the value of search engine optimization

Sarah Lamansky

Search Engine Marketing Manager

Mannix Marketing, Inc.

The Value of Search Engine Optimization

What it takes to Get Found, See

Results & Increase ROI

www.mannixmarketing.com

The Purpose of a Search Engine

Generate New Visitors

Attract „surfers‟

Attract „informational seekers‟

Attract „buyers‟

You Need to be Visible for ALL stages of the

buying process!


What is the Ultimate Goal?

To Increase New Visitors

To Increase ROI

Convert Leads into Sales

Make People Stay on-site

To Portray YOUR Marketing Philosophy


In Order to Obtain the Goal…

The Basic SEO Fundamentals need to be in

place before you can see Results.

What are the Basics? Keyword Research

Titles and Meta Data

Content Development

Site Architecture

Link Marketing

Social Media Optimization


What is Keyword Research?

Phrases that users type into the search bar to find YOU

Keywords in: Titles, Meta Data, H1s, and body of website

Incorporate Short Tail Keyword Phrases as well as Long Tail Keyword Phrases into the marketing of your website

“Keyword research is critical to the process of SEO. Without this component, your efforts to rank well in the major search engines may be mis-directed to the wrong terms and phrases, resulting in rankings that no one will ever see.” - SEOmoz.org

Keyword Definition – “a word that a search engine user might use to find relevant web page(s). If a keyword doesn't appear anywhere in the text of your web page, it's highly unlikely your page will appear in the search results (unless of course you have bid on that keyword in a pay-per-click search engine).” – SEOGlossary.com


Short Tail…What’s This?

*Short Tail Keywords

Highly competitive

Broad-based phrases

More searches

„Info Gathering‟

*Depends on target market. Keywords are

determined by analyzing product and industry

competitors. Determining a set of keywords is the

first step in any SEO Campaign.


…Long Tail?


• 3-4 phrases

• Specifically targeted,

narrow

• Narrow phrase= higher

conversion

• „Buyer‟

Long Tail Phrases*

What are Optimized Titles?


Title in Search Results

•„First Impression‟

• Enhance Credibility

Create Stickiness

Title in Browser

Adds fresh, unique

keyword-rich content for

search engines

Optimized Meta Data


Optimized Title

Optimized Meta Data


Page Title

URL: http://www.mannixmarketing.com/seo/ („seo‟ = keyword)

Navigation

Bread Crumbs

H1

Body of Text

Anchor Text

Keyword Placement

http://www.mannixmarketing.com/seo/

How to Develop Content

Ideas for Content– Press releases

– Informational articles

– Product descriptions

– Top 10 lists

– Case Studies

Interlinking using

anchor text within paragraphs

Saratoga.com


Site Architecture Is Important

“Make a site with a clear hierarchy and text links. Every page

should be reachable from at least one static text link.”– Google Webmaster Guidelines

Pull Javascript into an External File

Don‟t Use Flash, Optimize CMS, crunch images, say No to

frames, don‟t duplicate.

Home

About Contact Us Products

History Mission Product A Product B Product C


…Link Marketing

“Link popularity refers to the number and quality of the incoming links that are pointing to your

site.”

– SearchEngineWatch.com

Find quality web sites and directories to link your website to, and to have link back to you

Benefits:

– Increases traffic, enhances search engine visibility, and increases your popularity to the

search engines

– Helps boost placements as most search engines factor link popularity into their algorithms.


Link Marketing – The How to?


• Chambers/Tourism Bureau

• Cityname.com

• Press Releases

• Email Campaigns

• Like businesses

• Local businesses

• Blogging

• Niche sites

• YourKeyword.com

• Social Media

Best Links

Get Found Locally!


National & Local

Get Found Locally!


Blogging


Blogging

Pros

Define large and small businesses

Be the Face for Your company = Branding

Online Reputation Management

Provides a niche community

Link Popularity & Optimization

Chatter = Story


Blogging

Challenges

Time Commitment = See Results

Need to maintain persona, no selling

Open to public = Need to Monitor


Social Media Optimization

Social media optimization (SMO) is a set of methods for generating publicity through

online communities and community websites…a technique to viral marketing where word of

mouth is created not through friends or family but through the use of networking in social

bookmarking, video and photo sharing websites. – Wikipedia

Why SMO? People want to connect with others; by establishing yourself (or company) in a

community niche, not only will you promote your business (or product), but also ultimately

create immediate connections between you and your target audience.

Leveraging Social Media:

– Social Bookmarking (StumbleUpon.com, Delicious.com)

– Social Networking (FaceBook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter)

– Sharing News (RSS Feeds, Digg.com, Mixx.com, Propeller.com)

– Sharing Video (YouTube, Truveo)

– Industry Blogging


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publicity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_sharing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_sharing

StumbleUpon.com – Bookmarking


StumbleUpon.com – Bookmarking


Saratoga.com

Received over 196

Referrals from

1/1/09 - Present

Delicious.com - Bookmarking


Twitter.com – Viral Marketing


Social Media Real Referrals


Cocktail Party is like Social Media

Meet people and start conversations

Ask/Answer questions – help others

Build brand awareness

Whether you network face to face, or via

online communities– it’s the same

principal


Social Media is More Effective because…

Join a community

Outreach to people and their friends…and

their friends…

Have an opinion? Become an authority figure

No time restraints, multiple people can

respond to your comments = freedom

Manage what others are saying about you


Social Media Optimization: Facts

85% of Americans believe a

company should not only be present

via social media, but also interact

with its consumers

60% of Americans interact with

companies on a social media web

site, and one in four interact more

than once per week

56% of American consumers feel

both a stronger connection with

and better served by companies

when they can interact with them in a

social media environment


Source: 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Online Study conducted

September 11-12, 2008 http://www.coneinc.com/content1182

http://www.coneinc.com/content1182

What are People Saying?


You’ve Read the Buzz, Now What?

Join those communities and start

conversations

Post events, news, blogs, feeds

Invite, Engage, Connect, Communicate

Build Brand Awareness = Enhance Online

Reputation Thru Social Media Networks


Why Invest in SEO?

Long Term = Lasts Forever

Organic Search Clicks = 85% +

By not ranking organically, you are losing out on roughly

60-75% of prospective customers to your competitors.

Increase Online Referrals and Exposure

Click through rates = Conversions

No additional payment for clicks

Get found for long tail and short tail keyword phrases

Increased brand exposure & management

Over 70% of people start with a search engine when

searching for a product, services or event

…Are YOU getting found?www.mannixmarketing.com

the value of search engine optimization

Technology

viral marketing

social media

search results

long tail

online communities

found locally

www

seo