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An overview of search engine marketing prepared by Aaron Bradley for Pinny Gniwish's class at McGill University in Montreal.
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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
http://www.seoskeptic.com
http://www.twitter.com/aaranged
Thanks!