Local Online Marketing 2014 Social Media Marketing and Web Design might get all the buzz… so is SEO Just An “Ugly” Cinderella left behind by its 2 pretty sisters? What’s Important in Local SEO?
Local SEO for Cumbria Start-up Businesses Nitty Gritty Training Day
Jan 13, 2015
Search Engine Optimisation is a fundamental ingredient of successful online marketing for any business. At Consulting Cumbria Ltd, http://consultingcumbria.co.uk we have access to the tools that you need to measure what is happenong to you now and the connections to get you pushed more strongly towards the buyers your business needs. When you market to a local audience the task is much easier in many respects than trying to outrank Amazon to get your book in front of the customers you want. This is basically because the competition in an area such as Cumbria or a small city like Carlisle is much lower than across the UK as a whole. Now - that word "easier" comes with a slight health warning. Although eacch part of a marketing campaign can be relatively easy to implement, there are a lot of individual parts and and many of them have to be repeated fairly obsessively if you are fixed on out-marketing that competitor who always seems to pip you at the post.
People who do my job frequently assert that this way is best or that 1 particular method is the holy grail of ranking for a search and popping up in front of your next buyer. Well there isn't just 1 way or 1 technique there are over 200 separate factors that Google weighs up before it sends the results of a search to a viewer. Google is also paranoid about NOT sending people to a non existent business or a home office where there's no-one to meet and greet a customer. This means that consistency and a big electronic footprint is vital for your business. It's also pretty easy to screw up and leave forgotten listings scattered around the digital countryside - undermining the trustworthiness of your business in Google's eyes.
So the action that I recommend to clients is based on evidence - lots of it too. Take a careful look at the observations recorded in HubSpot's State of Digital Marketing report. This is an authoritative look at what works online. Then look at David Mihm's collaborative study of local search ranking factors that appears every summer. This is good hard information from people working at the cutting edge and in the trenches of local online marketing.
This presentation deals mainly with the top five priorities that business owners need to attend to out of the 200 separate ranking factors that influence search results. Understanding even those 5 can build a really sound foundation for all the fabulous web design that's out their and give a highly converting target for all of the social media activity that first makes people aware of your brand.
Follow the links to the external resources from this presentation. They are the work of far cleverer and far more experienced people than me. Then come and see me and lets see what Consulting Cumbria Ltd can do to help you market more effectively in the digital marketplace.
People who do my job frequently assert that this way is best or that 1 particular method is the holy grail of ranking for a search and popping up in front of your next buyer. Well there isn't just 1 way or 1 technique there are over 200 separate factors that Google weighs up before it sends the results of a search to a viewer. Google is also paranoid about NOT sending people to a non existent business or a home office where there's no-one to meet and greet a customer. This means that consistency and a big electronic footprint is vital for your business. It's also pretty easy to screw up and leave forgotten listings scattered around the digital countryside - undermining the trustworthiness of your business in Google's eyes.
So the action that I recommend to clients is based on evidence - lots of it too. Take a careful look at the observations recorded in HubSpot's State of Digital Marketing report. This is an authoritative look at what works online. Then look at David Mihm's collaborative study of local search ranking factors that appears every summer. This is good hard information from people working at the cutting edge and in the trenches of local online marketing.
This presentation deals mainly with the top five priorities that business owners need to attend to out of the 200 separate ranking factors that influence search results. Understanding even those 5 can build a really sound foundation for all the fabulous web design that's out their and give a highly converting target for all of the social media activity that first makes people aware of your brand.
Follow the links to the external resources from this presentation. They are the work of far cleverer and far more experienced people than me. Then come and see me and lets see what Consulting Cumbria Ltd can do to help you market more effectively in the digital marketplace.
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Local Online Marketing 2014
Social Media Marketing and Web Design might get all the buzz… so is SEO Just An “Ugly” Cinderella left behind by its 2 pretty sisters?
What’s Important in
Local SEO?
Short Answer... It is Ugly...
And it can be hard graft
But it Works!
Consulting Cumbria Ltd ?
DotComSecrets, one of the top online marketing and training companies in the world.
We work closely with:
Jolyon Miller Digisol FX
Our Customers Include:
Today’s Learning1. Where does search engine optimisation fit into marketing
my business?
