We Looked at Search Programs for Top B2B Technology Brands Some of the most innovative B2B technology brands are using search marketing in advanced ways to deliver more engaging experiences. In our analysis, the best examples were:

•  Immersive, with the same content easily accessible via different screen types. •  Personalized, attracting the users attention.

•  Relevant, written by authoritative thought leaders that users want to hear from.

•  Integrated, delivering great content in the best format and at the right time.

Take a look at some of my findings and favorite examples on the next few slides.

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Ma$  Saunders  Rosetta, Director of Search & Media Analysis completed in April 2014

   

TREND 1: RESPONSIVE DESIGN

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Responsive Design

What did we find? Some brands like Salesforce and Cisco had fully responsive site experiences, while others like Adobe had a responsive home page, but other pages (like product pages) were not. Intel, Broadcom, BMC, Oracle and Box did not have responsive experiences.

Why does it matter? Google and Bing suggest responsive design as the desired approach for optimizing across multiple device types. Consolidating all versions of a site to a single URL also consolidates SEO “authority” to a single page, instead of splitting it among multiple URLs serving the same content.

In addition, a well-built responsive experience: 1.  Ensures a consistent experience for users by helping them to easily access content they saw on their first visit (via

desktop/laptop) when they return on a mobile device 2.  Makes sure your entire site is “crawled,” particularly if you have a large site 3.  Eliminates challenges with user agent redirection, which can be prone to errors or cause issues for search engine

spiders 4.  Provides good, detailed content so mobile visitors can actually accomplish the tasks they are trying to 5.  Improves the user experience by reducing load times affiliated with a site attempting to redirect users to a mobile

version of the site or an app 6.  May potentially generate cost savings for brands only managing one URL per page

With more users expecting to be able to access content via whatever device they choose, we are on the brink of responsive design being table stakes. A sub-par experience may cause a user to lose trust in a brand.

   

Fully Responsive Design Example

The Salesforce.com fully responsive site is a good example of a site experience that was built with multiple screens in mind, with simple navigation, very little unnecessary content, and clear CTAs throughout the site that direct users to view a demo.

5 Source: All responsive site tests were completed on Android Kit/latest Chrome build.

   

Fully Responsive Design Example

Cisco.com is another good example of simplified design and navigation (a difficult feat for large enterprises), without compromising the depth of product content accessible to the user.

6 Source: All responsive site tests were completed on Android Kit/latest Chrome build.

   

Partially Responsive Design Example

On Adobe.com, the home screen is responsive, but deeper pages are not. It is not uncommon to do a phased roll-out, but that is not enough as search gives users many different entry points to desired content. This current implementation leaves a gap in the experience for mobile/tablet users on more conversion-oriented product pages.

7 Source: All responsive site tests were completed on Android Kit/latest Chrome build.

   

Non-Responsive Web Design

Alternatives to responsive site experiences include an app (like the one you get redirected to download if you go to Box.com) or no mobile solution at all (like Broadcom.com). For Box, suggesting the app download makes sense for folks looking to manage their files but might not be the appropriate solution for someone comparing service offerings to those of competitors. Responsive is our generally desired best practice for SEO, but there are reasons to have discussions about alternatives or a combination of mobile experiences. Having no solution is not a good option.

8 Source: All responsive site tests were completed on Android Kit/latest Chrome build.

   

TREND 2: PERSONALIZED CONTENT

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Google+ and “Personalized” Search Results

What did we find? There are just a handful of leading Enterprise B2B organizations that are leveraging Google+, and even fewer that have a substantial number of followers. However, some brands (like Cisco) are doing both. Why does it matter? Brands who use Google+ well are able to cultivate a follower base, then infuse social content into search results for those followers. In other words, if a user is interested in a business or product (perhaps because they are a current customer or are researching options), and they sign up to follow on Google+, future search results are more likely to include social/Google+ content from that brand. If the user does a non product-specific search, that could be the trigger for getting that user to re-engage with the brand. Other benefits to search strategy include:

1.  Content is easily shareable, which could promote link-building 2.  Any number of Google+ pages can be created, allowing companies to customize the names and

type of content in a way most likely to deliver highly relevant search results (as opposed to very general content all published under one corporate blog)

Beyond the implications for search marketing, Google+ can also become a key piece of overall content marketing and social strategies.

   

Cisco Google+ Example

Cisco has a corporate-wide Google+ account, as well as several accounts for different lines of business and support communities (like the Cisco Networking Academy and Cisco Support Community).

