When SEO Met SEM : All you need to know about search engine optimization and marketing 101Presented by: Tamera Kremer

Wildfire Strategic Marketing

June 8, 2009

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AGENDA

1. Why is search engine prominence important?

2. Pay-per-click advertising 101

3. Basics of building a campaign in Google AdWords

4. Search Engine Optimization 101

5. Social Media Optimization 101

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Over 15 billion searches are performed every month in North America. ~ ComScore 2009

Do you show up?

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Why is search engine prominence important?

• Primary means of content dissemination

• Brand awareness

• Self-directed vs. spray & pray

• Content targeted to intent

• Accessibility

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Learning the Basics…

• Search is fluid, not static

• Best practices to follow but lots of different variables – deep field

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PPC - Search Engine Marketing 101

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What is PPC?

• Pay-Per-Click advertising

• Targeted text ads (historically) shown when people search for a particular keyword or phrase

• Bid-based vs flat fee or CPM

• Big 3: Google; Yahoo!; Microsoft

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How does Google AdWords work?

• Google PPC web interface & tools

• Sign-up @ adwords.google.com

• Enter Campaign & Ad Groups

• Choose keywords

• Input creative & destination URL

• Set bid prices & daily budget

• Insert analytics code onto website pages to track

• Set goals

• Begin campaign – ads display when activated

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Getting Started Building a Campaign

1. Keyword Research

2. Competitive Research

3. Search Ad Copywriting

4. Landing Pages

5. Analytics

6. Budget & Bid Prices

7. Implementation

8. Optimization & Testing

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Getting Started: Keyword Research

• Brainstorm terms related to your industry/ mission

• Find inspiration in your current marketing copy

• Research your competition

• Check your analytics for terms driving traffic

• Use social media to help inform

• Use keyword tools to refine & expand

• Choose negative keywords – searches you DON’T want your ad displayed on

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Examples of keyword research tools

• https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

• http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/

• http://searchanalytics.compete.com/site_referrals/

• http://adlab.microsoft.com/Keyword-Research.aspx

• http://www.wordtracker.com/index.html

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Competitive Research

• Take stock of the presence your competitors have on search engines

– what keywords do they rank highly for organically and you don’t?

– What search terms are they targeting for PPC buys?

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Getting Started: Search Ad Copywriting

• Components of a Google AdWords search text ad

– Headline (25 characters)

– Body Copy (35 characters x 2 lines)

– URL (vanity & destination)

• Copy that is direct response oriented & relevant to the keyword performs the best

• You have seconds to grab attention, motivate interest and action

• Develop at least 2-3 ads to start and test response and performance across keywords; modify/ refine

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AdWords creative examples

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________________________________

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Getting Started: Landing Pages

• Where are you directing users to after they click?

• Is the content relevant to what they searched for?

• All ads don’t need to direct to the same page

• What is your call-to-action?

• Consider using a tool like Google Optimizer to do split testing

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Getting Started: Analytics

• What can analytics teach you?

– Topics/ content / patterns

– Terminology

– Traffic sources

– Intent

• Link Google Analytics to your campaign even if you’re using a different vendor to track goals and conversions

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Getting Started: Budget & Bids

• Be careful with your keywords initially – some may be expensive but low value

• Test, monitor, test

• Minimum daily & monthly budget

• Individual pricing for specific keywords

• Adjust based on what’s working

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Getting Started: Implementation

• “New Campaign”

• Determine parameters

– Language

– Geo-location

– Content targeting?

– Networks & Devices (mobile, content, etc)

– Budget/ Focus

– Frequency capping

– Start/ end dates

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Getting Started: Implementation cont.

• Set up Ad Groups

– Enter ad copy

– Enter keywords

• Use match types to refine:

• keyword = broad match

• "keyword" = match exact phrase

• [keyword] = match exact term only

• - keyword = don't match this term

– Input bid prices (can tweak later)

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Getting Started: Implementation cont.

• Set up conversion tracking

• Simple step on Google – add tracking code to conversion page

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Getting Started: Optimization & Testing

• Look at the campaign from a 30k-ft view & a granular view

• Test creative against your control

• Refine your keywords / add keywords

• Watch your goals / traffic

• Adjust your bids

• Tweak your landing pages

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What to watch out for

• Be relevant to intent or don’t bid

• Watch your conversions

• Quality Scores

• Continue to mine your analytics data

• Content targeting should relate to your goals

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Search Engine Optimization 101

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What is SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a

web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results.

~ Wikipedia

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What’s the benefit of being indexed by an engine?

• Primary source of finding information online

• Approx 70% of searches result in an “organic” listing click

• Approx 60% of the search results page real estate is comprised of “organic” listings

• Cost-effective traffic driver

• Interest-driven & self-segmented marketing

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Things to consider for SEO

• What language do you speak? Internal jargonize or real people?

• SEO is as much about making the experience intuitive & valuable for users as it is for the engines

• The engines are constantly refining their algorithms to deliver highest relevance

• Trying to game the system is a very short-term tactic & will penalize you in the long run

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What does SEO mean in plain English?

• Content results based on merit and contextual relevance

• A long-term strategy for building influence online

• A way to distribute and promote deep content

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What can influence where you rank?

• Relevance of content

• Internal file & URL structure (crawlability)

• Consistency of information presented

• External links

• Meta information

• Brand credibility

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What are the basics of optimizing your website?

• Content, content, content… Relevant, useful & fresh. • Page and file structure and architecture• Meta data (Title, Image, Description, Keyword)• URL/ domain strategy• Anchor text• Linking – internal• Linking – external • Accessibility/ Crawlability• Redirects (301, 302)• Site Map

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Working with your tech & creative teams

• Define your goals internally – don’t wait until the end of planning to discuss SEO

• Determine best practices before development begins

• Discuss the meta & domain strategies

• Determine what platform you will be using – who will be responsible for adding & refreshing content

• Ensure a long-term strategy is in place as additional content is added

• Before agreeing to a fancy Flash piece understand what that means for engine accessibility

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Content development

• Content drives the web

• Incorporate keywords as appropriate

– Don’t overstuff copy with keywords

• Think about the end user & what would interest them – tailor your content for them, not for you

• Use descriptive phrases to link out, don’t use generic terms like “Click here”

• Ensure your meta data matches what the contextual relevance is on your page

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Social Media Optimization

• Enable others to share and discuss your content

• Allow comments

• Share content across social networks

• Typically your Meta information will port with the content (e.g. Title)

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Advanced Optimization Considerations

• Video/ Audio/ Flash• Local search• Content or site migration• Multiple domains• Firewalls/ subscriptions• E-commerce• Multi-variate testing• Dynamic content• Seasonality• No-follow strategy

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Additional Resources

• Search Engine Land - http://searchengineland.com/

• Search Engine Watch - http://searchenginewatch.com/

• Google Webmaster Help videos - http://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleWebmasterHelp

• Wildfire Strategy Blog post - http://3i.wildfirestrategy.com/2008/11/24/seo-is-not-about-the-engines-its-about-the-people-using-the-engines/

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Thank You!

tamera@wildfirestrategy.com

www.wildfirestrategy.com

www.twitter.com/tamera

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Photo Credits

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2605894098/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/xavipat/3441238555/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/julienhery/505097377/