Introduction to SEO and Google Tools – Craig Bailey

In this presentation Craig Bailey gives an introduction to search engine optimisation (SEO) and provides guidance on the best tools to use for improving & measuring the impact of your SEO activities.

Although pitched at a beginner level, the session follows an interactive format and spends considerable time answering detailed questions from developers about analytics, privacy rules, advertising best practices, remarketing and much more.

The session is broken into two parts.

Part 1 – Introduction to SEO

• A general introduction to SEO and where it fits in overall web marketing
• The importance of understanding the business goals of a web site (this is especially important for developers who consult to enterprise clients)
• The key factors to optimize on web sites, and how optimizing 3 simple areas can make a big difference to Google rankings
• An in-depth look at Google analytics and how to use the main reports
• Understanding the robots.txt file (and the disaster that can happen when it is incorrectly implemented)
• The value of preparing an XML sitemap

Part 2 – Google Webmaster Tools and Analytics

• A dive into Google Webmaster Tools, including how to remove sitelinks, how to submit XML sitemaps, checking errors & index status
• How to use the queries tool in Google Webmaster Tools and understanding why the numbers don’t always match with Google analytics stats
• understanding the (not provided) keyword in Google analytics
• The benefits of using Bing Webmaster Tools
• How to use the Bing Webmaster Tools keyword tool
• A look at tools that are used for researching keywords
• A discussion about how links are incredibly important for ranking
• The ‘click here‘ example
• Quick Q+A session covering common myths and expectations around SEO
• The importance of redirects
• Tips on using a JavaScript framework and ensuring the site SEO isn’t adversely affected

This session is ideal for developers who are new to SEO, and looking for hands on guidance on how to get started with site optimization, Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools and Bing Webmaster Tools.

The slides are available here: