SEO Seminar

YOUR LOGO HERE!HOW TO WIN AT SEO

Brad Tornberg Winter 2017

What is SEO and Why is it Important?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an inbound marketing strategy process that drives “free” or “organic” traffic and/or search results on search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.

SEO is the work that goes in to showing the search engines that you are the absolute best answer to queries related to your product or service.

100 billion Google searches a month

96% of ALL clicks are organic!

Top 3 organic search results receive 61% of

clicks

What is SEO & Why is it Important?What is SEO?

The keys to SEO:

Content Links

How Do Your Customers Achieve SEO Success?

SEO is not a service or process that can produce significant results in a few days, or even a few months, like web design or software programming. A complex algorithm determines how search engines list the results for any given search term or phrase.

There are 2 types of search results:

Organic - Search Engine Optimization

Paid - Search Engine Marketing

Long-term investment, these are the things you do to your website to make it findable. Builds over time.

Best practices work even without new efforts

Pay for ads to show based on keyword phrases and other targeting criteria.

Only works as long as you keep paying for the ads.

How To Achieve SEO SuccessComponents of SEO

Organic Search Results

• Free• More traffic• Smarter people• Longer lasting• Accumulates

Organic Results75% of Clicks

Pay Per Click – 25% of Clicks

Source: Marketing Sherpa and Enquiro Research

‘s 4 Pillars to Organic Traffic

Search Engine Optimization

Content MarketingReputation Management

Local Optimization

Search Engine Optimization Overview

• Are their individual pages able to be viewed and categorized by the search engines?

• Are there certain elements of their website that disallow Google from understanding the content?

RELEVANCEINDEXIBILITY• Does the information on their

website accurately describe exactly what they do?

• Can the search engines clearly understand their content?

• Are other websites linking to their site, essentially referring their unique traffic to their website?

• Are the search engines able to see others out there talking about their products or services?

USER EXPERIENCEAUTHORITY• Once someone has visited their

website, are there defined elements that entice them into taking the next step?

• Is their phone number prominently advertised with a clear “Contact Us” procedure laid out?

Keywords and #Hashtags• Keywords

• Convey business searchers’ intent, interest or need• Need to view from searchers perspective

• Describe problem• Looking for a solution• Ask a Question

• #Hashtags• Be a part of the conversation• An alternative to discovering your content where

your target customers are spending time online

Keyword phrases for mobile searches

Pick Your Keyword Battles

1. Search volume2. Relevance to your business3. Competition

• “event”• “community development event”• “community development event

Cottleville MO”

Flickr: saebahttps://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner

Long Tail SEO

On-Page Optimization - Keywords• Title• Description• Keywords• In the URL of page• Alt Text for Pictures• Headers and Paragraph Titles• Keywords in body copy• Anchor Text in Links

On-Page Optimization – Site Organization

• Integrate Social Media Sites• Shares from your website matter

• Crawlable• Anchor Text• URLs• Website Architecture (flatter is better)• HTML and XML Site Map

• Visible• No Broken Links• Use 301 for redirects

• Avoid Multiple URLs to duplicate content• Use of Ajax, Flash and JavaScript

Off-Page Optimization• Also called Link-building

• Inbound Links from other websites

• Authoritative and relevant

• Focus on doing this organically by creating good content

• Local Search

• Google Places, Yelp, Angie’s List, etc.

• Social Media sites

NEVER use black hat tactics – stick with tried and true best practices

Local SEO OverviewFocused on accurate and robust listings on GoogleMyBusiness, Apple Maps Connect and Yelp

Coverage across top 60+ general local directories (Yahoo!, Citysearch, etc.)

Long-tail citation development with localized and industry specific sites; building local authority

Smartphones have fundamentally changed how customers interact with local businesses.

34xincrease in

“Near Me” searches since 2011

93%of sales still

occur in person

4 in 5local mobile

searches resultin a purchase

40%of in-person

purchases include online research

55%of conversions occur

within 1 hour of initial mobile search

76%of purchasing

decisions are made in-person & locally

Consumer Behavior

57% of a typical purchase decision is made before a customer even talks to a supplier.

