Google's Search Engine Optimization (SEO) guide walks webmasters through items to check on their sites that will make it more likely for their site to show up in organic search results. It also talks about the importance of keywords and content for marketers.

1. Google's SEO
Starter Guide
Tina Arnoldi
Coastal Community Foundation

2. I’m easy to find
The Day Job
• tina@coastalcommunityfoundation.org
o 793-6036
The Evening Job
• tina@360internetstrategy.com
o 410-9320
o Blog with helpful tips
Online
• Twitter: TinaArnoldi
• LinkedIn: TinaArnoldi
• Slideshare: TinaArnoldi
• YouTube: TinaArnoldi
The Fun Stuff
• Pinterest: TinaArnoldi
• UniqueAndHandmade.com

3. A quick plug for upcoming events
 RestartSC.org
 Social media workshop – June 22nd
 SCTechAcademy.org
 Email Marketing – June 20th & 27th
 Computer Security – July 10th & 17th
 Email: Annette@CoastalCommunityFoundation.org

4. What is SEO?
• It’s about making your website easy to find
- both by spiders and by humans.
• Intent
o Navigational
o Informational
o Transactional
• Short phrases
• Blended search

5. Tags

6. What are tags anyway?
• HTML tags are coding instructions that tell
the web browser how to see the page
• <title>
• <h1>
• <meta description>
• <alt> (images)

7. <title>Coastal Community Foundation of
South Carolina - Community Giving -
Charleston, SC</title>
Title

8. Examples
Online marketing strategy for nonprofits and small business
Google Analytics Training - On site - Charleston, SC

9. Why do page titles matter?
• Lets the user and search engine know what
the site is about
• Describes the content
• Descriptive. Relevant. Brief.
• Keep it under 70 characters

10. Meta Descriptions

11. Why do meta descriptions matter?
• Lets the user and search engine know what
the site is about
• Not a ranking factor
• It’s a quick ad for your content
• You don’t always need to write it
• Keep it under 160 characters

12. Heading <H1>
• H1 - tells Google and users this is important
o <h1> Training </h1>
o <h2> Google Analytics </h2>
o <h1> Services</h1>
• Think of it like an outline: h2, h3, h4, h5, h6

13. Alt (for images)
If your image doesn't display for some
reason, the "alt" attribute will at least show a
description of the picture.

14. What if this picture doesn't
display?

15. alt="Geekend Savannah GA 2011"
src="http://360internetstrategy.com
/wp-
content/uploads/2013/03/Geeken
d-screen-shot-300x164.png

16. Friendly URLs
x8alskjfd?a;slk.html

17. Navigation

18. Why does navigation matter?
• People want to find what they need quickly
• If an item on your site is more than three
clicks away, it’s not important

19. Don’t do this
http://360internetstrategy.com/online-
marketing-services/
http://360internetstrategy.com/online-
marketing-services/another-
directory/have-you-found-what-you-need-
yet/are-you-seriously-still-reading-
this/now-i’m-annoyed

20. Sitemaps

21. Sitemaps
• A list of pages on your site.
• Dynamic content.
• New site with few links.
• For people to use if they have trouble finding
something on your site.
o Hopefully, they won’t need it
• For Google to use to find pages on your site.
o Sitemap generators

22. Sitemap for people

23. Sitemap for Google
http://360internetstrategy.com/sitemap.xml

24. Is it working?
Google Webmaster Tools

25. 404 errors

27. 404 errors
• An irritation more than a crisis
• A status code seen by the user when the
page doesn’t exist
o Link out there pointing to that page
• Use Webmaster tools to find URLs causing
"not found“

28. Customize your 404 page
• Will help users find what they are looking for
o Same look and feel as rest of the site
o Link to popular posts
o Webmaster tools widget creates a search box and
shows alternatives
o Show a specific landing page
• Or redirect to homepage

29. Keywords

30. Consider keywords when developing content
• How people search
• Analytics
• Keywords tool
• Customer centric
• Long tail

31. Google’s Keyword Tool

33. Content

34. Content
• Blogs
• Social Media
• Enewsletters

35. What makes good content?
• Engaging
• Unique
• Serves a purpose
• Lists
• Negative
• Use keywords
• References your site
• Images
• Videos

36. Share it
3
6

37. Anchor text

38. What’s anchor text?
•Visible, clickable text in a hyperlink
•Helps determine the subject matter of
the item linked-to

39. Anchor Text
Click here to learn more
VS
Learn more about Charleston nonprofits

40. Anchor Text
Read our article
VS
Read our tips for customer service

41. Mobile Matters

42. Check your mobile traffic

43. www.howtogomo.com

44. Think Local
GetListed.org

45. Now what?
• Setup:
o Google analytics
o Google webmaster tools
• Read:
o Google’s SEO Guide
• Check:
o Source code
o Keywords
o Sitemaps

46. I’m easy to find
The Day Job
• tina@coastalcommunityfoundation.org
o 793-6036
The Evening Job
• tina@360internetstrategy.com
o 410-9320
o Blog with helpful tips
Online
• Twitter: TinaArnoldi
• LinkedIn: TinaArnoldi
• Slideshare: TinaArnoldi
• YouTube: TinaArnoldi
The Fun Stuff
• Pinterest: TinaArnoldi
• UniqueAndHandmade.com