Search Engine Optimization

The definition of synergy explains why it is critical to Search Optimization Marketing (SOM).

Roget’s Thesaurus gives us some interesting synonyms for the synergistic force:

Search Optimization Marketing calls for a unique kind of synergy. It requires that the elements that make Search Optimization Marketing (SOM) successful be allied in harmony with each other and traditional offline marketing efforts. Several important elements of SOM, when combined, produce results that are far greater than if only one or two of the elements are used to optimize a website. These elements include the use of ‘natural’ and ‘editorial’ Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click, plus an assortment of other issues including web design, landing pages and email capture. Research shows that the average increase is 108% when search engine marketing is outsourced vs. 32% when done in-house. While both of these numbers are good, the higher result is worth the extra investment.

The code and content of natural SEO, editorial search engine results are perceived to be more trustworthy and editorial coverage is 3 to 5 times more effective than advertising. Content is the most important aspect of SOM and how and why articles placed on websites, if properly created, will substantially increase rankings and traffic. A properly optimized press release will reach targeted writers and editors by allowing their filters to identify content relevant to their area of expertise.

 

Pay-Per-Click delivers immediate, guaranteed results and is one of the most valuable research tools available. In addition, writing targeted titles and descriptions for keywords and key phrases, and developing targeted landing pages to give a site multiple points of entry will dramatically improve PPC results. The first step of SOM is doing research; it is vital to research keywords thoroughly BEFORE designing a web site, writing web copy, creating a press release or creating other marketing and editorial materials. Email campaigns can be a powerful marketing tool as another part of the synergy mix.

 

Converting visitors can be managed and improved. Conversion rate is a key website advertising metric that measures how well or how badly a website is doing regardless of traffic levels. Website tracking and analytics monitor visitors’ behavior. These statistics are used to make decisions that will benefit the overall effectiveness of the website. A/B split testing increases conversion rates, challenges assumptions and solves problems. How this form of testing determines which elements on a page are helping the performance of a web page, and which are not.

Studies indicate that SEO used in concert with all SOM elements is an effective brand builder and this branding effect is amplified when all elements of SOM are coordinated by the marketing team. Teamwork involves understanding the SOM elements, knowing their value and working with them to increase sales and ROI. 

 

Editorial SEO
Editorial Search Engine Optimization involves several elements: the way the web copy is written, how and where copy is used, why particular copy is chosen for the site, the use of optimized articles with notable references and links, and the distribution of optimized press releases that will link to various landing pages on the website. All of these elements must be included simultaneously in order to gain a higher click-rate for the site.

 

Editorial search engine results are perceived to be more trustworthy. Editorial provides a site with real branding and trust, if the content is written properly. It is a fact that editorial coverage is 3 to 5 times more effective than advertising. These results can be likened to articles that appear in a magazine or newspaper. The credibility that enhances the website is superior to that of an advertisement in almost all cases.

 

Content, Content, Content
Content is the most important aspect of SOM. This is what the web users are searching for and because of this - content is also what the search engines are seeking. Properly created content will substantially increase rankings and traffic. Good content will also keep visitors at a website for longer periods of time and accelerate the buying process.

 

There are many forms of content that one can add to a website including specifically defined web page content, articles, blogs, forums, podcasts and Videocasts. This also includes content that is on other sites and is linked to a site. Content must be absolutely targeted to a selected audience and then it must be very well written. The best written and intelligent copy by a professional writer will give higher visibility, trust and respect (branding, too) than copy that is not well written.

 

The difference between writing copy for websites and writing copy for articles is like apples and oranges. Web copy must be keyword rich and that requires the use of measuring the value of the keywords for the site and using them throughout the copy in a manner acceptable by the search engines.

 

Public Relations
Sending a press release to the media is part of the mix – and an important one. Especially with the expanding number of people writing about products and services in the fast-paced media world that now includes Internet journalists. Newspapers, magazines, journals, blogs and other formats have a voracious appetite for content. They consume information; chew it up, spit it out and need more incoming information to write about the next day, week, month or hour.

 

A search engine optimized press release begins with a strategy session on which search terms should be targeted. This should be done while reviewing the keyword research, Pay-Per-Click reports and conversion tracking. Sophisticated PR firms now include the search engine marketing specialists in their public relations strategy sessions. Once the decision on which search terms the publicity will target optimized landing pages need to be created prior to any public announcements. In order to guarantee that the public will locate the site after reading any articles or viewing any news stories a Pay-Per-Click campaign should be in place.

