Fanatically Digital

Author: steve

  • LinkedIn B2B Session

    LinkedIn TrackingHere are the links to the LinkeIn presentation and presentation notes for the sessions given in the Chicago area. The presentation is an overview of using LinkedIn to build b2b relationships, participate in the LinkedIn community and build a sales pipeline. This is NOT a quick hit program. LinkedIn, as all social platforms, requires time and patience.

    linkedin

    linkedin_notes

  • SEO vs. PPC, Which One Is For Me

    Clients ask about SEO vs. PPC, which is better. Like so many things, the answer depends. Before we look at the question, let’s be sure we are on the same page regarding what SEO and PPC are.

    SEO Definition

    SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, refers to the activity focused on getting a web page to show up on search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo!, or Ask.

    Actions such as changing the content on a page or creating new pages are typically referred to as “on page” optimization. These activities attempt to align the page content with the phrases people use when searching for the subject matter of your page.

    Then there is ‘technical optimization.’ There are several aspects to this, but the most frequently addressed is site speed. Site owners also have to be sure nothing is taking place that inhibits the search engines from getting to the site and indexing the pages. Each site is unique, and the focus of ‘technical optimization’ will adjust accordingly.

    Once the core of on page and technical optimization are addressed (they always need to be monitored and adjusted), SEO then focuses on off-page SEO.

    Off-Page SEO are the activities related to having other websites create links to your pages. Off-Page SEO involves outreach to webmasters of other sites for links within current content, writing guest posts for other sites, making topic recommendations to other sites, and developing web 2.0 / social links. The bulk of activity and the greatest impact (assuming no on-site issues), comes from the off-page activity.

    PPC Definition

    PPC, or Pay Per Click, as the name says, is paid advertising. In PPC, your ads are shown to people on a website, and you pay only if a person clicks on the ad and comes to your site. While there are many media channels or sites with a PPC ad model, when people talk about PPC, they are usually referring to advertising on search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo!. This is the focus of our discussion.

    PPC on search engines involves creating groups of keywords that are related to a product or service and creating ads that appear when a user searches for one of those keywords. These are called ad groups. The keywords should be closely connected so that the ad simultaneously relates to all keywords in the group. Depending on the product or service, there can be dozens, hundreds or even thousands of ad groups.

    PPC advertising, when properly implemented, also extends to the page that users see when they click on an ad. The page should be closely tied to the keywords in the ad group. PPC marketers optimize the PPC program to an action or conversion event on the site. The form submits, document download, email signup, product purchase are all types of conversions.

    Now, which is the way to go, SEO or PPC

    Keep in mind that SEO and PPC are not mutually exclusive activities from a technical perspective, though budgets may force a decision.

    Each channel has benefits and drawbacks. When considering the priority of PPC vs SEO, some things to consider:

    Objectives, are they short term or long term
    SEO takes time. Results of activity may be 3+ months from the start of the effort, and maximum results will take longer to build.
    PPC can be up and running quickly. Well structure PPC campaigns can be launched within weeks. Down and dirty implementations can take place in days.

    Sustainability of budgets
    PPC programs can be adjusted quickly to budget fluctuations. The impact is short term.
    SEO requires ongoing effort. Pausing or reducing a program’s resources can set it back significantly.

    Degree of certainty
    PPC allows for a very close connection between activity or budget with your outcomes. When properly setup, the tracking ties spend to goals closely.

    SEO activity shows up in overall lift of site or page traffic as well as improvement in keyword ranking or position in search engines. However, there can be no guarantee (be wary of absolute “top of page” promises). SEO is susceptible to competitor activity as well as changes implemented by the search engines.

    If budgets force a choice between PPC and SEO

    When we discuss budget allocations with clients and the place that SEO or PPC take, we will look consumer activity related to the business as well as the above factors.

    For products or services that are sought nearly year round, and for which our client has long term plans, we typically recommend SEO to build up the organic search presence. For high volume or high-value seasonal items, SEO can also play a substantial role (remember the foundation for organic results is set months in advance). SEO remains the long game of digital marketing.

    For product or services that spike, or for which the organic landscape is so competitive as to make it too challenging to break into page one rankings, PPC may become the medium of choice.

    PPC and SEO, a 1-2 punch

    As mentioned at the start, SEO and PPC are not mutually exclusive. We run programs that target the same products and services with both. With most goods or services, there is a pattern of shopping behavior that influences where individuals click, organic results or paid ads.

    Based on the state of searc roundup from MOZ, organic search still generates the most clicks. However, each company needs to consider its customer, shopping cycle, and short vs. long term objectives.

