Search engine optimization and positioning: a vital part of any online marketing mix
OTOi, Media Team | One To One Interactive
May 29, 2002
To capitalize on some of the most qualified traffic on the web,
marketers should not only be including Search Engine Optimization
and Positioning (SEOP) in their strategy, but striving to make it a
priority. Today, firms are able to take advantage of SEOP via three
primary tactics:
-
Search Engine Submission — At the most basic
level, this entails submitting your web site to the top Search
Engines and managing your site's metatags and links in order to
appear higher in search rankings.
-
Keyword Buys — Traditionally a banner on the
results page of a query, but more recently has taken the form of
text links and other sponsorships.
-
Paying for Positioning — In this new addition to
the world of search, marketers can now pay their way to the top
on pay-for-positioning engines such as Overture.
A holistic approach including all three main tactics is the
best way for marketers to find themselves winning in the SEOP game.
SEOP is successful because it allows marketers target
valuable, motivated, and ready-to-act customers. A recent study by
NDP Group & Overture.com has revealed that the majority of
people who have purchased online have used Search Engines as their
primary starting point (see figure 1).
(Figure 1: NDP Group/Oveture.com Study of Online Purchase
Points of US Internet Users. February 2001)
Furthermore, using search engines is second only to e-mail as
the top activity of online users, with over half of all online
consumers using search engines at least once a week (US Department
of Commerce 2002).
SEOP tactics not only deliver a valuable target audience,
they are also EXTREMELY cost efficient. Paid for positioning
services like Overture and Google allow marketers to bid on or buy
outright keywords that will place them at the top of the most well
know search engines for anywhere between $0.05 to $0.21 per click.
Firms like IMPAQT and iPROSPECT, who specialize in managing the
submission process for websites and provide technical consultation
around optimize site structure, meta tags, and linking strategy to
improve listing results, charge just $20k-$90k a YEAR. Finally, the
cost for buying keywords from the search engines directly and
subsequently serving targeted ads ranges from $18-$45 CPM; such low
costs of entry, coupled with conversion rates of 2-4% higher than
regular banner ads and third party e-mails, SEOP makes a compelling
case for improved ROI.
However, the SEOP landscape is one that is cluttered with
many search engines and optimizers and the tactics involved with
SEOP are often technical and require rigorous attention to
implementation, tracking and reporting. Therefore, Fortune 500
marketers should consider outsourcing their SEOP activities to
experienced vendors. Interactive marketing firms with a strong new
media practice and experience in negotiating, managing, and
optimizing online media are good places to look to help manage
keyword media buys or pay for performance keyword positioning
investments. Marketers should likewise seek out search engine
positioning firms who have mastered such tasks as keyword
selection, site analysis and recommendations, link popularity
strategy, site optimization, metrics for measuring the increase in
site traffic, directory submissions, and avoiding spam (i.e. hiding
keywords within an HTML page to trick spiders into ranking the page
for content other then what is available).
Below are guidelines to follow when considering SEOP
companies:
Set-up Fees should include:
- Initial site report (including keyword search)
- Optimization of metatags & visible content on existing
site
- Information pages (bridges, gateway, doorway)
- Submissions (manual submissions preferred except for sites
with more than 100 pages)
Maintenance Fees:
- Should not be required
- Should be dependent on client needs (i.e. if client is using
popular terms, more need for maintenance)
Contracts:
- Often quarterly or month-to-month after initial period
Where work resides:
- 99.5% of time you want the work to reside on your own
domain's servers
Reporting:
- At start of campaign — request weekly reports
- After start, weekly is recommended if using a paid listing
campaign
- Solid results can take up to 1-3 months after launch
Search Engines/Directories:
- Only a certain few search engines actually count. Don't let a
company just put you in any or all. If the client serves a
particular niche, there may be search engines or directories that
focus 100% on their marketplace. A good SEOP company will
recognize this.
Submission:
- Manual is preferred except for sites with more than 100
pages
- Automated submission programs can be very unreliable. Make
certain you research the one that the SEOP company uses — if they
use automation over manual.
Metatags:
- A good firm will not use metatags as its sole tactic.
Instead, use them in conjunction with other tactics.
Reciprocal linking popularity:
- Do not select a SEOP firm that says they can get the client
linked on thousands of sites. In most cases, they would use
free-for-all (FAA) sites to do this, which is a practice that
does not impress search engines.
- Good companies will improve popularity by personally
requesting links from other sites related to your own and then
detailing how that link is written and placed
Changing/altering body text:
- Good search engine companies will have a copywriter on staff
or under contract. Techies do not make good copywriters.
- Do not use a company that repeats a keyword as a way to
appeal to search engines.
Cloaking:
- Cloaking is the practice of redirecting search engines to
pages other than those used to attain the initial ranking.
- Cloaking is frowned upon in the industry and any firm that
practices such tactic should be avoided.
Mirror/multiple domains:
- If a firm uses this tactic, make certain we understand their
goal and what they're hoping to achieve
Hiding Keywords/invisible text:
- Spam tactic. Do not use a firm that uses this tactic
Alternative text/tags:
- Want to include this especially if site contains lots of
images
Keyword Research:
- Most important facet of SEOP
- After a firm completes keyword research, expect the
following:
- List of competitive keywords relating to your site.
- List of suggested words, phrases, synonyms & common
typos
- Estimates for the amount of traffic you can expect
- Past traffic for the keywords suggested
- Personal recommendation on which words are worth investing
in
In summary, Search Engine Optimization and Positioning will allow
web users who are hunting for your site to find it. It will present
people with easier access to the products and services that your
site offers. The amount of qualified leads and sales at inexpensive
costs will be plentiful if a proper SEOP strategy is executed.
Marketers have the ability to give people who are actively in the
buying process exactly what they want both efficiently and
effectively, and therefore SEOP should be a priority.
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