search engine marketing digital readiness training v4

Digital Marketing: From Monologue to Dialogue – Search Engine Marketing

Martin WalshDigital Marketing Director

What we want to achieve

Microsoft web pages to appear in the natural search results

Why?

To promote our products / services and drive cost efficiencies

What we want to avoid• Search return

results linking to negative content.

• No search return results for the targeted key search terms.

Agenda

Where does Search fit into the marketing mix?

Search Marketing Overview

SEM Integration

Microsoft Security Case Study

Microsoft TechEd Case Study

Q&A Panel

Where does Search fit into the marketing mix?

Need / Desire

triggered

Initial considerati

on setResearch Compare Purchase /

ActionUser

experience

Search and the Purchase Funnel

Awareness Consideration Intent to Interact Conversion

TVC / Print / Radio / Outdoor

Digital – Display / eDM / Partnerships

Search Marketing

Website

SEO Decision Funnel

As a visitor refines their search criteria, there are certain patterns that emerge in their queries.

SEM Strategy MIX

With so many tactical options available to today's search marketer, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which approaches are best for achieving specific goals. Should press releases be optimized for increased brand awareness? Or, will a PPC (Pay per click) campaign achieve better results?

Search Marketing Overview

The World of Search

Search engine results aren't realized simply from optimizing your website anymore. Gaining an understanding of the multi-channel nature of the Internet is key to successful online marketing campaigns.

People Streams

A common misperception about search marketing is that it consists only of on-page optimization. In reality, SEM touches countless online channels with the ultimate goal of bringing targeted traffic to a web site. This infographic illustrates the number of channels that search marketing taps into - in addition to search engines - to deliver the right people to your content.

Web Search Strategies in Plain Englishby Common Craft

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=CWHPf00Jkqg



The Value of SEM

Many cases can be made for different types of effective advertising. But what makes search engine marketing stand out from the rest? This infographic demonstrates the mindset of the buyer and their ability to easily convert while in the medium.

Search Engine Click-thru Behaviour

Most people still prefer listings found on the first page of results, but as users become more savvy, they realize that sometimes better results can be found by looking further into the search result pages.

Traffic Bumps

Collectively, segmented marketing initiatives will help increase your baseline traffic over time. The traffic bump infographic demonstrates the potential of gaining loyal readers with every marketing initiative.

Search Benefits of the Blogosphere

There are many aspects of the blogosphere that make it attractive to search marketers: the sharing and distribution of content, the potential for viral marketing and link bait, and the associated linking opportunities. But, so much more goes into the relationship we have with blog communities. This infographic describes both the tangible and intangible benefits of engaging with the blogosphere.

The Impact of Social Media on Search Results

A search engine marketing campaign isn't complete without including some elements of social media. While engaging in social media alone can provide impressive results, this week's infographic illustrates how properly planned tactics can have a positive impact on your search results.

Search Marketing Defined

Improving the visibility of your website and increasing website traffic by placing your brand in front of consumers when searching for

relevant products and services in Search Engines

Search Engine Optimisation(SEO)

Search Engine Advertising(SEA)

Search Engine Advertising

SEA

Advertisers pay on a cost per visitor basis for traffic delivered to their site through Search Engine listings

Search Engine Advertising

The Anatomy of Successful PPC AdsAlthough occasionally used on its own, paid search can be a great complement to an organic optimization strategy. Research has shown that having a presence in both natural and paid results increases the overall likelihood of receiving a click. This infographic breaks down some of the main ways in which PPC advertisers can positively affect campaign click-through rates.

SEA: How it works?

Keyword List Creation

Develop list of search terms based on campaign goals. Don’t overlap with other campaigns

Targeted Messaging

Write tailored, relevant and compelling ad copy

Landing Page Optimisation

Identify, create and optimise the ideal landing page for each ad

1

2

3

microsoft office suiteoffice softwaremicrosoft office wordmicrosoft office studentstandard edition ms office

SEA: How it works?



Targeted Messaging




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3

Microsoft OfficeLow prices on Microsoft OfficeFast Delivery. Buy Now & Save!www.ht.com.au

SEA: How it works?



Targeted Messaging




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Contextual Targeting

Contextual Targeting

Paid Search ads appear alongside contextually relevant content

Search Engines will determine when ads are relevant and automatically serve ads

SEO: Search Engine Optimisation

SEO

Websites are ranked by relevancy according to search engine algorithms (i.e. a compliance checklist)

Affected by website design.

The ROI of SEO

Organic optimization brings more than just results in the search engines. This infographic illustrates the additional benefits and return on investment that comes along with properly optimizing a site and pursuing targeted keywords.

