Project 4: SEO Audit

Part 1
Plan your Audit
 Marketing Objective & KPI

Marketing Objective

To rank on the first page of Google for with 5 keywords by December 8th, 2018.

KPI

The phrase, the number of keywords that we’re ranked for on the first page of Google by December 8th, 2018.
 Target Persona
Target Persona
Background and Demographics Needs
Name

1. Accurate, concise information about

Age: 25 - 31 program
Income level: less than 40,000 2. Flexible Learning Time
Gender: Female 3. How to increase income
Race: White 4. To have enough time to take a class
Sally M. Spaulding
Education: Undergraduate degree in 5. Balance
Nutritional Sciences 6. Job Placement
7. Change Careers
8. Affordable Education
9. Guidance on Journey

Hobbies Goals Barriers

1. Yoga 1. Wants to make a higher income 1. Not enough time

2. Spending time with friends 2. Wants to be able to find a quality program 2. Not enough money
that is easy to research and is able to be 3. Not knowing where to find adequate
3. Beach volleyball
completed in a timely manner information
4. Volunteering and fundraising for
3. Wants to be able to become a managerial
charity (American Breast Cancer 4. Working in order to make enough
level in company
Foundation) money to get by
4. Make a career change into a promising
5. Spending time with boyfriend market
5. Busy life - needs time to balance it all
 Part 2
On Site SEO
Audit
 Keywords

Head Keywords Tail Keywords

1 Nanodegree Freelance Digital Marketing

2 Online Schools Digital Marketing Certificate

3 Digital Marketing Best Free Online Courses

4 Digital Campaign How to Do Digital Marketing

5 Nanodegree Program Digital Marketing Udacity

Used Moz Keyword Explorer tool to find Keywords

Head Keywords
Tail Keywords
 Head Keyword - Greatest Potential

Which Head Keyword has the greatest potential?

The Head Keyword “Nanodegree” has the greatest potential because it has a low “difficulty score”, and high “priority
score”. The Organic CTR is 94% which is very high and promising. The high priority score and low difficulty score are
very valuable for gaining traffic and improving ranking.

I also believe it would be the most successful because it is associated with the brand Udacity. Since Udacity offers
their programs named as “Nanodegree”, people searching for the term “Nanodegree” will likely know about Udacity
or have heard the name. They are most likely searching for courses from the company. The term “Nanodegree” also
appears on the DMND page a number of times, which can resonate with search engines more effectively.
 Tail Keyword - Greatest Potential

Which Tail Keyword has the greatest potential?

The Tail Keyword “Freelance digital marketing” has the greatest potential. It has a very low “difficulty score”, It has
a fantastic Organic CTR of 100% which is more cost effective for gaining traffic. Finally, it has a very high priority
rank which can help it rank in search engines.

It is also a word that is specifically named on the DMND page in one of the texts. The DMND program is being
pitched as a way to become an independent “freelance digital marketer”, so there is more organic probability that
someone searching for the topic of “freelance digital marketing” will reach DMND’s site with this keyword.
URL: http://dmnd.udacity.com/ Technical Audit: Metadata
Current

Title Tag <title>Udacity Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program Website</title>

Meta- <meta name="description" content="" />

Description

Alt-Tag 1 <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606167-13815763-960x480-medium.jpg"

style="margin-top: 0px;"
alt=""/>

Revision

Title Tag <title>Udacity Digital Marketing - Nanodegree Programs to Become a Freelance Digital Marketer</title>

Meta- <<meta name="description" content=“Udacity is an online school that creates expert Nanodegree programs,
Description collaborating with technology experts to help students become freelance digital marketers.”
/>

Alt-Tag 1 <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606167-13815763-960x480-medium.jpg"

style="margin-top: 0px;"
alt=“professional man and woman collaborate and practice digital marketing
with iPad"/>
 Technical Audit: Metadata
URL: http://dmnd.udacity.com/

Revisions Alt-Tags Continued

Alt-Tag Current 2 <div class="contents"> <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606168-13720038-

892x44-logospartners.png" style="margin-top: 0px;" alt="" /> </div>

Alt-Tag Revised 2 <div class="contents"> <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606168-13720038-

892x44-logospartners.png" style="margin-top: 0px;" alt=“Digital Marketing Partners’ Logos-
Facebook, Google, Hootsuite, Hub Spot, Mail Chimp, Moz" /> </div>

Alt-Tag Current 3 <div class="contents"> <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606169-13814963-

862x403-image-digital-market.png" style="margin-top: 0px;" alt="" /> </div>

Alt-Tag Revised 3 <div class="contents"> <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606169-13814963-

862x403-image-digital-market.png" style="margin-top: 0px;" alt=“Laptop Showing Online Classroom
Setup and Video of a Digital Marketing Teacher Speaking" /> </div>
 Technical Audit: Metadata
URL: http://dmnd.udacity.com/

