Basics Of SEO Infographic
#1. Your content is relevant and it’s in the user’s language but not accessible to search engines. If it’s content designed in Flash or part of an image, the spiders can’t see it. Chances are good your metadata is in bad shape too. Ensure spiders can parse all content using Google Webmaster Tools by submitting a site map. Restrict duplication by using canonical tags. Use the same relevant content in page titles and anchor text. Make access to deep pages happen in as few clicks as possible.
#2. Your content is relevant and is accessible to search engines but not in the user’s language. If this is the case you are being too technical or too broad in your choice of keyword usage for titles and content. Put yourself in the shoes of the person searching for what you are writing, what words would they use to find your content? Use keyword tools to choose keywords that will garner more traffic. Don’t forget that enough long tail keywords, in aggregate, can potentially make up more traffic then the popular head keywords.
#3. Your content is in the user’s language and accessible to search engines but not relevant. This is the sorry state of the majority of sites out there trying to improve in organic ranking. The solution is to stop being a copycat and make something new. Answer specific questions, be original, be remarkable, be a teacher, be yourself.
#2. Your content is relevant and is accessible to search engines but not in the user’s language. If this is the case you are being too technical or too broad in your choice of keyword usage for titles and content. Put yourself in the shoes of the person searching for what you are writing, what words would they use to find your content? Use keyword tools to choose keywords that will garner more traffic. Don’t forget that enough long tail keywords, in aggregate, can potentially make up more traffic then the popular head keywords.
#3. Your content is in the user’s language and accessible to search engines but not relevant. This is the sorry state of the majority of sites out there trying to improve in organic ranking. The solution is to stop being a copycat and make something new. Answer specific questions, be original, be remarkable, be a teacher, be yourself.
Richard Warzecha Said,
November 2, 2010 @ 8:09 am
I mentioned this to Avinash based on his tweet, but I don’t think we should use the term “accessible” to search engines. Rather, we should use “understandable”. It’s not just that the search engines can somehow access pages, it matters more that they can make sense of it in order to *properly* index it. The correct use of things like canonical tag have little to do with accessibility, but with your pages being optimally understandable. I would imagine those working on the Semantic Web would even more forcefully make this point.
Justin Knightley Said,
November 2, 2010 @ 8:39 am
Interesting diagram Zach, but a wander if it’s one-dimentional? What about links from content to content?
Zach Said,
November 2, 2010 @ 9:01 am
Good call. I think accessible is a prerequisite to understandable, but you’re right, ultimately the goal is to make it understandable.
Zach Said,
November 2, 2010 @ 9:03 am
I figure if the above three criteria are met, the links will come. Kind of like how a business who focuses on the customer will achieve revenue faster than the business the focuses solely on revenue.
Advertising Agency | Website Design Said,
November 2, 2010 @ 9:25 am
Two basic sides of the coin really – what you are talking about is on-page optimization. There is also off-page optimization which has to match with your on-page content and links.
Good blog about the basics though…
Nick Bartosh Said,
November 2, 2010 @ 9:29 am
I’d agree. More links come as you master content and search engine accessibility. To state the obvious, more people find you and link to you.
Rob Willox | WebMedia SEO Falkirk Said,
November 3, 2010 @ 2:16 am
Accessible or understandable is semantics in this instance. Accessible means able to be found easily and if its understandable and in the users own language it will be that to the search engines too.
Each search made is asking a question almost in every case so the crux is finding the keywords your ‘customers’ are using to search and answer the questions these searchers are asking.
Jack Said,
November 5, 2010 @ 5:37 am
so simple and straight to the point, congrats you have nailed it!
keepkalm SEM SEO Said,
November 5, 2010 @ 7:43 am
I love Venn diagrams
Can we give this to our sales team?
Hector Said,
November 5, 2010 @ 7:55 am
Informative article, thank you!
Just an observation:
…more traffic then the popular head keywords.
Should be:
…more traffic thAn the popular head keywords.
Zach Said,
November 5, 2010 @ 11:12 am
Sure, I guess
SEO/SEM as easy as 1-2-3 | StevenCHutton's Blog Said,
November 5, 2010 @ 1:42 pm
[...] you can get relevant content in the language of the user, and access to the search engines (labeled SEO success in the diagram) you will have success with your [...]
Optimizng Websites « Said,
November 7, 2010 @ 3:30 pm
[...] Zach Olsen, a freelance SEO and PPC expert credits Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as the the above Venn diagram, a balance between relevant content, accessibility to search engines and in the users language. [...]