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Web Search Marketing is Key

2010-12-15T01:10:00.001-08:00

even if they don’t have a website or sell anything online. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Up to 70 percent of offline purchase decisions are made on the Web, according to Herschel Thompson, head of InteractiveStrategist.com, an online marketing consultancy. Online searches are the new Yellow Pages, leading customers to goods and services. Even the most conservative observers of the online space concede that search engine marketing is playing an increasingly important role in driving business, particularly for small companies serving local markets.

“Search engine marketing doesn’t build awareness; it captures existing demand,” Thompson told BusinessNewsDaily. “Search engines are how most websites generate visits and revenue.”

And the local market is search’s sweet spot, he said — 29 percent of all online searches are local. There are lots of acronyms flying around in the realm of online search — SEO, SEM, PPC, etc. But it boils down to two main categories: organic search, which is based on a site’s contents and the number of other sites that link to it, and paid search, which involves bidding on key words and phrases that you believe will drive profitable traffic to your business.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) involves building a site that is search-engine friendly so that your business shows up in organic search results.

“With SEO, there are no guarantees,” said Thompson. “In some industries, it’s going to be hard to get to the top through organic search.”

But there are ways of maximizing how you appear to the algorithms that guide online search. High-quality original content is key,” he said.

“Hyperbole gets filtered out by skeptical consumers,” Thompson said. “You win online by being authentic. You can’t put lipstick on a pig.”

Search engine authority Matt McGee agrees that content is king.

“There are a whole lot of things you can do that you don’t have to hire an expert to do,” McGee said. “A lot of really good content is an absolute must. Content that answers people's questions, all the stuff people ask when they send you an e-mail.”

McGee’s specialty is Search Engine Marketing (SEM), which takes up where SEO leaves off. That process begins by taking stock of what you already have, auditing your current Web presence to see what content you have and what could be improved, how search-friendly the architecture of the site is and how well the key words and phrases match the actual language people use when they search.

Not paying attention to how customers search is a major stumbling block for many sites, he said. How you refer to your goods and services may not be the way your customers refer to them.

Once you know what you have, SEM addresses what you need.

“Identify phrases and terms you could use to add new content to your site,” McGee said. “Make sure you have analytics on your site. Google Analytics is probably more than enough for most websites. You have to know what’s working. The great thing about online markets is the analytics on the web — you’ll get solid, actionable information.”

The hardest part follows — link-building. Your company's visibility, McGee said, is largely dependent on how many links you have to your site. There are several ways to attract links, including becoming active in social media and leaving quality comments on blogs that don't necessarily include a hard sales pitch. But link-building can be very difficult for many small businesses.

Social media audiences are extremely attuned to nuance, McGee said. They don’t want to swamped by a barrage of hard-sell postings and a constant barrage of sales pitches.

“Social stuff is about adding benefit to the community,” he said.

“Link-building is time-consuming,” McGee said. “And if it’s not time-consuming, then it’s costly. It’s either a time or money issue.”

Even though link-building eats up time and has a steep learning curve, though, McGee recommends businesses give it a try.

“The most successful online marketers are the ones who are willing to commit the time to learn as much as they can,” McGee said.

The third leg of the search marketing stool is paid search, also known as Pay-Per-Click (PPC).

“With SEO, there are no guarantees,” said Thompson. “Pay-per-click is easiest to measure. “

That’s both SEO's beauty and its liability, said Ben Kirshner, CEO of Elite SEM.

“The best thing about PPC is the measurability,” Kirshner said. “It’s good because you can see how much money you’re making. It’s bad because you can see how much money you’re losing.”

Managing a PPC account, much like link-building, is very time-consuming, he said — which is why many companies outsource this function to agencies specializing in PPC.

If you do decide to outsource, Kirshner said, ask the agency how much time will be devoted to your account and who will be working on it. Will it be staffed with untested rookies or vetted professionals?

Find out their terms of engagement. Some agencies want to lock you up for a year, he said. And ask about the technology they’ll be using.

“You have to use technology to beat the big boys," Kirshner said.

PPC is affordable for small businesses, he added, citing companies that have seen results from an investment as small as $50 to $100 a month. But he cautions small companies trying to make their mark within saturated, hyper-competitive fields such as financial services, travel and real estate to give PPC a wide berth unless they have deep pockets.

“SEM and SEO are not rocket science,” he said. “But it’s time-consuming. We print money for our clients. If we were losing them money, they wouldn’t be on my client list.”
What’s the trick?

“It’s art, it’s science, it’s luck,” said Thompson.

