Jeff Yette presented on website marketing and search engine optimization. He began by introducing himself and his background. He then discussed measuring website traffic and performance using tools like Google Analytics, Alexa, and FreeGrader.com. Yette covered optimizing content for search engines through keywords, links, sitemaps and more. He emphasized the importance of fresh content and social media. The presentation concluded with next steps like submitting sites to search engines and regularly reviewing analytics.
3. Who is this guy?
Director of Sales & Marketing
Slic Network Solutions since 1998
Independent Developer
(Websites since 1997)
5 Years as Graphic Design Director for a 3 publication newspaper
(Won a few awards for design)
Attended SUNY Potsdam for Fine Art/Graphic Design
Presenter: Jeff Yette
4. What is SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process
of improving the visibility of a website/web page in
search engines via the "natural" or
un-paid ("organic) search results.
Presenter: Jeff Yette
5. Look before you leap
Before you can put together a SEO strategy,
measure what you have first.
Google Analytics
Alexa
FreeGrader.com
Presenter: Jeff Yette
7. Google Analytics
Uses a “snippet” of code added to
each page of your website that allows
Google to collect stats about visitors
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." :
"http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js'
type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-4480215-2");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>
Presenter: Jeff Yette
8. Google Analytics
What does it track?
Visitors (habits & technology used)
Traffic Sources (where they are from & how they found me)
Content - (what is being viewed)
Goals - (is the site working for me)
Presenter: Jeff Yette
9. Google Analytics – Visitor Habits
How many visitors?
How long do they stay on my site?
What pages are they viewing?
New vs Returning visitors?
Presenter: Jeff Yette
10. Google Analytics - Technology
What browsers are they using?
2011
2011
Presenter: Jeff Yette
11. Google Analytics - Resolutions
What is their screen resolution?
(1033) 1024 x 768 is the current “standard”
Approximately 900 x 700 viewable
Presenter: Jeff Yette
12. Google Analytics – Mobile?
Am I getting mobile users?
Presenter: Jeff Yette
13. Google Analytics - Traffic
Where are my visitors coming from?
Direct | Referring Links | Search Engines
Presenter: Jeff Yette
14. Google Analytics - Keywords
What keywords are they using to find me?
Presenter: Jeff Yette
15. Alexa
Must “Claim” your site
Receive Confirmation
Email
View stats similar to
Google Analytics
Presenter: Jeff Yette
17. FreeGrader.com
•Facebook Fan Page
•Mobile Web Site
• Did you know that more than 73 million Americans have
smartphones and they search online for local businesses?
•Domain Authority - 4/10
•Sitemap File
•Main Heading
•Number of Pages Found
•Image Descriptions
•Site Title
•Site Description
•Site Keywords
Presenter: Jeff Yette
18. Keywords, Keywords, Keywords
Keywords must have relevance and popularity
Placed in virtually every aspect of your site:
● Page Titles
● Descriptions (150 words)
● Content (use <h1> tags)
● URLs
● Image names & Alt text
BEWARE: Deliberate overuse of keywords on your site – a practice known as “keyword-
stuffing” may actually decrease your SEO as many search engines are programmed to
ignore these sites.
Presenter: Jeff Yette
19. Look through your customer's eyes
Use words & phrases your target audience uses
“Bird watching” vs. “orthinology”
Consider:
● Common mispellings
● Word Stemming: orthinologist, orthinolgy, etc.
● Synonyms
● Location/GEO modifers: “New York Bird Watching”
Presenter: Jeff Yette
20. Use Tools
SEO Book
http://tools.seobook.com/general/keyword/
Overture Keyword Suggest
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
SEO Tool Keyword Suggest
http://www.seochat.com/seo-tools/keyword-suggestions-overture/
SEO Logs
http://www.seologs.com/keyword-suggestion.html
Digital Point Keyword Suggest Tool
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion/
Presenter: Jeff Yette
21. Where does my page rank?
http://www.thumbshots.com/Products/ThumbshotsImages/Ranking.aspx
Presenter: Jeff Yette
22. Links
Internal & External Links
The more words (keywords & phrases) that point to a page, the
more likely that page is to appear in search results when users run
a query for those terms.
External Links: Contact webmasters of related non-competing
sites for reciprocal link opportunities. Make personal contact, not
through an annoying automated link spammer (which will usually
be ignored).
How do you tell if a potential link partner site is well regarded?
Google's Web browser toolbar offers a PageRank. A link from a site with a
PageRank of 10 can is valuable, while a link from a site with zero is worthless.
Presenter: Jeff Yette
23. Create a Sitemap
A simple file often called sitemap.xml used by
search engines to “spider” your site.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>http://www.mywebsite.com/index.html</loc>
<lastmod>2011-03-01</lastmod>
<changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
Presenter: Jeff Yette
24. Create a Sitemap
An actual website that list all of the page links on
your site usually in outline format:
Home
Products
Product 1
Product 2
Contact
The fewer clicks a viewer has to make to
get to relevant content the better!
Presenter: Jeff Yette
25. Avoid Flash & Large Images
It looks pretty, but does NOTHING for SEO.
●Not indexed (searchable) by search engines
●Not compatible in all browsers (will not work on iPhones & iPads)
Google and other search engines give sites with
fast load times higher page rankings.
http://pagespeed.googlelabs.com/
Presenter: Jeff Yette
26. Content is KING!
Your content needs to be fresh -- updating regularly and often is
crucial for increasing traffic.
One way to ensure that your site gets new content on a frequent
basis is to integrate a blog.
"Get the owner or CEO blogging. It’s priceless!"
~ the Search Engine Journal
Owner/executive blogs are excellent way to:
● Reach out to clients
● Create more opportunities for internal and external linking
● Giving your site a more personal voice
Presenter: Jeff Yette
27. Make Sure They Can Find You
Tell search engines your website exist.
Google Webmaster Tools
Yahoo http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit
Google http://www.google.com/addurl/
Bing http://www.bing.com/webmaster/SubmitSitePage.aspx
DMOZ http://www.dmoz.org/add.html
Presenter: Jeff Yette
28. Social Networking
Blogging is just the first step.
Distribute links to fresh content on your site across
appropriate social networking platforms.
Whether displayed on your company's account, or
recommended, re-tweeted, and re-distributed by
someone else, this strategy exponentially multiplies the
number of places where visitors will view your links.
Presenter: Jeff Yette
29. Social Networking
Blogging is just the first step.
Distribute links to fresh content on your site across
appropriate social networking platforms.
Whether displayed on your company's account, or
recommended, re-tweeted, and re-distributed by
someone else, this strategy exponentially multiplies the
number of places where visitors will view your links.
Facebook & Facebook Places – Twitter – Google Places
Linked In – Four Square – YouTube
Presenter: Jeff Yette
30. Conversation Rate
The ratio of people viewing your website compared to the number
of those who take the desired action – reach the goal
The most common type of conversion is a URL Destination goal - a
page that visitors see only once they have completed an activity.
Examples: For an account sign-up, this might be the “Thank You
for signing up” page. For a purchase, this might be the receipt
page.
Most goals require some type of form.
Presenter: Jeff Yette
31. Wash – Rinse - Repeat
Give SEO changes 2 -3 months
to make an impact
Check analytic quarterly
Make necessary adjustments
Presenter: Jeff Yette
32. While You Wait
Google Webmaster Central YouTube Channel
High Rankings SEO Community Forum
Presenter: Jeff Yette
33. Thank You!
Your feedback is appreciated
Please send comments & follow-up questions to:
sales@slic.com
Presenter: Jeff Yette
