book

The Art of SEO, 3rd Edition

by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Jessie Stricchiola

August 2015

Beginner

994 pages

27h 16m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Who Should Read This BookSafari® Books OnlineHow to Contact UsAcknowledgments
The Mission of Search EnginesThe Market Share of Search EnginesThe Human Goals of SearchingWho Searches and What Do They Search For?Determining Searcher Intent: A Challenge for Search Marketers and Search EnginesNavigational QueriesInformational QueriesTransactional QueriesAdaptive SearchSearcher IntentHow People SearchHow Search Engines Drive EcommerceThe Mobile ShiftThe History of Eye Tracking: How Users Scan Results PagesClick Tracking: How Users Click on Results (Organic Versus Paid)Distribution of Search Results and TrafficConclusion
Understanding Search Engine ResultsUnderstanding the Layout of Search Results PagesUnderstanding How Vertical Results Fit into the SERPsGoogle’s Knowledge GraphAlgorithm-Based Ranking Systems: Crawling, Indexing, and RankingCrawling and IndexingRetrieval and RankingEvaluating Content on a Web PageUnderstanding What Content Search Engines Can “See” on a Web PageDetermining Searcher Intent and Delivering Relevant, Fresh ContentDocument Analysis and Semantic ConnectivityContent Quality and User EngagementLink AnalysisEvaluating Social Media SignalsProblem Words, Disambiguation, and DiversityWhy These Algorithms Sometimes FailThe Knowledge GraphAnalyzing Ranking FactorsNegative Ranking FactorsOther Ranking FactorsUsing Advanced Search TechniquesAdvanced Google Search OperatorsBing Advanced Search OperatorsMore Advanced Search Operator TechniquesVertical Search EnginesVertical Search from the Major Search EnginesUniversal Search/Blended SearchCountry-Specific Search EnginesOptimizing for Specific CountriesConclusion
Strategic Goals SEO Practitioners Can FulfillVisibility (Branding)Website TrafficHigh Return on InvestmentEvery SEO Strategy Should Be CustomizedUnderstanding Search Engine Traffic and Visitor IntentDeveloping an SEO Plan Prior to Site DevelopmentBusiness Factors That Impact Your SEO StrategyUnderstanding Your Audience and Finding Your NicheMapping Your Products and ServicesUnderstanding That Content Is KingSegmenting Your Site’s AudienceUnderstanding Context: Market CompetitivenessSEO for Raw TrafficSEO for Ecommerce SalesSEO for Mindshare and BrandingSEO for Lead Generation and Direct MarketingSEO for Reputation ManagementSEO for Ideological InfluenceAdvanced Methods for Planning and EvaluationSWOT AnalysisSWOT GuidelinesSMART ObjectivesConclusion
The Importance of PlanningIdentifying the Site Development Process and PlayersDevelopment Platform and Information ArchitectureTechnology DecisionsStructural DecisionsMobile Sites and Mobile AppsSingle-Page ApplicationsAuditing an Existing Site to Identify SEO ProblemsElements of an AuditThe Importance of Keyword ReviewsKeyword CannibalizationExample: Fixing an Internal Linking ProblemServer and Hosting IssuesIdentifying Current Server Statistics Software and Gaining AccessWeb AnalyticsLog file TrackingGoogle Search Console and Bing Webmaster ToolsDetermining Top CompetitorsIdentifying SpamSeeking the BestUncovering Their SecretsAssessing Historical ProgressTimeline of Site ChangesTypes of Site Changes That Can Affect SEOPrevious SEO WorkBenchmarking Current Indexing StatusBenchmarking Organic RankingsBenchmarking Current Traffic Sources and VolumeLeveraging Business Assets for SEOOther Domains You Own/ControlRelationships On and Off the WebContent or Data You’ve Never Put OnlineCustomers Who Have Had a Positive ExperienceFollowers, Friends, and FansConclusion
The Theory Behind Keyword ResearchThinking StrategicallyUnderstanding the Long Tail of the Keyword Demand CurveUnderstanding the Impact of Google HummingbirdUnderstanding Keyword “Not Provided” and Co-Occurrence AnalysisTraditional Approaches: Domain Expertise and Site Content AnalysisIncluding Competitive AnalysisIntegrating Keyword Research, Co-Occurrence Analysis, and Knowledge of User IntentKeyword Research OptionsKeyword Research Data from Search EnginesKeyword Research Data from ToolsKeyword Research Data AnalysisAd Campaign Runs and Third-Party Search DataLanding Page OptimizationLeveraging the Long Tail of Keyword DemandExtracting Terms from Relevant Web PagesMining Keyword Research ToolsIdentifying Long-Tail PatternsApplying Editorial Content Strategies for Long-Tail TargetingApplying User-Generated Content Strategies for Long-Tail TargetingTrending, Seasonality, and Seasonal Fluctuations in Keyword DemandConclusion
