Successful SEO Strategies for the Specialty Merchant

By Richard ChavezPM Digital

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OverviewCertain retailers (Amazon, Overstock, eBay, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Home Depot, etc.) are very strong in terms of natural search rankings, creating a barrier to entry for specialty retailers. While this is indeed a challenge, there is an opportunity for specialty retailers to grow, compete and flourish via natural search.

About PM Digital SEO Strategies for Specialty Merchants Solutions

Technical Customer Journey Social Media Optimization Content Local Authority Building Cross-Channel

Brand / Multi-Brand Retailer Specifics Case Study Key Takeaways Q&A

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About PM Digital Digital Agency servicing clients in retail,

financial services, non-profit, CPG and more Primary service offerings: SEO, SEM,

Display, Email Marketing, Social Media and Creative

Clients include The North Face, Ulla Popken, dELiA’s, Steve Madden and many more

8 clients in the Internet Retailer Top 100 Based in New York with offices in

Scottsdale, AZ, Minneapolis and Columbia, SC

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SEO Strategies for Specialty Merchants

While there is a real challenge, most consumers are brand savvy and knowledgeable of the products they desire. With this stated, there is a real opportunity for specialty retailers to market their brands and grow.

Q1 2013, % of searches as specialty brand searches*: Shopping: 36%

Apparel: 80% Baby: 75% Health & Beauty: 57% House & Garden: 64% Sport & Fitness: 94%

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* Top 100 Search Terms driving traffic to Shopping and Classifieds Sites - 12 Rolling Weeks ending March 30, 2013, Hitwise

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Technical Solutions

Content cannot be viral unless it’s visible! Technical SEO optimization will continue to be critical for success and ever evolving.

Primary areas of focus: Duplicate content (many causes, growing concerns from mobile

sites) – responsive design is key Schema Markup (structured page element data that better informs

search engines of content and customer feedback), best for product pages, store locations, events and more –

growing of importance and most brands omit (competitive advantage) 3

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Technical Solutions (cont.)

Customer Reviews/Feedback: Social signals from customer reviews provide unbiased technical

feedback to a search engine of a product/retailer’s relevancy/popularity.

Product reviews can be used to feed category review pages (ex. handbag reviews), brand categories and more.

Product reviews should be in-line in page code vs. external call (iframe)

Product star ratings can be published in meta data to add visual enhancements of natural search listings.

Can also lead to increased conversion rates and fewer returns. 3

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Understanding The Customer Journey

Search data from Google or Bing provides a quantitative understanding of consumer shopping behavior. That data can be classified into the customer’s journey / sales funnel to merchandise products and create content to create brand awareness and increase share of voice (rankings) at each stage.

Items to consider when creating such a roadmap: Avoiding brand speak vs. consumer speak (ex. daypacks vs. backpacks) Apply sales funnel to taxonomy (navigation) Create categories based on primary product type, product use and

customer benefit3

General Interest

Investigation Phase

Narrowing Phase

Conversion Phase

Eye Care4,400 (SV*)

* Source: Google Adwords data average monthly search demand, exact-match, local

Anti-Aging Cream2,900 (SV*)

Dark Circles3,600 (SV*)

Eye Cream3,600 (SV*)

sea results deep sleep recovery serum, 0

(SV*)

General Interest

Investigation Phase

Narrowing Phase

Due Diligence Phase

Conversion Phase

Electric Guitars9,900 (SV*)

* Source: Google Adwords data average monthly search demand, exact-match, local

Gibson Les Paul Guitars

990 (SV*)

Gibson Les Paul

Standard Pro990 (SV*)

Gibson Guitars40,500(SV*)

Buy Gibson Les Paul Standard Pro

online, 0 (SV*)

Gibson Les Paul Standard Pro

Reviews 260(SV*)

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Social Media Optimization

Social media Search engines use social signals to rank regular search results1

Primary items that provide SEO signals via social media: Optimized profile (core brand statement, keywords and link back to site) Profiles have a strong following (likes/followers) Posts are regular and current Posts capture consumer activity (likes, comments, shares/retweets) Posts link to site (home, category, product, content, blog on domain) via direct link

(200-level) or via 301 redirect via URL shortener Connecting your brands (optimizing and sharing) via Google+, Facebook, Twitter,

Pinterest, Flickr, Instagram and other relevant profiles can greatly influence SEO rankings

Some topics of interest: New product releases Events Store openings 3

1. Guide to Social Signals for SEO, SEOMoz

Facebook Twitter Google +

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Content Solutions

Sub-Category Creation / Merchandising Based on the Customer Journey, creating deeper category pages based on

product solutions, customer need, etc. can create new entry points and increase brand awareness.