New Google Alogorithem problem for small websites

2010-12-15T01:07:00.000-08:00

Several smaller and more specialised search engines have accused Google of systemically promoting its own content over internet marketing services provided by them, it has been claimed.

An article in the Wall Street Journal noted some of the complainants, including TripAdvisor.com, WebMD.com and Yelp.com, believe the activities of the site are harming their own businesses.

It quoted Jay Herratti, chief executive of CityGrid Media, as one of those who stated Google was hurting the growth of his services, although he added it is very difficult to accurately measure the impact.

"There is no denying that today Google is competing [with many websites] for the same web traffic and the same advertising dollars," he told the publication.

Another executive to criticise Google was Stephen Kaufer of TripAdvisor, who claimed the traffic the organisation sent to his site dropped by ten per cent shortly after the search engine made changes to the way it displayed local businesses, the newspaper said.

The accusations are also the focus of an anti-trust enquiry recently announced into the corporation by the European Commission, which will investigate to see whether its practices break competition laws.

News brought to you by ClickThrough – specialists in Search Engine Optimisation and Internet Marketing.

sorce:http://www.clickthrough-marketing.com/googles-search-engine-marketing-tactics-hurting-smaller-sites-800289459/

ad campaign using social media

2010-06-04T02:51:00.000-07:00

In this post I'm looking at the world of real multichannel advertising, and how brands can extend the impact of a TV advertising campaign well beyond its airtime.

Earlier this month (May 2010), Bain & Company and the IAB concluded the final part of its year-long study into ‘Building Brands Online’.

The study (PDF) reports the need for brand advertisers to: ‘develop and utilise more innovative ad formats’; ‘cast a wider net for creative ideas’; and ‘drive cross-platform campaign integration’; in order to realise the real potential value of online advertising.

I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Brands spend an estimated £1.75 bn a year on online advertising in the UK, the majority of which is still spent on banner ads, ‘blind’ network advertising and, of course, search. Unsurprising, therefore, that the Bain and IAB report found that online advertising in its current format was failing to meet the expectations of brand marketers.

Online advertising, says the report, is valued by marketers, but they see it as a ‘call to action’ medium primarily (TV was still seen as the biggest ‘brand awareness’ medium).

But what’s really interesting is to consider the impact of merging the two things together; combining the awareness-driver with the (TV) with a direct response medium (online). Advertising nirvana: a brand campaign that lasts beyond the TV ad, and lets you measure its impact on sales, reputation or engagement with customers.

Welcome to the world of real multichannel advertising, that of extending the impact of a TV ad campaign. It can be done, just ask the nation’s favourite meerkat.

Creating a social media campaign that integrates with your advertising and marketing can add enormous returns but there are pitfalls. BBH’s Lynx Effect website, for instance, provides a sexy branded environment to showcase ads and combines it with some social tools to allow people to comment and share content.

But why not go the whole hog by creating a destination point for young men, optimised online and on mobile, which takes on a life of its own? Branded communities, supported by campaign-led Facebook and Twitter activities provide brands with a long-term footprint to learn from consumers and invite a meaningful interaction to shape the future of the brand.

Sure, it won’t work without support from other marketing channels, and the content needs to be compelling, but engaging destinations which position the brands as facilitators are on the increase. Pioneers such as Durex are leading the way, entertaining its target market and discovering more about them and its products but avoiding the sell-sell-sell mentality that goes against the grain of social spaces.

But (*whispered*) the truth is, there is an element of risk.

You might find out that the TV ad you’ve spent a year’s money on isn’t generating much interest, based on real metrics, rather than spurious ‘recall’ figures. Or that the product you’re spending a fortune developing and advertising isn’t selling very well.

Now, what could you do with that information?

1. Carry on regardless. Ignore the evidence, and say: ‘it’s all about the brand awareness, it isn’t about action’.
2. Change the ad campaign or product focus to reflect what your audience is saying, and make it more effective.

(Of course, if you used social media effectively before you launched your product, and brought customers in on the R&D process, you could test both the product and the ad before they go live, to see how they’ll be received. And save yourself a whole heap of bother in the process.)

Or, you might find out that you have a really loyal fan base who love your product, and who actively want to talk to you, buy from you, or associate themselves with you (Starbucks has 7.2 million fans on its official Facebook page. That’s 7.2m people it can sell more coffee to, without spending a dime).