    Today, people are doing more research. Even on a small purchase, the habit of using search engines for research is strong. This lends strength to and SEO implementation.

    The argument for a concurrent PPC program is the increase in mobile usage. With the smaller screen, the paid ads (PPC) consume a disproportionate amount of screen space. It is also telling that Google is pushing site owners to make their sites mobile-friendly, and changing the AdWords ad layout to be geared toward mobile.

    SEO or PPC: It depends

    I say this often, and I see on my clients’ faces a reluctant understanding. The answer to SEO vs. PPC is not always a simple calculation. There are opportunity costs with going one way versus the other. But, the first step is working with senior management to address the three elements of objectives, sustainable budgets, and required degree of certainty

  • Google Organic Update: Fred?

    They are calling it Fred. That’s the name being given to the Google update that hit on March 8th. It is getting a lot of attention in the SEO worlds, as you can imagine. No one really knows what the change is, but the speculation is that it relates to inbound linking.

    Every time Google makes a change, the speculation goes to “google is going after black hat seo.” I honestly don’t think so. Google doesn’t make subtle changes in order to “go after” anybody. When they want to do that, there is usually a shot across the bow… some kind of post in the blog or announcement. While this change is unlikely targeting anyone in particular, it does have an impact on many.

    Here is our observation based on what we are seeing among our clients. The change seems to be a shift from niche focused inbound links receiving greater weight to more weight being placed on total links to the domain in general. This is something of backtracking on what google did a few years ago where they emphasized the niche content sites relative to the broad content site.

    At that time, if two pages had similar content (all else being equal), but one site was entirely focused on the niche and the other was a broader category site, the niche site won out. At that time sites like answers.com lost out to niche sites.

    The linking profiles seemed to have been similarly weighted. But, that changed this month.

    Most of our clients came through the changes pretty clean. The type of category profiles that did well were:

    1. Niche products / services that did not have a ‘general’ site or broader category site playing in the arena. There was no one to supplant them and the rankings were stable (up a bit actually, but I can’t attribute that to this change)

    2. Large players with a well established, broad linking profile. They were actually beneficiaries.

    The site category that did not fare well was the third:

    3. Niche products playing in an arena where there are broad category sellers who also carry the niche product; they were hit hard. The larger sites (usually much larger companies), have a broad linking profile and a lot more inbound links. Up to this point, the high quality inbound links on the niche site outweighed the total quantity of links for the big players. That changed.

    We are working with our clients affected by this change to adjust our strategy, but wanted to share our observations more broadly.

    The Google Dance continues.

  • reprieve from the unskippable 30-second YouTube ad is on the way

    Looks like a reprieve from the unskippable 30-second video YouTube ad is on the way.

    According to the british site Campaign Live, Google is doing away with the ad format on YouTube.

    Considering Google emphasis on mobile, and their push for advertisers to adapt a mobile first mindset, the unskippable 30-second video is arcane. Though some legacy advertisers and those who really like to watch themselves are unhappy with the move, YouTube’s audiences will very much appreciate it.

    Google recognized the consumer-first approach required this change. While short term this may hurt a but on ad revenue, long term it will keep consumers more engaged.

  • Google Dropped Organic Site Links & Some impressions dropped

    Google Organic Search Metrics
    Google Search Console (GSC)/ webmaster tools provides insights into the way users see your organic Google SERPs. Unfortunately, the dashboard data only goes back 90 days, so when Google makes a change, it is difficult to normalize the data.

    So, here is what changed:

    For some websites, Google displayed site links under the primary listing. So, one search with one listing provided multiple Landing Page impressions in the GSC. Google removed this late last year. So, sites for December and January that had a lot of impressions due to site links, suddenly say their impressions drop. In some cases drastically.

    The good news is that Google dropped organic site links because they were getting minimal clicks. So the actual site traffic should not have been measurably impacted. But if you keep track of up stream metrics, this throws a wrench in your data.

    (google also delivers multiple listings for a site in one search, legitimately creating multiple landing page impressions for one query).

  • Creating Custom Targets in A few steps

    Creating Custom Targets in A few steps

    It used to be that getting precise targeting was available to advertisers with big names and big budgets. In the past couple of years the ability to target specific groups has been opened to small and medium sized advertisers as well. The options for implementing custom targeting are many, but advertisers can start with the most accessible.

    With digital marketing there are two broad methods for setting up custom targets, customer email lists and site visitors. Each have their pros and cons but both are great first step down the custom audience path.