SEO: What does it involve?

Ensure the site design enables search engines to find & crawl the site

Create a compelling page summary including a call to action – this will appear in the search listings

Write interesting and informative page content

Use page headings and sub headings to identify key topics and themes

Build up the number of relevant links pointing to the site (partners, social media, online press releases etc)

Monitor performance and keep optimising

Popular search terms can change over time

Search engines will change the way they determine relevance

Competitors can become more aggressive

Create Compelling Title & Meta Description tags

High rankings aren’t everything – consumers need to be compelled enough to click on the listing

Best Practices for Title & Meta DataTitle tags should be 65 characters or lessDescription tags should be 155 characters or lessThe description should read as a complete sentence and include a call to action

Title tag will appear as the clickable link in search results

Meta description tags are often used as the page summary in search results

Compelling Meta Data in Action

Key FeaturesShort call to action (“try it free for 30 days”)Title stands on its ownDescription starts with a verbDescription reads as a complete sentence

Results11% increase in leads from search phrases that were optimisedDynamics saw a 3% uplift in search engine traffic

Content – What to avoid

Title tag has not been optimised

Page content is minimal

1

2

Content hidden behind forms3

Text used within an image4

Internal site linking is poor5

Page heading is not optimised6

Content – What works

Appropriate use of heading tags

Links through to relevant articles

1

2

Use of relevant anchor text3

Text link navigation4

Keyword Research

When you begin the process of keyword research, the first step is to think like your target audience and how they would enter the phrases for what they are searching for.

Keyword Research

This infographic details an essential element of keyword research: exploring conversations that are happening on the web. By combing through competitive and industry websites, relevant blog postings, and popular tag sites, new phrases are discovered and search frequencies can be determined.

Keyword Research

Keyword research involves so much more than just looking up search frequencies. Critical factors such as budget restrictions, competition levels, and business strategy must be considered in order to develop a results-driven search marketing plan..

Getting Ranked: The Long Tail Keyword Equation

Once an SEO gets to a certain level of expertise, he or she can typically select a list of key phrases and map out exactly what steps are necessary to get those phrases ranked. This infographic demonstrates what that equation for ranking success may look like for a long-tail phrase.

Long Tail SEO

The strongest search marketing campaigns pursue rankings for a combination of high-traffic phrases that are likely to bring many visitors to the site as well as highly-specific, 3- or 4-word phrases that are more likely to convert a targeted buyer.

B2B Long Tail SEO

It's hard to dispute that the Long Tail is an important concept in Search. A lot of times, though, we tend to think of the long tail as being a B2C concept by relating it to specific product names in ecommerce situations. But, it's just as relevant in the B2B world. One-word phrases bring businesses up against a lot of competition, but the benefit of increased traffic may outweigh the expense of ranking. On the flip side, credibility-building site assets like case studies can be optimized with longer-tail phrases in order to boost the probability of conversion. Where does your SEM campaign fit into the curve?

Link Juice

Not all links are created equal. Most search marketers already know the answer. But, how do you differentiate between links to figure out which ones are better than others? This infographic visualizes the various site and link components that combine to form link juice.

Building Trust Through Search Marketing

Site age

Site depth

1

2

Social Media Optimisation

3

Brand Management4

Additional Considerations

Brand & Reputation Management

Interactive Session

Your Team Task

Use the SEO Analyzer tool to check your assigned page

See what the pages will look like as a Search Result Listing

Come up with an improved Page Title and Page Description Tags

SEO Analyzer Tool

http://seoanalyzer.redmond.corp.microsoft.com/ Enter the URL you want to analyse here...

This is what the page will look like as a Search Engine Result.

http://seoanalyzer.redmond.corp.microsoft.com/

SEO Analyzer Tools - external

http://www.seoworkers.com/tools/analyzer.html

http://www.seocentro.com/tools/search-engines/metatag-analyzer.h

tml

http://www.seoworkers.com/tools/analyzer.html

http://www.seocentro.com/tools/search-engines/metatag-analyzer.html

http://www.seocentro.com/tools/search-engines/metatag-analyzer.html

Interactive Session

SEO Analyzer = http://seoanalyzer.redmond.corp.microsoft.com/Team A - http://www.microsoft.com/australia/dynamicsTeam B – http://www.microsoft.com.au/teched

Some Tips - Ask yourself: What is this page about?- Look at competitors sites (what keywords are they using)- Use Google Trends (google.com/trends) to test the popularity of search terms

– Best Practices for Title & Meta Data– Title tags should be 65 characters or less– Description tags should be 155 characters or less– The description should read as a complete sentence and include a call to action

Meta Description Tag

Title Tag

http://seoanalyzer.redmond.corp.microsoft.com/

http://www.microsoft.com/australia/dynamics

http://www.microsoft.com/teched

Answers – Tech Ed

Keywords that came to mind: Technical Education, Learning, Microsoft Conference, Tech Ed...

