One needn’t look far to identify the crux of SEO—after all, it’s embedded into its very name. Search engines’ primary raison d’être is to account for all Web content and, in turn, provide results pertinent to specific search queries. These engines, known more ubiquitously by their names— Google, Yahoo and Bing, to name a few—acted as stop-over points that ultimately delivered users to their desired destinations.
This remains search engines’ main function, but their integration with other social media platforms has expanded their applications exponentially. This in turn requires communications professionals to broaden their own horizons when shaping and executing SEO and SEM strategies.
“[Executives] need to realize that search doesn’t just happen on the major search engines,” says Jon Wegman, vice president of planning and innovation at Moxie Interactive. “It happens as consumers look for movies, books, locations, reviews, options and facts across social networks, technology platforms, media and mobile devices.”
As such, communicators must consider this evolving paradigm not just when optimizing all online content for search, but also when putting together the best mix of platforms for marketing efforts. Plus, they need to equip their own Web properties—corporate Web site, online newsroom, etc.—with robust search capabilities that connect users with the information they want in the click of a mouse. With that in mind, the following strategies and recommendations will help them do so effectively.
â–¶ Start by developing keyword strategies. Search may be evolving, but keywords are still a founding pillar of any optimization effort.
“Keyword phrases are the core of SEO,” says Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Online Marketing, outlining the following steps to choosing the best keywords:
• Create a keyword glossary: Structure should include categories, primary phrases, derivatives, permutations, popularity, relevance and competitiveness.
• Brainstorm phrases.
• Use a keyword research tool: Google Keyword Tool, Google Insights & Trends, SEMRush, WordTracker, Keyword Discovery, etc.
• Find popularity and variations.
â–¶ Think links. Keywords are the basis of SEO strategies, but links—specially, inbound links—make online content shoot to the top of research results.
“Links electrify content in search,” Odden says, recommending the following best practices:
• Earn links with content
• Promote socially
• Link up with partners
• Cross-link internally
• Embed links in news releases
• Social bookmark pickup
• Use keywords in link text
â–¶ Think beyond Google. Keywords and links optimize content for search of any kind, so why only apply keyword and link strategies solely to “Google-able” results, such as news releases? Instead, Wegman says, think more broadly to include newsroom optimization, PR optimization and even people optimization. He offers the following examples of each:
• Newsroom optimization and Target: “Target has created an easy-to-navigate and resource-rich destination for consumers and journalists alike,” Wegman says. “Features include detailed search functionality, distilled content areas, result filters a multimedia library, deep links and more.”
• PR optimization and Taylor Guitars: United Airlines ’ “United Breaks Guitars” YouTube fiasco (see “Guitar Hero: How United Airlines Turned an Obscure Canadian Folk Singer into a Social Media Star,” PRN 07-20-09) helped increase singer Dave Carroll’s visibility, but the incident spawned another, more unlikely celebrity: Taylor Guitars, the maker of the instrument that careless United baggage handlers destroyed. The company attached itself to the viral video craze started by Carroll by optimizing content on its corporate Web site and newsroom to include popular search terms like “Dave Carroll,” “video” and “United Breaks Guitars.” The result: It became the third-highest result on Google when a user searched “united airlines.”
• People optimization and Whole Foods: “It’s clear that Whole Foods has operationalized their approach to social media, PR and people optimization,” Wegman says, pointing to the company’s robust portfolio of inter-connected social media platforms. “Individual stores and categories have dedicated personnel to break news, respond to questions and engage with the public.”
â–¶ Measure, share results and adapt accordingly. Measuring the outcome of SEO initiatives can be done by considering a number of available metrics, including:
• Newswire service metrics;
• Google and Yahoo alerts;
• Rankings;
• Social media monitoring;
• Inbound links;
• Pickups on blogs, publications, Web sites, etc.;
• Web analytics for landing pages;
• Monitoring blog search engines via RSS; and,
• Press release landing page conversion tracking.
Then, Odden says, it’s all about communicating that value to the appropriate audiences, be it top management, marketing, etc., to help inform their efforts moving forward. Two effective means of making a point to these audiences: demonstrating cost/savings, and demonstrating what’s lacking.
“Set keyword ranking goals and estimate the cost of achieving the same goals with PPC (pay per click). Then demonstrate the cost of organic search traffic versus PPC traffic,” Odden says. As for demonstrating what’s lacking: “Research a keyword glossary and run a ranking report on those phrases to show the lack of search visibility. Run a test of a few news items, take benchmark measurements and then show progress.” PRN
CONTACT:
Lee Odden, [email protected]; Jon Wegman, [email protected]