Making Your Site Accessible to Search EnginesIndexable ContentSpiderable Link StructuresXML SitemapsCreating an Optimal Information ArchitectureThe Importance of a Logical, Category-Based FlowSite Architecture Design PrinciplesFlat Versus Deep ArchitectureSearch-Friendly Site NavigationRoot Domains, Subdomains, and MicrositesWhen to Use a SubfolderWhen to Use a SubdomainWhen to Use a Separate Root DomainMicrositesWhen to Use a TLD Other Than .comOptimization of Domain Names/URLsOptimizing DomainsPicking the Right URLsMobile FriendlinessKeyword TargetingHTML <title> TagsMeta Description TagsHeading TagsDocument TextImage Filenames and alt AttributesBoldface TextKeyword CannibalizationKeyword Targeting in Content Management Systems and Automatically Generated ContentEffective Keyword Targeting by Content CreatorsLong-Tail Keyword TargetingContent OptimizationContent StructureCSS and Semantic MarkupContent Uniqueness and DepthContent ThemesDuplicate Content IssuesConsequences of Duplicate ContentHow Search Engines Identify Duplicate ContentCopyright InfringementHow to Avoid Duplicate Content on Your Own SiteControlling Content with Cookies and Session IDsWhat’s a Cookie?What Are Session IDs?How Do Search Engines Interpret Cookies and Session IDs?Why Would You Want to Use Cookies or Session IDs to Control Search Engine Access?Content Delivery and Search Spider ControlCloaking and Segmenting Content DeliveryShowing Different Content to Engines and VisitorsDisplaying Different Content to Search Engines Versus VisitorsRedirectsWhy and When to RedirectGood and Bad RedirectsMethods for URL Redirecting and RewritingHow to Redirect a Home Page Index File Without LoopingContent Management System IssuesCMS SelectionThird-Party CMS Add-OnsFlash Coding Best PracticesBest Practices for Multilanguage/Country TargetingHow to Target a Specific CountryProblems with Using Your Existing DomainThe Two Major ApproachesMultiple-Language IssuesSemantic SearchGoogle’s HummingbirdSemantic Search and SEOEntities and Semantic SearchStructured DataSchema.orgOverviewHow to Use Schema.orgSummaryGoogle Authorship and Author AuthorityA Brief History of Google AuthorshipWhy Did Google End Support for rel=“author”?Is Author Authority Dead for Google?Google+ Authors in Personalized SearchThe Future of Author Authority at GoogleAuthor AuthorityGoogle’s Publisher TagGoogle’s Knowledge Graph and the Knowledge VaultOverview of Changes in Search ComplexityFair Use?How the Knowledge Vault WorksThe Future of the Knowledge VaultConclusion
How Links Historically Influenced Search Engine RankingsThe Original PageRank AlgorithmAdditional Factors That Influence Link ValueHow Search Engines Use LinksFurther Refining How Search Engines Judge LinksAdditional Link Evaluation CriteriaHow Search Engines Determine a Link’s ValueCreating Content That Attracts LinksHow Are Links Earned?How Can Sites Approach Getting Links?Introduction to Content MarketingUsing Content to Attract LinksUnderstanding Content Marketing BasicsCustomizing Your Content Types to Your AudienceImplementing Content Marketing StrategiesDeveloping Content That WorksBrainstorming Content Ideas and Being CreativeSpeedstormingGetting Creative HelpRepurposing ContentUnderstanding What Makes Content High QualityIntegrating Emotional Triggers, Titles, and ImagesLeveraging the Power of MemesMeasuring Engagement in Content MarketingChoosing the Right Content Marketing StrategyIdentifying Types of Sites That Might Link to a Site Like YoursPlacing a Value on the SitesSegmenting Your Audience, Identifying Personas, and Targeting ContentPutting It All TogetherTypes of Content Marketing CampaignsGuest PostingContent SyndicationLink-Worthy or Viral ContentUser-Generated ContentBuilding an AudienceGet to Know Other People’s AudiencesLeverage Influencers and Influencer MarketingGet Active in Social MediaBuild Offline RelationshipsRelationships and OutreachBuilding Relationships with InfluencersCreating a Value Proposition for a RelationshipUsing Direct Email Pitches EffectivelyOther Ways to Earn LinksWeb DirectoriesManual Social Media Link CreationGray Hat/Black HatAwards and BadgesCustomer Discount/IncentivesHow Search Engines Fight Link SpamGoogle’s Penguin AlgorithmOther Algorithmic Approaches to Fighting Link SpamNegative Link BuildingUnnatural Links MessagesOther Search Engine Courses of ActionSocial Networking for LinksBlogging for LinksLeveraging Major Social Media PlatformsUsing Social Media Networking Effectively: Dos and Don’tsUsing YouTube Successfully for Content MarketingImplementing Guest Posting SuccessfullyPutting It All TogetherConclusion
Correlation Between Social Signals and Google RankingsWhat Is the Value of Social Signals?Bing’s Experiments with Social SignalsDoes Google Use Facebook as a Ranking Signal?Does Google Use Twitter as a Ranking Signal?Does Google Use Google+ as a Ranking Signal?Google+ PersonalizationGoogle+ Posts in the Search ResultsGoogle+ Brand Pages in the Search ResultsGoogle+ Impact on Nonpersonalized Rankings of ContentStudy on Google+ as a Ranking FactorHow Might Google Use Google+ as a Ranking Factor?The Indirect Influence of Social Media MarketingMonitoring, Measuring, and Improving Social Media Marketing: Best PracticesClaiming Key ProfilesDeciding on a New Social NetworkTracking Social MediaUser Engagement as a Measure of Search QualityHow Google and Bing Collect Engagement MetricsPotential User Engagement SignalsVoting MechanismsDocument AnalysisPoor Editorial QualityReading LevelKeyword Stuffing/Lack of SynonymsAd Density and Offensive AdsSamenessPage SpeedOptimizing User Experience to Improve SEOStep 1: Build a SurveyStep 2: Send It to Your Customers/Potential CustomersStep 3: Record Responses and Leverage Them to Build What the People WantAdditional Social Media ResourcesConclusion

