Online Marketing and The Minor Details

August 30th, 2011

The devil is in the details. We’ve all heard this saying before and it can relate to online marketing in so many ways. What this idiom means is that it’s the small details that can often make a relatively simple task more difficult and time consuming. As you look closer, there are more things that can be worked on and you’ll understand why an internet marketing campaign can always be changed and made better!

Here are a few minor but important aspects of online marketing that can be easily skipped over or even forgotten:

  • You only focus on optimizing for Google – If you completely skip out on Yahoo and Bing, you’re missing out on a smaller but still very important demographic. Ranking well on these sites will help your business if you’re struggling on Google.
  • You ignore free, local resources – I went kayaking at a local rental place after seeing good reviews on Yelp. However, I was surprised to see a comment by a customer stating that the address in the listing was wrong. This means that the business has not claimed the listing or bothered to correct this mistake. When resources like this are free and you’re already receiving numerous positive reviews, it can only reflect negatively on your business if you choose not to be more involved.
  • You focus too much on organic rankings – Search engine rankings can be volatile and unpredictable depending on competitors, search trends and even holidays. I’ve known people who obsess over their rankings on a day-by-day basis – as in yesterday I was number 2 but today I’m number 3, what happened? This is not an effective way to gauge your progress and your efforts can be more helpful to your long term brand presence in organic searches.
  • You always use exact keyword matches – It can be tempting to always use exact keywords when linking in anchor text. But with the Google Panda updates, Google is on the lookout. This mean that you can be penalized for excessive exact match anchor text. The bottom line is that Google wants more natural linking keywords that are actually helping people instead of just appeasing their Google bots.

These are just a few things I could think of at the top of my head at the moment and the list is never ending. Even if you don’t have time to sit down and digest all the details at once, it’s good to go over what you can from time to time so that you have a clearer view of the bigger picture. Don’t like the minor details overwhelm you!

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Why is Keyword Research Important for SEO?

August 26th, 2011

keyword researchThe secret to effective keyword advertising is thorough keyword research. If the thought of that sends shivers down your spine (in a bad way), here’s an easier way to digest this topic:

Why Research is Necessary

A recent study showed that college students don’t really know how Google works OR how to properly use it to look for the information they need. Interesting. This means that as a small business, you have your work cut out for you when it comes to choosing the right keywords by understanding user search intent.

Criteria for Choosing the Right Keywords
Here are a list of a few factors that should be taken into consideration when you choose keywords for your online marketing campaigns:

  1. Relevance and related terms – Is the selling point of your product price? If so, you’ll want to include terms such as: cheap, discount, affordable, low cost, economy, and inexpensive. If you sell products like grills or printers, you’ll also want to target accessory terms
  2. Search volume – Now that you have a list of organic, related terms that you’d like to use, it’s time to see just HOW many people search for these terms per month. Keywords with large search volumes tend to be incredibly competitive so you can narrow it down by adding more detailed keywords or a geographical region. So, which terms should your business go with? Low search volume, high search volume or somewhere in between. Having a good mix of goals is always a good idea in the short and long run of your business.
  3. Geographical target – Location is a very important decision. As a business in Los Angeles, you might want to target the entire LA area but what’s more realistic? For example, if you own a restaurant, you can even narrow it down to neighborhood. Instead of the vast, general area of Los Angeles, you can break it down to Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Silverlake etc.
  4. Intent – One word or phrase can have different meanings in the mind of a searcher. If someone types “kitchen cabinets”, they could be looking to buy new kitchen cabinets. They could also be looking for kitchen cabinet repair services or do-it-yourself guides. By tackling these topics with a wide array of keywords, you can gain more insight to different intentions that your customers may have.

Learn More About Where to Start
Keyword research requires a lot of time and patience but the payoff is well worth it. Are you ready to choose an effective list that will work for your business? Here’s a helpful article with some resources to help you learn more. And you can also check out our other blog posts on keyword research.

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Where Does Search Fit Into Social Media?

