Search Engine Marketing 101

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Search Engine Marketing 101

• October 2, 2008

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Agenda

• Internet strategy
• Website structure
• A/B, Multivariate Testing
• Traditional Media
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
• Web 2.0, Social Media

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Your Takeaways

• Better understanding of the power and potential
  of the internet to grow your business
• New internet tactics to grow your business
• Tools to drive more website traffic covert that
  traffic to sales
• Conversion

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The Inernet

• The Internet has and is rapidly changing the way
  we communicate.

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We Communicate

• Email
• Online Newspapers
• Digital magazines
• E-newsletters
• Blogs
• Video Conferencing
• Digital Television
• Social Web 2.0

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We Do Business

• The Internet is changing the way we do business.

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How We Do Business

• How we prospect
• How we sell
• How we deliver information
• How we research
• How we service customers
• With whom we work
• Without borders
• Shifting work to customers

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The Internet in Perspective

• 2/3rds of respondents to a recent survey said
  offline ads such as TV and direct mail drive them
  to search for a company online
• Internet Retailer Magazine

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• Officedepot.com conversion rate of 29.6 is
  more than a fourth larger than No. 2
  1-800-flowers.com, at 20.9
• Neilsen Online, July 08

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• Web sales account for 36 of total revenue this
  year, up from 31 for companies that mainly sell
  through catalogs.
• Direct Marketing News

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• Gap Inc. Web sales rose 11 while total sales
  fell by 5.44 and comparative store sales fell by
  10.
• Internet Retailer Magazine

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• With product videos on www.shoeline.com
  boosting conversion by 44 in a test, the
  retailer plans to expand the program this fall.
• Internet Retailer Magazine

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• Six-Year-Old News Story Causes United Airlines
  Stock to Plummet
• Google placed the wrong date on the news
  release. The stock plummeted 75 in minutes
• Sept 7, 2008

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• Google recognizes 1 trillion unique URLs and
  adds more than 2 billion new pages of content
  every day.
• Google Press Release

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Your Internet Strategy

• Study internet leaders and innovators
• Apply tactics to your business
• Make it easier for customers to do business with
  you
• Customer centric
• Integrate on-line and off-line

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• The Internet is changing our lives more
  dramatically and faster than virtually any other
  technology development in the history of the world

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Where are you going?

• Would you please tell me which way I go from
  here? asks Alice to the Cheshire Cat.
• The Cat grins and answers, That depends on where
  you want to get to.
• I dont much care where says the lost Alice.
• Then says the Cat it doesnt matter which way
  you go.
• Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

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Internet Strategy

• What is your business strategy?
• How does it relate to the internet?
• Study internet winners
• Research your competition
• Aim to be the best
• Innovate
• Integrate with off-line strategy

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Internet Strategy

• Your internet strategy defines how you build and
  manage your website and integrate SEM into your
  overall MARCOM program.

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Website Goals

• Brochure-ware website
• Leads
• Sales
• Cut sales cycle time
• Cut cost of sales
• Distribute literature, manuals
• Make it easier to buy
• Raise money

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Traffic Driving Tactics

• Traditional Media
• Search Engine Optimization
• Search Engine Marketing
• Viral and Gorilla marketing

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Traditional Media

• Print advertising
• Broadcast advertising
• Direct mail
• Yellow pages
• Trade shows
• There is direct correlation between traditional
  media advertising and website traffic.

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Search Engine Optimization

• SEO is the art and science of designing web pages
  so search engines can find and rank them, ahead
  of your competition.

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Search Engine Optimization

• SEO is time consuming and requires skill and
  experience not found in most companies, including
  web development companies.

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Search Engine Optimization

• A well strategized and tactically implemented SEO
  program will pay for itself many times over.

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Search Engine of Market

• Google, Yahoo and MSN make up the lions share of
  the daily search volume.
• Google 56.5 US share of search volume
• Yahoo 23.3 US share of search volume
• MSN 11.3 US share of search volume
• AOL 4.5 US share of search volume
• 95.6

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In Google We Trust

• Google is the number one ranked trusted company
  in the US
• 2008 Edelman Trust Barometer
• Harris Interactive Reputation Quotient
  Survey
• July 08 Google recognizes 1 trillion unique
  urls and is adding several billion new pages per
  day
• Google was incorporated on Sept 4, 1998

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SEO On Page Factors

• Website platform
• Website design content
• Meta keywords
• Website description
• Page titles
• Alt tags
• Same site hyperlinks
• Site map

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SEO Website Platform

• Website Platform
• ASP.Net, PHP, HTML SEO friendly
• Flash, ColdFusion not SEO friendly
• Must be linear
• Must be scalable
• Content Managed System (CMS)
• SEO-able
• w3c standards