2. Evidence that illustrates why and how digital or “inbound” marketing is so effective.
3. Keywords and understanding customer intent. The On- Page stuff.
4. Widening your local footprint: Off-Page techniques.
5. Where mobile and social fit into an optimised web presence
6. Priorities for a New Business or a New Website.
Local Online Marketing 2014
SEO and Marketing: What’s the Connection?
Part 1
What is SEO?Search Engine Optimisation
The process of tuning your website in; to what your customers need or are searching for:
...as opposed to you dishing out what you think they ought to be looking for!
• Drive more sales of your products and services• Rank ahead of competitor X • Drive more sales now, but also position yourself
for future growth (it’s always easier to get ahead and stay ahead than it is to play catch up)
• Create a customized website that turns visitors to leads (and eventually sales).
• Dominate your market locally
Website Business Objectives
• 57% of people talk to people more online than in person
• 48% of American and 43% of UK “young” people access “News” through Social Media
• 86+% of online users view videos online each month
• 97% of consumers browse online before purchasing locally (source: Google Places for Business)
Digital Marketing is Tied to Our Online and Offline Lives
• Local search is still getting more important as slow adopting areas begin to “get it”. Up 144% since 2007. *
• 54% of all consumers have given up the phone book in favor of online search for local products and services. (much higher for consumers under 40) Cumbria is behind the curve here, but even our Yellow Pages are withering away!
• Mobile searches will surpass desktop searches by 2016 (likely before )
Online Marketing Stats
*Source: Localsearchstudy.com 2012
FAIL
Local Online Marketing 2014
How Do I Know This is Worth My Time?
Part 2
ORGANIC SEARCH KEY FINDINGS B2B
• Google is responsible for almost 90% of all organic search, making it the single most important referring source of traffic (36% of all traffic comes from Google).
• Organic search is still the #1 driver of traffic, accountable for 41% of all visits to B2B websites.
• Branded searches (searches that include the name of the company) show the highest engagement of any other source (3.71 page views per visit) and account for 31% of all visits from organic search.
Online Marketing Stats 1
2012 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report © 2013 Optify Inc.
Inbound Marketing VS. Outbound Marketing: Lead Generation
Survey N = 3,339 Source: HubSpot
Note: Graph excludes “email” and “don’t know/not applicable” responses.
Q: What percentage of your company's leads come
from each of the following sources?
Online Marketing Stats 2
Inbound marketing delivers
54% more leads into the
marketing funnel than
traditional outbound leads.
Source: HubSpot
Online Marketing Stats 3
Companies That Blog Generate 126% More Leads Than Those That Don’t
Source: HubSpotSurvey N = 2,300
Online Marketing Stats 4
The average company
that blogs generates 55% more website visitors
Source: HubSpot
Online Marketing Stats 5
70% of Consumers Prefer Getting to Know a Company Via Articles (Not Ads)
Source: Content Plus
Online Marketing Stats 6
Social Media & Blogging Cost Marketers Time, Not Money
Source: HubSpotSurvey N = 3,339
Online Marketing Stats 7
52% of All Marketers Found a Customer via Facebook in 2013
Source: HubSpot
Online Marketing Stats 8
43% of All Marketers Found a Customer via LinkedIn in 2013
Source: HubSpot
Online Marketing Stats 9
36% of All Marketers Found a Customer via Twitter in 2013
Source: HubSpot
Online Marketing Stats 10
46% of online consumers
count on social media when
making a purchase decision.
Source: Nielsen
Online Marketing Stats 11
89% of online consumers
use search engines when
making a purchase decision.
Source: Fleishman-Hillard
Online Marketing Stats 12
SEO, Social Media Play Key Roles in Customer Acquisition
Survey N = 3,339 Source: HubSpot
Online Marketing Stats 13
SEO Produces Solid Annual Lead ConversionsQ: Please estimate your company’s cost per lead for each of the channels listed vs. your overall average cost per lead.
Survey N = 3,339 Note: Graph shows only above-average lead conversion rates.Source: HubSpot
Online Marketing Stats 14
SEO Is the Best Inbound Strategy in Terms of Sales Conversion vs. Effort
Q: How does your company dedicate its full-time marketers to the following channels (as a percent of total time) / What is the average percentage of leads your company converts to sales?