    Email list targeting
    Platforms are getting sophisticated behind the scenes while simplifying the ability to implement email list (customer / prospect) targeting. Two of the most popular advertising platforms, Google Adwords and Facebook, provide the ability for advertisers to load a list of emails (assumed proper opt in steps were taken) and target those users within their properties and partners. In addition to the platforms themselves, companies like Choozle integrate with properties across the web to target people based on email addresses.

    Site content targeting
    With the use of tracking pixels placed on their site, advertisers can deliver ad content that is directly related to information and products visitors viewed on the website. If a site already has Google Analytics setup, then the ability to create custom audiences is already available and targetable through Google Adwords. Many other platforms have proprietary tracking pixels that can also be place on the website. If this sounds complicated, just ask your website developer because it really is quite simple.

    Some first step tactics for custom audiences

    Aid in conversion after submit
    Many companies receive emails from prospects and have a time lag before the sale is closed. Custom audiences can be created based on the email address provided or the goal / confirmation page they land on. Using this targeting method advertisers can deliver a very specific product and promotion driven message to help close the sales.

    Target affinity products / resell
    By segmenting both customer data and site content based on product association, advertisers can cross promote products that are a natural extension of those purchased or viewed. Rather than blanked all customers and visitors with the same ads, the segmented approach will increase response rates and reduce ad waste.

    Reinforce post sale
    Repeat business is the heart of any company, meaning the sales process continues well after the sale is made. Reinforcing the purchase decision through social proof and customer reward programs helps continue the good feelings and increases the likelihood of repeat purchases.

    Admittedly nothing mentioned is revolutionary. The ideas are tried and true. What is relatively new is the access that all advertisers now have to these tactics.

    Give consideration to your customer base and product segments to determine what associations make the most sense. Then craft your first, simple campaigns. Get comfortable with the process before you get complicated with the execution.

  • Top 3 roadblocks to using marketing analytics

    No objective / plan
    In the 4th quarter of every year companies start planning for the upcoming year. The problem is that the planning starts with budgets. They look at what was spent over the past year, consider if the activities will remains consistent or change and adjust the budget accordingly, or just arbitrarily cut budgets. This approach does not establish performance metrics, just spending levels. Too often subordinates are handed a budget with no correlation to objectives. They realize the futility of setting up performance indicators as there is no plan on which to base them.

    Objectives need to start from the top and cascade down, each level responsible for delivering a piece of the goal for the level above. As each person or team works through their objectives, determines the needed resources to achieve it, and most importantly the metrics for its success, they begin to build the plan against which they can measure their performance. By starting with the objectives, teams must build the plan and benchmarks to achieve them; this provides the basis for setting up target metrics for marketing analytics, spending amounts being just one of several.

    Lack of consistency / focus
    Being opportunistic and flexible is part of being an entrepreneur and can uncover opportunities that lead to long term growth. When these do become parts of the long term plan, spending the resources to set up long term plans makes sense. Until then, be honest about the purpose of this activity and keep metrics at a high level.

    If you can’t commit to a direction for at least 6 months (a year plus would be better), don’t building metrics around it. The purpose of creating metrics, tracking and adjusting is to improve your performance. Doing this properly takes time and resources. Too often companies will start down a path and then change in a few months, less than a year. Setting up analytics to track and optimize is a waste of resources and a drain on morale.

    Set up analytics to focus on and improve what is important to the long term success of the company. Look back on the past year. What have you been consistently measuring since the start? If nothing, then there is a lack of focus.

    Restricted access / sharing
    Limiting access to analytics data prevents people who can leverage the information from doing so. Analytics and reporting should be set up for a consistent “view of the truth”, and then openly shared with everyone whose action directly or indirectly impacts results. Particularly in larger companies, silos prevent collaboration, preventing people from assisting each other and identifying opportunities to improve.
    Individuals should be provided with the tools to measure and analyze their own performance or KPIs while given access to view the KPIs of others whose activities affect them.

    The challenge with digital analytics is not technical, but cultural and organizational. Most companies can benefit from well thought out analytics and reporting processes if they simply make it a priority.

  • Social Proof – a few simple things for big results

    We see social proof all around us. From celebrity endorsements on the high end to ratings and reviews on the more common programs. Social proof can come in many forms, but it comes down to people believing in you because others believe it you. Take advantage of this in digital marketing and you’ll see increased customer acquisition and retention.