Develop on-page copy to support the category and customer intent (content should be placed within the fold for all audiences)

Linking products from multiple categories can solve more customer needs. Product Optimization

Amazon and other reseller sites (ex. eBay) Provide “amazon” specific product descriptions and create more

authorative / in-depth product descriptions on your own site

Content is King!

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Local Content Solutions

“To succeed, marketers need to craft a comprehensive local search advertising strategy to reach consumers who hop, for example, from MapQuest to Internet yellow pages (IYP) and then to their favorite search engine.” ~Forrester Research

While primary KPIs/goals may be for online conversion, several consumers search online and purchase offline (~63%)1 and local store options do appear frequently in broader searches.

Primary focus: Create pages for each physical store, link internally and optimize for the following:

Local searches by state and city (target geo-specific keywords [brand and non-brand])

Submit store listings to Google, Yahoo and Bing Places with individual store URLs Create localized content pages

Sponsorships Geographic product strengths Seasonality opportunities

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1. Importance of Search in Influencing Offline Buying, comScore

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Authority Building Solutions

Based on the Customer Journey, several customers search for informative content to help their purchase decision. This type of query can be in the form of educational searches, reviews, how-to, and more. Understanding where and when to create content can help better inform customers, improve off-page authority and create thought leadership for brands.

Primary area of focus: Reviews How to tips Content sharing Promotional content

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Authority Building Solutions (cont.)

Reviews: In addition to technical integration, product reviews can be fed to landing

pages to create review pages based on product categories, brands and more. The increased visibility and content that solves customer inquiries can lead to increased conversions and greater SEO authority from social signals.

61% or online shoppers think that online opinions and experiences of other consumers play a vital role in their purchase decision (Lightspeed Research)

Bazaarvoice and Power Reviews offer hosted landing pages that are integrated into a site.

Great way to gain visibility for superlatives (best) Local reviews (Yelp, Kudzu) can create greater search real estate and increase links

and increase online > offline conversions3

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Authority Building Solutions (cont.)How-to: There are several instances where consumers aren’t sure what/how to buy

(ex. gifts, high ticket items, special occasions, etc.). Creating content to guide customers with how-to tips, product demonstrations, etc. can provide information they need and lead to increased conversions

Blogging is a great place to store this type of content Linking the relevant blog posts in the navigation can proactively feed the content to

customers during their shopping experience

Sharing content (articles, videos, etc.) with external bloggers, how-to sites, Polyvore can establish brand thought leadership and introduce new customers to a brand

Never pay for guest blog posts and can be deemed as search engine spam Only post to sites that are relevant to your brand (ex. wedding blogs to a jeweler)

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Authority Building Solutions (cont.)

One of the most common types of shopping keyword types are promotional. Consumers compare several sites and look for the best product at the best price. Part of their price consideration is promotion perks such as coupons, free shipping, sales, clearance and more).

While customers searching for discounts are not ideal there are many of them!

Benefits: More customers to your brand vs. affiliate sites Reduced acquisition costs More control of discount content (own your brand)

Recommendation: Create a promo section focusing on coupons, free shipping, special offers, loyalty programs

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Cross-Channel Solutions

In addition to a great customer acquisition tool, SEO also acts as a hub for other marketing channels (online and offline). From TV commercials to catalogs, SEO can be the glue that brings customers back to your site.

Primary area of focus: Optimize based on in-market campaigns Catalog mailings SEO/SEM integration PR

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Cross-Channel Solutions

In-Market Campaigns:As brands launch new campaigns in-market, search engines are many times the natural call-to-action or inquiry mechanism.

Even when the campaign is completely new, search demand is usually generated once the campaign gains momentum.

