{"id":5095,"date":"2010-05-21T10:08:45","date_gmt":"2010-05-21T14:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/carleton.ca\/webservices\/?p=5095"},"modified":"2024-06-08T22:02:32","modified_gmt":"2024-06-09T02:02:32","slug":"vroom-vroom-revving-your-search-engine-optimization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/webservices\/2010\/vroom-vroom-revving-your-search-engine-optimization\/","title":{"rendered":"Vroom Vroom: Revving Your Search Engine Optimization with Google Analytics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Vroom Vroom: Revving Your Search Engine Optimization with Google Analytics\n <\/h1>\n \n \n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

This is the first in a three-part blog series that will expand on the topic of Search Engines and generating visitor traffic to your web site as first discussed in last week\u2019s blog Beep Beep: Monitoring Traffic Sources with Google Analytics<\/a>. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)<\/strong> is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to your web site from search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. SEO draws on the techniques used to improve the overall organic traffic to your site but through the addition of SEO software applications, it enables you to further increase your site\u2019s accessibility and search engine ranking. This is achieved through tailoring your site content to feature specific keywords that search engines index when listing your site in a visitor\u2019s search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University web sites that have been migrated to the CCMS platform have already been configured with SEO applications so it is searchable by top search engines. These configurations occur before sites go-live and the specific technical details are beyond the scope of this blog.  However, it would be helpful for you to understand the basics of how SEO works and what you can do, or not do, on your web site to enhance SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEO Applications<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Two SEO applications have been built into your web site to enhance its web search engine performance. An XML site mapping <\/strong>WordPress plug-in <\/strong>helps search engine bots locate pages deep within your site. Bots are short for robots which are sent out by search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN to find pages in your site. Each page is converted into XML text files that are sent to search engines to help them \u201ccrawl\u201d or locate and index your site based on a visitor\u2019s keyword search. In addition, the All in One SEO Pack<\/strong> WordPress plug-in has been installed which automatically generates metatags (key content descriptors) for your web pages so you do not have to manually enter specific keywords for each of your pages. Next week\u2019s blog will discuss using the All in One SEO fields on your WordPress pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Search Engine Report<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Search Engine report details the top ranked search engines visitors are using to reach your site. Although you cannot use Google Analytics to directly configure SEO, you can use the Search Engine report as a guide to help you determine whether your page content is current and accurate based on visitor keyword searches. You can access the Search Engine report from the following three locations in your Google Analytics Dashboard window:<\/p>\n\n\n\n