Diagnosing the Cause of a Traffic LossSummary of Major Google AlgorithmsPandaTarget Areas of PandaImportance of Diversity in RankingsRole of Authority in RankingsImpact of Any Weak Content on RankingsPath to RecoveryPenguinTarget Areas of PenguinPath to RecoveryPenaltiesTypes of Manual PenaltiesLinks Google Does Not LikeLink Cleanup ProcessSources of DataUsing ToolsThe Link Removal ProcessConclusion
The Mobile LandscapeSEO for MobileApp SEO: Deep Linking and Indexing for Mobile SearchApp Deep LinkingApp IndexingOptimizing for Vertical SearchUniversal Search = Blended SearchThe Opportunity UnleashedOptimizing for Local SearchLocal Listing SubmissionsGoogle My BusinessGoogle Knowledge Graph CarouselBing Places for BusinessYahoo! LocalBusiness Website Optimization for Local SearchOptimizing for Image SearchImage Optimization TipsOptimizing for Google Shopping SearchSubmitting a Product FeedOptimizing a Product FeedPromoting Products in AdWordsReporting Results of Shopping AdsOptimizing for Blog SearchStructural Blog OptimizationsOptimizing Your Anchor TextSticky PostsAuthor Profile PagesLinksOptimizing for News Search: Google NewsAcceptance CriteriaApplication ProcessPaywalls and Subscription SitesGoogle News Publisher CenterTechnical RequirementsThumbnail Images in Google NewsRecrawlingGoogle News SitemapsVideos in Google NewsEditor’s PicksOptimizing for Video/Multimedia SearchVideo SEO for YouTubeVideo SEO for GoogleConclusion
Why Measuring Success Is Essential to the SEO ProcessThe Tracking Cycle: Produce, Launch, Measure, RefineEstablishing a Proper BaselineUsing Analytics as a Business Case for SEOMeasuring Search TrafficBasic OverviewSelecting the Right Analytics PackageExtracting Valuable SEO Data in Web AnalyticsNumber of pages getting search trafficSegmenting Search TrafficReferring SitesUsing Custom Analytics DashboardsTaking a Deeper Look at Action TrackingSeparating the Analytics Wheat from the ChaffTying SEO to Conversion and ROIManaging AttributionSetting Up Analytics Software to Track ConversionsSegmenting Campaigns and SEO Efforts by Conversion RateIncreasing ConversionDetermining Project ROICompetitive and Diagnostic Search MetricsSearch Engine and Competitive MetricsSite Indexing DataLink-Based Tracking of Content MarketingRankingShelf spaceSEO PlatformsCrawl ErrorsTracking the BlogosphereTracking Your Blog(s)Search Engine Robot Traffic AnalysisWeb Traffic ComparisonTemporal Link Growth MeasurementsKey Performance Indicators for Long-Tail SEODuplicate ContentOther Third-Party ToolsMozBarSEO QuakeSEO for FirefoxSpyFuSEMrushRio SEO Search AnalyticsRio SEO Website OptimizerSearchmetrics EssentialsConclusion
The Basics of Moving ContentLarge-Scale Content MovesMapping Content MovesExpectations for Content MovesMaintaining Search Engine Visibility During and After a Site RedesignMaintaining Search Engine Visibility During and After Domain Name ChangesUnique Challenges of Domain Name ChangesPre-Move PreparationsChanging ServersMonitoring After Your Server MoveHidden ContentIdentifying Content That Search Engines Don’t SeeIdentifying the Cause of Non-SpideringIdentifying Hidden Content That May Be Viewed as SpamSpam Filtering and PenaltiesLow-Quality Domains and Spam SitesSpam ReportsDuplicate ContentBasic Rules for Spam-Free SEOSearch Engine Penalties and Reconsideration RequestsContent TheftChanging SEO Vendors or Staff MembersPotential Problems with SEO Staff ChangesSEO Documentation for Actions and ProgressSEO Documentation for Rapid TrainingCleanup and AuditingConclusion
