How to Drive More Traffic to Your Event Website

Transcription

1 Event Director s Best Practices Webinar Series Presents How to Drive More Traffic to Your Event Website Matt Clymer Online Marketing Specialist December 16 th 2010

2 Today s Speakers Moderator Guest Speaker Ana Jesus Marketing Manager, Active Network Matt Clymer Online Marketing Specialist, Active Network

3 Organising a 10k Run in London? 880 people search Google every month using the phrase 10k run London. Does your 10k appear at the top of the results??? Imagine the potential for attendance growth

4 People Are Searching for What You Offer Search Phrase Average Monthly Google Searches running clubs London 590 5k run London 210 London bike ride 480 London running events 170 fun run London 91 10k runs in London 480 cycling clubs London 260 charity walk London 73 Triathlon clubs London 141 But Can They Find Your Website?

5 What is SEO? Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Wikipedia SEO considers how search engines work and what people are searching for. SEO can exponentially grow your customer base at very little cost.

6 Content in This Presentation The Search Marketing Landscape How Search Engines Work Building an Accessible Website Important Tags and Page Elements Keyword Targeting Link Building (and Site Popularity)

7 The Search Marketing Landscape

8 The Search Marketing Landscape Is Search Marketing Something You Should Consider? Traditional Marketing can bring great results Less Targeted Television Newspaper Radio More Targeted Industry Journals Lists Brochure at Specialty Shop Something to Consider Advancements in technology have made it easier for consumers to search for a service before they are touched by an advertisement.

9 The Search Marketing Landscape

10 Millions of Searches (Monthly) The Search Marketing Landscape Over 1 Billion! Data Source:

11 The Search Marketing Landscape Data Source:

12 The Search Marketing Landscape The Results Page Organic versus Paid Results Types of Media in Search Results Local Search Results Click Through Rates

13 The Search Marketing Landscape The Results Page Paid vs Organic Paid Organic

14 The Search Marketing Landscape The Results Page Blended Media Images and Video News

15 The Search Marketing Landscape The Results Page Local Results Ranking Above Standard Results

16 The Search Marketing Landscape The Results Page - CTR 10% of clicks 90% of clicks

17 The Search Marketing Landscape The Results Page - CTR Position in Results Average Percentage of Clicks % % 3 8.5% 4 6.1% 5 4.9% 6 4.1% 7 3.4% 8 3.0% 9 2.8% % (second page) 10.1%

18 The Search Marketing Landscape The Results Page - CTR

19 The Search Marketing Landscape Summary: Most clicks are on first page results Most clicks are in the organic results Search engines like blending different media into their results Important Takeaways: Applying SEO best practices across all website content (copy, pictures, video, etc) will improve your chances of reaching that first page. Create a Google Places account so you appear in the Local Results If you don t rank organically for a keyword you want to target, use Paid Search to fill in the gap and rank first page until SEO gains traction.

20 How Search Engines Work

21 How Search Engines Work Search Engine Crawling and Indexing Image from:

22 How Search Engines Work Once your site is crawled Search Engine Algorithms Determine Your Rankings using thousands of factors weighted by importance.

23 How Search Engines Work Example Page: Page Ranking Factors Trust/Authority of Host Domain Is linked to by many other websites from the industry? No sites? Spam sites? External Link Popularity for Specific Page Are many other sites linking to this specific page? External Link Anchor Text example: 2010 London 10k vs. click here On-Page Keyword Usage Frequency and placement of targeted keyword Registration/Hosting Data What country is the domain registered in? Hosted on a server with many spam sites? CTR Data Site with low CTR may be indication of lesser quality content Social Graph Metrics Shares, Tweets, etc.

24 How Search Engines Work Summary: The web is all about links (internal links within your site and external links pointing from other sites to your site) Google wants to serve up the most relevant content possible to the searcher and bases it s decision on many different variables some more important than others. Where to Begin?

25 How Search Engines Work SEO Pyramid Lay the groundwork with a strong base and work your way up Social Social Media On-Site Community Link Building Manual Requests Link Creation Content Linking Strategies Keyword Research Keyword Brainstorming Competitive Research On-page Keyword Targeting: Titles, Tags, URLs, Link Anchor Text, etc Accessible, Quality Content Internal Link Architecture Spider Accessibility URL Structure Unique Text Content Sitemaps Quality Content

26 Building an Accessible Website

27 Building an Accessible Website Ideal Site Structure Make it Simple for Search Engines (and users) to Find Content

28 Building an Accessible Website HTML Sitemap Can be used by Search Engines and People

29 Building an Accessible Website XML Sitemap For Submission to Google Webmaster Tools (Yahoo/Bing as well)

30 Building an Accessible Website Google Webmaster Tools

31 Building an Accessible Website URL Structure Search Engine Friendly Unfriendly URL Dynamic URLs don t perform as well as static No keywords

32 Building an Accessible Website Duplicate Content Version 1 Version 2 All 3 include same titles, tags, copy, meta data Version 3 Duplicate content across multiple pages will dilute ranking potential

33 Building an Accessible Website Duplicate Content Version 1 Version re-direct Version 3 Tell Google which page you want to rank 301 re-direct

34 Building an Accessible Website Fix Broken Links and 404 Pages

35 Building an Accessible Site Not Sure if You Have Duplicate Content or Broken Links? Check Google Webmaster Tools

36 Building an Accessible Website Summary: Google needs help finding your content Easily accessible content is indexed more frequently Important Takeaways: Set up a Google Webmaster Tools account it s free Add an HTML sitemap to your site Submit an XML sitemap to Google (Bing, Yahoo as well) Clean up duplicate content Structure your site in a simple architecture. Give every page at least 2-3 internal links so that Google can easily find them.