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SEO - Website Design

• Targeted to audience
• Different design rules than print media
• Key information above-the-fold
• Easy to navigate- user friendly
• Fast loading
• Minimal clicks
• Consider using video

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SEO Website Design 2

• Creates an overall feel without calling too much
  attention to itself
• Enables visitors to easily perform tasks
• Reinforce your brand without seeming like an ad

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SEO - Content

• Pay attention to keywords
• Use consistent wording
• Use benefit text and offers
• Use call-to-action (CTA) verbs
• Use logical, CTA page conclusions
• Place CTAs where eye-path ends

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SEO Content 2

• Make CTA balloons jump off-the-page
• Be tasteful
• Use text hyperlinks
• Keep it clean dont overdo hyperlinks
• Use Ariel or other web safe typeface y
• Print writing rules do not apply
• Content is why visitors are coming to your
  website

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Multivariate Split Testing

• Simultaneously test multiple variables for
  highest response.
• The test tool automates the process by auto
  swapping each option and tracks results.

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Multivariate Website Testing

• Can simultaneously test web page factors to boost
  sales, leads, opt-ins.
• Makes use of statistical Taguchi methods to
  accelerate the test results.
• Let the market decide your best web page options.
  No need for guesswork.
• Click traffic can be expensive. Make the most of
  your website by boosting conversion.
• Can be used to test off-line advertising before
  going to print.

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Test Elements

• Headlines
• Sub-headlines
• Offers
• Body Copy
• Bullets
• Guarantees
• Lead Forms
• Calls to Action
• Order Pages

• Testimonials
• Price
• Bonuses
• Images
• Graphics
• Video
• Audio
• Fonts
• Colors

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Statistics Identify Winners

• Track confidence intervals and conversion
  percentage to find best options.

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Multivariate Test Case Study

• Project Goal Perform multivariate split testing
  to boost the web lead conversion rate for client
  website landing pages. Increase the lead
  conversion rate from less than 3 to 6 to 10
  through text and graphics changes to optimized
  landing pages.

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Actual MV Test Results

• Click to Lead Conversion rates
• Before After
• City/website A 3.19 6.53
• City/website B 4.06 6.52
• City/website C 2.42 5.58
• City/website D 3.92 10.35

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Actual MV Test Results

• Time Period 1/1 8/6 8/8 9/28
• Clicks 22,179 4,992
• Leads 707 326
• Conv. Ratio 3.19 6.53
• Cost/Lead 49.80 23.77
• Lead costs decreased by 52.27

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SEO - Meta Keywords

• Use them in text
• Use multiple words for the same product, e.g.
  pants, trousers, slacks, breeches
• Devote page to high traffic keywords
• Dont make keyword assumptions
• Research keywords
• Code keywords properly

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Developing Keywords

• Words that describe your business, products
  services
• General vs. specific
• Short and Long tail
• Study competitor websites
• Use keyword search tools
• http//adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExtern
  al

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Phrase Match Keywords

• Phrase Match keywords will trigger your ad for
  any query that includes your keyword or phrase in
  the exact sequence you specify.
• Example used book will appear with used
  book dealer query but not used paperback book

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Exact Match Keywords

• Exact Match is the most precise method for
  targeting keywords. Queries have to precisely
  match your keyword.

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Negative Match Keywords

• Negative Match keywords prevent your listing from
  appearing when a search includes a keyword that
  you dont want and is not relevant to your
  business.

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Embedded Match Keywords

• Embedded Match is a sophisticated form of keyword
  matching that allows you to prevent your ad from
  appearing in relation to certain phrases or exact
  matches.
• Example When an advertiser sells merchandise
  related to a movie or book but not the actual
  book or movie.

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Broad Match Keywords

• Broad Match is the default setting for your
  keywords. This means that your word will appear
  when other words are included in the query.
• Example used book will show up in buy used
  book, used and rare book etc. searches.

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Keyword Matching Options

• For more information go to
• www.google.com/adwords/learningcenter
• Keyword tools
• http//adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExtern
  al
• www.wordtracker.com
• www.vretoolbar.com/keywords

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Short vs. Long Tail Keywords

• Short Keyword
• High search volume
• Increased visibility
• Less qualified traffic
• Lower conversion rate
• Potential higher cost

• Long Tail Keyword
• Highly qualified traffic
• Higher conversion rate
• Lower cost
• Low search volume
• Identifying right keywords

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Same-Site Hyperlinking

• Google believes that when one page links to
  another page it is effectively casting a vote for
  the other page. The more votes cast the more
  relevant a page must be.
• Use Hyperlinks to visit other pages, view
  images, download files, run media, activate
  Javascripts

