Course Description
In this course you will learn how to effectively direct traffic to a website. Topics will include implementing Web Analytics, Search Engine Optimization, and Search Engine Marketing. You will analyze data and assess reports on traffic to web sites; learn to write content to rank for key search terms, and to choose appropriately, and implement the best strategies that help to drive traffic to web sites.
4 cl hrs, 3 cr
Prerequisites
ADV2450 Web I
Course Objectives
|
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES |
ASSESSMENT
|
| For the successful completion of this course, students should be able to: | Evaluation methods and criteria |
| Implement strategies to drive traffic to a web site via link building, social media, viral content, paid advertising. | Students will demonstrate competency by proposing and executing marketing strategies |
| Write appropriately for users to find their web site through search engines (e.g., Google, Bing). | Students will demonstrate competency by writing appropriate content for the purposes of advertising, marketing, and gaining organic traffic. |
| Write content to drive traffic through a web site to lead to an appropriate conversion | Students will demonstrate competency by writing content, and explaining through presentation the logic behind the layout structure. |
| Get search engines to index pages and send traffic to a website. | Students will display competency by optimizing the content and the structure of their pages. They will register their websites with major search engines. |
| Analyze where the traffic is coming from, who their users are, and the successes and failures to gain traffic and convert visitors. | Students will display competency through analyzing both tag-based and log-based analytic packages. |
Required Text
None
Suggested Text:
Building Findable Websites: Web Standards, SEO, and Beyond
Aaron Walter
ISBN-10: 0321526287
The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization (Theory in Practice)
Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Rand Fishkin, Jessie Stricchola
ISBN-10: 0596518862
Web Analytics Demystified
Eric T. Peterson
Celio Media Group
ISBN:0974358428
Attendance (College) and Lateness (Department) Policies:
A class roster roll will be taken at the beginning of each class. Only two absences may be allowed. After two absences, a student may be withdrawn because of unsatisfactory attendance (code WU). Students arriving after the roll is taken will be marked “late.” Students may be notified at the earliest opportunity in class after they have been absent or late. After being absent two times or equivalent (2 lateness = 1 absence), a student may be asked to withdraw from the class (code W before the College drop deadline, 4/9/08) or may be withdrawn from the class (code WU).
Academic Integrity Standards
You are responsible for reading, understanding and abiding by the NYC College of Technology Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities,” section “Academic Integrity Standards.” Academic dishonesty of any type, including cheating and plagiarism is unacceptable. “Cheating” is misrepresenting another student’s efforts/work as your own. “Plagiarism” is the representation of another person’s work, words or concepts as your own.
Grading
90% = Course projects/assignments
Group Project 10%
Individual Management 30%
Writing Assignments 30%
Quiz 20%
10% = Class preparation/participation/attendance
CP/P/A 10%
| WEEK | Lecture Topic | Laboratory Exercise | Homework Assignment |
| 1 | Overview of Web Analytics, SEO, and SEM Confirm prerequisites |
Review course syllabus Break students into teams |
Individual Project: install WordPress, and select a topic for your main project site analytics, SEO and SEM strategies |
| 2 | Google Analytics: Introduction What are analytics? Tag-based and log-based analytic packages Set up goals Look at site with significant analytics data Webmaster Tools Content development The myth of “keyword density” Longtail keywords Judging keyword value |
Apply Google Analytics to siteRegister sites to Google, Bing Research and Writing exercises Keyword development exercise |
Apply Google Analytics to individual project site Register sites to Google, Bing Revisit website optimization chart Develop strong list of at least 20 keywords for your site |
| 3 | SEO Basics How search engines work Anatomy of a search engine How search engines spiders think How to design for search engine spiders |
Content Development Refine and Publish exercises |
Write, develop, create content Refine content and functionality of site/sequence Produce and publish content to the web |
| 4 | Social Media Marketing strategies: how can Facebook, Google, Twitter and YouTube help to drive traffic to your site. | Implement social media strategies on your site. Create Facebook profile, Facebook page, Twitter profile. Use twitterfeed to create automated posts. | Promote your content using techniques discussed in class.Begin to write blog posts on your site. Aim to write 2 posts a week for the rest of the course. |
| 5 | Curated content. What does it mean to curate content? What are some types of curated content? | Read blog posts on SEOmoz.org related to Curated Content. Understand how your site might use these techniques. | Write 2 blog posts using techniques described. |
| 6 | SEO Basics continued. A lecture on the best ways to ensure that search engine properly index your site. | Review of teams’ progress of project site. | Review report of other teams. Give suggestions about ways in which the report might be improved. |
| 7 | Presentation of teams sites, analytics, and social media strategies. | Class critique of sites | Review report feedback. Organize and submit required components of the Midterm assignment: reports, ratings, analytics, blog post lists. |
| 8 | Campaigns. What are they? How do they work? What is UTM data? | Implement campaign strategies on team project site. | Complete implementation of campaigns on team project sites. Continue to write blog posts, assess analytics, and strategies on driving traffic to the project site. |
| 9 | Ad Campaign: Banner ads | Specs for banner ads. | Design banner ads and create UTM data string to share with affiliate sites. |
| 10 | Event Tracking | Class critique: text ads Sketch out landing page |
Consider where it is appropriate to implement event tracking. What are the best categories, actions, and labels? |
| 11 | Event Tracking Continued | Implement event tracking of ads on site | Write blog posts. Drive Traffic. Verify event tracking functioning. |
| 12 | Ad Campaign: Rich Media We will examine and dissect several examples of successful rich media ads. |
Class critique: Image Ads Sketch out rich media ads with input from classmates Quiz 2 |
Create one rich media ad in storyboard form. It should be match the design and intent of the landing page, text ads and image ads. These need to be fully polished designs in either Photoshop or Illustrator. Submit pdfs, jpegs, or gifs of the final designs. |
| 13 | Black Hat, White Hat, Gray Hat: What is it? | Present analytics to date. | Blog, drive traffic, tweak site. |
| 14 | Goals & Conversions | Google Analytics: Final Results Webmaster Tools: Final Results Review for Final Quiz |
Study for Final Quiz |
| 15 | Final Exam Turn in CD of all class work |