    Shoppers are looking to reduce the risk inherent with their buying decisions. This is one of the reason repeat purchaser are the most efficient for business; getting over the initial risk is mostly done. But new customers are looking to the experience and opinions of others to mitigate the risk. When you view it from this perspective, social proof helps you show prospects that they will get what they purchase.

    A few of the best ways to provide social proof to new (and current) customers include:

    1. Ratings and testimonials. Show them the experience of others who have purchased from you. One of the keys to this approach is recency of the reviews. Old review are less credible, so you must actively cultivate reviews from your satisfied customers.
    2. Awards and independent media mentions show buyers that you have earned the trust of others who have compared your product or service to your competitors. Highlighting these in your advertising and website will gain confidence from prospects.
    3. Show examples and case studies of the work you’ve done. With a variety of examples you are likely to show things similar to what prospects are looking for, thus reducing the perceived risk of working with you.
    4. Certifications. Often we underplay to role of our certifications in marketing. Share these liberally. Certifications show that you take your work seriously and that the quality of your work is recognized by others.

    Don’t be shy when it comes to social proof. This is your opportunity to demonstrate the quality of your work, product or service and reduce the barriers to new customer acquisition. Link to reviews, create testimonial pages, and keep an updated “news” page to show off your awards, certifications and body of work.

  • Google’s Penguin Goes Real Time

    Last month Google hit us with two pretty major changes to the search algorithm.

    The first was a straightforward update in early September. When this hit, we saw most programs take a slight dip and then recover after about a week. But, then Google announced that they will incorporate Penguin into the core algorithm as well, applying it to every query. This caused a lot of consternation as things fluctuated wildly for a couple of weeks.

    If you are not familiar with Penguin, it is the part of Google’s system that looks at the quality of backlinks – those links to your site from other websites. Until September of this year, Google would run Penguin periodically, assess the quality of the backlinks and then stick you with a score that stays with you for months until the new update is run.

    Now, every search has a real time backlink quality assessment. What this means for your SEO:

    1. If your category in search is very active in SEO / link building, you will see more volatility. As site managers expand their linking partners, the impact will be seen more quickly
    2. There is still NO quick fix to link building, or quick kills. When new links are created, Google still needs to crawl and index pages. Additionally, even with on page changes, we see a lag time between changes and Google’s (apparent) incorporation in search rankings. I suspect the same will be true with backlinks.
    3. Your competitors’ moves will be more quickly felt. This means that your rankings may go up or down based not on what you do, but what a competitor has done. While this has always been true, this change means we will see that impact more quickly and more often relative to what we’ve seen in the past.
    4. For categories in which there is little activity on link building, this is an opportunity to get ahead by moving aggressively into a quality link building program.

     

    Over the years, since Google has removed visibility into organic keywords to a large extent, I have encouraged clients to view rankings as a lesser metric and focus on organic site traffic and quality. Keyword rankings can fluctuate quite a bit day-to-day and the incorporation of Penguin into the real time ranking will exacerbate this. Looking long term, improving visibility is the upstream indicator to growth in site traffic. While we keep an eye on the rankings /  visibility, the our purpose should be to find early indications of problems and not create an environment of knee-jerk reactions to rank changes.
    Bottom line, if you’ve had a good SEO program going, this change by Google should not lead to substantive changes in what you do. But, if you’ve not focused on SEO, your site may have trouble ahead.

  • Hyper targeting ads on facebook

    This past week I conducted a workshop at SCORE Chicago, which is a business mentoring organization for small – to mid sized companies associated with the SBA. The content was marketing on Facebook. We covered the basics of setting up a social media presence, engaging on Facebook (and others) as well as Facebook Advertising. While most were aware of advertising on Facebook, they generally did not know about the level of targeting available. If you are not familiar with the level of targeting on Facebook (and other platforms), you may be surprised by what you can do.

    Here are just some of the (more popular) options…

    • Geographic targeting from national down to zip codes and radii around locations.
    • By demographics of age, gender, income, household, relationships
    • By interest. This is where it gets exciting. Almost anything from music to outdoor activities to knitting if you like. Chances are there FB has interest targets associated to your product or service.
    • By profession and levels or titles (depending on the area).
    • By custom audiences. Upload your email list, previous site visitors, “look-a-like” based on your list or site visitors. Have a bunch of leads, that did not close? Target them with a conversion offer. Want more repeat business? Load your customers’ emails. You can segment lists in almost any fashion.

    With the ability to carve out different segments, you can develop hyper focused ad copy and images rather than just a static ad to all. Take some time and consider some of the ways you might want to target prospects and then look at Facebook’s targeting options, and line it up.