Transcript Document

Store SEO Webinar
“Make More With
Your Yahoo! Store”
Yahoo! Store SEO
(Search Engine Optimization)
Rob Snell
Snell Brothers
December 1, 2006
Here’s why I obsess over SEO:
Search Engine Optimization works for free Web traffic
NUTSHELL: 60 Second SEO Webinar
• Start with a SE friendly foundation
• Collect converting keyword phrases (CKWP)
• Put CKWP in TITLE tags and body text
• Use internal links (CKWP in anchor text)
• Get off-site links (CKWP in anchor text)
• Write unique content in CAPTION text
• Get more links than the other guy
FOUNDATION: Unlock Parking Brake
1) Pick your main domain
2) Redirect Yahoo! Store URLS (301)
3) Create custom error pages (404)
4) Use free search engine tools
5) Turn on XML feeds
6) Fix the WWW / non WWW problem
FOUNDATION: Pick Your Main Domain
• Use one domain per store
• Use main domain as Store Entry Point
• Link consistently on the site
• Set the Google WWW / non-WWW Switch
FOUNDATION: Redirect Yahoo! URLS
• Yahoo! Domain Redirect Settings
• Use the Y! URL 301 Redirect
• All store URLS >>> to your main domain
• So account.stores.yahoo.net/pagename.html becomes
…www.domain.com/pagename.html
• Consolidates link popularity
• Fixes the CART / SEARCH problem
FOUNDATION: Create custom 404’s
• Yahoo: Page Not Found Handling (404s)
• YUCK: Default error page redirects to your homepage
• Make a whoops.html page
– Use Apple.com’s 404 as a model
• Turn Custom 404 on under MGR: Preferences
FOUNDATION: Turn on XML Feeds
• Free Shopping Engine Traffic
– Google’s Froogle, Shopping.com, etc.
• Allows some 3rd party XML export tools to work
– Monitus tools, tools.solidcactus.com, visualfuture.com
• YUCK: Folks can steal your store
– Client example, scrapers will anyway …
FOUNDATION: Search Engine Tools
• MGR: Create a Google Sitemap for Your Store
– http://www.google.com/webmasters/
• MGR: Authenticate with Yahoo! Site Explorer
• Use SE Advanced operators
– Site:domain.com to see pages indexed
– Link:domain.com to see back links
FOUNDATION: Fix the non WWW problem
• One URL for every page
– stores.yahoo.net/account/pagename.html
• I use BASE HREF
– Fixes links off the page
– Consolidates link popularity
– RTML hack for lack of non-www 301 redirect
– Most RTML folks can do this
Optimize your online store
• Profit from your product knowledge
• Work your most valuable Web pages (MVP’s)
• Create a self-optimizing store with templates
• Collect converting keywords
1) Retailers: You are an expert
•Show your expertise
•Write relevant copy
•Tell me what to buy
Collect your expert content
• Harvest product Q&A from your sent emails
• Record & transcribe customer phone calls
• Ask customers if they have product questions
• Add this product info to your product pages
Pump up your product pages
• Rewrite manufacturer product descriptions
• Play “20 Questions” with each product
• Use competitors’ ideas (both retailers and manufacturers)
• Use other manufacturer content:
– Press releases,
– Product sell sheets,
– Owners’ manuals,
– Catalogs & brochures.
2) Optimize your most valuable pages
•Home page
•Info page
•Top 15 Section pages
•Top 100 $$$ Products
Optimization starts at home
• Branding
• Merchandising
• Navigation
• WISMO?
• Load speed
• SEO
HOME PAGE: SEO Powerhouse
• Title tag - Use 10-12 words
• Meta description - Company info SERPS snippet.
• Body copy - Keyword-loaded. 500+ words
• Text link navigation - Keywords in sidebar / footer
• Embedded links - 100 votes
HOME PAGE: Merchandising
Manufacturer
Page Links
Product
SPECIALS
Product shot
with text +
links
HOME PAGE: Navigation
Shop by
manufacturer
Search
Text link
navigation
Featured
products
Embedded
links
HOME PAGE: Customer service
Utility links
Contact
information
Get the 411 on INFO Pages
“More than 50% of
folks who order view
our info page…”
Use FAQ style links
Show me how I can contact you
Who you are & where you are
Photos of owner
Show map
SEO SECTIONS (Category pages)
PRODUCTS: Start with best-sellers
3) TEMPLATES: Self-Optimize
Create a self-optimizing store by using RTML templates
• Build SEO elements right into your store pages
– TITLE tags, META DESC, H1 headlines, links
• Use SMART RTML for better SEO
• Automate marketing messages with RTML
– Free shipping, you save, mfg logos, free gifts
Create automatic TITLE tags
CUSTOM TITLE TAG = Name + price + savings
Create automatic Meta Descriptions
Add FREE SHIPPING text (detail)
Show manufacturer logos
Build in links for good navigation
• Link to
PREVIOUS, UP,
NEXT produc
• Anchor text gives
SEO benefits
• Makes easier
browsing / editing
4) Cash in on Converting Keywords
• COLLECT: Converting keywords
• OPTIMIZE: Store product and section page text/links
• TRACK: Search engine rankings
• ADVERTISE: Buy paid search ads
Rinse and repeat
COLLECT: Converting keywords
• Use your Yahoo! Store stats:
– Emails. Orders. Reports. History.
• Get third party analytics
– Monitus + Google Analytics; Indextools, ClickTracks
• Use PPC conversion tracking data
– Google Adwords / Yahoo! Search Marketing
Converting keywords case study
• 200,000 unique keyword phrases
• 194,305 phrases did NOT convert
• 5,695 phrases DID convert
– 4,758 unique terms with one order each
– 1,150 unique terms with 2 – 1000 orders
• Obsess over the $$$ money terms
OPTIMIZE: Product / section pages
• Broad match: keywords on page
• Phrase match: exact phrase on page
• Find Most Relevant Page on Your Site
– If not, create a Landing Page
• Link to most relevant page in CAPTIONS
TRACK: Search engine rankings
• TRACK: Your top 200 $$$ converting keywords
– Watch your Top 1000 Converting Keywords
– Don’t ignore your more obscure words #1001 - 6000
• ENGINES: Google, Yahoo, MSN, Froogle
• TOOLS: Bruce Clay’s SEO Toolset + Web Position Gold
ADVERTISE: Buy paid search ads
• Google Adwords – IMPROVED!
• Yahoo! Search Marketing (Overture) -- NEW!
• MSN AdCenter -- NEW!
So now you know what to do!
• Pimp your product
knowledge and profit
• Work product by product,
start with your best-sellers
• Build in the basic SEO
and conversion elements
• Collect your converting
keywords and cash in
And now, Mr. Michael Whitaker…
MONITUS.net
tools for
Yahoo! Store
owners
Store SEO Webinar
“Make More With
Your Yahoo! Store”
Yahoo! Store SEO
(Search Engine Optimization)
Rob Snell
Snell Brothers
December 1, 2006
THE END