37 Important Tags and Page Elements

38 Optimising Website Content Title Tags <title>london Running Events - Running Clubs - 5k, 10k, Charity, Half Marathon, Marathon races in London Active.com</title>

39 Optimising Website Content Meta Description <meta name="description" content="find running events, 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathons in London.">

40 Optimising Website Content Page URL Targeted Keywords

41 Optimising Website Content Link Anchor Text 5k Training 5k Training 5k Training 5k Training Plans 5k Training 5k Training 5k Training <a href=" Training</a>

42 Optimising Website Content Page Copy

43 Optimising Website Content Image ALT Attributes <img SRC="showing.jpg" BORDER="0" align="left" alt="hedgehog Shows" width="200" height="162" title="hedgehog Shows" />

44 Optimising Website Content H1, H2, H3 Tags <h1>10 Tips for Pre-Run Warm-Ups</h1>

45 Keyword Targeting

46 Keyword Targeting Types of Keywords More Searches Higher Competition Lower Conversion Rate Less Searches Less Competition High Conversion Rate Short Tail Long Tail example: Running Events 3,600 searches/month example: 5k Running Events 110 searches/month

47 Keyword Targeting Your Keyword List Keep Your Audience in Mind: Who Are You Trying to Reach? People who already know about your event example keyword search: [Your Event Name] People who do not know about your event (broad search) example keyword search: 5k running events People who do not know about your event (more specific search) example keyword search: 5k running events London December

48 Keyword Targeting Your Keyword List Developing Your Seed List Analytics Data - Look for trends in your website traffic analytics or pay-perclick campaign. How are people already finding your website? Internal Site Search If you have a search field on your site, what are people searching for? Competitive Analysis Look at other sites in your industry. Which ones are ranking the best and what keywords are they targeting? Ask Your Event Staff and Friends Survey your peers to see what keywords they would use to find a service like what you re offering. The Above Should Give you a Good Starting Point

49 Keyword Targeting Your Keyword List Fill in the Gaps with a Keyword Tool Google Keyword Tool

50 Keyword Targeting Your Keyword List Implementation: Begin Your Focus With Keywords Fitting This Criteria Competition Level Search Volume These types of keywords will be the easiest to rank and bring quick results

51 Keyword Targeting Your Keyword List Tracking Success and Progress Simple Spreadsheet Rankings Tracker

52 Pulling it All Together

53 Pulling it All Together Theme-ing Your Site (Accessibility) Example Keyword List London 5k December 5k run London 5k race London 10k run Manchester Manchester 10k April 10k race Manchester Home 5k run 10k run Targeted Keywords London running events Manchester running events UK running events London running events Manchester running events UK running events 5k run 10k run 5k Details Targeted Keywords London 5k December 5k run London 5k race London 5k run 10k Details Targeted Keywords 10k run Manchester Manchester 10k April 10k race Manchester 10k run

54 Pulling it All Together Optmising Content (Important Tags and Page Elements) Page URL: 5k Details Targeted Keywords London 5k December 5k run London 5k race London 5k fun run 5k run Title Tag: [Event Name] 5k Run 15 December 2010 Central Park, London, UK H1 Title: The 10 th Annual [Event Name] 5k Run Page Copy: Join us on the 15 th of December 2010 for London s most popular 5k race and fun run Meta Description: 10 th Annual [Event Name] 5k Run. Join us 15 December 2010 for London s most popular 5k race and fun run. Images of Last Year s Event ALT tag: 5k Run Embedded Video of Last Years Event File name: 2009 London 5k Run

55 Link Building and Online Reputation

56 Link Building and Online Reputation Links are for SEO Backlink (external link) Any link on another website that is pointing to a page on your website.

57 Link Building and Online Reputation Links Pointing From Other Sites to Your Site Will Bolster search engine rankings for individual pages on your site Improve ability of your domain to rank pages Help search engines more completely index your site Drive referral traffic from the site where the link exists

58 Link Building and Online Reputation Value of a Link From Google s Point of View Scenario 1 Site A Site B Site A and Site B are both targeting the same keyword. Both have laid good SEO groundwork with on-page tactics.

59 Link Building and Online Reputation Value of a Link From Google s Point of View Scenario 1 Site C Site A Site B Upon review, Google finds that Site A has a link from Site C. Google considers a link a sign of popularity or indication that Site A is more of an authority on the subject matter than Site B. In this case, Site A would out-rank Site B.