Revisions Alt-Tags Continued

Alt-Tag Current 4 <div class="contents"> <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606173-13815588-415x345-

features1.png" style="margin-top: 0px;" alt="" /> </div>

Alt-Tag Revised 4 <div class="contents"> <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606173-13815588-415x345-

features1.png" style="margin-top: 0px;" alt=“digital marketing instructor giving a lesson speaking to the
camera, blue circle in the corner that shows student class progress" /> </div>

Alt-Tag Current 5 <div class="contents"> <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606178-13834748-383x305-

features-02.png" style="margin-top: 0px;" alt="" /> </div>

Alt-Tag Revised 5 <div class="contents"> <img src="//v.fastcdn.co/t/beb60d38/d41f13af/1536606178-13834748-383x305-

features-02.png" style="margin-top: 0px;" alt=“computer with video of digital marketing online class, colored
bar graph that shows advancement of different levels" /> </div>
 Suggested Blog Topic 1
Topic 1 – 5 Ways to Advance Your Career with Digital Marketing

In this blog post, we can talk about how Udacity provides a way to try a lot of different programs that are new, in
high demand, flexible and interesting. We can create a Listicle with 5 different digital marketing skills and how
they can enrich a person’s current skill set. At the end of the article, we can have a short video for people to watch
that gives a brief description of major programs. We can also include current students or alumni who are telling
the audience about their user experience and also why they enjoy their courses. They can also talk about how
they wanted to learn a new skill and that Udacity made it easy for them to try different options. We would then
include a call to action such as joining the mailing list to receive more information and updates.

The Listcile approach would be effective because it is brief, yet educational and gives a good overview of skills that
may interest the reader. It’s an easy format that grabs attention quickly and can be easily skimmed. The video at
the end then shows real people who have found success in the program. Seeing real people can help our target
persona put herself in their place and see her potential future as a successful alumni. The video would be short,
informative, and authentic. This would be a way to grab the reader’s attentive again at the end and reader could
choose if she wants to sign up for more information. We can then continue to update her on programs which
would keep Udacity as an option for her in her pursuit of learning new skills to advance her career. It also can
provide more information that she would like to explore to see if there are different programs that would meet
her needs.
 Suggested Blog Topic 2
Topic 2 – How Can I Become a Freelance Digital Marketer?

For this blog post, Udacity can give more detailed steps to become a freelance digital marketer. We can include
short clips of the different skills that are embedded within the text, so that the reader can get deeper details about
the skills that the course contains. We can also consider the listicle approach here as well so that potential readers
are free to quickly skim the course offerings.

The post will have a few video testimonials of people at the end who are now working as a freelance digital
marketer and what they learned from Udacity that helped them launch into their work. The end of the post would
include a call to action to ask for the reader’s e-mail. The call to action would be a fill-in that would be introduced
with a line that said something like, “Learn More” She would then type in her e-mail and push “Submit Now”, and
Udacity would send them a free e-book with different options for the programs available.

This post would be effective because it empathizes with the reader who may take an interest in digital marketing
but is not sure if she can become a freelancer. She is seeking more information to help her sythesize information
and recognize the truth in the possibility of becoming a freelancer.

The videos give specific accounts of people who relate to the customer’s problem. These accounts show resolutions
that the customer can easily resonate with. The final call to action helps her remember that she discovered the blog
post and that she has the potential to become a freelance digital marketer. The e-mail to send her more information
will encourage her to revisit the site and consider the programs as valid options to help her career change.
 Suggested Blog Topic 3
Topic 3 – How to Use a Nanodegree to Get a Job in Digital Marketing

In this “How To” blog post, Udacity will talk about the definition of a Nanodegree.

Udacity will then have multiple videos of people who have taken the DMND course. Each video will have a quote from the video
that highlights a positive part of the program and the current job the person has from using their DMND skills. The videos
themselves will include alumnus who give brief testimonials telling about their positions and the specific skills they learned from
the DMND Program.

The post can then have the Digital Marketing Nanodegree Syllabus presented as a large “button” on the blog page. There would be
text that describes “Click Here to Get the DMND Syllabus!” Finally, we would have a box to fill in for the reader to receive the
syllabus in her e-mail. She can then choose to “join the mailing list” to receive more information and updates.

Giving examples of how the Nanodegree skills can formulate into a job would help our target audience see the results of the
program. She wants to see where she can end up, and the videos show real people who have found success in the program. Seeing
real people can help our target persona put herself in their place and see her potential future as a successful alumni. The videos
are short, informative, and authentic.

