Vanessa Bright Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for traditional marketers Overview
Search Engine Optimization For Traditional Marketers
Oct 19, 2014
Traditional marketers have many misconceptions about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). I tried to explain these misconceptions many times and often found myself an interpreter between marketing and IT. This presentation is specifically created for traditional marketers; it uses the most easy to explain approach from my experience and does not include any technical nuances.
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Vanessa Bright
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)for traditional marketers
Overview
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Relax, SEO is… Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is part of Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
• The most important for SEO: understanding your audience
Outline
• Explanation of Search Engine Optimization from marketing perspective
• Practical tips
– Keyword research
– Web site SEO
– Press release SEO
– Social media SEO
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What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Search Engine Optimization is optimizing marketing programs for a new audience – a search engine spider
Search Engine Optimization has a technical element, but it is a marketing initiative that involves much more than a web site
Common misconception: “SEO is something IT does with the Web site when everything is completed…” It would be similar to “Brand is something designers do when they design an ad…”
Spider is a program that automatically indexes Web content. The index is used to find the most relevant information on the Internet
Spider can be considered a very knowledgeable friend that can always find needed information
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Search Engine Spider as an audience
Search Engine Spider is an influencer
What Spider likes?
What Spider wants?
• Electronic copy… everywhere on the web• Links• Can not see images• Can not see animation (at this point)• Can not see password-protected information• Prefers its information fresh…
• To find the most relevant information and present it on the search results page… to “keep the job”
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Universal Search
Sponsored Links (advertisement you can buy; spider is not involved)
Organic (listing you can not buy; based on “spider work”)
Videos
News
Social Networks (MySpace, Facebook)
Blogs
Books
We should optimize everything
(Spider is not concentrating on Web sites only)
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Targeting different audiences
Audiences
Web Site
Interactive Marketing Channels
Blog Press Release
Micro Site
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Considering that we are “customer centric…”
Web Site
Blog
Press Release
Micro Site
Web Site
Press Release
Blog
Micro Site
Spider influences every audience that uses search engines
We should optimize everything based on the key phrases each audience would use
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Marketing Strategy and Search Engine Optimization
POST method (Forrester)
1. People (determine target audience and its needs/desires)
2. Objectives (determine what do you want to achieve)
3. Strategy (determine how do you plan to achieve it)
4. Technology (find technology that suits your purpose)
SEO needs to be considered at every stage of the process
Common misconception: “IT group has some content management system; let us use the shell of an old web site and make a new web site quickly…”
Why this approach is wrong:
– it is backward – it starts from the technology which may not fit customer needs and business objectives
- It is similar to branding approach “other group has some brand; let us use it for our new product and promote it quickly…”
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All of it should work together –
Optimization is not a campaign – it is an approach; it is a permanent activity; a “state of mind”
Search Engine Optimization process
Audience: how they search?keyword research
Based on research: Site structure
Based on research: Site copy
Building the site –Based on research: Tags, internal links
Based on research: External links, PR, etc.
Web site or micro site
Social media
Audience: how they search?keyword research
Based on research: copy / file names
/ tags
Based on research: links
Press release
Audience: how they search?keyword research
Based on research: title and copy
Based on research: links
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Keyword Research
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal(Google only - about 73% of US online search volume)Example – chocolate covered cherry
Key phrases used in Google searches
Last month search volume on Google
Google search trends over last year
Plural is more popular
Highest search volume is in December
Research Keywords that your target audience is using to find your product
Learn more: very concise article about keyword research
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Web site optimization - copy
This easy to understand example is from http://www.stomperblog.com/
You found key phrases that your prospects use; now these words need to be available for the Spider (become part of Web site copy).
Important: do not use “keyword staffing” just adding keywords into the text, use keywords and other relevant words.
