Workshop #1: Introduction to Search Engines Search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) are little hungry monsters that you constantly need to feed with keywords, presented in a logical manner, in order to get their attention! Search engines index Web pages individually. If one of your pages is successful (good positioning) for a given term, this does not mean that all of your website’s pages will fare as well. This workshop will address various techniques to follow in order to be successful with all of your pages. In order to do so, you must first understand how search engines work. Workshop #2: Your Website’s Architecture The architecture of a website has a considerable impact on search engine optimization efforts. A poor architecture will limit the number of pages found and indexed by robots, regardless of all the optimization efforts… they will simply be invisible. Robots love, and derive their primary sustenance, from text. The goal of stellar architecture is to provide text in a format that is simple and easy to read by robots. This website is aimed at content creators and will present various aspects of architecture that must be taken into account in order to reach this objective.

1. My Resource for Excellence.
Get More Bytes for your Bucks!
Workshop #1: Part 1 | What is Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
11:30am-12pm, Friday, September 11th, 2009

2. Navigating to a Website
Search Engines are the Most Important Source of Traffic to a
Website Virtual exhibit visitors
Search Engines
Prospects coming from search
engines.
Browser
Prospects know your brand
(domain name)
Bookmark
Prospects liked their experience.
Referrals
Prospects coming from the
same community of
Website.

3. Navigating to a Website
Website Visitors: almost half are from Search Engine
If High Marketing Budget
Marketing Budget
Around 41%

4. Navigating to a Website
Website Visitors: are mainly from Search engine
Marketing Budget
Up to 80%
If Low Marketing Budget

5. Main Search Engines
AOL Ask Others
MSN 3% 2% 4%
9%
Yahoo Google
17% 65%
Google Yahoo MSN
AOL Ask Others
Source: Nielsen Online, Nielsen//NetRatings and Nielsen BuzzMetrics brands.

6. Main Search Engines
Yahoo AOL Ask Others
& MSN 3% 2% 4%
(Bing)
26%
Google,
65%
Google Yahoo MSN
AOL Ask Others

7. Search Engine Results page (SERP)
Copyright Thierry Arsenault
Commercial
links/Paid (PPC and CPA)
Organic/natural
results/Free (SEO)

8. Search Engine Results page (SERP) – Universal
Copyright Thierry Arsenault

9. Search Engine Results page (SERP) – Universal
National museum

10. Search Engine Results page (SERP) – Local
Museum Ottawa – Local search

11. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
SEM, is a form of Internet marketing that seeks to promote websites by
increasing their visibility in search engine result pages (SERPs) through the
use of paid placement, contextual advertising, paid inclusion and SEO.
Search Engine Advertising Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Paid inclusion (PI) – Web architecture
– Content creation
Commercial links
– Link building
- Pay Per Click (PPC) – Community building (Social media
- Cost Per Action (CPA) optimisation)
Commercial Organic
SEO = Audience Optimisation

12. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) - Budget

13. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) - Advertising

14. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) - Pay Per Click (PPC)
• Audience (age, gender, ethnicity,
geography)
• Objectives (conversion)
• Search Engine
• Network
• Keyword (long tail approach)
• Creative
• Timing
• Budgets (daily max, campaign max)
• Monitoring
• Optimization

15. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) - Pay Per Click (PPC)

16. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or
quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic"
or "algorithmic") search results.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
– Web architecture
– Content creation
– Link building
– Community building (Social media
optimisation)

17. Search Engine Results page (SERP) – SEO
National museum Canada

18. It’s works!
2009 case study results for Wetaskiwin keyword
From position
32 to 12

20. My Resource for Excellence.
Get More Bytes for your Bucks!

21. My Resource for Excellence.
Get More Bytes for your Bucks!
Workshop #1: Part 2 | Introduction to Search engines
1pm-1:30pm, Friday, September 11th, 2009

22. The Functioning of a Search Engine
Enter the search term
Web site 1
Algorithm
Google database (Index)
Search results page
Web site 2
Web site 3…

23. The Functioning of a Search Engine - Algorithm
Source: Flickr | tmaemarketing

24. The Functioning of a Search Engine - Indexation
YOUR WEB PAGES ON A SEARCH ENGINE
SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS SELECTED
Top 5 75%
Top 10 results
Top 30 results 25%
Web pages indexed on SE
Web pages on your website

25. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) - Three pillars
Web architecture Content / Writing Popularity
+ +
Source: Flickr, Pichenette Source: Flickr, Linda Cronin Source: Flickr, Gavatron

26. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) - Responsibility
Technology
Marketing
Content
+

27. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) - Responsibility
Have to wear a lot of different hats?
Source: FlickR: The many hats of Billy Childish
Focus on most important keyword/phrase