 

Linking optimized press releases to the website helps reporters, writers and commentators learn more background about site content and at the same time gives the search engines links to follow. Optimized releases also immediately notify search engines of the existence of the new web pages that the release links to. Including photos to download and identifying graphics with keywords will give the journalists additional content to include in articles and other content they are creating.

 

A properly optimized press release will reach targeted writers and editors by allowing their filters to identify content relevant to their area of expertise. It can also reach potential clients and interested parties. When the press release is published, the content is often expanded exponentially. It is also true that optimized press releases will automatically generate pages rich in optimized content and even spawn email blasts based on keyword selection by companies like Google, Yahoo and others interested in the subject of the press release. 

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Pay-Per-Click delivers immediate, guaranteed results. It has been said that Pay-Per-Click is very close to a pure form of a market economy because advertisers bid on "keywords" that they believe their target market will type into the search bar when they are looking for their product or service needs and desires. When combined with sophisticated analytics and tracking the advertiser know exactly how much they can afford to pay to achieve a positive ROI for each word on each search engine.

 

PPC advertising provides website owners the opportunity to buy their way to better positions on search results pages. These ads are called "sponsored links" or "sponsored ads" and appear next to and sometimes above the natural or organic results on the page. They also can appear on a variety of web sites as “contextual” ads. The advertiser pays only when the user clicks on the ad.

 

PPC is important to the overall plan of SOM because it has the advantage of almost instant, guaranteed results. In addition, PPC gives real time market research while also generating revenue. In other words, when targeted keywords are used and result in visits and action taken, it shows which keywords work for the specific website.

 

Strategic Pay-Per-Click (PPC) program management and media buying provide an immediate method of delivering visitors to a site with placement and top rankings on Google, MSN, and Overture, plus a number of other high-quality, lower-cost PPC search engines. Click Fraud monitoring is an important component of PPC progam mangement.

 

Writing targeted titles and descriptions for keywords and key phrases, and developing targeted landing pages to give a site multiple points of entry will dramatically improve PPC results. These results can be further improved with A/B Split Testing and Multivariable Testing. Landing pages also need to be optimized to attract natural traffic and increase PPC results.

One must know exactly what keywords to purchase and to use in the web copy. This is actually the first step of SOM because if the keywords are insignificant or off target the site will not be recognized for its value.

 Careful research of the company’s business and the way search engines look at those related keywords is the ‘key’ to success. Choosing the wrong ones will greatly reduce results.

 

This is why it is vital to research keywords thoroughly BEFORE writing web copy and other marketing and editorial materials. The keywords identified should also be used in offline marketing and advertising campaigns. Waiting until after the site is built to identify the proper keywords will add costs to the project, cause delays and a loss of revenue. Choosing relevant keywords is the basis on which all future traffic will flow.

 

Assign certain keyword phrases to specific pages and build the content around them. There are “hotspots” on web pages that search engines look for when they are indexing pages. The most important hotspots are the page title, the page description and the page heading. By incorporating keyword phrase into these hotspots the search engine will ‘understand’ what the page is all about. Sprinkle in some eye-popping copy with the keyword phrase repeated once or twice to increase keyword density.

 

Comprehensive keyword research by its very nature improves ROI.

 

Successful companies that spend significant time and money on SOM know that getting the customer to the website is just part of the process. When they arrive having a well planned email opt-in registration and email marketing program will further increase company ROI.

 

According to a MediaPost MediaDailyNews article, Jupiter Media Metrix says that one-third of companies plan to spend more than 5 percent of their marketing budgets on email. That represents serious spending in this medium and makes a statement about the importance of email campaigns.

 

Email can be a powerful marketing tool and is another part of the synergy mix. Email content must be relevant, targeted and informational. It is more likely to have a package sales-y content in such a way that it entertains and holds interest. Boring content, or content not consistent with the value proposition, will cause people to unsubscribe.

 

Deliver what consumers expect. Establish the website as a credible source in order to accomplish the goal of building customer relationships.

 

It is also important to use a reputable “White Listed” email service provider to insure the highest deliverability rates and one that will keep a company in compliance with the email spam laws.

