From the JAMRS conference in March ’09. 90 minute overview of search engine optimization and paid search advertising for those who are new to search engine marketing.

2. A Growing Industry

3. What Does Pinocchio Have to do with SEM?
Link
??? Quantity
Link Link
Buys Text
Link Link
Age Quality

4. Pinocchio Now & in the Future

5. Four Reasons to Love Organic
Average time a Average CTR
searcher for organic
spends on a listings verses
search results paid search
page. listings.
6.5 12%
seconds verses 5%
Percentage of Percentage of
people who people who
begin their hunt begin their hunt
on paid search on organic
listings. listings.
50%
30% PPC
Organic

6. SEO Then and Now
SEO in 1999 SEO in 2009
You have The long All about
Meta tags
to rank #1 tail impact content
Integrate Long term
Buy your Submission
social link
way in services
media strategies
Search
Dynamic SEM Do it by
friendly
problems software hand
design

7. Organic Success Takes Time
• Targeted
Keywords keywords
• Visitor focused
Content content
• Search Friendly
Code Code
• Optimize your
Optimize content
• Earn Links by
Links Reputation

8. Picking Your Keywords – Buying Cycle
Interest
Purchase Gather
Exclude Research

9. Picking Your Keywords – Phrases Rule
How People Search
1 word 2 words 3 words 4 words
5 words 6 words 7 + words
5%
6% 20%
9%
23%
15%
22%
Source: Onestat

10. Picking Your Keywords – Brainstorm
Start building a list…expanding into more targeted
phrases…
Top Level Navy
Secondary Navy Join the
Education Navy
Targeted US Naval Navy Enlistment
Naval ROTC
Academy Scholarships Bonus

11. Research Tools – Free Wordtracker
• Subscription based research tool
– $70/month or $600/year
– Tons of data

12. Picking Your Keywords – Organize
Carrot cake Red Velvet cake
Rum cake German chocolate
Wedding cake toppers Cake
decorating
Wedding cake stands
Custom Cake Cake
designs flavors pictures

13. Picking Your Keywords – Per Page
If too much stands
out, nothing stands
out…FOCUS!

14. A Keyword Tip…
Test with paid search
before you optimize
organically…

15. Keywords - Understand the Long Tail
• Top 10 Terms = Less than bottom terms
• Most conversions come from the long tail
• Importance of natural language

16. SEO Copywriting – Five Rules
Avoid graphics in text
Users before engines
Write enough content
Target phrases not words
Don’t force it!

17. SEO Copywriting – Search Engine are Dumb
?????????????

18. SEO Copywriting – Engines Seek Patterns
Search engines think every word is a keyword
Red
marbles
Rubber
balls
jump rope text red marbles text text text
rubber balls text red marbles text text
text rubber balls text text text text text Jump
rope
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
Too many keywords!

19. SEO Copywriting – Map out Site
Custom widget Buy blue
design widgets
Discount California
widgets widgets
How to use
Red widget
Widgets
reviews

20. Copywriting – Use Real Words
• It’s not about optimized writing, it’s about better
writing… “Joe’s sports car dealership specializes in
rare european convertibles and race cars
that let you experience the thrill of racing
through switchback curves and heart
pounding straight-aways. Imagine yourself
driving down the highway in a brand new
cherry red Porche convertible while the
wind blows through your hair. That’s the
dream that we deliver here at Joe’s
European sports car dealership .”

21. SEO Copywriting – Seek Opportunity
Don’t be a lazy writer
If you have an immediate question while
shopping, please visit our quot;Quick Helpquot; section.
If you have an immediate question while shopping our
delectable line of gourmet food gifts, please visit our
quot;Quick Helpquot; section.

22. SEO Copywriting – Local Terms
Drop generic business
self references
Call or visit our office
for a free quote.
Call or visit our Upper West
Side office to get the lowest
quote on car insurance in
Manhattan.

23. On Page Optimization – Title Tag
Pssst… “It’s about small Description
business and search marketing”
on browser
Tells Chance for
engines conversion
what page in search
is about results
Title
Tag Note: 2/3 searchers read for .7
seconds or less
Source: Marketing Sherpa

24. On Page Optimization – Title Tag
Common
Mistakes
Same Title
on Every
Page
Leading with
Business
Name
Long List of
Keywords

25. On Page Optimization – Meta Keyword Tag
Get over it!

26. On Page Optimization – Meta Description
Used as SERP Keywords
Snippet Bolded in SERP
Small
Factor
Good Description
???
Increases CTR

27. On Page Optimization – ALT Attribute
• Yes, some • Browsers for
people still the visually
surf with impaired will
images off read the
descriptions
of images
Text only Accessible
browsers browsers
Mobile Search
browsers Engines
• Generally not • Want a shot
an issue with at showing in
smart image
phones, but search?
for those who Make sure
pay for you use it
downloads… right!