Source: CEB

• 82% of local searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, phone call or purchase (TMP/comScore)

• 74% of internet users perform local searches (Kelsey Group) • 61% of local searches result in a purchase (Search Engine Watch)• 59% of consumers use Google every month to find a reputable,

local business (Search Engine Watch)• 37% of all searches are done on mobile (ClickZ)

But what is local search exactly?

Search phrase + location Example: air conditioner repair independence mo

But what is local search?

Above the fold – before you have to scroll Below the fold –you have to scroll to see these

Local Search Example -1st page results

Source: MOZ

Overall Ranking Factors

5 Important Steps1. Create local content2. Get listed, cited and mentioned3. Send the right on page signals4. Get serious about the review game5. Network for the right links

1. Create local content (SEO and Content Marketing)

1. Geographic Content 2. Links and External Anchor Text3. Community resource4. Local Contributors5. Local Landing Pages

2. Get listed, cited and mentioned (Local SEO)

1. Google my business google.com/business

2. Create and link Google+ Page 3. Add Bing and Yahoo Local4. Submit NAP to local directories5. Keywords, Categories, and

Description, Video and Images

Many ways to get listed1. Data compilers2. Vertical directories3. Manual claim and submission4. Memberships

Check your listings - csweb.me/bizdirscan

Business ListingsControl and manage your listings on 100+ global partners, including Bing, Facebook, Foursquare, Yahoo, and Yelp.

Location Management PlatformYour location database of record. The most powerful, scalable location content management system available.

OR there is a 5th option

Imagine asking 10 random people where a particular restaurant is and receiving the following answers:

Inconsistency results in low confidence, which decreases search ranking and risks lost business

Location Data

Goodfella’s Pizzeria

144 Orchard St(212)432-3200

Good Fella Brick Oven

144 Archer St.

(212)345-1122

Where? Never heard of it.

You mean Goodfella’s

LES?144 Orchid Ave.

Great movie.

I don’t think I know them.

Stand out from the competition

Build Your Business’s Brand

A listing with 14/14 fields complete receive…

On average than a listing with ¼ fields completed347%

more searches214%more Yelp page

views

416%more listing view

Build Your Business’s Brand

Problems resulting from Duplicate listings

Duplicate records of your business information that appear in the search ecosystem cost your business time and money.

Deactivate duplicate listings from the CSWeb Listing Manager, so only the listings you want are public.

Automatic Duplicate Detection

Publisher-Level Suppression

Suppression Status & Verification

Duplicate Redirects

Unlimited Suppression

Listings: Duplicate Suppression

3. Send the right on page signals (SEO)

1. Presence of Name, Address, and Phone (NAP)

2. Maps and directions3. Relevant links out4. Local Keywords in Titles, Description,

Headings, URLs

4. Get proactive in the review game (Reputation)

1. List, claim, and build2. Use it to make you better3. Monitor profiles4. Get proactive

Reputation Management OverviewHelp local businesses monitor and track all aspects of their online reputation across the

major review sites and monitor reputation across local ecosystem for follow up. opportunities.

Roadmap: Helping businesses get more reviews and leveraging positive net-promoters

Almost Everyone Reads Reviews

Before dining or shopping, 93% of U.S. consumers check online reviews at least some of the time.

Source: “Poll: 93% of Respondents Check Reviews Before Dining or Shopping.” Street Fight, 2012; Available from: http://streetfightmag.com/2012/09/05/poll-93-of-respondents-check-reviews-before-dining-or-shopping/.

Reviews Are Trusted

72% of consumers trust online reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family

Source: Anderson, M. “Local Consumer Review Survey.” 2012; Available from: http://searchengineland.com/study-72-of-consumers-trust-online-reviews-as-much-as-personal-recommendations-114152.

Reviews Are Influential

4 out of 5 consumers have reversed a purchase decision based on negative online reviews.

Source: “Online Influence Trend Tracker.” Cone Communications, 2011; Available from: http://www.conecomm.com/2011coneonlineinfluencetrendtracker.

Good Reviews Are Under-Represented

Unhappy customers tell an average of 24 people about their experience; happy ones tell 15 people.