Survey N = 3,339 Note: Graph shows only above-average lead conversion rates. Source: HubSpot
Online Marketing Stats 15
54% of U.S. adults are
more likely to discover
websites via organic search
results vs. paid results.
Source: Forrester Research
Online Marketing Stats 16
53% of organic search
clicks go to the #1 (top-
ranked) search result.
Source: Search Engine Watch
Online Marketing Stats 17
SEO Leads Have a 14.6% Close RateOutbound Leads (e.g. Direct Mail, Print Ads): 1.7%
Source: Search Engine Journal
Online Marketing Stats 18
Local Online Marketing 2014
Keywords, People and Answers!
Part 3
Your Online Strategy
The 3 Keys to Success Online
• Targeted Traffic: Steady/Ongoing targeted traffic from multiple sources to generate new customers
• Conversions: An engaging website that turns visitors into customers
• Repeat Sales & Referrals: A process for getting customers coming back again and again
and telling others!
Your Online StrategyThis depends on the people you anticipate coming to your website
It’s all about Personas (or Personae if you’re a classicist!)
http://moz.com/blog/keyword-driven-personas-whiteboard-friday
You Need to Understand Several Factors Before the Developer
Builds Your Website.
• Who – is this potential customer?• What – do they want to do?• How – are they asking for your
answer?• Where – are they coming from?• How(2) – do I know I’ve got it right?
P- p – pick a persona!Who is that ideal
customer?What do you want them
to do when you land?What do they want or
need?How do you know how
to satisfy their need?
Over to You
Persona New business owner
ActivityGo to blog, sign up for seo course. Buy starter seo service
Wants
Browsing for advice to make new business visible quickly
Keywords
Metric
Demography
Targeted Traffic: Keyword Research
Tuning the website in, to the questions your next customer’s asking.
• Which keywords get the most searches / traffic?
• Competitive analysis – am I just competing locally or am I taking on the whole UK or a global market?
• Buyer keywords vs. DIY or sniffer keywords
Attracting Targeted Traffic: Orgasmic oops! Organic SEO• Relevance: Good SEO is all about becoming
relevant as the obvious answer or solution to a problem or need in the eyes of the search engines and website visitors for your products/services.
• Analytics & WMT: Google and Bing are watching what happens when people visit your site! Analytics & WMT
• Content: You become relevant by creating quality focused content on and off your site. “Stuff” that people might feel inclined to engage with and share.
Over to You 2Keyword research
Time to Go Googling
Free keyword information from Google Adwords:
Go to Google Adwords and register if you haven’t already.
http://adwords.google.co.uk
Grouping Keywords - YouTube http://ow.ly/uV3Xy
Why Ranking Matters
Source: Slingshot SEO study 2011
Why Ranking Matters
Source: Slingshot SEO study 2011
Other things being equal; the higher you are the more clicks you get!
Local Online Marketing 2014
On-Page SEO – the Slightly Technical and Definitely
Nerdy Bit!
Part 4
Oh Yeah Baby!
On-Page Optimisation: The Slightly Techie Way That SEO Tunes You in to What people are Asking For!
• URL – yourwebsite.co.uk/keyword-relevant-page-title
•NOT yourwebsite.co.uk/dyno-gobbledygook/session_id=984r
eCommerce sites beware! This is an Achilles heel.
•Title tags- The most important single on-page factor! MOZ
•Image tags – Tell the “Big G” what your picture is about –search spiders can’t “see” your super sensuous fashion shots.
•Blog –regularly and create posts which use the target keywords in fresh, unique or well curated content.
•Relevant Engaging Content (text – try making SEO exciting !)
Over to You 3Build Your Page
On Paper or Electronica:
Create the text for your next web page using the paper writing frame, the Word version or best; using Word without the guides.
(Beware the funny characters from Word though!)
Draft it in the backend of the website if it’s Wordpress or similar.