Tayto’s, the Irish crisp brand, used a social media campaign to support the launch of an ‘autobiography’ for its iconic brand character, Mr Tayto. (Mr Tayto had his own microsite – www.mrtayto.ie – to promote the book, The Man Inside the Jacket, which drove crisp sales through promotions and offers. The book itself was a number one bestseller.) Using the kind of direct response tactics that online activity allows – such as vouchers and traffic sources – the brand could see exactly how well the social media element of the campaign was converting awareness into sales.

So, if you’re planning a big advertising campaign, consider how social media might help you convert awareness into action, and increase the long-term impact of your advertising. Get it right, and you could be onto a winner.

http://econsultancy.com/blog/6015-increasing-the-impact-of-an-ad-campaign-using-social-media?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

What are Search Engines? What is SEO?

2010-04-01T03:50:00.000-07:00

The following video is provided by Youtube.com – we are not responsible for the content of this video, as it is not hosted on our website. If you have problems playing the video below, or it is not what you were expecting, please email us at web (at) uptrendseo.com.

Free Seo Basics,What are Search Engines? What is Seo (Search Engine Optimization)? Basic information on How to use Serach Engines. What is SEO and Search Engine Pay Per Click (PPC) vs. Organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

How paid and organic search relate

2009-07-17T04:48:00.001-07:00

Chris Dawkins is founder and CEO of search engine optimization company Trace Media Marketing. Hands-On: Search recently asked Dawkins about best practices in blending organic search with pay-per-click search campaigns.

HOS: You specialize in SEO, or “natural” search marketing. How can SEO be combined with paid, pay-per-click (PPC) search ads?

Dawkins: As a general rule, marketers should dedicate half their budgets to SEO, or natural search, and the other half to their paid campaigns. For the short term, a paid search program has the benefit of delivering traffic almost right away, whereas SEO will likely take several months to deliver traffic.

[Also] testing various keywords and phrases with paid search can be beneficial to your SEO efforts. For example, you can figure out quickly which keywords convert to leads or sales. As your SEO campaign starts delivering traffic, you can back off a little from your paid campaign and focus more on SEO.

HOS: PPC campaigns can become expensive, especially in a competitive market or industry, right?

Dawkins: Yes, but you may not always want to bid on the most popular—and thus most expensive—keywords. You may want to take more of a long-tail approach and bid on niche or second-tier words. These aren’t quite as expensive as the top 10 terms, but can be effective for a lot of small companies.

You can compare keywords and their potential cost by using SEO keyword research tools from Wordtracker or Google AdWords’ keyword tool. The Google AdWords tool will give you an estimate of what it would cost to be on the first page of Google, as well as how much competition is out there for each keyword.

HOS: But with second-tier words, wouldn’t you get fewer click-throughs?

Dawkins: You will get fewer hits, true. But the theory is that the hits you get will be of higher quality because their narrowness will attract the people who really are looking for what you have to sell.

So you should narrow your use of keywords, focusing on just the product you sell or your geographical location. You may just get more sales from 10 clicks off these keywords than from 100 clicks from more generic, and expensive, terms.

HOS: How do landing pages fit into the equation?

Dawkins: You can use landing pages very effectively with paid search because you control exactly where the visitor lands. You can also have several different landing pages, so you can match the keywords that customers use with a highly relevant landing page. Landing pages can be very powerful tools when combined with paid search and can easily be changed or replaced if needed, so they are great for A-B testing.

As far as the information included on landing pages, the theory is that the bigger commitment you’re asking for, the more landing-page information you should offer. So, if your conversion goal is something simple, like trying to get people to download a white paper or sign up for a newsletter, you don’t need a lot of supporting information. But if you’re trying to get them to make a bigger commitment, like sign up for a year’s worth of services, you probably want to include more information such as case studies or testimonials.

HOS: What about the role of SEO vs. PPC when it comes to landing pages?

Dawkins: With paid search, the more focused the landing page is, the better. For example, a keyword-oriented landing page will typically perform better if it doesn’t have any internal navigation. And ideally you should not link that landing page to the rest of the Web site, where people can look around for 10 minutes and lose impetus. Once they start clicking around, they might just click off the site entirely.

I recommend that, once a visitor takes the desired action, such as contacting you or downloading a white paper, then you can forward him to the full Web site to see testimonials and your other clients, and to be reassured that his initial decision was a good one.

HOS: Are the rules different with SEO?

Dawkins: With SEO, you don’t have the same control over where users enter the Web site and, of course, you need to offer links to the rest of the site. This is where more advance techniques come into play. Building “silos” into your site, for example, involves using the internal link structure to create themed sections. When done properly, silos help improve ranking in search engines and help visitors navigate and make sense of your site.