August 23rd, 2011

social searchSocial media marketing and SEO: one should not exist without the other. Your business and customers will benefit the most when these two work in synergy. Effective optimization requires an understanding of how and why social media works to connect you with customers. Content plays a big role on whether you succeed or whether your business is left behind.

From the beginning of your social media campaign, you should also look at it from a keyword advertising point of view. This means using this keywords as you optimize photos, videos, bio information in your profiles, URL names and more. Remember, you are choosing these keywords based on research about your your customers are searching for your products/services. Sound complicated? We’d be glad to discuss our thorough strategy that goes into every SEO campaign with you!

Nowadays, you cannot look at social media without think about SEO and vice versa. While some think that this is a curse, this is a blessing for businesses who are willing to embrace this dynamic channel.

Why does it matter?

A study from last year shows that search AND social results  make an impact on the online buying decision.  the impact of social media Online buyers rely on a healthy mix of search and social media throughout the purchasing process. Take a look at what buyers think as important:

So, if you still think social media isn’t important after all… your business will truly suffer. The benefits of incorporating social and search features onto your website will grow your business because of the increase in online/offline word of mouth recommendations. This will help open up new conversations with potential customers that you would never reach by just using traditional marketing.

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Facebook Marketing: Do You Feel Left in the Dark?

August 19th, 2011

If you use Facebook, you’ll know that there are constant updates and policy changes. For businesses, these changes can have a big impact on the way you use Facebook as a platform.

Companies Leave Facebook

Recently, Facebook denied drug companies the option to disable public comments on their Wall. As a result, companies such as Bayer and Purdue Pharma have removed affiliated Pages from Facebook. Public comments can make small businesses feel uneasy but is it best to run and hide? In the case of these pharmaceutical companies, the situation is more complicated than what a local business will normally encounter. The actions depend on the situation and the outcome is a strong reflection of the brand.

Are Fans Ignoring Your Page?

Managing  a Facebook Page takes a  special balance of skills. Patience, creativity and common sense will come in handy, but what happens when customers are ignoring your status updates or not interacting as much? If this is the case, they most likely aren’t interested in your updates.  A customer can like your brand but keep scrolling past updates that they can’t relate to. For example on the Emarketed Facebook Page, we don’t just update about SEO. We like to post about all the different aspects of internet marketing.

Another reason why fans might not be interacting with your Page is that your posts will disappear from their default News Feed if they continuously pass your posts by! I noticed this when certain Pages I Like and Friends’ posts weren’t showing up in my Feed. Here’s how to fix the problem:

Login and as you look at your News Feed click the Most Recent dropdown.
Click Edit Options (at the very bottom) and then in the Show posts from area, click: ‘All of your friends and pages’.
The default option is ‘Show posts from: Friends and pages you interact with most’.

Need Help with Social Media Marketing?

A crucial part of marketing on Facebook is analyzing your improvement and adapt whenever and wherever necessary. We know what it takes to invest time and effort to keep up with all the constant changes. If you’re interested in social media marketing for your small business but don’t know where to start, we are here to help – contact us today!

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Are You Using Link Bait to Attract Readers?

August 16th, 2011

Sometimes, I think the term link bait has a connotation because you’re using it to “trick” others to link to your article. With that said, there are legitimate ways to link bait properly, especially if you have useful content to back it up. Link baiting is a great way to attract readers and bloggers who are willing to share your content. Here are some techniques you can apply to different content (blogs, articles, on site content and even social media posts)

The Shock Factor – Remember all those crazy Jerry Springer episodes? ” Something ridiculous like I Married a Horse” comes to mind. Having a shock factor can come from many ways: rants, critical reviews and debates are many ways you could bring people to your post. But remember, these extreme techniques can threaten your online reputation, so use with caution! There are also ways to use the shock factor without being over the top, such as building on surprising factor of interesting statistics that others can relate to.

