Perspectives

The View from Next Street

A sharing of ideas and policy perspectives.

 

printSearch Engine Optimization Demystified

By Ted Papoulas, Director of Digital Development, Next Street Agency

 

A properly developed site provides a strong foundation for SEO without additional costs.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become a hot topic among industry professionals and clients alike as all website owners seek to increase the visibility of their sites. Businesses want to know what SEO can do for them; what technique will magically make their website “Number One” on all search engines.

While every site should be built in a manner that makes content easily and accurately indexed by search engines, the need for ongoing SEO management and its relevance to a particular site is greatly debated among web professionals. There is plenty of support on both sides of the argument, and each side comes armed with strong data proving their points of view correct. Part of that debate is actually due to a confusion of terms: SEO, online marketing, and a hybrid of the two, called search engine marketing (SEM). Among these, strategies and tactics overlap yet every practitioner has a different idea about where that overlap occurs.

Additionally, each site has its own objectives and target audiences, so optimization approaches must be viewed in relation to how they align with a site’s overall strategy. For some, for instance, it may be more desirable for users to arrive at the site via social networking ‘shares’ or ‘likes’ instead of via search engine queries.

While each search engine utilizes a complex algorithm to rank sites, the basic building blocks employed by developers have remained unchanged since the late nineties. A responsible developer should utilize industry-standard techniques as a part of any build, mitigating the need for additional time or budget specifically directed to ongoing SEO later. Often, a strong foundation can achieve the desired results.

If, however, being discovered via blind search in high volume is mission-critical (and often it is not), it may be necessary to set aside a specific budget post-launch to monitor site activity and search results on an ongoing basis, and utilize that data to inform decisions about modifications to the site.

What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization consists of techniques that allow a site to be thoroughly indexed by “spiders,” robotic information gatherers that roam the web. Employing complex algorithms to decipher site content, they return the collected data to servers that are then accessed by search engines to provide results to users. Spiders are constantly crawling the internet, and so an updated website that receives a decent amount of traffic (50 visits plus, per day) will see its changes reflected within approximately one month. Actual timeframes vary depending on site traffic, outgoing links, incoming links, and numerous other variables.

SEO starts during development
A search engine-optimized website must be coded in accordance with the guidelines established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These standards were created for both site coders and application developers, ensuring that site information is correctly parsed and displayed, no matter the specific platform or browsing device.

Improperly coded sites are, at best, indexed poorly and at worst, interpreted by search engines as either spam or actively malicious sites and thus blacklisted. Relatively simple measures, such as correctly entering descriptive titles in header tags directly below the body tag, can significantly increase a site’s visibility.

Standard SEO best practices include, among others, the use of a descriptive domain name, creation of user-friendly URLs, accurate and complete page title tags, proper use of formatting tags and creation of a robots.txt file.

It’s important that developers properly code a site during development; adding SEO measures atop a poorly constructed foundation will be ineffective.

META 
Perhaps the most basic way to improve your search result listings is to include meta tags within pages. For years, meta tags (undisplayed descriptive information residing in the page code but visible to search engines) have been standard tools by which web developers provided search engines with information about their site.

A meta description is a one or two line copy block describing either the site as a whole or an individual page. A site’s homepage meta description is often displayed in the search engine result listing, directly below the website title.

Meta keywords, operative terms that describe a site or page’s primary subject matter, provide suggestions to search engines as to when the page should be returned as a result on a particular search. As search engines have gotten more sophisticated, meta keywords no longer play the primary role in rankings, but should still be included. It is important to enter targeted, appropriate terms that truthfully represent the site. Throwing in everything and the kitchen sink can get you labeled by a robot as a spammer trying to capture too wide an audience. (In fact, there are many ways to try to trick search engine algorithms in order to raise a site’s rankings. But this tactic can backfire when algorithms change or the site is blacklisted for trying to manipulate the system.)

Unique keywords, along with the more obvious search terms, should be included in order to differentiate the site from similar destinations. Doing so will position the site to appear at the top of a targeted short list of results rather than being buried somewhere within fifty plus pages of returns that are based on a common word or phrase.

