines.
Without Microdata
With Microdata