28. My Resource for Excellence.
Get More Bytes for your Bucks!

29. My Resource for Excellence.
Get More Bytes for your Bucks!
Workshop #2: Part 1 | Your Website’s Architecture
1:30pm-2:30pm, Friday, September 11th, 2009

30. Website Architecture - Checklist
Architecture items Status Pass criteria Tools Observations
Pass Fail Caution
1 Response time < 250ms Google Webmaster
2 Server location Same city or province IP Address Geolocation free service
3 Page File size is less than 100k TRUE Manual (page property)
4 Unique Title element No duplication Google Webmaster
5 Unique Meta description element No duplication Google Webmaster
6 HTML code 0 errors Web developer tool
7 Linked CSS TRUE Web developer tool
8 CSS code 0 errors Web developer tool (W3C)
9 Main content proximity On top Web developer tool (W3C)
10 No Table or Frame to design a webpage TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
11 Less than 3 levels depth table TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
12 HTML sitemap TRUE Manual
13 Search engine sitemap file TRUE + Descriptive Manual
14 Robots.txt file TRUE + Descriptive Manual
15 Optimized Navigation Keyword rich Manual
16 Less than 3 Parameters in URL TRUE Manual
17 Keyword rich URL (mod‐rewrite) TRUE Manual
18 No session ID in URL TRUE Manual
19 3 levels and less URL TRUE Manual
20 Only one H1 per page TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
21 No empty Header elements TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
22 Structured headers (H1, H2, H3...) TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
23 Contextual linking TRUE Manual
24 No broken link TRUE Xenu free link checker and Google Webmaster
25 Less than 100 links/page TRUE Xenu and Manual
26 Optimized link structure (Page sculpting) Important page = higher page rank Manual
27 Meaningful image folder name TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
28 Meaningful Image file name TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
29 Meaningful Image Alt text element TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
30 Optimized image file size TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
31 No text in Javascript TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
32 Majority pages are indexed TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
33 If Redirection, use 301 TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
34 Customized 404 page TRUE Manual
35 No Content duplication TRUE Manual (canonicalization + copyscape.com)

31. Website Architecture - Checklist
Architecture items Status Pass criteria Tools
Pass Fail Caution
1 Response time < 250ms Google Webmaster
2 Server location Same city or province IP Address Geolocation free service
3 Page File size is less than 100k TRUE Manual (page property)
4 Unique Title element No duplication Google Webmaster
5 Unique Meta description element No duplication Google Webmaster
6 HTML code 0 errors Web developer tool
7 Linked CSS TRUE Web developer tool
8 CSS code 0 errors Web developer tool (W3C)
9 Main content proximity On top Web developer tool (W3C)
10 No Table or Frame to design a webpage TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
11 Less than 3 levels depth table TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
12 HTML sitemap TRUE Manual
13 Search engine sitemap file TRUE + Descriptive Manual
14 Robots.txt file TRUE + Descriptive Manual
15 Optimized Navigation Keyword rich Manual
16 Less than 3 Parameters in URL TRUE Manual
17 Keyword rich URL (mod‐rewrite) TRUE Manual

32. Website Architecture - Checklist
Architecture items Status Pass criteria Tools
Pass Fail Caution
18 No session ID in URL TRUE Manual
19 3 levels and less URL TRUE Manual
20 Only one H1 per page TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
21 No empty Header elements TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
22 Structured headers (H1, H2, H3...) TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
23 Contextual linking TRUE Manual
24 No broken link TRUE Xenu free link checker and Google Webmaster
25 Less than 100 links/page TRUE Xenu and Manual
26 Optimized link structure (Page sculpting) Important page = higher page rank Manual
27 Meaningful image folder name TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
28 Meaningful Image file name TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
29 Meaningful Image Alt text element TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
30 Optimized image file size TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
31 No text in Javascript TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
32 Majority pages are indexed TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
33 If Redirection, use 301 TRUE Web developer tool (W3C)
34 Customized 404 page TRUE Manual
35 No Content duplication TRUE Manual (canonicalization + copyscape.com)

33. Website Architecture – Checklist
1- Server response time
• Optimized HTML file size > max
150k
• Small size images > 5k
• Limited number of images >10
Source: netmechanic.com

34. Website Architecture – Checklist
1- Server response time
Downloading time
=
Pages crawled
Source: Google Webmaster

35. Website Architecture – Checklist
2- Server response time
Source: 81solutions.com

36. Website Architecture – Checklist
4- Unique Title element
Top of browser window
Result page on Google
Source code
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01
Transitional//EN">
<html><!-- InstanceBegin template="/Templates/f_vmcPageLM.dwt"
codeOutsideHTMLIsLocked="false" -->
<head>
<!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="doctitle" -->
<title>@Boutiques du Mus&eacute;e virtuel du Canada - Magasinez
dans les boutiques des mus&eacute;es canadiens</title>
<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->

37. Website Architecture – Checklist
5- Unique Meta description element

38. Website Architecture – Checklist
7- Linked CSS

39. Website Architecture – Checklist
6,8- HTML and CSS code
end tag omitted Property that doesn’t exist
attribute "alt" not specified ...
...

