Improving the Visibility and Use of Digital Repositories through SEO: A LITA Guide (Lita Guides)

Recent OCLC surveys show that less than 2 percent of library users begin their search on a library website, which is why search engine optimization (SEO) is so crucial. And though a survey of faculty researchers at four major universities showed that most consider Google and Google Scholar amazingly effective for their research, low Google Scholar indexing ratios for library institutional repositories is widespread because it ignores common library metadata. Arlitsch and OBrien, who have presented and published widely on the topic, show how to ensure that high-value content is visible to researchers in this new book. Drawing on their expertise in digital libraries and corporate marketing, they show how to mount a successful SEO strategy, including Recommended dashboards for increasing participation by sharing data Avoiding the four most common crawler errors that lead to low rankings How to effectively utilize the Google Keyword Tool The use of domain settings to generate unit-specific reports for special collections, institutional repositories and university presses Recent OCLC surveys show that less than 2 percent of library users begin their search on a library website, which is why search engine optimization (SEO) is so crucial. A strong SEO strategy can dramatically increase visitation and maximize the digital library investment. But since library and archive SEO efforts are often an afterthought, they can be unproductive. SEO managed by a few technically knowledgeable people deep in the organization are usually ineffective and difficult to sustain, precisely because they are not driven by a strategic plan. Arlitsch and OBrien advocate that SEO only works when approached holistically and driven strategically. Drawing on their expertise in digital libraries and corporate marketing, they show how to mount a successful SEO strategy, including Arlitsch and OBrien go beyond an explanation of the technical aspects of SEO to provide a unique top-level perspective which emphasizes cross-organizational functions and communication for sustained success. Content: What is SEO and why is it important to libraries? -- Improving your library's SEO efforts -- How Internet search engine indexing works -- Setting your SEO baselines -- What is your search engine-indexing ratio and how can you improve it? -- Targeting your audience -- Google scholar and institutional repositories -- Measuring success. Abstract: Recent OCLC surveys show that less than 2 percent of library users begin their search on a library website, which is why search engine optimization (SEO) is so crucial. And though a survey of faculty researchers at four major universities showed that most consider Google and Google Scholar amazingly effective for their research, low Google Scholar indexing ratios for library institutional repositories is widespread because it ignores common library metadata. Arlitsch and OBrien, who have presented and published widely on the topic, show how to ensure that high-value content is visible to reseachers Offers practical steps for search engine optimisation, such as recommended dashboards to increase participation by sharing data; avoiding the four most common crawler errors that lead to low rankings; how to effectively utilise the Google Keyword Tool; and how to use domain settings to generate unit-specific reports for special collections, institutional repositories, and university presses.