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Hyperlink Tutorial

• http//www.ironsider.ca/format_text/hyperlinks.htm
  
• http Hyper Text Transfer Protocol
• WWW Host name, World Wide Web
• Ironsider SLD Second Level Domain
• .ca TLD Top Level Domain
• Descriptive text
• ltahrefwww.ironsider.ca/format_text/hyperlinks.ht
  mgtltCreating Hyperlinkslt/agt

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Page Titles

• Like book chapter titles
• Help search engines better understand page
  content
• Maximum recommended length is 70 characters
• Title every page for optimal results

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Font Tags CSS

• FTs not critical for Google
• Good practice other search engines
• Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to separate your
  websites content from its appearance

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Alt Tags

• Photo and image descriptions
• Search engines cant see images
• Alt Tags assign text to an image
• Give search engines a way to classify and
  validate content

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Site Map

• Site Map - blueprint of your website.
• Your developer can create it using a software
  program
• Site Map is part of the Google algorithm
• www.google.com/webmaster/tools/en/sitemap-generato
  r.htm
• l

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Blogs

• Are popular now but are falling in popularity, on
  B2B sites
• Costly and time consuming to keep up
• Most have little readership or participation
• Blogs help optimization

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RSS Feed

• RSS feeds allows users to subscribe to your blog
• Uses weather, stock market, commodity prices,
  sports scores, news events, announcements

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What Not To Do

• Dont use hidden text
• Dont use doorway pages, cloaking and deceptive
  redirects
• Dont use automated submissions
• Dont use keyword stuffing
• Dont use content repetition
• Dont join link farms
• Dont get blacklisted

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SEM Off-Page Factors

• Inbound links
• Pay-Per-Click
• Google Maps
• Affiliate partners
• Directories

• Article syndication
• E-press releases
• Banner Ads
• Blogs
• Social media

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Google PageRank (PR)

• Google uses an extremely sophisticated and ever
  changing algorithm to rank websites and assign
  them a PageRank (PR rank) from 1 to 10.

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Google PageRank (PR)

• PR 0 3 New websites and websites with
  minimal links
• PR 4 5 Popular websites with a fair amount
  of inbound links
• PR 6 Very popular websites with hundreds
  of quality links
• PR 7 10 You need to be Amazon, Ebay, NY
  Times

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Organic Search Traffic

• Over 70 of B2B buyers use a search engine at the
  start of their buying process
• About 75 of B2B prospects click on organic
  results
• Less than 19 of B2B buyers click on paid search
  ads
• 77 of B2B prospects prefer Google
• Machine Design Magazine Study

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Organic Search Placement

• Organic search clicks by SERPS page placement
  chart

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Directories Free and Paid

• Dmoz.org
• JoeAnt.com
• Jayde.com
• Gimpsy.com
• Illumirate.com
• Skaffe.com
• Xoron.com
• Somuch.com

• Websavvy.com
• Dc2net.com
• Re-quest.net
• Netinsert.com
• Galaxy.com
• Mavicanet.com
• Bizweb.com
• Yeandi.com

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Inbound Links

• Search Google for search terms
• Find your competitor websites\Find websites
  linking to them
• www.competitor-domain.com
• Email them and ask for a reciprocal link
  exchange

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Inbound Links cont.

• How many links do I need?
• You need to have more inbound links than your
  competitor websites to outrank them
• For one client we added more than 30,000 links in
  12 months

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Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

• Sponsored Listings
• Live Auction
• Position determined by bid price number of
  clicks
• Set up and manage campaigns
• Run Google Analytics

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Geo-Targeting

• By mile radius
• By city, county, state
• By zip code
• Demographic targeting

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3rd Party Websites

• Text ads on 3rd party websites
• Google 3rd party ad program
• No control over where ads appear
• Lower quality clicks / leads

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E-press releases

• Use to build links
• Must be newsworthy
• Use digital pr service
• Which services depends on the release market
  financial, sports, manufacturing etc.

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Syndicated Articles

• aka article marketing
• Generic, non-sales articles
• Published articles create links
• Traffic generating
• Helps PR Rank

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Affiliate Partners

• Pay partner per click to your website
• Pay per transaction
• Examples
• Amazon
• Flowers.com

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Banner Ads

• On 3rd party websites
• Pop-up ads
• Pay on a CPM basis
• Use for reach only
• Low volume leads
• Low quality leads

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Conclusion

• It takes training, experience and time to do SEM
  right and to harness the Power of the Internet
• SEM is part art and part science

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Conclusion

• Download the PowerPoint at
• www.brandspringsolutions.com
• Contact me dave.maiser_at_brandspringsolutions.com
• Phone [phone]