Recommendations: Develop keyword strategy/optimize prior to launch (search-informed

strategy)1

Optimize from a top-down approach to support future brand buzz Optimize featured products to maximize visibility 3

Blue = world’s most interesting manRed = better than nakedSource: Growth in search demand, Google Insights

1. https://adwords.google.com/o/KeywordTool

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Cross-Channel Solutions

Catalog Mailings:While catalog production may seem like a dated tactic, it is still very effective in creating renewed brand awareness, return purchases and overall increased conversion rates from SEO and other channels.

Recommendations: Mail catalogs to new customers Mail catalogs on a regular basis Encourage existing customers to join mailing list Optimize products featured in the catalog (cover, fold, etc.)

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Cross-Channel Solutions

SEO / SEM Integration:While the process of SEM and SEO is different the goal is the same (capture traffic and sales from search engines).

Both channels have their unique strengths that the other can leverage. On-going data sharing and analysis is key to continued growth and reduced acquisition cost.

Recommendations: SEO / SEM Blended Reporting (at least quarterly) Ad copy / page optimization content sharing based on high performing ad-groups /

pages (CTR, Conv. Rate, ROI) Find dual performing sweet-spots Uncover gaps in keyword coverage across both channels

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Brand

SEO

SEM

SEO Visibility SEO % Clicks SEO % of Orders

SEO % of Rev. SEM CTR SEM Conv

Page 1 (1-3) 98% 98% 98% 21% 7.9%

Page 1 (4-10) 1.4% 1.3% 1.3% 13% 5.8%

Beyond Page 1 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Sample

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Cross-Channel SolutionsPR:Online distribution and optimization network sends your press release to thousands of sites, portals, online databases, financial networks, information systems and content syndicators – from news portals to niche sites specializing in subject-specific or localized content. Benefits: Greater exposure for timely content and news in both search and social networks Extends audience beyond journalists and traditional media audience into the search engine

results pages Opportunity to connect with journalists and bloggers directly by using keyword triggers Longer shelf life. Press Releases can continue to be found several months or years after initial

release Opportunity to partially shape the brand results in search engines - more corporate-controlled

content.

Recommendations: Provide keyword strategy to PR team prior to release draft Optimize press releases (links to internal pages) Post on your own site first then publish externally 3

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Brand / Multi-Brand Retailer SpecificsSingle-Brand Retailers: Own Your Brand

Create authority product descriptions, provide abstracts to dealer partners or encourage them to write their own

Create promo content Create product / how-to tips and video from brand experts Watch for counterfeits (review brand search results, create content to inform customers

of counterfeit products) Support your dealer partners (co-op programs)

Multi-Brand Retailers: Create branded storefronts (product categories, local) Develop in-depth product descriptions and create your own product images Co-op programs with brands Optimize where the manufacturer can’t (free shipping, coupons)

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Case StudyChallenge: Bedding retailer carried multiple brands and had strong sales and

rankings for the brands at the carried While the SEO success was strong, it was limited to top and bottom

levels of the sales funnel Blended SEO/SEM data showed strong SEM traffic and high consumer

search demand, but low conversions for mid-tier searches (sub-category / brand + product type), content did not exist

Solution: PM Digital created sub-category pages at the Narrowing Stage for

three top-selling brands Pages went live in early October 2012

SEO Results: Traffic increase Q4 YOY: 8% Order increase Q4 YOY: 32% Revenue increase Q4 YOY: 27% 3

General Interest(bedding)

Investigational(brand + bedding)

Narrowing(brand +

product type (fitted sheet)

Conversion(brand +

product name

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Key Takeaways

Technical: Solve duplicate content Implement schema markup for products, store location pages and events (add star ratings) Implement in-line product reviews and add to category pages

Customer Journey / Sales Funnel: Research the customer journey via search data and apply to navigation, content

Optimization/Content/Social: Leverage social media to distribute optimized content Create on-page content to support the brand and customer interest / shopping needs Optimize for all marketing channels Own your brand and develop your own authority for the brands you carry

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Q & A

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Thank You!

Richard Chavez

Sr. Director, SEO

PM Digital

212-851-8681

rchavez@pmdigital.com

www.pmdigital.com

Blog: http://blog.pmdigital.com/

Twitter: @PMDigital, @richardachavez