 

Determine what the ultimate value proposition is for consumers. Why would they want to receive email? What content would they expect? Of all the components needed to successfully build an effective email list, the most important component is the value proposition to the consumer. This is best achieved by hiring professional writers with email experience.

 

Website Conversion
Conversion rate is a key website advertising metric that allows measurement of how well or how badly a website is doing regardless of traffic levels. Conversion rates vary from website to website. The conversion measurement is the number of visitors who make a purchase directly from the website as a percentage of total visitors.

 

In a medium that makes it so easy for a searcher to look elsewhere, conversion is critical. The net effect of raising the conversion rate from one to two percent is a 100% increase and is the same as doubling traffic.

 

The key to conversion is targeted key phrases that define traffic before arrival to the site. It is not uncommon to see conversion rates skyrocket in the quality of traffic by improving targeted key phrase advertising or organic search engine optimization. With PPC campaigns conversion rates can be boosted by sending visitors to highly targeted landing pages.

 

The conversion rate for lead generation sites is the number of visitors as a percentage of total visitors who opt-in and give the right to contact them again. The website should induce visitors to sign up for more information or register to become a part of a community. A successful convert is, therefore, someone who has subscribed to a newsletter, filled in the contact forms, or registered to get more information.

 

Two areas that can produce worthwhile results are the recent social networking sites like MySpace, YouTube, Second Life and other social networking sites. The use of creative videos and content is important on these sites. Many Internet users today are active on social book marking sites like Digg and Technorati. These sites allow the masses to share their opinions and will boost web site traffic.

 

Without website tracking and analytics a business is flying blind, wasting money and missing opportunities. With certain tracking and analytical facts, a visitors’ behavior can be identified in order to make decisions that will benefit the overall effectiveness of the website, understand visitor behavior and increase web traffic.

 

Analytics tell everything needed to know about how a visitor found the site and how they interact with it. They tell how to focus marketing resources on campaigns and initiatives that deliver ROI and improve a sites ability to convert more visitors.

 

Tracking provides a quick and easy-to-understand breakdown of a visitor's website movements and behavior. These facts explain the way visitors react to keywords and the navigation paths they take to get where they want to go. Such programs determine which keywords result in greater sales purchases, how long a visitor stays at any given page, and which page they are on when they exit the site. They also determine the quality and effectiveness of a landing page. And, they confirm how pay-per-click campaigns are performing.

 

If the site doesn't sell online the effectiveness of specific calls-to-action through analytics can still be learned. Email campaigns can be analyzed for effectiveness. Analytics can determine and help explain why people sign up for a newsletter, for example, and what they have in common with other people.

 

A/B split testing increases conversion rates, challenges assumptions and solves problems. It determines which elements on a page are helping the performance of a web page, and which are not. For instance, one might typically test two different headlines on a landing page. One of them will outperform the other and show which is better for the web page.

 

A/B split testing assists in the understanding of visitor behaviors and priorities when visiting a site. Used as a diagnostic tool this type of testing will determine what is going wrong and how to fix it. A/B split testing can dramatically challenge assumptions about the best way to design or write a page.

 

Testing yields the most valuable results only when they are done repeatedly. A one-shot test will determine very little. Make a consistent habit of testing.

 

Cumulative tests over time can have a dramatic impact on the success of the website.

 

A/B split testing enables a comparison of variations of a site's landing pages, shopping cart, site search and layout to optimize conversion rates and increase site profitability. Testing can explain how to create variations of a site's dynamic and static content.

When these elements of SOM are combined in a unified marketing plan they will complement each other and bring continuing benefits to a business infinitely and exponentially.

 

The first step of search engine marketing is creating a comprehensive plan that includes all the elements of SOM integrated into a synergistic design. This plan has as its foundation the keyword research that identifies the targeted markets and determines the elements of the plan. Before the website building begins, an SOM specialist devises an overall plan based on the use and needs of the users of the site, including the design (branding and trust) of the building, the construction (copy and editorial elements), the purpose and the goal (sales and information). The plan is based on solid market research, testing, analytics, tracking, redevelopment and ranking.

 

To achieve the optimum results the plan must include: Natural SEO, Editorial SEO, Relevant Content, Public Relations, Pay-Per-Click (PPC), Email Campaigns, Website Conversion, Website Tracking and Analytics, A/B Split Testing and Multivariable Testing and Scalability to handle the dramatic increase in visitors.