Key word example: pasta
If you are looking for pasta, you came to the right place… Pasta blah blah… pasta pasta… blah blah, pasta…
I love pasta! Nothing makes me happier than cooking some Macaroni and Cheese in my kitchen. Even though I am sensitive to carbohydrates, there are some great pasta companies, like Dreamfields who makes low-carb Spaghetti, Linguini, and Angel Hair. If you are interested in gourmet cuisine, then this pasta will bring the flair of an Italian meal (with high fiber) in a flash.
SHOULD BE BETTER
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Web site optimization – copy
• Have about 250 words of copy per page (however, do what is reasonable for your customers
• Optimize one key phrase per page (2-3 times per paragraph)
• Use key phrases in bold, italic, bulleted lists and headings
• Use key phrases as anchor text of links
• Title tag
– Use unique title tags for each page
– Start title tag from key phrase, not your brand
• Description tag
– Use unique description tags for each page
– Phrase description as a call to action and use key phrase
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Web site optimization – copy (title and description tags)
Title tag
Could be description tag
Title tag
Description tag
Search results your prospect/customer could see
Code your prospect/customer would not see(to view the code, right-click on the web page and select “view source”)
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Web site optimization – copy (title and description tags)
Title tag is also visible on the page
If your content management system allows changing title tags and descriptions, you can do it.
If not, ask site developers.
You can always verify title tags and descriptions in the code ;-)
Key phrase Company name or brand
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Web site optimization – internal links
Your site
Determine which page should be optimized as a search landing page and link key phrase from other pages to it(business decision)
Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Create “clusters” of key phrase linksleading to the targeted page
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Web site optimization – external links
Something about dark chocolate
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate
Your site
Your Press Release (optimized!)In Business Wire (for example)
Your blog (optimized!)
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate
Ask for links (or create them) from other sites with similar content, articles, social sites, trade associations, etc.
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Press Release Optimization
Lorem ipsum dolar sit amet, Chocolate Covered Cherries et dolore magn trud exercitation ullamcorpor susc vel eum irure dolor in reprehende dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
At lupatum delenit aigue duos dolor tempor sunt in culpa qui officia d dereud facils est er expedit distinc peccand quaerer en imigent cupidat. Cherries, Covered with Dark Chocolate ad quam vis vadisen vlavis confecs nis revinc tae. Ietm hae magnitu dine for super oper mari aggere. Oppidi his mowni bus suifs fortunis desp
erate coe Chocolate Gourmet se rursus isdem opport unitel rursus isdem opport loci defen porti busi. Navigandi ad nunc. Que neque pedibus ipsorum, naves ad hunc mod arm aeque, erant fere situs oppi dorum ut facilus. Vada ac desussum aestus exipe aditurn habere ex alto.
Oppidi his mowni bus suifs fortunis Cherry recipei ban ibi se rursus isdem Dark chocolate candy isdem opport loci defen porti busi. Situs era eod oppi dorum, ut posta. Lorem ipsum dolar sit amet, cons incidunt ut labore et
dolor tempor sunt in culpa qui officia d dereud facils est er expedit distinc peccand quaerer en imigent cupidat.
Chocolate Covered Cherries – the rest of the title of the press release
ChocolateCovered Cherries
(page Inside your main site )
Research key phrases
Use key phrase as close to the beginning of the title as possible
Optimize the release copy
Link appropriate key phrases to the page of the site with the same topic or product
Use advanced opportunities, such as Business Wire Smart Press Releases
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Social Media optimization
• Use key phrases in profile names, copy, links
• Optimize file names (images, video)
• If tags are allowed (blogs, social bookmarking sites) use keywords as tags
Example for a photo sharing network: name the image dark-chocolate-covered-cherries.jpg rather than cher-23.jpg
Learn more about Social Media SEO
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Remember every audience
Create for the user, but don’t forget the spider… so the user can find it
These are basic concepts of Search Engine Optimization; learn more in the future. SEO isnot a rocket science, but it has a few nuances that need to be understood.
SEO is just part of marketing. If you are not using it yet, start now!
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Questions
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