@PolePositionMkg #SearchRankCC

SEARCH RANKING CRASH COURSE

@PolePositionMkg #SearchRankCC

CONTENT OVERHAUL

USE CONTENT TO GET NOTICED, DRIVE TRAFFIC AND CONVERT VISITORS

WH

AT IS C

ON

TENT?

Website

Blog

News

Podcasts

Video

Photos

Articles

White Papers

E-books

Case Studies

E-mail

“Content is a broad term that refers to anything created and uploaded to a website.” ~ Content Rules

Social Media

WH

Y DO

ES CO

NTEN

T MA

TTER?

Technology is cheap

Inbound leads cost 62% less than outbound leads**

Selling to customers is more challenging (informed)

Change in buyer attitudes

Traditional media losing

reach

High quality content from

businesses

Shrinking media budgets reduce quality

Marketing is Shifting from Outbound to Inbound*

**http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/10172/Inbound-Leads-Cost-62-Less-than-Outbound-New-Data.aspx March 2011

* Get Content. Get Customers. Joe Pulizzi, et al.

WH

Y DO

ES CO

NTEN

T MA

TTER?

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Internet Search

Blogs

User-generated

Message boards

Social networks

Magazines

TV

Newspapers

92%

53%

46%

34%

26%

20%

Info for Purchasing Decisions

Media Used Frequently by US Internet Users to Find Information to Help with Purchase Decisions, March 2010, eMarketer.com

WH

Y DO

ES CO

NTEN

T MA

TTER?

51% 48%

1%

Search & Social Conversions

Search

Search + Social

Social Alone

Social Can’t Go It Alone

Source: The Virtuous Circle: The Role of Search and Social Media in the Purchase Pathway, February 2011 http://www.wpp.com/NR/rdonlyres/CA49ED29-06A4-4E10-A1F0-C25BAA35CF2A/0/groupm_search_the_virtuous_circle_feb11.pdf

WH

Y DO

ES CO

NTEN

T MA

TTER? Content is Your Online

Marketing Cornerstone

Content

Social

Sales

SEO

Links

WH

ERE TO

STA

RT W

ITH C

ON

TENT

Goals Resources Customers

@PolePositionMkg #SearchRankCC

WEB PAGE CONTENT

WEB P

AG

E CO

NTEN

T Don’t Underestimate Value of

Well Written Content

• Used to evaluate page topic and relevance

SEO

• Inform visitors

• Persuade them to take action

Conversions

WEB P

AG

E CO

NTEN

T Rule #1: Write for Your Audience First

Switch from “we” to “you”

• Don’t talk about your company constantly; instead, educate and persuade

• Answer customer questions

• State benefits

Write naturally

• Readability is paramount

WEB P

AG

E CO

NTEN

T Rule #2: Write for Search Engines Second

• Core keywords

• Supporting keyword phrases

• Related words

Research keywords in

advance

• Hold reader’s interest

• Should not be obvious

Develop content based

on keyword research

Remember, #1 rank does not equal sales and conversions!

WEB P

AG

E CO

NTEN

T Rule #3: Rewrite Until It’s Right

New

• Avoid keyword stuffing

• Reader value

• Persuasive value

Existing

• Keyword targeting

• Find appropriate balance between readers/SEO

ESTA

BLISH

YO

UR V

OIC

E Humorous

Our car batteries are durable, long-lasting and deliver enough power to start any vehicle in the harshest winter environment. Your escape from the in-law's is guaranteed every season of year.

ESTA

BLISH

YO

UR V

OIC

E Whimsical

You want a durable, long-lasting battery? Yeah, we got that. There is no natural force in the world that'll keep our batteries from doing their job. When you need power, we deliver.

ESTA

BLISH

YO

UR V

OIC

E Serious

Our car batteries are durable, long-lasting and deliver enough power to start any vehicle in the harshest winter environment. You're guaranteed to get power to your vehicle when you need it most.

ESTA

BLISH

YO

UR V

OIC

E Snarky

When headed to the in-law's, you want to be equipped with one of the most powerful car batteries money can buy. Come hell or high water, you're getting out of there alive!

ESTA

BLISH

YO

UR V

OIC

E

We don’t compete on price, we compete on quality. Our batteries deliver the juice to start any vehicle even in the harshest winter environment. Can you really put a price on that kind of reliability?

Down to Earth

ESTA

BLISH

YO

UR V

OIC

E

Let's face it, batteries fail at the worst possible time, in the worst possible place. We've built reliability into all our car batteries so they deliver the power you need when you need it most to get you where you want to be.

Thoughtful

ESTA

BLISH

YO

UR V

OIC

E Brutally Honest

Your boss is a jerk, your wife a nag and your friends are idiots. You need an escape. Where you go is up to you, how you get there is up to us. Our car batteries will start any vehicle any time any where. We're ready to go when you are.

