Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website

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Errors

Among other things, your server will log a

404 error

(“File not Found”) every

time a user tries to access a nonexistent URL. This can help you find inbound—or

internal—links that are using incorrect or out-of-date URLs. (By the way, your server

logs will record a 404 error every time a search engine robot comes looking for a non-

existent

robots.txt

file, which may be reason enough for you to add one to your website.)

The list of useful server stats could go on and on, but you have limited time, so

we stuck with the basics.

If you already have access to your server stats through a web log analyzer, con-

gratulations! Today, you’ll look through it for the information just listed.

If you do not already have a way to view server stats, this is the week you’ll fig-

ure out how to make it happen. You have several options, including the basic server

stats discussed today as well as more comprehensive tracking described in the next sec-

tions. You probably won’t need to use a basic program if you are also implementing a

more advanced system because the more advanced systems incorporate all of the info a

basic program provides and more. Consider them all, and choose which is best for

your organization.

Wednesday: Tracking Online Conversions

Today we’re going to talk about options that allow you to take your basic server stats

to the next level for your organic SEO campaign. Instead of recording separate chunks

of data (like the number of unique visitors and the number of people entering your site

for a specific term), you can set up tracking so that a visitor is “followed” from the

time they enter your site until they perform your conversion goal. You already know

this for your PPC clicks, but what about all the rest of your site visitors? With a com-

prehensive web analytics system in place, the seller of left-handed guitars can stop fret-

ting about which of his optimized landing pages is encouraging more southpaw sales.

If you only have offline conversions to track, you can skip this day.

Setting up a comprehensive tracking system for your site is usually much more

time intensive than the PPC conversion tracking you set up on Monday. So, think of

today as a day to learn, compare, and get the ball rolling on one of these options:

• Advanced tracking systems

• Implementing your own solution

• Band-Aid methods

Now:

Open up your server stats program (if it exists) and find the key information listed in this section. If

you don’t already have a way to view this information, read on.

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