Additional met tags, such as the date a page was last updated, are also good practice. Sites that are updated frequently are ranked higher, as they are viewed by search engines as being of greater value since they contain current information.

In the absence of meta tag content, search engines tend to display a portion of text content encountered in the page. This excerpt may or may not be representative of the site’s content, so it’s best to take control by adding intentionally crafted copy. 

Balancing SEO with overall user experience
While text content is easily scanned by spiders, other material such as video clips, graphic imagery, and flash content are self-contained modules that are invisible to search engines. (Flash, movie files and other embedded content act like black boxes set within the page.) Thus, from a purely SEO standpoint, a media heavy website will not perform as well as a copy heavy website. Steps can be taken to improve search engine performance for these sites, such as adding descriptive text within the code for media elements, but a pure text page will still come out ahead.

That’s why technology choices must be made with care. Many developers have begun to rely less heavily on Flash due to, among other factors, the limitations of indexing Flash content. Fortunately, many standard Flash behaviors can now be achieved through JavaScript thanks to the creation of robust JavaScript libraries such as jQuery, Dojo, Scriptaculous and MooTools. When using JavaScript over Flash to achieve similar effects, a greater amount of site content remains searchable as it can be written into the page code itself and thus visible to spiders.

Conversely, copy heavy pages can be the least effective in capturing and holding a viewer’s attention. Studies have shown that as the amount of web page copy increases, user retention of the information decreases precipitously. (See Additional Reading on page 3) Ultimately, a site’s goal is to serve its users, engaging them and retaining their interest. If a site does not achieve this, appearing at the top of search result pages will be meaningless. Too much emphasis on either side of the copy/design equation can throw a site off kilter. Emphasis should be based on a given site’s objectives, specific content requirements and the profile of its target audience.

Content is king
While technology plays an important role in web development, ultimately “content is king.” Strong content can differentiate you from the pack, creating a solid user base.

Where and how that content is placed and emphasized within a page directly impacts how your site is indexed and ranked. While meta tags can do some of the work, the majority of search engines rely more on the page content itself, even excerpting page content as descriptive text instead of supplied meta descriptions. All the more reason to ensure that a site’s content is worthy of both the viewer’s and search engine’s attentions.

The anatomy of rankings
A site’s traffic, and the number of incoming and outgoing links, all get taken into consideration when ranking a site. The more sites that refer users to yours, the more your content is validated as worthy and the better your ranking. The same goes for linking to other respected sites, specifically ones that have high traffic.

There are a multitude of ways to capitalize on this. One is to submit your site to ‘best of the web’ galleries. These collections of beautifully designed and well functioning websites receive a steady flow of traffic that can then help increase yours, while also potentially garnering some recognition.

Wherever possible, encourage links to your site from other relevant, respected content providers, perhaps by acting as a guest blogger or commenting on a popular post, leaving a link in the footer of your entry. The stronger and more relevant the content on the external site, the more valuable your link becomes.

Another rising trend is the use of small apps, or small, distinct pieces of content, that can be easily embedded into other sites. A perfect example is YouTube: a user embeds a YouTube video within their site to enrich their own offering, but featured in each video player is a link back to YouTube’s site. This counts as an incoming link that can, and usually will, increase the search ranking.

Old age is good for you
One factor that is impossible to influence is the amount of time your site has been online. The longer your site has been active, the more people will naturally have visited it, and the longer search engines will have been indexing its content, thereby creating more site traffic and continuing the cycle. While there is no way to cheat time, you can have your site listed on veteran sites, which could improve your visibility. Note: beware of claims promising to shoot you immediately to the top of rankings. Part of the SEO equation requires patience.

When undergoing a major site upgrade, it is important not to lose the indexing gains made over time. Often inherent in an upgrade is a restructuring of content, a change in URL format or both.  This has the effect of ‘hiding’ all the original content previously indexed and ranked by search engines. However, a responsible developer will set up permanent redirects mapping old URLs to the closest matching content on the newly launched site so that search engine rankings are not only retained, but improved.

