Under The Hood:Breaking Apart A #1 Search Ranking

transcript

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Brian D. SwansonFlashpoint Marketing

UNDER THE HOOD:BREAKING APART A #1 SEARCH RANKING

The Association for Accounting Marketing

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Speaker Introduction

Brian D. Swanson

• 15 Years Accounting Marketing & Business Development Experience

• Former Big 4 & Regional Firm Marketing Director

• SEMPO Certified in Internet Marketing

• SEMPO Certified in Advanced Search Engine Optimization

• MBA in Finance & Accounting

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How Does SEO Work?

Most Know Just Enough to Be Dangerous

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Quality Rankings

Almost anyone can get a #1 Ranking

Keyword Term: Accounting Firm SEO

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Group Audience Poll

What Must a Webpage Have to Obtain a Quality #1 Ranking?

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Effective Website Marketing

Engaging Content

Search Engine Optimization

Conversions

What are you offering?

How are prospects finding it?

What actions are they taking?

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How Do People React?

How Alluring is Your Website’s Content?

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The Association for Accounting MarketingReflect on Your Website’s Content:

• Dynamic versus Static

• Us versus You

• Overly Technical versus Common Vernacular

• Current Events versus Months Old News

• Audience Relevant versus Irrelevant

• Unclear versus Clear Call to Action (Assuming there is a call to action)

Assess Your Content

Content is Your Website’s Product & Attraction

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Develop a Strategy

Getting Started:

• Who does this site target?

• Is there a niche area we want to highlight?

• What information are clients searching for?

• What type of content do customers want from us?

• How do we attract prospects?

• How is our content reinforcing our brand promise?

• What is/are the objectives of our strategy?

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Align Content & Sales Cycle

Awareness ActionPreferenceInterest

Position Content to Speak to Each Phase of the Buying Cycle

Identify the Problem

Explain the Cause

Introduce Your Solution

Develop Trust – Build Value

Overcome Obstacles

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Examples

Issue Based Content

• Establishes Awareness

• Explains the Cause

• Discusses Options

• Reveals How Companies may be Impacted

• Offers Solutions

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Examples

Service Based Content

• Identifies an Issue

• Explains the Cause

• Builds Trust with Reader

• Discusses A Solution

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Content Development Ideas

Build onto Existing Content

• Create Sub-Pages Detailing Key Aspects of Service Offered

• Develop Thought Leadership – Blog Posts, Whitepapers, etc.

• Get Interactive – Surveys, Questionnaires, Checklists

• Demonstrate Value Through Testimonials

• Demonstrate Knowledge Through a “Resource Center”

• Use Videos to Help Visitors “Experience the Content” – Recorded Webinars, Presentations, etc.

What Can You Offer Others Aren’t?

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Examples

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Content Management

Creating a Process

• Create a Content Calendar • Engage Partners, Managers & Supervisors• Create Criteria for Eligible Content • What if I Can’t Write - What Do I Write About?• Provide Examples of Past Published Content• Remember to Offer Flexibility in the Process• Offer Support From Marketing

Answers Questions & Concerns Before They Arise

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Which Path Do You Offer Visitors To Find Your Content?

Search Engine Optimization

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Evolution of SEO

The Process of Optimization Has Changed

• Rankings Based on User Experience• Social Search – Social Media Influences Search Results

• Geographical Based Search Results• Google Autocomplete – Suggests Search Terms• Google Freshness Update • Google Author Link• Google Plus – Completely Changes Search Results Based on Network

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Foundation for a #1 Ranking

Essential Elements for Effective SEO

• Engaging Content • Keyword Strategy – Longtail vs. Specific Terms

• Meta Tags – Title, Description, Keywords• Heading Tags – H1, H2, H3• Customized URLs – CMS Required• Social Media – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

• Link Building – Online Press Releases, Interviews, Blog Posts

This is the 10,000 Foot View

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Keyword Strategy

Awareness ActionPreferenceInterest

Identify the Problem

Explain the Cause

Introduce Your Solution

Develop Trust – Build Value

Overcome Obstacles

Identify Keywords for Stages of the Sales Cycle

Different Stages = Different Terms

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Keyword Strategy

This Website is Focusing Ohio Rich Keyword Terms

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Keyword Strategy

This Webpage Has A More Focused Keyword Strategy

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Keyword Strategy

• Individual Terms vs. Phrases – What does this tell us?• Home Page vs. Interior Page • Less Descriptive vs. More Descriptive• Vegas CPA vs. Las Vegas Tax Accountant New Business

• Impact on Ranking Position – Less Companies Competing • More Modifiers Mean Closer to Purchase

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On Page Optimization

Meta Title Tags

Customized URL

H1 Title Tag

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On Page Optimization

Meta Description

Meta Keyword

Meta Title Tags

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SEO + Social Media

Common Objections to Social Media

• Who will Maintain It?• What will we Talk About?• How will we Get Followers?• Our Clients aren’t Interested• We won’t Get Any Leads• We don’t Have Many Followers• I Don’t Have Time MY FORMER

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SEO + Social Media

Why is Social Media Important for SEO?

Social Media Indicates What Fresh & Relevant

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SEO + Social Media

How Social Media Impact Rankings

• Gets Your Content Found & Indexed Faster• Likes, Shares, Re-tweets Send Positive Signals to Search Engines• Content Ranked Higher For Those Connected to You• Natural Source of Inbound Links• Increases Your Domain Authority• Increases Author Rank (Google & Bing)

Don’t Ignore Google Plus!!!!!!

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SEO + Social Media

Annotations in Search Results

Author Highlights

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SEO + Social Media

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SEO + Social Media

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Conversions

Does Your Site Offer Samples?

Do They Attract Prospects?

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Conversions

The Percentage of Total Visitors Who Come to the Website, Follow Through After Clicking on the Company's Desired Call to Action - Submit Information, Download a Whitepaper, etc

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Conversions

Why Are Conversions Important

• True Test of a #1 Ranking• Identifies What Visitors Should Do• Creates Initial Exchange Between

Prospect & Firm• Provides Something of Value to Prospect• Allows You to Collect Useful Marketing

Information • Transforms the Website Experience for

the Prospect

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Conversion Example

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Conversion Example

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Conversion Example

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Conversion Example

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Conversions

Most Important Aspect of a #1 Ranking

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Putting It Together

Brian D. Swanson

• #1 Ranking Alone Has Little Value

• Engaging and Fresh Content is Essential to Success

• Effective SEO Allows Your Site to be Found by Qualified Prospects

• Social Media is Important to Influencing Search Engines & Improving Rankings

• Make Sure You Have A Conversion Strategy for Each Page of the Website

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Questions

Brian Swanson

Flashpoint Marketingbswanson@flashpointmarketing.biz612-886-3561