Each silo has a main page and supporting pages. The supporting pages link to the main page of the silo, but do not link to supporting pages of other silos. In effect, you are telling search engines which pages of your site are most important and should be considered appropriate landing pages. This way, you can gain some control over where prospects initially land.

http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090715/FREE/907159985/1114/FREE

SEO Specialist Opines on Bing

2009-07-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

Microsoft recently rolled out its new search engine called Bing in an attempt to win over search market share from its main search rivals, Google and Yahoo! Some early traffic reports suggested an increase in search queries in the first few days of Bing’s existence, and according to SEO specialist, Greg Laptevsky, "Consumers should expect to see and hear more about 'Bing the Decision Engine,' to use Microsoft's marketing term, but it remains to be seen whether it is going to be the next big thing."

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/podcasts/episode/959-SEO-Specialist-Opines-on-Bing

While error-free content is best for SEO, top universities get a failing grade

2009-07-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

Many experts in the field of search engine optimization (SEO) have reminded those using the tool that content must be written with the reader in mind, which includes proper spelling - something a number of higher education facilities seem to be struggling with.

A new study from spellr.us - a web-based solution which reviews and reports spelling errors in online content - found that many of the world's top universities had spelling mistakes on their websites, with 13 of the top 20 schools misspelling the word "university."

With sometimes hundreds of pages on a site, it is not surprising to find mistakes on the website of any organization, but Kevin Garber, general manager at spellr.us, said it can give a negative impression to visitors of the site.

"A University's website is often the first point of contact for prospective students and staff," he said. "Spelling errors can convey sloppiness, which detracts from the message that a high quality education is on offer."

Of the world's top 20 schools, spellr.us says Duke University had the most errors with 300 while Canada's McGill University had the least with 34.

In addition to having well-written content with as few errors as possible, websites should also try to have original, quality content to help increase their search engine optimization (SEO). By doing this, experts say sites will see more long-term benefits in their SEO efforts.ADNFCR-1513-ID-19268938-ADNFCR

http://www.brafton.com/industry-news/while-error-free-content-best-seo-top-universities-get-failing-grade-$1311916.htm

Your SEO strategy should begin with a thorough review of your Web site

2009-07-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

When it comes to building a business and bringing in leads, there's no better way to accomplish this than your Web site. More and more companies are slashing their budgets for traditional advertising and focusing on their online marketing efforts instead. After all, there are numerous stats that show the significance of this shift – as much as 90% of all purchases begin with a keyword search. This just highlights the critical importance of implementing a search engine (SEO) optimization strategy in order to attract the right visitors to your site.

An SEO campaign begins with a thorough review of your Web site and content along with an evaluation of your competitors’ sites. During this review, you are looking to determine the best keywords that people will enter into a search engine in order to find the product or service that you offer. This is an in-depth review as you are looking to find the actual terms that people will use instead of the terms you think they should enter.

During this review, you should also take an objective look at the content on your site. Are your Web pages written in a way that makes your company seem like an expert in your field? If you offer a service, do you include your own articles on the site to build yourselves up as a leader? If you sell products, do you enable people to leave reviews? This is just the initial step but it begins to lay the foundation for revising your content as part of your SEO strategy to bring in more visitors.

This critical review will lead to several surprises. For example, many companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars on an outside firm to create their Web site only to realize that something as simple as the metatags weren’t coded properly. Each page on your site should target a specific keyword, so repeating your company’s name in the title of the page makes no sense. Most likely, your name is in the Web address anyway so the search engines will easily find it. Also keep in mind that most people won’t be searching for your company name; they’ll be entering keywords that describe a product or service. And if your site is optimized, it will come up on the first page of results.

If you’re a beginner to SEO, don’t fear. To view the metatags on your site, click View on your Web browser, and then click Source. This will display the source code for your Web page. Below is an example of a metatag from a firm offering copywriting services:

Copywriter | Freelance Copywriter

The title tag displays the title of the page on your Web browser. The keywords are intended to provide search engines with a list of the important terms on the page. The description typically appears in the search engine results to show what content is on the Web page.