Clarity over mystery
When you reveal the “man behind the curtain,” you find many SEO “wizards” preying on the strong desire of site owners to improve their search engine rankings, and taking advantage of their clients’ general lack of understanding about how to achieve that goal. Some SEO specialists intentionally sell the mysterious nature behind what they do by suggesting that this is work for specialists only. It’s not that mysterious. Rather, they should be providing clarity, and work with clients in an open dialogue to identify and provide appropriate solutions for the given assignment.

If actively driving search engine-generated traffic is the priority (and it may not be) it is worth setting aside a specific budget for post-launch SEO analysis and refinement. That means looking at SEO-specific content and coding based on actual traffic data gathered from Google Analytics or other tracking tools. But none of these actions should be performed in isolation; they should build on the solid SEO foundation established during development.

Marketing your website
Marketing a website in an attempt to make it profitable is far different from making your website SEO friendly, and this is where confusion often occurs. A battle for top position among millions of companies brings with it a serious set of challenges, especially when your advertising budget isn’t quite the same as a Wal-Mart or an Apple. This is where internet marketing, specifically, SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and Google Adwords as marketing tool and revenue generator comes in.

Using Google to Drive Traffic
Running a Google Adwords campaign as a website’s publisher is a powerful way to get your brand and/or product prominently displayed across Google’s vast marketing network.

Your ad will be displayed in the prominent right column of a Google search as well as on related sites that contain Google ads. A campaign can run for a period of time or until the money you have allotted for it runs out.

Essentially the campaign is made up of a variety of words or phrases that relate to your site’s content. Once these words have been chosen, the next step is to test variations to see which ones generate the most traffic, the least amount of overlap with other sites using the same terms, and whose CPC (cost per click) are lowest.

Each word has a CPC, meaning that each time a user searches for that keyword and clicks through to your site, you pay Google a predetermined price, anything from a few cents per click to as much as ten dollars per click. Enrolling in a Google Adwords campaign can be a great way to boost profits and drive traffic, but the campaign should be well thought out and researched, with specific terms, traffic and trends a top priority.

Using Google  to drive revenue
The other way to get involved in Google Adwords is as an advertiser. Once enrolled in this program Google will scan your site and supply you with a code block containing advertisements related to your content. While having limited control over ad appearance, you will be offered the ability to pick from a selection of sizes and style. Some are banner images, others are strictly text which come in a variety of dimensions. You retain basic control over the ad colors so you can match them as well as possible to your site design.

The primary reason to enroll in the program is to generate revenue. You receive a percentage of Google’s predetermined CPC every time a user clicks on an advertisement through your website. There is great potential for generating significant revenue depending on the amount of traffic your site attracts. There are stories of members bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in Google ad revenue alone. Of course this solution is only appropriate for sites not negatively affected by the inclusion of outside advertising. As always, individual decisions regarding a site must be made in relation to the whole.

Success in a multitude of good decisions
The ultimate success of a website depends on a great number of factors, all equally important: strong, well-crafted content based on your target audiences’ needs and expectations; an intelligent and intuitive user interface; and an appealing design. Underlying all of that is a solid technical execution.

SEO considerations are vital to responsible web development. There is no mystical secret or special formula for success. As with most endeavors, those who put in the time and thought to make the right decisions across all aspects of a project come out ahead in the end. There is no shortcut to the top.

 
SHOW COMPLETE TEXT

META 
Perhaps the most basic way to improve your search result listings is to include meta tags within pages. For years, meta tags (undisplayed descriptive information residing in the page code but visible to search engines) have been standard tools by which web developers provided search engines with information about their site.

A meta description is a one or two line copy block describing either the site as a whole or an individual page. A site’s homepage meta description is often displayed in the search engine result listing, directly below the website title.

