SEO algorithms are ever-changing, yet getting on that seemingly elusive first page is so important to your business. Want to learn the latest and greatest tips, tricks and hacks for structuring your website and pages so you can get found online? WP Engine's VP of Web Strategy, David Vogelpohl and Author of "WordPress Search Engine Optimization", Michael David review advanced techniques for optimizing WordPress for search engines in this two-part series.

1. Get Found: Raise Your Visibility
through Organic Search
The Ultimate Series on WordPress SEO - Part 2
September 30th, 2015
#wpeseo

2. Make sure to stay engaged...
Use the “Questions” pane
throughout the webinar
Have questions about WP Engine?
Call 877-973-6446 or chat with a rep at wpengine.com
#wpeseo

3. Two seasoned SEOs covering 6 great topics!
David Vogelpohl
VP Web Strategy, WP Engine
❖ Speed
❖ Security
❖ SSL
Michael David
Author, “WordPress Search
Engine Optimization”
(Packt Publishing)
❖ HTACCESS Hacks
❖ Reducing your Google Index
❖ Rank Checking Software
#wpeseo

4. What you’ll learn from David V’s segment
How speed, security, and SSL affect SEO
and what you can do about it
@davidvmc#wpeseo

5. Speed is super important
@davidvmc#wpeseo

6. How speed affects SEO
@davidvmc#wpeseo
Directly affects algo
Indirectly affects algo
Higher bounce rate
Less page depth
Less links & shares

7. What you can do to improve site speed
Things anyone can do
Use managed hosting
W3 Total cache
Reduce plugins
Install a CDN
wpeng.in/makewpfast

8. What your developer can do
Quick wins for devs
Review your waterfall
Reduce elements
Optimize database
Clean up functions.php
Move JS to footer
.org

9. Why security is important to SEO
@davidvmc#wpeseo
Google wants
Good content
Good experience
No malware

10. What you can do to improve security
@davidvmc#wpeseo
Build walls, close
doors, & update
everything!

11. What you need to know about SSL & SEO
@davidvmc#wpeseo
Lightweight signal
that Google may
strengthen over time

12. How to implement SSL
@davidvmc#wpeseo
Implement site wide
Create wildcard 301 redirect
WPE customers use portal
Other hosts, check support
Test, test, test,
*WPE customers: SSL settings in portal
automatically do this part!
htaccess*

13. What you’ll learn from MD’s segment
● .htaccess and server hacks
● Keeping your Google index neat
● Tracking ranking position in SERPs
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo

14. .htaccess hacks
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
.htaccess: Considerations
-it's a server configuration file
-can do almost anything with inbound web
requests
-filter by:
--IP
--bot name
--browser/user agent

15. .htaccess hacks
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
.htaccess: Block Bad Bots
-Bad bots use your bandwidth and steal
content
-This is ONE example of what you can do
with .htaccess
-$10 on Odesk/Upwork

16. .htaccess hacks
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
1: make a 403 page
2. Put this code in .htaccess
ErrorDocument 403 /403.html
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} ^(black.?hole|blackwidow|discoverybot) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} ^(alexibot|backweb|bandit) [NC]
# ISSUE 403 / SERVE ERRORDOCUMENT
RewriteRule . - [F,L]
1. Apache's drop-in code: http://goo.gl/I79WSo
2. Set it up once and rinse/repeat

17. Keep Your Google Index Neat and Tidy
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
A Tidy Index: Considerations
-site:yoursite.com in Google search
-Good content goes index
-Fluffy/Duplicate content stays out

18. Keep Your Google Index Neat and Tidy
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
A Tidy Index: Mapping Content
Financial Consulting
Tax Consulting
501(3)(c) Consulting
Duplicate/Fluff content competes with Money Pages

19. Keep Your Google Index Neat and Tidy
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
Question from Attendee: Single Page Websites
Financial Consulting
Tax Consulting
501(3)(c) Consulting
If you are a bot:
-I see a mix of words on page
-I see a mix of words in links
-What is the context?
-What is the topic?
Google's great achievement is
determining category/topic
Advanced SEOs know how to
send consistent, simple signals

20. Keep Your Google Index Neat and Tidy
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
A Tidy Index: How to Do It
1. Use Yoast (from last session)
2. Google Search Console

21. Tracking Rankings
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
Tracking Your Rankings: Considerations
-Track a range of keywords to monitor your
progress and tweak/test

22. Tracking Rankings
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
Tracking Your Rankings: Considerations
-Does Google want you hammering their
search results with Automated Queries?
-Heavy use costs money
-Heavy use risks offending search engines
-Heavy use requires proxies
-Accuracy is problematic because of mobile
and hyper-local search

23. Tracking Rankings
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
Tracking Your Rankings: Going Light
-Rank Tank for up to 15 keywords
-It's a Google Docs spreadsheet that uses
scripts to check rankings

24. Tracking Rankings
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
Tracking Your Rankings: Medium Power
-SEOmoz/Moz for up to 300 keywords with
their 99 a month plan

25. Tracking Rankings
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
Tracking Your
Rankings:
High Power
Rank Tracker

26. Tracking Rankings
Michael David @tastyplacement#wpeseo
Tracking Your Rankings: High Power
-Rank Tracker software from LinkAssistant
-Totally professional, check 1000s of terms
-Check image search, local maps
-schedule reports
-Uses proxies safely from your home or
office

27. Have questions on WPE?
Call 877-973-6446 or chat with a rep at wpengine.com
Questions for speakers:
michael@tastyplacement.com
@davidvmc
Q&A
#wpeseo
Post webinar questions in
Questions pane

28. Next
Optimizing Your WordPress Website for Holiday Traffic
Wednesday, October 14th, 12 pm EDT/ 11 am CDT/ 9 am EDT
Register now: http://wpeng.in/holidays/
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