40. Website Architecture – Checklist
9- Main content proximity

41. Website Architecture – Checklist
10,11- No table or frame to design a webpage
| Less than 3 levels depth table

42. Website Architecture – Checklist
12- HTML sitemap

43. Website Architecture – Checklist
13- Search engine sitemap file
XML file containing all the URLs of your Website pages intended for the
public, along with information on each URL
The University of Huddersfield
Explanation of codes:
• <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>:
Indicates XML version and the code for the
characters used.
• <urlset>: Indicates the protocol used in creating
the XML file.
<url>: Indicates that information on a particular
Web page follows.
• <loc>: Indicates the Web page’s URL address.
• <lastmod>: Indicates the date of the last update of
the Web page in question. The date should be in
this format: - YYYY-MM-DD
• <changefreq>: Indicates the frequency of updates
to the Web page. The frequency can be expressed
as follows - always, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly,
yearly, never.
• <priority>: Indicates the Web page’s level of
Vertical Sitemaps Copyright Thierry Arsenault
importance on a scale of 0 to 1 (1 being the highest •Video Sitemaps
level). •Mobile Sitemaps
•News Sitemaps
NB: Items in bold are mandatory.
Source: ---.--/sitemap.xml

44. Website Architecture – Checklist
13- Search engine sitemap file

45. Website Architecture – Checklist
14- Robots.txt file

46. Website Architecture – Checklist
15- Optimized navigation
31- No text in Javascript
Not visible…hide behind
Javascript

47. Website Architecture – Checklist
16- Less than 3 Parameters in URL
1 2 3 4

48. Website Architecture – Checklist
17- Keyword rich URL (mod-rewrite)
No meaning
Use Mod‐rewrite to change this URL:
http://www.gallery.ca/english/584.htm Keyword rich
For this:
http://www.gallery.ca/english/indigenous‐art
.htm No meaning
Or this:
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/pm_v2.php?id=exhibit_home&fl=0&lg=
English&ex=00000503
Keyword rich
For this:
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/community/Peterborough‐history

49. Website Architecture – Checklist
18- No session ID in URL

50. Website Architecture – Checklist
19- 3 levels and less URL
This URL:
http://nature.ca/education/mus/ws/wded_e.cfm
1 2 3 4 5
Could be:
http://nature.ca/education/dinosaurs-challenge.cfm
1 2 3

51. Website Architecture – Checklist
20- Only one H1 per page
No 1
No 2
Ok 3

52. Website Architecture – Checklist
21, 22- No empty Header element

53. Website Architecture – Checklist
23- contextual linking

54. Website Architecture – Checklist
24- No broken link

55. Website Architecture – Checklist
26- Optimized link structure (pagerank sculpting)
A logic, fluid and keyword rich structure
• Page level • Link level
Robots won’t index the Robots won’t follow this link
page…still follow <a href=“www.link” rel=“no
<meta name=“robots” follow”> blabla</a>
content=“noindex”/>
• Robots.txt file level
Noindex: /---.---

56. Website Architecture – Checklist
27, 28 - meaningful image folder and file name
Src=images/botany/plants/showy lady slipper
Keyword rich Keyword rich
folder name file name

57. Website Architecture – Checklist
29 - meaningful image Alt text element

58. Website Architecture – Checklist
30 – Optimized image file size

59. Website Architecture – Checklist
34 – Customized 404 page
Create a custom 404 error page

60. Website Architecture – Checklist
35 – No content duplication
• Same content, different URLs
• www vs none www version
•…

61. Also recommend…
Add bottom page navigation to your Web site
• Main navigation
• Bottom page navigation

62. Also recommend…
Add breadcrumb navigation

63. Website Architecture – Checklist
Tool: Web Developer by Chris Pederick
http://chrispederick.com/work/web-developer/

64. My Resource for Excellence.
Get More Bytes for your Bucks!
Workshop #2: Part 2 | Site Diagnostics
2:45pm-4:00pm, Friday, September 11th, 2009

65. Website Architecture – Checklist
Site Diagnostics
http://www.canadianmuseumforhumanrights.com

67. My Resource for Excellence.
Get More Bytes for your Bucks!