Meta keywords, operative terms that describe a site or page’s primary subject matter, provide suggestions to search engines as to when the page should be returned as a result on a particular search. As search engines have gotten more sophisticated, meta keywords no longer play the primary role in rankings, but should still be included. It is important to enter targeted, appropriate terms that truthfully represent the site. Throwing in everything and the kitchen sink can get you labeled by a robot as a spammer trying to capture too wide an audience. (In fact, there are many ways to try to trick search engine algorithms in order to raise a site’s rankings. But this tactic can backfire when algorithms change or the site is blacklisted for trying to manipulate the system.)

Unique keywords, along with the more obvious search terms, should be included in order to differentiate the site from similar destinations. Doing so will position the site to appear at the top of a targeted short list of results rather than being buried somewhere within fifty plus pages of returns that are based on a common word or phrase.

Additional met tags, such as the date a page was last updated, are also good practice. Sites that are updated frequently are ranked higher, as they are viewed by search engines as being of greater value since they contain current information.

In the absence of meta tag content, search engines tend to display a portion of text content encountered in the page. This excerpt may or may not be representative of the site’s content, so it’s best to take control by adding intentionally crafted copy. 

Balancing SEO with overall user experience
While text content is easily scanned by spiders, other material such as video clips, graphic imagery, and flash content are self-contained modules that are invisible to search engines. (Flash, movie files and other embedded content act like black boxes set within the page.) Thus, from a purely SEO standpoint, a media heavy website will not perform as well as a copy heavy website. Steps can be taken to improve search engine performance for these sites, such as adding descriptive text within the code for media elements, but a pure text page will still come out ahead.

That’s why technology choices must be made with care. Many developers have begun to rely less heavily on Flash due to, among other factors, the limitations of indexing Flash content. Fortunately, many standard Flash behaviors can now be achieved through JavaScript thanks to the creation of robust JavaScript libraries such as jQuery, Dojo, Scriptaculous and MooTools. When using JavaScript over Flash to achieve similar effects, a greater amount of site content remains searchable as it can be written into the page code itself and thus visible to spiders.

Conversely, copy heavy pages can be the least effective in capturing and holding a viewer’s attention. Studies have shown that as the amount of web page copy increases, user retention of the information decreases precipitously. (See Additional Reading on page 3) Ultimately, a site’s goal is to serve its users, engaging them and retaining their interest. If a site does not achieve this, appearing at the top of search result pages will be meaningless. Too much emphasis on either side of the copy/design equation can throw a site off kilter. Emphasis should be based on a given site’s objectives, specific content requirements and the profile of its target audience.

Content is king
While technology plays an important role in web development, ultimately “content is king.” Strong content can differentiate you from the pack, creating a solid user base.

Where and how that content is placed and emphasized within a page directly impacts how your site is indexed and ranked. While meta tags can do some of the work, the majority of search engines rely more on the page content itself, even excerpting page content as descriptive text instead of supplied meta descriptions. All the more reason to ensure that a site’s content is worthy of both the viewer’s and search engine’s attentions.

The anatomy of rankings
A site’s traffic, and the number of incoming and outgoing links, all get taken into consideration when ranking a site. The more sites that refer users to yours, the more your content is validated as worthy and the better your ranking. The same goes for linking to other respected sites, specifically ones that have high traffic.

There are a multitude of ways to capitalize on this. One is to submit your site to ‘best of the web’ galleries. These collections of beautifully designed and well functioning websites receive a steady flow of traffic that can then help increase yours, while also potentially garnering some recognition.

Wherever possible, encourage links to your site from other relevant, respected content providers, perhaps by acting as a guest blogger or commenting on a popular post, leaving a link in the footer of your entry. The stronger and more relevant the content on the external site, the more valuable your link becomes.

Another rising trend is the use of small apps, or small, distinct pieces of content, that can be easily embedded into other sites. A perfect example is YouTube: a user embeds a YouTube video within their site to enrich their own offering, but featured in each video player is a link back to YouTube’s site. This counts as an incoming link that can, and usually will, increase the search ranking.

Old age is good for you
One factor that is impossible to influence is the amount of time your site has been online. The longer your site has been active, the more people will naturally have visited it, and the longer search engines will have been indexing its content, thereby creating more site traffic and continuing the cycle. While there is no way to cheat time, you can have your site listed on veteran sites, which could improve your visibility. Note: beware of claims promising to shoot you immediately to the top of rankings. Part of the SEO equation requires patience.