Now while you’re going through the content on your Web pages, also make sure you view the source code and take a look at your metatags. 90% of the time, you’ll find these aren’t optimized. The good news is that this is an easy place to start revising your site as part of your SEO program. Keep in mind that your review will take time and there’s a lot that goes into it. Here’s a brief checklist to look for as you go through the Web pages:

Are the metatags optimized?
Is it easy for a visitor to find the contact information?
Is your Web site too graphic-intensive so it takes too long to load?
Do you have alt tags on your images?
Do you present useful content on each page?
Would someone visiting your site consider the content informative and helpful?
Are there a lot of Flash movies on your site? These are not found by search engines and can take a long time to run.
Do you have information about your company including its history, mission statement, management team, and locations?
Are you offering a lot of content about the field that you’re in?
Do you include a blog so you can easily connect with visitors and enhance your rankings?

These are just a few items to consider during your review. Feel free to email me any questions to cabramson@seohutnj.com as you begin the process.

http://www.examiner.com/x-16921-Newark-Internet-Business-Examiner~y2009m7d14-Your-SEO-strategy-should-begin-with-a-thorough-review-of-your-Web-site

Content from users can improve SEO

2009-07-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Companies generally don't think of taking the advice of their prospective clients when putting together a business model, but one expert says having content on a website that is created by users can increase search engine optimization (SEO) and lead to higher conversions.

Writing for Search Engine Land, Daniel Waisberg says that having user generated content on a website can benefit a company in a number of ways - not the least of which is having free content on a site for search engines to crawl.

Having user generated content can also give a site credibility, says Waisberg, as it shows what "real people" think about, while also giving feedback to the company that runs the site.

Although there is a level of unknown when it comes to user generated content, Waisberg says when done right it can have great effects.

"[L]everaging user generated content is an advanced technique to improve a website conversion rate and, in parallel, its SEO efforts," he writes.

And while some might think that the opinion of strangers means nothing to most people, a recent study would disprove that thought.

According to the latest Nielsen Global Online Customer Survey, people still put a lot of faith in "word of mouth" with 90 percent saying they trust recommendations from people they know online. However, 70 percent said they trust the online opinions of people they've never met.

Resource:http://www.brafton.com/industry-news/content-from-users-can-improve-seo-$1311467.htm

Robert Sharp & Associates moves Jillian Anderson into Internet marketing

2009-07-11T04:13:00.000-07:00

July 2009
Rapid City, SD - Jillian Anderson has assumed the position of Web Content and Social Media Developer for the Interactive Web Development Team at Rapid City marketing agency, Robert Sharp & Associates. Formerly Office Manager, she comes to her new post with a strong set of skills honed over the last two years in which she helped with the search engine optimization and social media advancement for this agency.

Thoroughly infused with customer service, Jillian contributes a broad professional background to a constantly changing field.

“Jillian has the kind of inquisitive and proactive personality that it takes to excel in this web marketing environment,” says Robert Sharp, president and CEO of this Rapid City interactive marketing firm. “A Jill of all trades, so to speak.”

Ms. Anderson is also a frequent contributor to this agency’s online marketing blog, with topics ranging from traditional media to social media marketing.

“I’m a fan of marketing and customer service as a whole,” says Jillian, “and the interactive web lends itself pretty seamlessly to both, so it’s a good fit and I am excited about all of the possibilities!”

For additional information, contact Tracey Scheich at Robert Sharp & Associates. Reach by phone 605.341.5226, fax 605.341.7390, or email at tracey@bbmstudios.com.

Robert Sharp & Associates is a Rapid City based advertising agency, and has achieved over three decades of excellence in advertising. They specialize in audio/visual production, graphic design, web development, event management, public relations, internet marketing and customer service.

SEO Secrets For Outranking Competition

2009-06-06T11:56:00.002-07:00

In a video interview with Laura Lippay, director of technical marketing at Yahoo, Mike McDonald confirms it takes more than title tags to outrank competitors. The strategy also requires social media, creating buzz, getting links and more.

McDonald writes that SEO is a competitive game, and staying on top requires more than standard best practices. Social media, for example, can help smaller businesses focus on what people say about their products and services, as well as how competitors "might be flailing," Lippay says.

What's Right, Wrong About SEO

2009-06-06T11:56:00.001-07:00

H1 tags, inbound links, correlation data, keywords, sub-domains vs. root domains and a variety of other topic were discussed this week at the SMX Advanced conference in Seattle. Matt Peterson encapsulates many sound bites in a very lengthy post from several sessions.

Peterson tells us which state-of-the art SEO ranking factors still work -- "and which page, site and keyword attributes are dead by the side of the road." He provides takeaways from a panel in which Rand Fishkin released findings from a forthcoming 2009 SEO ranking factors report, a survey sent to about 100 SEO professionals worldwide.

The Qualinsoft specially designed the seo bonanza

2009-03-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

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