SEO Research and Search Performance AnalysisSEO ResourcesSEO TestingAnalysis of Top-Ranking Sites and PagesAnalysis of Algorithmic Differentiation Across Engines and Search TypesThe Importance of ExperienceCompetitive AnalysisContent AnalysisInternal Link Structure and Site ArchitectureExternal Link Attraction AnalysisWhat Is Their SEO Strategy?Competitive Analysis SummaryUsing Competitive Link Analysis ToolsCompetitive Analysis for Those with a Big BudgetUsing Search Engine–Supplied SEO ToolsSearch Engine Tools for WebmastersThe SEO Industry on the WebBlogsSEO News Outlets, Communities, and ForumsCommunities in Social NetworksParticipation in Conferences and OrganizationsConclusion
The Business of SEOUnderstand Your Market OpportunityGet Buy-In Across the OrganizationLay the GroundworkMotivate Resources That Don’t Share Your Goals to Help YouProgress Through the Stages of SEO MaturityBuilding an SEO teamUsing In-House SEO Talent Versus Outsourced Support: Dynamics and ChallengesThe Value of In-House SEOThe Value of Outsourced SEO SupportThe Case for Working with an Outside ExpertHow to Best Leverage Outside HelpHow to Implement Your Expert’s RecommendationsHow to Integrate SEO Knowledge in the OrganizationThe Impact of Site Complexity on SEO WorkloadSolutions for Small OrganizationsDeveloping the In-House SEO SpecialistMaking the Most of Limited Resources or BudgetsSolutions for Large OrganizationsContracting for Specialist Knowledge and ExperienceApplying SEO Recommendations IntelligentlyHiring SEO TalentSelecting the Right SEO PersonPitching the PersonMaking the OfferSelecting an SEO Firm/ConsultantGetting the Process StartedPreparing a Request for ProposalCommunicating with Candidate SEO FirmsMaking the DecisionMixing In-House SEO with Outside SEO HelpBuilding a Culture of SEO into Your OrganizationConclusion
The Ongoing Evolution of SearchThe Growth of Search ComplexityGoogle’s DominanceMore Searchable Content and Content TypesEngines Will Make Crawling ImprovementsEngines Are Getting New Content SourcesMultimedia Is Becoming IndexableMore Personalized, Localized, and User-Influenced SearchUser IntentUser InteractionsNew Search PatternsGrowing Reliance on the CloudIncreasing Importance of Local, Mobile, and Voice SearchLocal SearchMobile SearchVoice Recognition SearchIncreased Market Saturation and CompetitionSEO as an Enduring Art FormThe Future of Semantic Search and the Knowledge GraphConclusion

Overview

Three acknowledged experts in search engine optimization share guidelines and innovative techniques that will help you plan and execute a comprehensive SEO strategy. Complete with an array of effective tactics from basic to advanced, this third edition prepares digital marketers for 2016 with updates on SEO tools and new search engine optimization methods that have reshaped the SEO landscape

Novices will receive a thorough SEO education, while experienced SEO practitioners get an extensive reference to support ongoing engagements.

Comprehend SEO’s many intricacies and complexities
Explore the underlying theory and inner workings of search engines
Understand the role of social media, user data, and links
Discover tools to track results and measure success
Examine the effects of Google’s Panda and Penguin algorithms
Consider opportunities in mobile, local, and vertical SEO
Build a competent SEO team with defined roles
Glimpse the future of search and the SEO industry

Visit the book website (http://www.artofseobook.com) for FAQs and to post your own burning questions. You’ll have access to special offers and discounts on various SEO tools and services. You can also get exclusive access to instructional videos related to the concepts in the book by sending an email to bonuses@artofseobook.com.