When undergoing a major site upgrade, it is important not to lose the indexing gains made over time. Often inherent in an upgrade is a restructuring of content, a change in URL format or both.  This has the effect of ‘hiding’ all the original content previously indexed and ranked by search engines. However, a responsible developer will set up permanent redirects mapping old URLs to the closest matching content on the newly launched site so that search engine rankings are not only retained, but improved.

Clarity over mystery
When you reveal the “man behind the curtain,” you find many SEO “wizards” preying on the strong desire of site owners to improve their search engine rankings, and taking advantage of their clients’ general lack of understanding about how to achieve that goal. Some SEO specialists intentionally sell the mysterious nature behind what they do by suggesting that this is work for specialists only. It’s not that mysterious. Rather, they should be providing clarity, and work with clients in an open dialogue to identify and provide appropriate solutions for the given assignment.

If actively driving search engine-generated traffic is the priority (and it may not be) it is worth setting aside a specific budget for post-launch SEO analysis and refinement. That means looking at SEO-specific content and coding based on actual traffic data gathered from Google Analytics or other tracking tools. But none of these actions should be performed in isolation; they should build on the solid SEO foundation established during development.

Marketing your website
Marketing a website in an attempt to make it profitable is far different from making your website SEO friendly, and this is where confusion often occurs. A battle for top position among millions of companies brings with it a serious set of challenges, especially when your advertising budget isn’t quite the same as a Wal-Mart or an Apple. This is where internet marketing, specifically, SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and Google Adwords as marketing tool and revenue generator comes in.

Using Google to Drive Traffic
Running a Google Adwords campaign as a website’s publisher is a powerful way to get your brand and/or product prominently displayed across Google’s vast marketing network.

Your ad will be displayed in the prominent right column of a Google search as well as on related sites that contain Google ads. A campaign can run for a period of time or until the money you have allotted for it runs out.

Essentially the campaign is made up of a variety of words or phrases that relate to your site’s content. Once these words have been chosen, the next step is to test variations to see which ones generate the most traffic, the least amount of overlap with other sites using the same terms, and whose CPC (cost per click) are lowest.

Each word has a CPC, meaning that each time a user searches for that keyword and clicks through to your site, you pay Google a predetermined price, anything from a few cents per click to as much as ten dollars per click. Enrolling in a Google Adwords campaign can be a great way to boost profits and drive traffic, but the campaign should be well thought out and researched, with specific terms, traffic and trends a top priority.

Using Google  to drive revenue
The other way to get involved in Google Adwords is as an advertiser. Once enrolled in this program Google will scan your site and supply you with a code block containing advertisements related to your content. While having limited control over ad appearance, you will be offered the ability to pick from a selection of sizes and style. Some are banner images, others are strictly text which come in a variety of dimensions. You retain basic control over the ad colors so you can match them as well as possible to your site design.

The primary reason to enroll in the program is to generate revenue. You receive a percentage of Google’s predetermined CPC every time a user clicks on an advertisement through your website. There is great potential for generating significant revenue depending on the amount of traffic your site attracts. There are stories of members bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in Google ad revenue alone. Of course this solution is only appropriate for sites not negatively affected by the inclusion of outside advertising. As always, individual decisions regarding a site must be made in relation to the whole.

Success in a multitude of good decisions
The ultimate success of a website depends on a great number of factors, all equally important: strong, well-crafted content based on your target audiences’ needs and expectations; an intelligent and intuitive user interface; and an appealing design. Underlying all of that is a solid technical execution.

SEO considerations are vital to responsible web development. There is no mystical secret or special formula for success. As with most endeavors, those who put in the time and thought to make the right decisions across all aspects of a project come out ahead in the end. There is no shortcut to the top.

Printed on Thursday, February 23, 2012
http://www.nextstreet.com/public_sector_initiatives/ideas_and_policy_perspective/seo_one_more_time