Industry News – When there’s a breaking story, it’s crucial to post it and put your take on things as soon as possible. This way, you’re establishing yourself as being a reputable source by showing that you’re aware of the changing industry. For example in the legal industry, you’ll want to keep readers informed on the latest product recalls and dangerous products. In the fitness industry, you may want to comment on the latest diet and exercise trends.

Contests – Ideally, you won’t just give away a random product in order to have people link to your site or fan page. Instead, you can build customer loyalty by having customers participate in some way – even if it’s small. It can start with taking a photo or sharing a story or build to something big like having a logo contest. Have I mentioned that Facebook has changed things up for Pages? If fans don’t engage with your Page, your posts will no longer appear in their default News Feed! But that’s a topic for another time… The more fans invest into your contest, the more interested they will be in your brand in the long run.

Guides and How to Guides – Wiki, forums and Q&A sites are so popular because people always have a problem that they’re trying to solve. Creating step by step guides on a topic that you’re well-versed in will help establish your business as an authority figure. If you’re worried about giving too much away, you can start with a popular general topic. For example, if you look up a fettuccine alfredo recipe, there are SO many ways to make the same thing. It’s important to put your special take on the topic. You can do so by also adding helpful pictures, video and other forms of media content.

Creating quality link bait that’s also effective is NOT an easy thing. Not to mention that most successful methods require a creative spin. Every once in awhile, it doesn’t hurt to break out of the cycle and create something innovative within your SEO content. What’s your take on link bait and techniques that really work?

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Mix It Up: Social, Email Marketing and More

August 10th, 2011

marketing mixAccording to a survey by Pitney Bowes, 76% of small businesses believe that their ideal marketing mix should include a combination of both physical and digital communication.

A marketing mix is usually made up of 4 P’s:
Product, price, promotion and place.

The emphasis on this term is mix – meaning that there is no “right” combination of marketing methods. But the frantic nature of a  “mix up” is not always a bad thing. In the business world, it allows you to reach a different/wider range of customers.

Businesses Get Social

The popularity of social media marketing doesn’t mean that it is replacing all traditional forms of marketing but rather, complementing them. After all, small businesses can’t expect to find success by just using one marketing channel. That would be like having a website without SEO or PPC. Or distributing promotions without a website or customer service!

While social media serves as a great starting point for businesses to introduce themselves to customers, a small business cannot expect to succeed by solely relying on this channel. This will mean that you leave other customers behind. You’ll be surprised at the amount of customers who still rely on physical coupons, emails and even Yellow Pages listings!

Co-existing Marketing Channels

58% of small businesses in this survey use multi-channel marketing. While a slight majority of the businesses are optimizing their use of different marketing channels, that number may grow as owners see more options and opportunities available. The survey also suggests that 72% of small businesses would do more for marketing their business if they had the right tools for managing customer communication.

What are you waiting for? Take a look at our FREE whitepapers for a better idea of what you can do to help your business get found by using different marketing strategies.

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Google Study: Paid Ads Do NOT Cannabalize Organic SEO Clicks

August 2nd, 2011

Do I have to choose between SEO or PPC?

This has been a popular question that has been highly debated. The theory is that if you choose the same keywords for targeted SEO and PPC campaigns, your efforts will work against each other and you’ll lose out, either in paid or organic search. Cannibalization is the term experts use when SEO and PPC compete against each other… this means wasted time, money and effort – especially when paid search is involved.

Surprisingly, a recent study of 400 campaigns by Google shows that 89% of the traffic generated by paid ads is not replaced by organic clicks. Overall, this means that paid ads did not steal clicks away from organic results in this sample.

Of course, this all depends on your industry and you could see stronger results using SEO and PPC or just one method. If you hear anyone make generalizations about using both methods without analyzing your keywords and business, it’s safe to be on the skeptical side.

For example, if you’re ranking high (or are number one) for a keyword, it probably won’t be helpful to focus your efforts on trying to get to the #1 spot for PPC as well. Instead, the benefit of PPC is that it can give your business better exposure for key words that you’re not ranking so high for organically.

Let us know if you have any questions about whether SEO and/or PPC is right for your business and we’d be happy to help you out!

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