Search Smart Marketing Overview to SEO, Paid Search and Local Search. Westport CT Library, October, 2014

1. Search Engine Marketing
Search Engine Overview
 Organic Search
 Paid Search
 Local /Social Search
 Google Analytics

2. Search Smart Marketing
www.isearchsmart.com
400 Columbus Avenue
Valhalla, NY 10595
914.432.3083
243 Tresser Blvd.
Stamford, CT 06901
914.883.1506
• Started Internet Career in 1994
• The Journal News
• Online Marketing Director, 1996 – 2000
• Launched first web sites
• Wahlstrom Group, Stamford 2000 - 2006
• IPG Company
▫ VP, Managing Director Interactive Media
• Search Smart Marketing
• Launched 2006
• Adjunct Professor, Fordham University

3. 400 Columbus Avenue
Valhalla, NY 10595
Clients include:
Search Smart Marketing
www.isearchsmart.com
914.432.3083
 AutoNation
 CBS New York
 Invisalign Braces
 Hudson Valley Tourism
 Westchester County Association
 Stark Office Suites
 NERAK Systems
 ProLease
 First Capital
243 Tresser Blvd.
Stamford, CT 06901
914.883.1506

4. “Is SEO Dead?”

5. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Overview
“ …the promotion of websites by increasing their
visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs)
through optimization (both on-page and off-page)
as well as through advertising (paid
placements, contextual advertising… )”
- Wikipedia

6. Search Engines Audience Share
 Google Share: Approximately 67%

7. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Overview
A strategic, integrated approach to marketing via Search sites.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – “Organic” or “Unpaid” Search
 Algorithmic, crawler-based search approach
 Website Content, Architecture, Coding, Links, Web “footprint”, Authorship
1. Pay-per-Click (PPC) – Paid Search
 Keyword position control, result-oriented
 Bid for Position, Pay-per-Click
 Syndication Networks – Google, Bing
 Brand Protection, Message/Position Control
2. Local /Social Search
 Local Profiles – ex. Google+
 Directory Citations
 Review Management
 Intersection with Social Media

8. The Evolution of Search Engines

9. The Evolution of Search Engines:
Universal Search 2007
Video
News
Wikipedia
Images
Twitter

10. Universal Search: changing our
page scanning patterns
Source: Enquiro Research, August 2007

11. Search Engine Optimization –
Success Criteria

12. Keywords: Search “DNA”
• Determine 3-5 top phrases for your
entire site
• Determine 2-3 top phrases for each
page
• “Westchester NY accountant” is
better than “accountant”
• Go with your gut but do your
research…

13. Keyword Research Tools
• Google Keyword Planner
• SEO Book -
• http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/
• WordTracker.com –
• https://freekeywords.wordtracker.com
• Wordstream.com –
• http://www.wordstream.com/keywords

14. SEO Coding: Page Titles
• Every page should
have a unique title
built around target
term and content for
that page
• No more than 55
characters
• Important keywords
at the beginning
• Keep it short,
attractive and
enticing.
• Will often be used as
the page’s bookmark

15. SEO Coding: Meta Descriptions
• Every page should
have a unique
description built
around target term
and content for that
page
• No more than 175
characters
• Incorporate important
keywords
• Entice searcher to
read & click
• Will often be used as
the listing’s snippet

16. Website Copy
• No text graphics
• Users come first
• Descriptive
• Location, location, location.
• PHRASES not WORDS
• Plural, tenses, ings, etc.

17. Help for the “Dumb” Search Engine
Keyword phrases that make
sense
No keyword phrases

18. Links: A Deciding Factor
• More difficult for web site owners to manipulate links than their own pages
• Major component of Google, also used by nearly everyone else, to some degree
• A few links from quality sites are better than hundreds of links from bad sites
• Provide a reason for linking; report, data, free giveaway, etc.
• Social Signals!

19. What Do Search Engines Want?
RELEVANCY: They want to return quality content/sites that are
most relevant to the searchers query. This is determined by:
• Content – theme/topic, page text, coding, navigation, alt tags, etc.
• Site Performance – does it load quickly? Can spiders “crawl” the site
• Site Authority – Do other sites link to it? It is being discussed in Social
circles?
• User Data – do visitors stay long? How many pages do they visit? Do
they return?
• Site History – has the domain been active long? Is it “clean”?

20. SEO Principles:
Building Blocks

21. Periodic Table of SEO Factors

22. Paid Search: Google AdWords

23. Google Search Results
Call Extensions
Ad Extensions

24. AdWords Interface

25. Benefits of Pay-per-Click
1. Pay-per-Click (PPC) – Paid Search
 Quick Results
 Budget Control
 Directly affect Ranking
 Syndication Network:
 NY Times
 AOL
 Ask
 Thousands of others
 Great for Testing; Online focus group
 Brand Protection
 Measurable!

26. Disadvantages of Pay-per-Click
1. Pay-per-Click (PPC) – Paid Search
 Keyword prices
 Up to $25 - $50 Cost-per-Click (CPC) in some categories
 Average CPC: $2.50 - $4.00
 Google Avg. CPC is $0.35; skewed by Amazon, eBay, etc.
 Average CPC down 5% - 10%; Google Enhanced likely to change that
 Need to commit fair budget/campaign trial time
 Requires ongoing attention; “set it & forget it” is a recipe for failure
 Google defaults make money only for Google
 Buyer Beware: unprofessionalism is widespread
 Misleading promises
 Marketer should own accounts

27. Local Search: The Evolution

28. Local Search: Why is it Important?

29. Local Search: Why is it Important?

30. Organic/Paid vs. Local Search
• Location, location, location
• Organic/Paid search = “the what”
– Nike running shoes
• Local Search/Paid Search = “the what” & “the where”
– Nike shoe store White Plains

31. Local Search: SEO

32. Local Search: Reviews

33. Google+ Page

34. What is a Citation?
A citation is a mention of your business on the web, typically in the format of Name,
Address, and Phone number. This is called your NAP.

35. Conflicting Data Causes Confusion at Google
Primary listing

36. 2013 Local Search
Harmful Ranking Factors

37. Listing Resources

38. Listing Resources

39. Listing Resources

40. Keys to Local Success
• SEO - Location Keyword In Title Tag And H1 Tag
• NAP - business name, address and phone
number.
• Local Phone Number
• Claim Your Citations
• High Quality Backlinks
• Links From Local Websites
• Google+ Local Page
• Reviews
• Mobile

41. Search Marketing: Measuring Success
with Google Analytics

42. Analytics Code

43. Analytics Tracking: Tag Everything!
• What
▫ Pay-Per-Click (CPC)
▫ Email
▫ Social Buttons, Posts
▫ Display
• How
▫ AdWords Auto-Tagging
▫ Tracking URL Generator
 SEARCH: Google Analytics Tracking URL Builder
 http://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1033867?hl=en

44. Reviewing Your Data – Report #1

45. Reviewing Your Data – Report #2

46. Reviewing Your Data – Report #3

47. Reviewing Your Data – Report #4

48. Reviewing Your Data – Report #5

49. Google Webmaster Tools
• Diagnose potential problems
– Crawl info
– Website content
• See how your site performs
– Top queries
– Indexing information
• Share info with Google about your
site
– Submit a Sitemap file

50. What’s Next for 2015
• Google Penguin Update
• Unnatural Links
• Content
– Quality
– Relevance
– Freshness
• Social Signals
• Site Performance
• Mobile