Winning Digital Marketing Strategies: Lunch and Learn Series presented by Bare Knuckle Marketing, http://www.bareknucklestrategy.com, an Integrated Digital Marketing Agency and SEO Firm in Cincinnati Ohio. In week 2 of this workshop series, we discussed: Optimization tips to make your website rank better in search engines How to build content that gets seen How to write blogs that get read How to develop quality links that users click How to be found in local search engines and keep up with the changes How to generate positive customer reviews Google+ Local and how to get listed

1. Class 2

2. • Technical
• Content
• Links

4.  Canonical redirect
 Custom 404
 301 Redirects
 XML sitemap
 robots.txt
Helpful Tools
 “Check Server Headers Tool”
 Site:domain.com (is your site indexed?)
 Google Webmaster Tools

7. What do I write about?
 Avoid duplicate content (copyscape.com)
 Semantics: Removes ambiguity
 Keywords should appear throughout various tags
 Talk about your USP
 Content is Text, Video, Images, Blogs, Audio, etc.

8.  Meta tags: Unique &
Relevant
 Build content around
themes
 HTML sitemap
 Add main address to footer
of every page, contact
page, etc.
 Add a privacy statement for
Google Analytics

9. How do I optimize image and video?
(Helps with Universal/Blended search)
• Image optimization
• Alt attribute (alternative text - required)
• Keywords in file name
• Text versus image
• Video
• Keywords in description
• Link to your site in description
• Google transcribes audio on YouTube

10. How do I write good blog
content and optimize it?
 Define Focus and
Direction
 Include a call to action
 Link to other key landing
pages on your site
 Include Long Tail
Keywords
(accounts for 70% of
searches!)

11. WordPress is a great blog platform
 Plug-ins
 Akismet – combat comment spam
 HeadSpace2 – SEO
 All In One Pack - SEO
 Wordpress.com (their site - limited functionality)
 Wordpress.org (install on your site - preferred)
 Use the Author Tag to establish authority
http://yoast.com/wordpress-rel-author-rel-me/
 Change the permalink structure to remove dates
from URLs

12. WordPress: Changing the Permalink Structure
http://yoast.com/change-wordpress-permalink-structure/

13. 1. Know your audience
2. Have a Keyword Focus
3. Plan an Editorial Calendar
4. Help, Don’t Promote
5. Be Human
6. User Generated Content
7. Guest Bloggers
8. Internal Resources – Use your own experts!
9. Build Your Email List by adding a sign up form
10. Make it Mobile Friendly

14. Still need some content inspiration?
 Questions
 Quotes
 Short stories
 Statistics
 News
 Answers to common questions
 Solve a problem (remember that USP?)
 Catch the eye of both humans & robots

15. Timing Is Everything
 Get an egg timer
 Short, sweet and to the point
 Write your blog just before lunch or 5:00PM
 Stop while you’re ahead

16. Blogging Schedule
 Weekly Topic i.e. Tech Tuesday, Coffee Shop Saturday
 Break large topic into series of blogs
 Make your blog a part of your schedule
 Put it on your calendar
 Create a schedule of topics
 Blog about events, around holidays, announce press
releases

18.  Who links to you?
 Make Corrections
 Avoid Resubmitting
 Review Analytics – are the links bringing traffic?
 Who links to the competition?
 Identify Industry Directories
 Identify Quality Links
 Identify Link Types

19.  How do I find backlinks?
 Tools
 Majestic SEO
 Raven Tools
 Google Webmaster Tools (only your own backlinks)
 Search for this:
“www.domain.com” - inurl:www.domain.com

20.  Authority links are the most valuable
 Authority links are the hardest to get
So how do we know if a site is an authority?
 Ranks for a LOT of keywords
 Trusted source of information
 Social engagement
 Don’t rely on tools or solely on metrics – data
isn’t always accurate

21. Types of Authority Sites
 Authors and Bloggers who are influencers, well
known, have active social accounts
 Local: Chamber of Commerce, Local News, Local
Charities, etc.
 Industry Leaders: search for your industry, who
ranks?

22.  Library Sites
 Most reside on .org, .us, .gov, .edu
 Footer contains the word “library”
 Search for: keyword companies links library site:.edu
 Advanced Searching Tips
 best keyword blog (better for more specific keywords)
 industry directory

23.  Link Magnet or Link Bait Examples
 Informative
 Educational
 Instructional “How To”
 Humorous
 Potential to go viral
 Potential to be reviewed by industry leaders
 Offers benefit to the user
 Remember your USP
 Shareable: Make it easy to share on social sites
 ShareThis
 WordPress Plugins
 Facebook “Like” Button
 Linkable: “Link to This” code, badge, etc.

24.  Blog Comment Spam = Bad
 Not relevant
 Vague: “Thank you. Great
post”
 Gibberish
 Link filled comment
 “Name” is keyword and
links to suspicious site
 Forum Expert = Good
 Active in forum
 Positive feedback
 Signature links back to site

25.  Paid Versus Free
 Link should bring traffic
 Not all paid links are bad
 General, Trusted Directories
 Yahoo
 OpenDirectory
 Business.com
 Vertical, Industry Specific, Niche Directory
 Thomas Register
 isedb.com
 “Keyword” directory
 “City” Directory

26. Now that you’ve identified all these great
opportunities, how do you get the link?
 Ask
 Do them a favor (did you find a bad link?)
 Be interesting
 Provide something useful

29.  FOLLOW Google Places Quality Guidelines
 Use email account under your business domain for account
email – use this as your login
 Don’t use city name in description
 Categories:
 What business IS, not what it does or sells
 Use Google categories first, then enter your own keywords
 Refer to competitors’ categories
 Use all 5 fields
 Pros/Cons to hiding address – and follow Google Rules
 Set service areas
 Additional Details
 Link to Facebook
 Link to menu
 Brands carried

30. Consistent listings build trust
 Search for: name, address, phone
 Identify and fix incorrect listings
 Submit to:
 Google Places: google.com/places
 Yahoo! Local: listings.local.yahoo.com
 Bing Business Portal: bing.com/businessportal
 Free yellow pages sites & local directories
 “City” directory
 Data aggregators (expressupdateusa.com,
localeze.com) free and paid options

31. • Google reads reviews on other sites
 UrbanSpoon, Angie’s List, Foursquare, Yelp
 Claim and optimize your listing on those sites as well
• Ask for a review in
person
• Add link from site to
review sites
• Add review suggestion
on print materials
• Tailor approach to
customer base

32.  Balance Your SEO Strategy
 Technical Optimization
 Content
 On Site
 Images and Video
 Blogs
 Link Marketing
 Back links
 Research
 Link Magnets
 Directories and Other Opportunities
 Local Search
 Claim Listings
 Optimize
 Be Consistent
 Positive Reviews

33. Class 3: How-To’s of Social Media
allison@BareKnuckleStrategy.com