60 Link Building and Online Reputation Value of a Link From Google s Point of View Scenario 2 Site C Site A Site B Site D Upon review, Google finds that Site A and Site B each have links from one other site.

61 Link Building and Online Reputation Value of a Link From Google s Point of View Scenario 2 Site C Site A Site B Site D Site E Site F Site G Upon further review, Google finds that Site C has many links. The link Site A has from Site C is of greater value. Site A will out-rank Site B.

62 Link Building and Online Reputation Your Backlink Profile When Gathering Links, Keep in Mind Google looks at: Number of links Quality of links Relevancy of links Follow vs No-follow links Link Anchor Text

63 Link Building and Online Reputation Your Backlink Profile Quality is Important: Avoid Links from Spammy Sites CyclingEvent.com GetRichFast.com

64 Link Building and Online Reputation Your Backlink Profile Relevancy is Important: Focus on Sites From Your Industry CyclingEvent.com CyclingClub.com

65 Link Building and Online Reputation Your Backlink Profile Link Anchor Text Link HTML: <a href=" Event</a> Appears on page as: Cycling Event

66 Link Building and Online Reputation Your Backlink Profile Link Anchor Text CyclingEvent.com CyclingClub.com Click Here Good

67 Link Building and Online Reputation Your Backlink Profile Link Anchor Text CyclingEvent.com CyclingClub.com Cycling Event GREAT

68 Link Building and Online Reputation Your Backlink Profile Follow vs No-follow Links <a href=" rel="nofollow">cycling Event</a> Some sites tag outbound links with nofollow These links are generally considered to be less valuable for SEO (don t pass link juice ) But they will generate referral traffic

69 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Before you Start Three Basic Rules 1. Publish Good Content 2. Publish Unique Content 3. Make it Easy for People to Share Your Content

70 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Blogging Frequent, unique, and interesting content attracts links from other bloggers. Great way to regularly add fresh content to your site and target new keyword phrases quickly. Puts a more human face on your organisation.

71 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Forum Postings Find forums relevant to your industry. Start a discussion thread or comment on an existing thread. Have something useful to offer to the conversation. Don t aggressively advertise your organisation. When the right time presents itself, mention your event and include a link back to your site for more information.

72 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Article Submission You are an industry expert write what you know. Article Ideas Running Routes in Manchester, How to Train for a 5k, etc. Publish these on free article submission sites such as ArticleBase, Ezine Articles, etc. These websites allow you to include a link back to your site in the author information area. Not only do these articles give you a link, they also turn up in search. Tip: Focus on local long tail keywords

73 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Photo Sharing Publish/share your event pictures and make them public. Let your audience view and comment on them. Upload your photos to Flickr, Picasa, Photo Bucket, etc. Properly optimised photos have a good chance of turning up in search because search engines like to show a variety of media in their first page results.

74 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Video Sharing Upload your videos to YouTube, Vimeo, etc. Ability to create a video channel with organisation profile and link back to your website. Publish/share your videos. Let your audience view, subscribe and comment on them. YouTube is the second most used search engine behind Google. Hugely popular media for viral marketing Create How To videos Properly optimised video has a good chance to turning up in search because search engines like to show a variety of media in their first page results.

75 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Press Release Submission Publish news about your organisation on websites such as PRweb, Open PR, etc. These websites allow you to build a profile with links back to your site. News articles have an increased chance of ranking because search engines like showing a variety of media in their first page results.

76 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Social Bookmarking Example Bookmarking Sites: Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Propeller. Offer users a way to share their favorite sites with their friends. Content on these sites are updated frequently so search engines visit them often.

77 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Link Baiting Amazing/interesting/controversial content designed to encourage people to link to your site. (often referred to as viral marketing)

78 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Directory Submission Examples of human reviewed directories: DMOZ, Yahoo Directory, ZoomInfo, etc. Mostly free and will help search engines find your site more quickly.

79 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Link Exchange Ideally the links you get are one-way from the other site to yours. If there is an authoritative site from your industry that will not give you a one-way link, ask if they are willing to exchange links. I ll link to your site if you link to mine.

80 Link Building and Online Reputation Link Building Tactics Local Business Listings There are many smaller search directories dedicated to local businesses. Search for them with keyword [Your City] business directory Create a profile with links back to your website.

81 Get Started SEO Pyramid Lay the groundwork with a strong base and work your way up Social Social Media On-Site Community Link Building Manual Requests Link Creation Content Linking Strategies Keyword Research Keyword Brainstorming Competitive Research On-page Keyword Targeting: Titles, Tags, URLs, Link Anchor Text, etc Accessible, Quality Content Internal Link Architecture Spider Accessibility URL Structure Unique Text Content Sitemaps Quality Content

82 Resources Google Webmaster Tools Google Keyword Tool XML Sitemap Guidelines XML Sitemap Generator

83 Questions & Answers? For further information about this webinar or the Active Network services please contact: Ana Jesus