ESTA

BLISH

YO

UR V

OIC

E Flowery

Our car batteries are designed to withstand whatever forces of nature that heaven above (or you know who below) can throw at it. When you turn that key, you're vehicle will roar to life without so much as a cough or sputter.

KEYW

OR

D USA

GE

Understanding Keyword Usage

• 1-3 per page (we recommend using only 1)

• Use as frequently as readability will allow

Core Term

KEYW

OR

D USA

GE

Keyword Density Search engines think every word is a keyword!

Engine looking for “red marbles”

text text text red marbles text text text

text text text red marbles text text

text text text text text text text text text

text text red marbles text text text

text text text text text text text text text

red text text marbles text text text

text text text

Add in “rubber balls” Add in “jump rope”

text text text red marbles text text text rubber balls text red marbles text text text rubber balls text text text text text text text text red marbles text text text text text text text rubber balls text text text text text text text text text red balls text text

jump rope text red marbles text text text rubber balls text red marbles text text text rubber balls text text text text text text text text red marbles text text text text jump rope text rubber balls text text text text text text text text jump rope text text text

Search engines get confused!

No magic keyword density. Use “read it aloud” rule.

KEYW

OR

D USA

GE

Integrating Core Terms

Core Term

• Specific phrase

• Use appropriately

Choose from a wide variety of affordable baby bedding. Select sheets and comforters for both boys and girls. Your baby bedding can be fitted perfectly with a crib or toddler bed.

baby bedding

KEYW

OR

D USA

GE

Keyword Phrases

• Core term with qualifiers

• Long-tail phrases

• Use liberally, not always in phrase format

Supporting Phrases

KEYW

OR

D USA

GE

Integrating Supporting Phrases

Supporting

• Core term w/ qualifier

• Long-tail phrases

Choose from a wide variety of affordable baby bedding. Select sheets and comforters for both boys and girls. Your bedding can be fitted perfectly with your baby’s crib or toddler bed.

baby bedding

KEYW

OR

D USA

GE

Related Words

• Stemmed variations of core (running, ran) – Don’t rely on search engines to do this!

• Similar in meaning (jog, walk, hike, stroll) • Found in similar content (shoes, fast,

exercise)

They match up with the core term and supporting phrases.

KEYW

OR

D USA

GE

Integrating Related Words

Related

• Stemmed variations

• Semantic relation

Choose from a wide variety of affordable baby bedding. Select sheets and comforters for both boys and girls. Your bedding can be fitted perfectly with your baby’s crib or toddler bed.

baby bedding

KEYW

OR

D USA

GE

Hyperlocal Keywords

• Don’t forget local terms • Use specific references to

your business as much as possible

• Don’t stuff! • Use cities, regions, zip

codes, etc. Call or visit our West Side

office to get the lowest quote

on car insurance in

Cleveland.

KEYW

OR

D USA

GE

Misspellings vs. Variations

• Never, ever, EVER deliberately put misspellings on your page, in meta tags or in paid search!

• What are variations? • Email vs. e-mail • Book keeper vs. bookkeeper • Web site vs. website

WEB P

AG

E CO

NTEN

T STYLE Images and Flash

Visit our beautiful resort near Mohican

State Park

• Images can’t be “read” by engines – Move image text to real text

– Use ALT attribute

• Don’t Use Images for Optimized Copy – Kills your optimization efforts

• Use Images for Non-Optimized Copy – Preventing dilution of optimized text

– Rotating text

• Engines have a hard time with Flash

• Flash can be “read” but has drawbacks – Can’t optimize pages

– Can’t send visitors to most relevant content

WEB P

AG

E CO

NTEN

T STYLE

Headings and Subheads

• Read and scanned

• Use strategically

– H1: Main headline

– H2-6: Sub and paragraph headings

• Higher value than text

• Help visitors find info quickly

H1

H2

H3

WEB P

AG

E CO

NTEN

T STYLE

Body Content

• Target your audience • Make it scannable

Headings and subheads

Bullet points Bold and italics

• Limit paragraphs to one idea

• Link to relevant pages frequently; balance with usability

• Calls to action

WEB P

AG

E CO

NTEN

T STYLE

Putting It All Together

We sell the inexpensive cloth diapers. Buy old fashioned cloth diapers from us and chose from our wide selection.

Cloth diapers are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to diaper your little one. Browse our extensive selection of comfortable, reusable cloth diapers, and enjoy the savings with our wholesale prices.

WEB P

AG

E CO

NTEN

T STYLE

Better Than Optimized

At Antonio’s Sports Cars, a one-of-a-kind Northeast Ohio dealership, we specialize in rare European convertibles and race cars that let you live your dream. And, our highly trained technicians will help you protect and preserve that dream for years to come. Make Your Sports Car Fantasy a Reality Any time you visit our showroom in Hudson, Ohio, you’ll enjoy attentive, efficient service and a selection of exceptional vehicles to peruse. Don’t wait a moment longer. Reserve a personal appointment with a member of our knowledgeable sales team today by calling 1.888.ILO.ADED.