The videos grab interest and then the syllabus offers a quick peek into the full blown course that can help her to weigh DMND as a
valid option. She then has the chance to sign up for more updates, which would keep the DMND Program as an option for her in
her pursuit of switching careers. It will provide more information for her to explore and research.
 Part 3
Off-Site SEO
 Technical Audit: Backlink Audit

Backlinks for Udacity.com Domain Authority (DA)

1 https://www.google.com/accessibility/for-developers.html 98

2 https://developer.amazon.com/blogs/post/Tx2ES1C9VPF8J1N/introducing-the- 97
artificial-intelligence-nanodegree-program-by-udacity

3 https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/publicsector/aws-educate-members-now- 97
receive-exclusive-access-to-content-on-udacitys-nanodegree-program-on-
machine-learning/

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/education/harvard-and-mit-team-up-to- 95
offer-free-online-courses.html

I chose my backlinks by choosing non-social sites, that have a 95+ Domain Authority.
Moz states that Domain Authority, “Predicts a root domain’s ranking potential relative to the domains in Moz’s index. Use this
score to compare your likelihood to rank about that of your competitors.” - Moz OpenSite Explorer
 Link-Building

Site Name Business.com

Site URL https://www.business.com/

Site Name Upwork (Upwork Blog)

Site URL https://www.upwork.com/blog/

Site Name Lifehack

Site URL https://www.lifehack.org/

Used SEMRush for dmnd.udacity.com.

Site 1 - Business.com
Organic Search Traffic
Site 1 - Business.com Mobile
Site 2 – Upwork.com
Organic Search Traffic
Site 2 – Upwork.com Mobile
Site 3 – Lifehack.org
Organic Search Traffic
Site 3 –Lifehack.org Mobile
 Part 4
Performance
Testing
 Pingler Page Indexing

https://pingler.com/seo-tools/tools/google-indexed-pages-checker/

Findings:

After using the Pingler tool to research how many of the DMND’s website pages are indexed, there is an answer
of “N/A” showing up.

The number of pages indexed is important because it shows the health of your site and if it is able to earn
traffic. In order for a search engine to drive traffic to your site, the site must be indexed. This is especially critical
if a company is running a campaign. They want to make sure that as much traffic as possible is being directed
to their site. Without indexing, the campaign and potential reach of customers may be hindered.
By having a reading of “N/A”, this shows that search engines do not have the Udacity DMND site indexed or that
number of pages indexed for Udacity DMND is less than 2. This is critical because it means that Udacity DMND
pages are not receiving the traffic that they are hoping to earn. Udacity should work on indexing more pages so
that they can ensure the success of their campaigns as well as ranking in search engines.
Pingler Findings
 Google Page Speed Insights

Findings:

The definition of site speed refers to the “load time of a webpage, or the amount of time it takes for the page’s
content to display fully on a webpage.” - Udacity Digital Marketing Course
Page speed is important because it improves your ranking, leads to more conversion, and it improves user
experiences.

There are two different speeds to consider. Both desktop and mobile are important depending on your users. If
you are targeting a younger audience, a company should ensure that it’s mobile speed is top rank. If you are
targeting an older audience desktop speed would be more important. Overall mobile speed is becoming
increasingly important, as more people spend time on their mobile phones over desktops.
Mobile Speed from Google Page Speed
Desktop Speed from Google Page Speed
 Think with Google
Mobile-Friendly Evaluation
Findings:

Assessing mobile friendliness is important because Google has made it another factor in determining ranking in addition
to site speed and indexed pages. “Google reinforces the fact that people are 5 times more likely to leave a site that is not
mobile friendly.” – Lesson 5 Udacity Digital Marketing Course

More people today search on mobile than on desktop, which makes mobile friendliness a top priority.
Findings: Assess Mobile Friendliness
Industry Comparison
Recommendations
 Part 5
Recommendations
 Recommendations
1. Increase Mobile Speed on Page
● The usage of mobile devices is increasing dramatically and is phasing out desktop computer usage. More users are
depending on mobile devices. Our findings from Google Page Speed indicate that the DMND page is slow for mobile users.
Think with Google shows us that we lose 24% of our visitors from how slow the mobile experience is. This is a large percentage
that we want to decrease. While the industry comparison is rated at “Fair”, we want our company to be in the category of “Top
Performers” in order to receive more traffic and retain customers. We should increase mobile speed.

2. Create Content, Increase Backlinks, Index Pages

● Indexed pages are how search engines find pages and show them to users. The more indexed pages we have, the more likely
that Google’s crawlers will be able to find our pages and update the any indexed information that is has stored. The crawlers
are constantly updating and searching for new information, and would therefore be more likely to rank our page higher once
new quality content is added. If Udacity were to create a DMND blog that consistently produced new content, it would have
more chances to be indexed. With the blog, I would recommend incorporating a lot of links that would help backlink content
which again, would help the page be indexed.

3. Improve ALT Tags & META Tag: Use Effective Keywords

● This can help to increase page ranking, help search engine crawlers more easily find the page, and increase customer traffic.
On the DMND page currently, many ALT tags and Meta tags are blank. We used Moz to find relevant and effective keywords.
Integrating those into the proper places can help increase traffic, CTR, conversions, and campaign interactions. Additionally,
ALT tags and Meta tags can help UX designers and web developers understand the SEO perspective and strategies being
taken. When they look at the tags, they can get a deeper understanding of how the digital marketing team attracts users.
From this, they can incorporate SEO strategies into their practice as well, ultimately creating a collaborative and effective
marketing strategy across different departments.