Search engine optimization Book

This is a decent intro to SEO, but it's fairly shallow. It's mostly screenshots with minimal explanations. It covers several tools of the SEO trade, both free and paid. It was published in 2013, so some specifics are dated, but the fundamentals are the same.

I skipped chapters 10-12 on the basics of social media and PPC. I skimmed chapter 13, which covers search engines besides Google.

I read this because my web design company, OptimWise, provides SEO for WordPress sites. I wanted to make sure we weren't overlooking anything.

Notes
SEO
#1 most important factor: quality backlinks. #2: original, well-written content.

• Use long-tail terms, not head terms, for most or all pages. It's easier to rank for long-tail terms.
• When writing anchor text, use text similar to the title tag of the page you're linking to.
• In general, the higher a link is on a page, the higher value it has.
• Engines look for about pages and privacy policy pages, which add credibility.
• For help creating a privacy policy, see freeprivacypolicy.com.
• When choosing a domain name, choose either 1) one with 1-2 keywords, or 2) a brand name with as few characters as possible. Avoid hyphens.
• htaccesstools.com can generate .htaccess code blocks.

Local SEO
• Create and optimize Google+ page.
• Get reviews on Google+ page. Reviews there count for more than other sites (Yelp, Merchant Circle, Foursquare).
• Optimize website for local search. Put city, state, ZIP in header and/or footer, as well as title and meta description of geo-focused pages.
• Increase followers on social media. Focus on acquiring those with social influence. Increase follower engagement.
• Correct inaccurate location info across web.
• Use product/service and location keywords in anchor text that points to your site or Google+ page.
• Add business to Local.com, Yahoo, Yelp, YP.com, ReferLocal.com.