Drive the European Convertible of Your Dreams Imagine the thrill of racing through switchback curves and heart-pounding straightaways in a rare European sports car. Experience the highway like never before behind the wheel of a luxury Porsche convertible.

@PolePositionMkg #SearchRankCC

WHY BLOG?

WH

Y BLO

G?

Is Blogging Really That Popular?

Many inbound marketing authorities consider blogging as social media.

WH

Y BLO

G?

So, Everybody’s Doing It. Should I?

• B2B companies that blog get 67% more leads/month

• B2C companies that blog get 88% more leads/month

• Companies that blog have 55% more website visitors

According to Hubspot, a leading authority on inbound marketing and its metrics:

Of all the forms of content marketing, blogging is one of the easiest and least expensive methods.

WH

Y BLO

G?

Why Does It Work?

• Drives traffic Fresh content More indexed pages More backlinks

• Increased reach of your message

An aspect of social media Companies that blog have 2X the Twitter

followers as those that do not (Hubspot)

• Good branding Educates readers, building loyalty and trust 71% say blogs affect their purchasing decisions

either somewhat or very much (Fast Company)

WH

Y BLO

G?

Value of Blog in Context, Competition

Micro blogging

Social News

Search Results

Forums

Social Reviews

Blogs, Articles

Co

mp

etit

ion

C

on

text

WH

Y BLO

G? Value of Blog for Social Media

Home Base

Under your control

Not a third-party site

WH

Y BLO

G?

Reasons to Blog • Add personality to a business,

connect with people

• Shine different light on your business

• Initiate feedback cycle

• Build a community from ground up

• Emotional investment

• Educate, build credibility, generate ideas and insights

• Get found by the media

• Bolster the brand

• Create demand for novel products

• Sell products by sharing just enough info to make people curious

WH

Y BLO

G?

Control the Conversation Control the Conversation

A blog sets the tone of social media efforts. • Conquer fear of

criticism • People talk

whether you’re out there or not

• Rectify situations • Help people

understand your side

• Gather data • Spur change

@PolePositionMkg #SearchRankCC

BLOGGING BASICS

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS Website vs. Blog, Part 1

Websites: • Viewed as a business • Stale content • Slow link building • Top-level links • Few outgoing links • Limited keywords

Blogs: • Viewed as a resource • Fresh content • Constant link building • Deep, topical links • Outflow of links • Unlimited keywords

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS Website vs. Blog, Part 2

Websites: • Marketing and sales • Need for focus • Hard sell • Company driven • Requires visits • No conversation

Blogs: • Friendly and insight focused • Editorial freedom • Soft sell • RSS distribution • Conversation

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

Five Things to Know Before You Blog

1. How to write

2. How to engage

3. How to focus

4. Basic SEO

5. Basic PR

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

1. Why are you blogging? Define goals, desired outcomes and key performance indicators.

2. Who will be responsible for blogging?

• Individual

• Team

3. What will your core topics be?

4. Where will you share your content?

5. When (how often) will you check social channels and metrics?

6. How can you best address your audience(s)?

Six Things to Plan Before You Blog

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

What are their goals and aspirations?

What are their problems?

What media do they rely on for their answers to problems?

What style of content would appeal to them?

What sorts of images and multimedia appeal to each?

What words and phrases do these buyers use?

How can we reach them?

Create Audience Personas*

*New Rules of Marketing and PR, David Meerman Scott

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS Find

• Blogs

• Forums and Groups

Listen

• Interviews and Surveys

• Customer Feedback

• Social Media

Research

• Agendas/Topics at Conferences

• Read Targeted Publications

How to Answer Persona Questions

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

Blog Opportunities: Educate

Beyond marketing info and sales

Delve deeply into topics of expertise (thought leader)

Help people understand company nuances

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

Blog Opportunities: Motivate

Take action

Spur interaction and response

Post photos

Contests and Special Offers

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

Blog Opportunities: Congregate

Brands have fans

Consumer loyalty

Similar interests

Atmosphere for conversation

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

Developing an Editorial Calendar

Prioritized List of Topics

Assignments

Deadlines

Tools

Think like a publisher because you are a publisher!

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

Two-way Communication

Twitter

Google+

YouTube

External Blogs & Forums

Facebook

LinkedIn

Sharing Your Content

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

Micro and Macro Conversions

Engagement

Return on Objective (ROO)*

Sales Lift

Analytics

Readership Studies

Measuring Success

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

The Do’s and Don’ts

Do

n’t

s Do

’s Ask

questions

Use pictures

Write compelling headlines

Give credit

Leave your blog

Fake it

Self-focus

Have thin skin

Get lazy

BLO

GG

ING

BA

SICS

Invest the Time

It will take time to: • Plan the editorial

calendar • Do the writing and

uploading of media • Post to social media

sites • Check progress on all

fronts • Respond to comments • Stay informed and on

top of your subjects • Go out to other blogs

and have conversations

Thank You! Find Us www.PolePositionMarketing.com