Answers – Tech Ed

Ask yourself - what is this page all about?

TitleMicrosoft Tech.Ed Australia 2008 – Developer Conference & Event (63chrs)

DescriptionLearn more about Microsoft Technologies at Tech.Ed 2008. Connect with Developers, IT Professionals in Sydney Australia. For technical education, training register for this conference today. (153chrs)

Answers - Dynamics

Look at Competitors websites

Keywords that come up:- CRM- Business Software- ERP Software- Sale Force Automation- Business Solutions

Answers - DynamicsThis is proof that humans are lazy.Use Google Trends to help refine your keyword lists.

Answers – Dynamics

Ask yourself - what is this page all about?

TitleDynamics - CRM & Supply Chain Software | Microsoft Australia (60chrs)

DescriptionMicrosoft Dynamics is a Business Software Solution - CRM, Supply Chain Management, Finance & Accounting software. Compare us or demo a free trial today.(152chrs)

SEM Integration

Organic & Paid Search SynergyObjective

Determine whether layering paid search activity with organic search listings will improve search performance

ImplementationIdentified high ranking organic keywords; purchasing those same keywords via paid search to create dual listings within the search results, increasing the share of voice

Result35% increase in combined trafficOrganic search traffic increased by 19% through layering of search activity

Traf

fic

Organic Paid

+34.8%

19%

Impact of Natural Search Rank on Paid Quote Volumes

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Quotes lost to natural search from improvement in natural search rank

Natural Search Rank

Search & Display Synergy

Consumers exposed to both Search and Display had higher conversion rates than just Search or Display alone

Source: Figure 1: Atlas Institute, Overlap’s impact on Reach, Frequency and Conversions, June 2007; Figure 2: Atlas Institute, Impact of User Frequency on Conversion Rates

Brand Display Activity drove significant uplift in Brand searches

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Brand OnlineDoordropsInsertsPressTVRateBase

8.9% uplift in search volumes

Online Ads Boost Search Engagement

Spikes in online ads are concurrent with spikes in paid search clicks indicating a direct link between

online advertising and searches

Paid Search Clicks Online Ad Impressions

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Pai

d S

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TV’s Influence on Brand Search Sales

Search sales increase with significant investment into TV

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earc

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ales

Outdoor (small formats)Outdoor (large formats)TVGeneric Search

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TV’s Influence on Generic Search Sales

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Outdoor (small formats)TVGeneric Search

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eric

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Search sales increase with significant investment into TV

TV Drives Conversion through SearchC

on

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ion

Rat

e

TV

GR

P’s

Correlation=82.74%

Paid Search Conversion Rate National TV GRP’s

Conversion Attribution

Last click conversion attribution models do not accurately demonstrate impact of other channels earlier in the purchase pathway

This chart illustrates a step-by-step ‘weighted conversion analysis’. Conversion influencers are factored into the analysis sequence – from the ‘last ad’ to frequency, multiple media channels, recency of ads, ad size and engagement with rich media ad formats.

Source: Atlas

The Cadburys Gorilla: Engaging Users

A 2007 UK TVC designed with the aim of going viral across the internet …

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=TnzFRV1LwIo

… which it did



Over 2.5 million views on You Tube

Facebook groups with thousands of members

http://www.aglassandahalffullproductions.com

Cadbury’s created a specific dynamic website, users could register to receive more information from the Cadbury Group

highest search volumes around ad launch

Spike in search volume for related keywords

Google Universal search provides Cadbury’s with

great branding

Official Cadbury’s site developed for the

campaign

SEA used to drive users to the latest ad

Interactive Session

Case Study

Microsoft Security

MS Security Portal RefreshIssues / Challenges:

Security is not sexy! Generally, customers only want help with security when they already have a problem like a virus, spyware, adware (reactive, negative perception)

So they use a search engine to find answers to their security issue(s)

MS Aus Security site not found in top 10 pages of search engines

Not search optimisedUnfriendly designContent not updated on a monthly basis

Old style LH nav

Too much Ad-ware

Security alerts too technical so irrelevant to most visitors

Too much going on, not a clean design

Previous Security Site …

Security Portal refresh objective

Promote MS’s free tools & resources that help customers improve their security

How?Increase search discoverability, hence increase monthly UU’s & visitsImprove site design to be more user friendlyTake a phased approach to the development & SEO activities