Local Online Marketing 2014
Off-Page SEO – The Not Technical but Distinctly
Obsessive Bit
Part 5
• Offsite optimization– Listings in Google Plus business pages.– Citations from trusted, authority sites & directories. – Links and mentions from authority sites.– Reviews from customers on your website are good;
from social media & business listing sites gold dust!– Links and mentions from social media posts.– Offsite optimization is all about links & social
proof. (the right kind of links give search engines confidence in your website)
Targeted Traffic: Local SEO Needs Backup!
• Offsite optimization – Backlinks or getting the finger pointed at YOU!
SEO Needs to be Built Up and Links Earned
Creating Content: articles, videos, blog posts, how tos, 5 tips, guest posts on other relevant blogs, contributing to e-mags which link back to you!
Sharing Content: posting other people’s content to video sharing sites, social bookmarking sites, article sites (?), some social platforms etc.
What Mature SEO Can Look Like
Local SEO: Usually Much Easier!
But not if you dither!
Local Search Optimization
• Showing up in Local Search Results is Critical– Well optimised listings in Google Plus Local, Yahoo
local, and Bing local are especially important to tie you to a place and identify you as a genuine local business.
– Showing up in local listings and in organic listings will increase your click through rates (the number of people who click on your listing)!
– Service businesses have a slight problem. Google’s terms and Conditions.
Local Optimization
http://prezi.com/j0panhtqlhmf/local-seo-priorities-for-new-businesses-or-new-websites/
Local Online Marketing 2014
“Wot Abaht” Social and Mobile? They’re Supposed to
be Important!
Part 6
• Source: Localsearchstudy.com 2012
Mobile Strategy?
• 42% of mobile phone users have a smartphone• 61% of those users conduct local search on their phone• When they search they “Want it now!”
Consider: A mobile responsive website or a mobile version of your site! Google has stated a preference for responsive, but the acid test is what do you want your visitor to do?
Why Facebook?
The Social Media Effect
For different businesses, the social media platform might differ but the rule is the same:
Be where your customers are!
Because that’s where a lot of your customers are!
• Be social / fun / off-beat• Post or link to useful stuff• Go multi-media – Images work
particularly well• Run contests – rules apply!• Drive traffic for events/specials• Keep your business page and personal
profiles separate(ish)• Rinse and repeat (?) for your other
platforms
What can you do on Facebook?
What is the 2nd Most Popular Search Engine?
86+% of Online Users View Online Video Each Month
People search with Keywords as well... use the tags!
• #2 most used search engine (behind Google)• 20 hours of video uploaded every minute• More video is uploaded in 60 days than all 3 major
US networks created in 60 years• Google LOVES video and is beginning to understand
it – transcriptions!• YouTube helps boost Your SEO Efforts, it can boost
your website’s authority and can help strengthen your Google + authorship
Why YouTube?
• Testimonials (client interviews)• Describe your creation, product or service• Roving reporter • 5 FAQs• DIY Tips• Grand Opening Videos• Instructional
What videos should you create?
What’s Your Strategy?
Before you get your web designer to build that website:
• Find out how your customers are searching for what you do. If you are a start up most of them won’t know your name! Keyword research pays off!
• Work out what keywords show an intention to buy and build your website around those phrases.
• Build a responsive or a mobile friendly website ESPECIALLY if you are local!
• Be social! Work out where your audience hangs out and be there!
• Invest as much in optimising and socialising as you do in the design of a website, the days of “EASY” online are disappearing fast, even in Cumbria.
Looking Good is Important Being Found is even more important!
Today’s Learning
1. Where does search engine optimisation fit into marketing my business?
2. Evidence that illustrates why and how digital or “inbound” marketing is so effective.
3. Keywords and understanding customer intent. The On- Page stuff.
4. Widening your local footprint: Off-Page techniques.
5. Where mobile and social fit into an optimised web presence
6. Priorities for a New Business or a New Website.
Consulting Cumbria Ltd
We are here to help you lift websites from obscurity.
Generate the sales that your business depends on in the most cost effective way.
Traditional advertising is not bringing the ROI that it used to; but don’t write it off yet!
Optimised digital marketing is!Call us to help you on your journey.
01228 907 795
Credits and Acknowlegements
Perfect pagehttp://moz.com/blog/visual-guide-to-keyword-t
argeting-onpage-optimizationInbound Statshttp://offers.hubspot.com/2013-state-of-inboun
d-marketing
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