search marketing 2015: seo & sem from a business perspective

Search Marketing

By Lauren L Perfors

Who Am I?

Study Here.

Work here.

Play Here.

How We’re Going to Get Through This

• Search Marketing Overview• A SERP• SEO & PPC• Where Users Search• The Mysterious Algorithm• How to Hire An Agency• How to Learn More • Questions• Time to Wake Up, I’m Done.

Search Marketing

Paid

• Pay for Visibility

• Only Exist When Paying

Organic

• Natural• Determined to

be the Best by Search Engines

Let’s Pick Apart a SERP

Let’s Pick Apart a SERP

SEO• = Search Engine Optimization• Working to gain natural/organic/free listings on

search engines.• Proving that YOUR website is the BEST• Long Term Strategy

“I want long term visibility that LASTS!”

PPC• = Pay Per Click • Also Called: Paid Media, Paid Search, Sometimes SEM (Search

Engine Marketing)• Gaining traffic by purchasing ad placement on search engines.• Instant, trackable ROI• No direct residual benefits

“I NEED to be #1

TOMORROW!”

Not Mobile? Just Go Home.Page 1 Bottom, Page 2

“There’s a 2ND PAGE?! What…?”

–Every mobile user, Everywhere.

SoLoMo… So Yesterday

Social

LocalMobile

The Major Players

A Few Others

65% US

20%US

Don’t forget us! 1.2%... Your grandmother uses us

all the time!

Google… a Business

• Since 1998• Initial goal academically-based• Called search engines who had gone commercial

as “black art”• Link metric based algorithm

Bing… a (copycat) Business

• Since 2009• Powers Yahoo!• 20% U.S. Search + Another 12% With Yahoo!• Initial Goal Business-Based: Microsoft Scared NOT to

Enter Search• Default in IE Browser (who uses that…)

Come So Far…

1997:1 in 4 finds itself.

Lucky us, they outgrew that.

1994:110,000 pages

Today, 23 Billion pages

How to Tell Google YOU’RE the BEST

On-Site:Through Your

AWESOME Website

Off-Site:Through Everyone

Else’s Websites

BRIBERY!! Pay for Visibility with PPC

Google SEO: The Algorithm Mystery

“Think” like a person to answer questions like a person.

• Related text, especially in headings• Trustworthy brand• Functional

What would a person look for?

Link metric-based

SEO: Google Gets Up in Yo’ Grill

• Where Are You?• Who Do You Talk To

Online?• What Else Do You

Look At on the Web? (Hmm.. That could get ugly)

Example: Asana is a task management system I use. Instant results show it’s most commonly associated with yoga. But my search history shows I want asana.com, so it comes up first before yoga or even Wikipedia.

SEO: On-Site Optimization• Content– Have it.– Make it original.– Make it

fun/engaging/exciting.– Rinse and repeat.

Constantly.

• Technical– Make it work.– Error-free.– Lightning fast.– Crawlable.

#1

#2

A 404 Error Page

SEO: Off-Site Promotions

• Local• Social• Press/News• Blogs

Mastering PPC

PPC has an algorithm of its own (yep, scary), so things like relevancy,

quality content, and CTR count.

Google makes sure ads are relevant to searches.

You can’t trick Google. Your ad REALLY has to

match the website page where you send the

user.

Related URL

Related Ad Text

PPC Big Types

Text Ads Display Banners

PPC Main MethodsKeyword Bids• Searching for cookies?

We have cookies.

Content Placement• Reading about school?

Check out this pretty picture of OUR school.

PPC Main Methods

• Think you can escape? Think again.

• Text + display• Search +

content

Retargeting

How to Show Success: SEO

• Rankings• Traffic• Engagement

Image Source: Lawton Digital Marketing Reporting Platform

How to Show Success: PPC

Traffic Leads Conversions

Why SEO & PPC Must Be Friends

• Optimized and executed differently, but work together for Google SERP DOMINATION.

• Keyword Strategy Sync

• Cost Efficiency

Hiring An Agency: A Good SEO Firm• Regular Reporting– Rankings– Traffic

• Talks Through Algo Changes

• GA Certified Staff• Most Offer Flat Fee

Monthly Contracts

Hiring an Agency: A Good PPC Firm

• Regular Detailed Reporting– Traffic– Conversions– Leads

• AdWords Certified Staff• Most Charge Variable Monthly Spend % With

Minimum Monthly Fee – Creative is Usually Extra

Wrap It Up

2 Big Areas Make Up Search Marketing

• Organic• Paid

SEO

• Complex & Long Term Results

• Constantly changing

• Prove to Google You’re the BEST Result

PPC

• Instant Results• Limited Only By

Your Budget• Buying Your Top

SERP Placement

Questions

Fascinated? Entranced?Learn More

• SEO– Search Engine Land – www.searchengineland.com– Moz – www.moz.com– Google search this: “Google Beginner’s Guide to SEO” –

download the PDF (the URL string is super long)• PPC– Inside AdWords – adwords.blogspot.com– PPC Hero – www.ppchero.com– PPC Academy by Search Engine Land -

searchengineland.com/library/features/ppc_academy

Thank You!