Phase 1: content & crawlabilityPhase 2: linking & connectionsPhase 3: tweaking to maximise exposure

New security site – V1

The Process So far …

Engaged Martin Walsh immediately for guidance on design elements & the brief before we briefed the agency

Worked with Martin’s Online Analytics Lead and Producers on the key SEO elements and best practicesThoroughly researched key words using tools such as Google trends, competitor sites, media sites & most recent press articles (hot security topics)

Worked with Martin Walsh and his team to finalise the design to create the best customer experience

www.google.com.au/trends

Google Trends & Keywords

Key Search Learnings

Invest the time, the returns will come…How customers, not you, will use the site (Martin Walsh and his team are brilliant at this!!)Determine keywords that customers will use Have relevant & interesting content, not the standard Corp crap. Republishing Corp content leads to keyword competition & we’ll lose to themKeep the content updated!!!!!!Design the site to take advantage of how the search engines work (Martin Walsh and his team are brilliant at this!!)It’s an ongoing process– not a set & forget activity. My site’s only been up for a month, but we’ve only just begun

Next Steps

Flush old, out-of-date pagesLink Building (link juice)

Build links into Email NewslettersWork with DPE evangelists to include links to the Security on their blogsContinue to develop authorative links on 3rd party sites point to our Security pages

Monitor Search traffic to the siteMonitor and analyse which keywords are driving success events and end actionsMonitor Security News site to pick up on the ‘buzz’ words, & update content on a regular basisOngoing monthly optimisation for targeted keywords

Case Study

Microsoft TechEd

The Tech.Ed 2008 website

Duplicate Content IssuesThis occurs when 2 (or more) URLs display the same content, like in our case:a) www.microsoft.com.au/teched/b) www.microsoft.com.au/teched/default.aspxc) microsoft.com.au/teched/

The SEO Issue a) This dilutes backlinksb) One of the pages will be dropped from the Search Index

The Fix Use Permanent Redirection on all other URLs to single destination

http://www.microsoft.com.au/teched/

http://www.microsoft.com.au/teched/default.aspx

http://microsoft.com.au/teched

Spider View of the Homepage

Great for SEOHave Page Headings that are descriptive and that contain good keywords

Bad for SEOThis is set as a Heading 2 (<H2>) tag and this is poor practice and the word “Main Navigation” is not a popular search term.

The Fix – Remove it, or demote it to normal paragraph text.

Don’t use “More” in links> See what you can Learn > Connect with other Developers > Explore

Exhibitor’s Showcase

The Fix:Use description text in links, this helps with SEO.

SEO Issue:Using “More” and “Click here” as link text does not pass on any keyword value to the destination pages.

Spiders can only follow Text Links

SEO Issues:Search Robots can only follow text links.

Invisible to Search Robots

These are all image links, hence the robot cannot crawl to any of this content.

Sources:

Infographics – ELLIANCE

http://searchengineoptimization.elliance.com/search-marketing-resources/seo-infographics.aspx

Any Questions?

Martin WalshDigital Marketing Directorwww.twitter.com/martinwalsh

Working Together with our SEM Agency

Activities Covered Measurable Outcomes & Outputs

1. Centralised programming and management of organic and paid search

2. Optimisation of paid search to drive success events and end actions rather than just increasing generic traffic

3. Optimisation of all persistent online properties to maximise natural organic traffic

4. Operationalising SEO best practices for all websites and campaigns

5. Optimising organic and paid search referrals to drive success events, end actions and leads

6. Regular monitoring, reporting and analysis of organic and paid activity

1. Reduce the cost overlap of paid search activity and confusion across our online assets for key search terms which lowers our rankings

2. Maintain an ‘always on’ presence for our key products, technologies and customer needs

3. Increase traffic from search engines4. Increase leads from key search phrases and

search terms5. Improve rankings and relevance in top search

engines6. Identify keyword phrases of interest that drive

completion of specified success events and or end actions

7. Measure keyword rankings on the core Microsoft Australia Web sites

8. Optimize and create new content and or landing pages to match the most important keywords

9. Develop and deploy site indexes (site maps) to ensure all pages are discoverable and identifiable

10. Assess keyword impact on Google “Top Ten” rankings

Centralised search engine marketing strategy• 3 months intensive research, analysis and insights• 3 months to assist us in operationalising the centralised program