An Overview of Search Engine Marketing

Aaron Bradley

Search Engine Marketing Basics

SEM, SEO and PPC: Definitions

SEM, SEO and PPC: Functional Objectives

Organic Search (SEO)

• Position based on algorithmic logic

• Cannot be purchased

• Persists as long as relevance holds

Paid Search (PPC)

• Position mostly based on bid price

• Advertiser pays per click

• Persists as long as you keep paying

SEO and PPC: Differences

Search is the Biggest Source of Qualified Online Traffic

• Big: 10,000,000,000 searches are conducted in the US every month

• Qualified: Traffic to a site is by definition highly targeted

Why Search is Important

SEO Offers a Potentially High Return on Investment

• Small cost compared to other marketing efforts

• In the majority of cases, SEO doesn’t entail additional effort, but performing work already required differently

Why Search is Important

Search is Focused on Acquisition

• Most purchases and other online conversion events start with a search query

SEO Still Offers a Competitive Advantage

• Majority of organizations have not yet invested substantially in SEM, and/or do it poorly

Why Search is Important

Characteristics of a Search Engine

SNAP QUIZ: What’s more intelligent?

SNAP QUIZ: What’s more intelligent?

SNAP QUIZ: What’s more intelligent?

Search Engines Are Stupid

• Search engine rankings are based on algorithms, not human review – and they cannot reason or make inferences

• Search engines require continue continual instruction about the topic of any given website, page, image, etc.

Characteristics of a Search Engine

Search Engines Are All About Words

• Images, videos and other types of multimedia need to be described in words for search engines

• Users search using words – when there’s a click path that doesn’t require words, that’s only because that words have defined that relationship

Characteristics of a Search Engine

Search Engines Are Secretive

• Search engine algorithms are closely guarded secrets – if they weren’t spammers would run amok

• At the end of the day, search engine optimization is based on how we think search engines rank websites (unless you’re a Google engineer)

Characteristics of a Search Engine

Search Engines Keep Changing

• Search engines change their algorithms in order to extend their reach (more types of results) and/or improve relevancy (better results)

• Search engines change their algorithms as marketers and/or spammers figure out how to exploit aspects of their algorithms

Characteristics of a Search Engine

Search Engines Believe in Popularity Contests

• All search engines rely heavily upon linking patterns and/or user click behavior in order to rank websites

Characteristics of a Search Engine

Search Engines Punish Bad Behaviors

• Google demands that what its robots see is the same as what a human visitor sees

• Google uses both algorithms and human-generated reports to identify sites that violate their guidelines

• Penalties may include decreased rankings or an outright ban

Characteristics of a Search Engine

How Search Engines Rank Websites

Finding Websites

• Google finds websites through links or submissions

Finding Web Pages

• Google finds pages by following links on a site or external links to pages on a site

• Webmasters can submit URLs (sitemaps)

Intermission

How Search Engines Find Things to Rank

The Short, But True, Version

• Google ranks websites based on content and inbound links

How Search Engines Rank Websites

The Short, But True, Version

• Google ranks websites based on content and inbound links

Even Shorter, Equally True Version

• What’s on your site and who links to it

How Search Engines Rank Websites

Site Navigation, Global Architecture and Internal Linking

• Well-structured and consistent navigation

• Internal linking structure that a search engine robot can follow (spiderablity)

• No cannibals or orphans

How Search Engines Rank Websites

Onsite Factors – Site Page Structure

• Standard and valid code

• Content defined in semantically meaningful blocks

• Keyword used in titles, images and other on-page elements

How Search Engines Rank Websites

Onsite Factors – Content

• Deep (rather than shallow) content written in sentences (rather than fragmentary) using relevant keywords

• Unique content (rather than content that’s replicated elsewhere on the web)

• Content that’s updated frequently

How Search Engines Rank Websites

Offsite Factors – Links

• Quality, authority (PageRank/inbound links/domain extension) and topicality of the linking site, and of the linking target

• Geographical location/domain extension of the linking site

• Words used in the anchor text of links

How Search Engines Rank Websites

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

At the end of the day, Google likes sites that are:

• Well-organized and easy to navigate• Load quickly with few errors• Contain well-structured, relevant information• Are updated frequently• Are linked to (recommended) by other websites

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

At the end of the day, Google likes sites that are:

• Well-organized and easy to navigate• Load quickly with few errors• Contain well-structured, relevant information• Are updated frequently• Are linked to (recommended) by other websites

… and so do your users

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

Keyword Research – Organic Search

• Use keyword research tools to determine optimization targets based on potential traffic, competitiveness, trends and geography

• Use internal metrics to determine real keyword traffic (correlated with rankings), conversion and profitability of keywords

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

Keyword Research – Paid Search

• Use keyword research tools to determine optimization targets based on potential traffic, ad competitiveness and cost

• Use internal and ad metrics to determine effectiveness and ROI of keyword campaigns

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

On-Site SEO – Technical and Structural

• Ensure URLs are canonical (singular) and semantically meaningful

• Work towards a site and link architecture that’s consistent, spiderable and semantically meaningful

• Submit XML sitemaps and use other search-engine supplied tools

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

On-Site SEO – Page Level Optimization

• “Tag” each page (HTML elements and select page elements) to maximize keyword focus

• Ensure keyword content is spiderable, either by using text or text replacement

• Control number of outbound links and where they’re going

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

On-Site SEO – Content

• Update content frequently, as applicable

• Ensure content is original (unique) and useful (linkable)

• Use keyword research to frame content keyword universe

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

On-Site SEO – Optimization for Paid Search

• Use the same techniques for organic search optimization to ensure that PPC ad target pages provide a good match for bid keywords

• Test and refine PPC-specific landing-pages for maximum ROI

• Watch paid search metrics like a hawk

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

Link Development

• Create content that’s actually good/useful enough that people will link to it

• Utilize social media and other engagement strategies to generate links

• Get listed in directories, buy links and otherwise be creative in acquiring links

Optimization Tasks and Techniques

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Thanks!