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Search Engine Optimisation – How to Create a Top Ranking Website

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The recent Knowledge Bites in Wellington gave attendees a refresher on the importance of Search Engine Optimisation (‘SEO’) and the latest techniques you should be using to ensure your website gets to the top of the Google rankings.

Getting People to the Party

Richard Conway is the Founder and Managing Director of PureSEO, a specialist agency focusing on search engine optimisation, AdWords and social media services.

“Having a website without SEO is like hosting a party and forgetting to send out the invitations,” explains Richard.  “And with more than 90% of New Zealander’s web searches done via Google, it’s important you start there.”

So what matters when it comes to effective SEO?  Richard started by summarising the five key factors that have always been fundamental to Google ratings, namely:

  • (Key) Words matter;
  • Titles (in the code) matter;
  • (Inbound) Links matter;
  • Words in links matter; and,
  • Reputation matters (evidenced by fresh content, growing links, etc).

“High quality SEO requires focus in two key areas,” says Richard.  “Firstly, there’s on-page optimisation which is responsible for around 30% of your Google ranking, and then there’s off-page optimisation which accounts for the other 70%.”

On-page Optimisation

What does “on-page optimisation” actually mean?  These are the titles and signposts that help Google understand what it is you do.

And, after the actual content of the website, the next most important thing when it comes to on-page optimisation is the Meta Title Tag (the words that describe the online document, displayed in three key places: browsers, search engine results pages, and external websites).

“You need to make sure these tags are unique to every page, are relevant to the page and are no more than 55 characters long.  Also bear in mind that weight is given to the tag on a left to right basis, so make sure your key words and messages are mentioned first.”

Beneath this is the Meta Description Tag.  This is where you can provide a succinct explanation of the page – it’s very important to get this right as it will affect the number of click-throughs to your website.  When it comes to creating these tags, Richard says the considerations are very same to the Meta Title Tag: “Again, make sure they are unique and relevant, but you have up to 115 characters to play with here.  And it’s important to include a call to action.”

Other important aspects you need to get right when it comes to your on-page optimisation include:

  • URL: make sure you choose a natural URL that is relevant, descriptive and easy to recall.
  • Heading Tags: make sure your headings reflect the content on the page.
  • Alt Tags: these are effectively labels that are attached to images on your website that help Google to understand what the image relates to.
  • Keywords: ensure your content contains the keywords that people will use to search for your services.  Carry out research to identify what your target audience is looking for.  Single word phrases generally are the most frequently searched terms, but they are also the words that are most actively competed for (when it comes for Google Adwords) and therefore the most expensive.  Short (2-3) word phrases can deliver almost the same number of searches but with less competition/cost, while a much longer, more descriptive phrase won’t be as frequently searched but will be low cost and the conversion rates will often be greater.
  • Text Anchors: when using hyperlinks, use descriptive words to label them, not the actual link details.
  • Language: the language used on the site can have a significant impact on conversion rates, so make sure you use words and phrases your audience will respond to (e.g. use the word “go” instead of the word “submit” on a fulfilment button). Also, the new Google search engine platform, “Hummingbird”, deals with more natural language – in other words, it looks for the meaning behind the words, not just for specific words.
  • Site Map: using a detailed site map is another useful tool used by the Google algorithm.
  • 404 Errors:Page not Found” messages are bad for SEO and can negatively impact conversion rates, so it’s important you can identify and rectify any problems quickly. It’s important to use analytics tracking code in your header template for your 404 page, and to use unique page titles.
  • Webmaster Tools: among other things, these tools help you to track things such as how many times a key word has triggered visitors to the site, and how many links there are to and from your site.

Richard offered two final thoughts on on-page optimisation: “Remember that content is King, but usability is Queen.  It has to be easy to use and navigate around your site.  Also, video content works well, but only if you include a transcript – Reuters is a good example of how to do this well.”

Off-page Optimisation

When it comes to off-page optimisation, there are three key areas you need to focus on:

  • Links: it is more important to earn links rather than simply building them as Google allocates different values to different links – the more popular/relevant the link, the higher the value. Use relevant anchor text (i.e. the clickable content within content that redirects you to a different page) to improve the success of search results.
  • Secure Websites: having a secure website is now included within the Google algorithm, so adding a secure (SSL 2048-bit key) certificate to your site will become important.
  • Moving a Website: when you move a website, it is vital to migrate the meta data and analytics code to your new site, and use a 301 redirect to ensure visitors are automatically taken to the new relevant page.

Top Four Takeaways

In summary, Richard offered four key factors in delivering an effective SEO strategy:

  • Get your Meta data right;
  • Find relevant keywords;
  • Install Webmaster Tools; and,
  • Get help when moving your website.

Useful On-line Resources

Image: New website soon come by Aesop

Case Study: Digital Advertising on a Budget

Jill Ford is National Community Fundraising Manager for the Red Cross, New Zealand’s charity of choice for disasters. For example, the Red Cross received $120m in donations immediately following the Christchurch earthquakes – the next best charity received $20m.

The Red Cross has been operating in New Zealand for 100 years. It has been a very traditional charity, relying heavily on direct mail to raise funds for its operations. More recently the organisation has moved into the digital marketing arena, using Google adwords, email campaigns, social media and web advertising to raise awareness and funds.

“Using digital channels means an organisation can act quickly, track results, and adjust accordingly,” explains Jill. She offered the audience the following insights based on their recent experience:

  • Use SEM: by integrating SEM into your marketing activities, it will enhance more traditional marketing activities and help to create greater awareness for your cause;
  • Use Google Adwords: identifying keywords and running a Google Adwords campaign in conjunction with your marketing activities will increase the odds of people finding you – and the conversion rates are impressive. In addition, charities are able to apply for a Google Ad Grant of up to $10,000 per month (maximum $2 bid) to run their Adwords campaign;
  • Use Analytics: use Google analytics to measure, analyse and respond – it also allows you to experiment and test ideas.
  • Use Social Media: Facebook and Twitter offers a cost-effective way of raising awareness and funds, with conversion rates of around 6%-13%.
  • Use Remarketing: this allows you to track people you have previously interacted with (for example, the Red Cross has high traffic from people doing first aid courses), and ensure your advertising appears on other websites they visit (and to follow up those people who initiated but failed to complete a transaction). “Use frequency caps though so you don’t come across like a stalker,” warns Jill.
  • Use On-line Sponsors: for the Red Cross, they were able to receive sponsored space on both the Metservice and Trademe websites, increasing awareness and adding corporate credibility to their appeal.
  • Use On-line Advertising: Invest in display ads on reputable and relevant websites (for the Red Cross, these sites included news media sites and the Metservice website).
  • Use an Expert Partner: SEM is a complicated area so, if you don’t have an in-house expert, find a partner who really understands how to design on-line campaigns.

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