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Cisco Google+ Example

Cisco is actively involved in communities on Google+, allowing them to further engage with their audience while publishing content that can be pulled into Google search results (i.e., personalization).

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Cisco Google+ Example

This side-by-side comparison shows how the results change when a user is logged in to their Google+ account. This additional content enhances the search results because it is recent (with a date listed), has the Cisco logo which improves visibility, and gives Cisco two positions above the fold.

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TREND 3: AUTHORSHIP MARKUP

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What did we find? Very few leading technology brands are using Google Authorship tools correctly. Marketo, considered a leader in the content marketing world, is a good example of a brand doing it correctly. Oracle and Cisco have also been recognized in one study for their use of these tools as part of their search strategy. Why does it matter? SEO industry pundits have long considered authorship markup to become an increasingly important aspect of Google's organic search ranking algorithm. Until July 2014, brands with authorship markup set up would see images of content authors next to the content in the search engine results. Many studies have indicated that this had a strong impact on click-through rates and helped establish individuals as thought leaders. While those policies have been modified to include only the author name (and a link to their Google+ page), there is still an opportunity to build external thought leaders. We believe Google is committed to identifying and providing greater visibility for individuals who produce quality/in-depth content within a particular industry/vertical and gain a following within the G+ ecosystem. Also, the more a user engages with content from a particular author, the more likely Google is to boost visibility to that author’s content in personalized search results.

Authorship Markup to Promote Thought Leadership

   

Old Authorship Markup Example

In this example, HowStuffWorks.com and PCMag.com both have author photos pulled in from authorship markup that grab the viewer’s attention in the search results for “Cloud Computing,” which is likely a competitive phrase.

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New Authorship Markup Example

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Today we see the same posts promoted by the author name, not their image. This can still be a differentiator and build name recognition.

   

New Authorship Markup Example

Marketo has an extensive amount of blog and thought leadership content that is correctly pulling author names to the search results page.

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Incorrect Authorship Markup

It is not uncommon to see brands incorrectly implementing authorship markup— even those in the technology space. This post from the Adobe blog is incorrectly set up in Google.

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TREND 4: CONTENT INTEGRATION

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What did we find? Many technology brands we analyzed are improving how they integrate social content with search strategies, but there is room to improve for types of content (like PR). Why does it matter? As social content has become a primary way that users engage with brands, social media has replaced “link building” to become one of the most important drivers of search strategy. Integration of content via social and other content channels is critical and ultimately helps improve: §  Relevancy and timeliness of content, since social content can be frequently published §  Reach, through sharing and other social promotion tactics §  Storytelling and positioning, by speaking to customers/targets in a more personal way

across different social channels they are frequently engaged with

Content Integration

   

Qualcomm does a good job aligning content strategy and SEO best practices to promote relevant content in a timely manner. For example, within the HTC One page on their domain they are featuring recent "related news" from the blog directly on the page.

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Content Integration

   

Content Integration

Being timely and amplifying the content being created requires strong synergies across product/marketing/copy writers/social teams. In these examples we see a strong content push from social channels like Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

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Content Integration

Qualcomm started promoting the release of the HTC One (M8) ahead of the announcement to build suspense. The teaser helped to build some additional buzz via articles on top websites, sending inbound links to Qualcomm pages.

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Key Takeaways

While the specific strategies and goals of each company’s campaign will vary, we observed these clear opportunities for all B2B technology brands to improve organic search engagement:

1.  Leverage mobile. Mobile is here now! With a significant percentage of search shifting from desktop to mobile, it is no longer an option to maintain the status quo. Mobile strategy has a direct impact on SEO performance and should be one of many factors considered when rolling out the go-forward plan.

2.  Take advantage of any chance to get more out of standard search listings. Tools like authorship markup can extend existing efforts, improve click-through rates, develop thought leaders, and help with brand building.

3.  Bring together your teams. Cross-discipline stakeholders should have a seat at the table for all external communications – especially social media, which is a key element for amplifying content targeted for SEO.

You can find more digital media best practices on Slideshare.com/RosettaMktg and our blog, Currents.Rosetta.com.

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About Rosetta

Rosetta is a customer engagement agency. We combine human insights, technology and next-generation storytelling to craft meaningful connections that drive tangible results. If you are interested in an analysis of how well you are talking to your customers across paid media or other channels, reach out at www.Rosetta.com/contact and we will get you in touch with our team.

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Thank You

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