28. On Page Optimization - Headings

29. On Page Optimization – URLs and Directories
Keep them short: Use Keywords if possible:
Domain.com/category/product.html Domain.com/widgets/blue
Home
Keyword Keyword Keyword

30. On Page Optimization – Canonical Issues
www.example.com
example.com/
www.example.com/index.html
example.com/home.asp
Google will only pick one to display
Use a 301 redirect

31. Site Architecture – 301 Redirects

32. Site Architecture – Site Maps
Help the engines find their way
Directory style list of your site
No more than 100 links per page
Can automate and submit

33. Site Architecture – Common Problems
Dynamic
Other Issues
Content
• Too many • Javascript
• Flash
parameters
• Inaccessible • Session IDs
content

34. Links Connect the Web

35. How Links Lead Spiders Along
Fodors
NYC
Listings
Review
Yahoo
of Joe’s
Directory
Deli
Joe’s
Internal
page Deli

36. Links Give Your Site Context
Pre-
owned
Lexus
Certified Buy
Used used
GMC Cadillac
Used
Low
98 Volvo
Car
mileage
Wagon
Honda Sales

37. Links Validate Authority
Did you see Kim’s blog
post about that new
BBQ place?

38. Types of Links
Purchased
One Way
Links
Reciprocal
Links
Outgoing
Navigation
Incoming Links

39. The Progression of Link Analysis
Link
??? Quantity
Link Link
Buys Text
Link Link
Age Quality

40. What Do Engines Collect?
• Descriptive
Anchor Text
• Editorial, navigational or ad space
Where Link Appears
• Incoming, reciprocal or purchased
Type of Link
• Text or graphic
Makeup of Link
• Old or new
Age of Link
• Authority level
Where Link Comes From

41. Understanding NoFollow
<a href=“http://www.site.com” rel=“nofollow”>Site</a>
Trust Ads Sculpt
Used when you Now required by Can use on
don’t want to Google for any internal links to
pass link juice to link placed due help control the
a site due to trust to exchange of flow of Page
issues. payment Rank.

42. Where to Find Links

43. Link Building is Relationship Building

44. What is Paid Search?
Match Ads to Pay for Visits Ads appear
Keywords not Views with results

45. Purposes of Paid Search
Short Term Long Term
Campaign Campaign
Seasonal sales Ongoing sales
Highly
Keyword
competitive
research
phrases
Test Sales
Branding Tool
Messages
Balanced
Jumpstart
search
campaign
presence

46. Paid Search – Where to Buy?

47. Paid Search – Word of Advice
Master one engine before moving on to others…

48. Paid Search – Google AdWords
Google Quality Score
Past
CTR
Bid
Ad Landing
Copy Page
Price
Load
Time
Can force an ad higher with high enough bid

49. Paid Search – Yahoo Search Marketing
Yahoo Ad Relevance

50. Paid Search – Microsoft adCenter
Landing
Click thru Maximum
Page
rate Bid
Quality
Microsoft AdCenter ranking factors

51. Paid Search – Five Common Mistakes
Mistake #1
Ego Bidding
Test Positions
Focus on ROI

52. Paid Search – Five Common Mistakes
Mistake #2
One Ad, Many
Keywords

53. Paid Search – Five Common Mistakes
Mistake #3
Focusing on $
instead of ROI

54. Paid Search – Five Common Mistakes
Mistake #4
Sending Traffic
to Home Page

55. Paid Search – Five Common Mistakes
Mistake #5
Not Separating
Content Ads
Understand the difference
Learn how to bid content
Consider avoiding content

56. Paid Search – Selecting Phrases
Broad
Specific
Terms
Terms
More Traffic
Less Conversions More Conversions
Less Traffic

57. Understand the Search Buying Cycle
Interest
Purchase Gather
Exclude Research

58. Writing Good Ads – Understand Intent
Average of 6.7 searches before a purchase
Latent purchases by searcher 56%
Searchers who buy offline 63%
Searchers who buy online 37%
Searchers who make purchases 25%
Target your text to where they are
Special Pre-Qualify
Unique Value
Promotion Visitors
• 24 hr service • Free sample • Registration required
• Exclusive Products • Price matching • U.S. Only
• Return to store • Free shipping • Custom solutions
Source: Google and ComScore

59. Writing Good Ads – Examine Competitors
Ads for portable DVD players…
One doesn’t include phrase
Two are too generic
Free DVD player is suspicious
2 ads to compete against…
Write an equal or more compelling offer

60. Mastering Paid Search – Negative Match
Your phrase: Their search term:
Mp3 files Free mp3 files
Espresso beans Free espresso bean samples
German shepherd Picture of german shepherd
Sony digital camera Repair sony digital camera
LCD monitor recycling broken LCD monitor
Lord of the Rings Lord of the Rings screensaver
MS Power Point MS Powerpoint clip art

61. Jennifer Laycock
Director of Social Media, SiteLogic
jennifer@sitelogic.com