Below is live coverage of the SEW Labs - Social SEO panel from the SES San Francisco 2011 conference. This coverage is provided by Shanon Woodruff at RankSmart.
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Shanon Woodruff:
12:18:47 pm
SEW Labs - Social SEO : SES San Fran 2011 Live Coverage
Moderator:
Lee Odden, SES Advisory Board & CEO, TopRank Online Marketing
Speakers:
Jonathan Allen, Director, SearchEngineWatch
Ian Lurie, Chief Marketing Curmudgeon and President, Portent
Todd Malicoat, Independent Search Engine Marketing Consultant, stuntdubl
Moderator:
Lee Odden, SES Advisory Board & CEO, TopRank Online Marketing
Speakers:
Jonathan Allen, Director, SearchEngineWatch
Ian Lurie, Chief Marketing Curmudgeon and President, Portent
Todd Malicoat, Independent Search Engine Marketing Consultant, stuntdubl
Shanon Woodruff:
12:26:10 pm
This session with focus mostly on a couple of examples - First up: tauk.com
With all things site audits, you really need to start by looking at:
-Site Command
-Calls to Action
-Phone Number
-Site Map
-Domain
-Off the site information
-What keywords
-User and Commercial intent
-What is reasonable for ranking
-Social mentions
With all things site audits, you really need to start by looking at:
-Site Command
-Calls to Action
-Phone Number
-Site Map
-Domain
-Off the site information
-What keywords
-User and Commercial intent
-What is reasonable for ranking
-Social mentions
Shanon Woodruff:
12:49:42 pm
Tauck.com Audit - Goal Inspire, Inform, and consult
To many links - specifically "Why Tauk" - remove drop down
Site speed - turn on gzip on your server
Title Tags need to be better
On FB - 7,906 Likes, show that on your page - good social influence
Larger type is better for Seniors and Teens
Needs Alt Attributes
Replace FB login at top of page with a "Like" button
Consider implementing a blog - Use customer generated content - base it on intensive
Use your forums to mine for blog topics
Also, your forum is hosted somewhere else, and is blind to the search engines
Focus on the Forum
From a usability stand point, a horizontal bar is harder to navigate
To many links - specifically "Why Tauk" - remove drop down
Site speed - turn on gzip on your server
Title Tags need to be better
On FB - 7,906 Likes, show that on your page - good social influence
Larger type is better for Seniors and Teens
Needs Alt Attributes
Replace FB login at top of page with a "Like" button
Consider implementing a blog - Use customer generated content - base it on intensive
Use your forums to mine for blog topics
Also, your forum is hosted somewhere else, and is blind to the search engines
Focus on the Forum
From a usability stand point, a horizontal bar is harder to navigate
Shanon Woodruff:
1:11:11 pm
Next: USBank.com
Homepage redirect needs to be fixed
Your site is 302 redirecting, so bad
Great link equity
Need to focus on the generic search terms
There is to many little things are wrong with the site - need to fix it before you can move onto social and other advanced SEO tactics
Social is not the best way to go with a banking site
Customer services page is a disaster, way to complicated - Lurie suggest just add a "Ask us on Twitter"
Look at Google suggest
The site comes across clinical, doesn't have to be changed
Hookah-shisha.com
Excellent FB, but need to show is on your homepage
Lots of unoptimized images
Dedicated audience - use their dedication to help you
Work on your domain
Brocken links lead to 302 - need to use IIS for errors
Watch out for site that only have duplicate content at bottom of pages
Get you basic SEO out of the way
Blogging is good
Move blog to same domain - you want your blog to be a part of your site
No Index your archive
Beef up product links
Homepage redirect needs to be fixed
Your site is 302 redirecting, so bad
Great link equity
Need to focus on the generic search terms
There is to many little things are wrong with the site - need to fix it before you can move onto social and other advanced SEO tactics
Social is not the best way to go with a banking site
Customer services page is a disaster, way to complicated - Lurie suggest just add a "Ask us on Twitter"
Look at Google suggest
The site comes across clinical, doesn't have to be changed
Hookah-shisha.com
Excellent FB, but need to show is on your homepage
Lots of unoptimized images
Dedicated audience - use their dedication to help you
Work on your domain
Brocken links lead to 302 - need to use IIS for errors
Watch out for site that only have duplicate content at bottom of pages
Get you basic SEO out of the way
Blogging is good
Move blog to same domain - you want your blog to be a part of your site
No Index your archive
Beef up product links
Shanon Woodruff:
1:24:59 pm
Drsfostersmith.com
Missing pages need to refer to a 404 not a 200
Excellent Blog - Add Twitter and Google plus on each post
Install Socialable pluggin on your WordPress blog
Great sticky post at the top
Remove gray on gray text - hard to read at the top of the site
Too many links and duplicate content and make site appear low quality
Make sure Java Script is at the bottom of the page, it could cause a speed problem
Structure menus better - too long - Use categories
Use author pages for you blog
Missing pages need to refer to a 404 not a 200
Excellent Blog - Add Twitter and Google plus on each post
Install Socialable pluggin on your WordPress blog
Great sticky post at the top
Remove gray on gray text - hard to read at the top of the site
Too many links and duplicate content and make site appear low quality
Make sure Java Script is at the bottom of the page, it could cause a speed problem
Structure menus better - too long - Use categories
Use author pages for you blog
Shanon Woodruff:
1:35:53 pm
scilearn.com
Don't show entire blog post on the homepage of your blog
Reduce number of blog tags
Turn on gzip - site will load faster
Better label your YouTube Videos
Work on title across the board
Don't make people dig for "FastFoward" put it on the homepage
Clean up your archive
Pay attention to what people are looking for when finding your site.
Show your social proof
Make your call to action easier to find on each page
Don't show entire blog post on the homepage of your blog
Reduce number of blog tags
Turn on gzip - site will load faster
Better label your YouTube Videos
Work on title across the board
Don't make people dig for "FastFoward" put it on the homepage
Clean up your archive
Pay attention to what people are looking for when finding your site.
Show your social proof
Make your call to action easier to find on each page
Shanon Woodruff:
1:40:32 pm
SEO always before Social Media
Shanon Woodruff:
1:41:42 pm
Never auto play a video
Shanon Woodruff:
1:45:43 pm
The End - SEW Labs - Social SEO : SES San Fran 2011 Live Coverage