Source: American Express® Global Customer Service Barometer. 2012; Available from: http://about.americanexpress.com/news/pr/2012/gcsb.aspx.

Good Reviews Are Waiting to Happen

90% of typical U.S. consumers read online reviews; 6% write them

Source: “Local business reviews are the digital version of word-of-mouth advertising.” Local Viewpoints, 2013; Available from: https://local.viewpoints.com/customer-feedback-stats.

Solution: A “Review Funnel”

Make this as easy as possible

Positive reviews increase clicks by 22%

Source: BrightLocal Study, July 2016

Plumber Florist Estate Agent

63% 66%61%

43% 42%37%

With ReviewsWithout Reviews

5. Network for the right links (Content Marketing and SEO)

1. Create a local strategic partner network2. Trade useful content3. Conduct local interviews4. Use the heck out of local trade groups5. Schools, Gov. entities, Non-profits and

Chambers

Content Marketing OverviewTwo Core Objectives of our Content Marketing Strategies

Be a Trusted Resource • For the Consumers• Promote original content on website• Position as an expert in industry

Be an Authority • For the Search Engines; Google• Send social signals• Build an engaged following

Two Forms of Content MarketingLong Form800 to 1800 Characters

Short Form140 or less Characters

Distribution Network

Companies that have a business blog attract 55% more website visitors than non-blogging companies

Source: e-Marketer

Why Blog for Business?

Source: HubSpot

More than 43% of US companies will market via a blog by 2012, up from 34% in 2010

Companies that blog have 97% more inbound links and 434% more indexed pages Source: HubSpot

Blogs are a Long-Term Marketing Asset• Increases Pages Indexed on Website• Blog content gets crawled and indexed more

quickly than static pages.• Each Page is an SEO Opportunity• Attract High Quality Traffic• Establishes Thought Leadership• Earn People’s Trust – Education/Information• Generates New Leads• Reduce or Replace the Need to Advertise

“SEO Focused” Blog Content

• Long tail searches• Keyword rich topics

Keyword Optimized

• Link building strategy• Ego bait driven

Outreach Focused

• Industry / news topics• Q&A

Expert Positioning

Build Authority

Collect Curate Create Share Engage

Social Media System

HootsuiteFeedly

TalkwalkerDiigo

PulseFeedly

Scoop.itNewsle

Word SwagCanvaList.ly

Visual.ly

HootsuiteFeedlyBuffer

NimbleGroups

Contactually

Which Social Media Sites?

Which to Use and Why• Blog: Great for SEO and creating Links to website

– Once per week and easily shared through Social Networks• Facebook: Popularity, Social Sharing/Reach – B2C

– Post 2 times a day (can be blog, event, YouTube video, article)• Instagram: Fast Growing, Visual, • YouTube: Video is great for know/like/trust

– Post 1 video every 1 – 2 weeks• Twitter: Realtime, sharing links, reaching news sources

– Tweet new content 30% (include blog and videos), Retweets• Google+: Live with Hangouts, Google integration • Pinterest: Photos, Videos, Blogs – great for driving traffic to your

website• LinkedIn: Reach Professionals and Groups by Interest, best for B2B

The “fifth pillar

Paid Search Traffic

ADVERTISING

Google Ad Targeting• Keywords• Geographic• Negative Keywords• Manage Campaigns• Costs per Click

• Based on competition

Why Google Ads?• Brand Awareness• Promote Events• Triggers• Promotions• Easy to set up

Google Ads are like a highway to your content

They do help build brand awareness

Can be good for Lead generation

The Downside of Paid Ads1. Limited in scope (subset of clustered

keywords)2. Traffic to the website stops when you stop

paying for ads3. More complex to manage and optimize than

most people think -> wasted clicks = wasted $4. Know what you are getting from your ads5. Requires testing and measurement to

optimize ad campaigns

Managed Marketing ServicesFrom Changescape Web

Let’s Get Started Today!

YOUR LOGO HERE!

• marketsimplicity.com• e3businessconsultants.com• 732-735-6429• brad@e3help.com

Brad Tornberg

Thank You!