Useful Articles

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SEO for Non-Technical People

by: David Smith

Many Non-Technical marketing people and senior executives ask Internet Marketing companies to provide bottom-line explanations of what Search Engine Optimization [SEO] is all about and why it is important using terms that are quantifiable and readily understandable. To that end, this document provides straight forward answers to a complex subject.

If you are a person who works in a marketing or executive capacity but are not technically aware of the steps that are taken to produce successful Internet marketing campaigns, you need to first understand that Search Engine Optimization [SEO] is not as mysterious as many have previously made it out to be. In fact, the first thing you need to realize is that Search Engine Optimization [SEO] is a misnomer! Internet marketing people don’t optimize a search engine, rather they make changes to a website that helps search engines crawl, index and rank pages more easily.

In a word… relevancy is a primary key to SEO. Search engines merely try to determine a webpage’s relevancy to the keyword phrase that was placed in the search box by the potential visitor to the website. When you hear someone speak of the search engine algorithm, it is simply a combination of areas within each website page the search engines review and quantify in order to determine the page’s ranking in the search engine results i.e. SERPS. This document is intended to give you some insight into: 1) a few important SEO components, 2) processes you need to understand when speaking with your Internet marketing people i.e. internal or outsourced, and 3) what they should be spending money on.

Our goal is to make you, the non-technical marketing person or other non-Marketing decision making executive, as knowledgeable as you need to be about Search Engine Optimization. We also provide questions to ask your Internet Marketing team to ensure your online business model is on the right track.

SOME INTERNET MARKETING FACTS

Recent industry analyst’s state that between 78% - 84% of all traffic to a website comes from search engines.

- Consumer Research shows that shoppers rely on Search Engine Results [58%], Print Ads [9%], and TV Ads [8%] in reaching decisions in the buying process.

- Even with millions of results being returned, the fact remains that over 93% of searchers don’t look beyond page 2 results.

- Internet surveys show that people who land on a page usually decide to stay, look further or abandon the page [or website] within 6-10 seconds! This fact requires that each webpage must be created with this in mind.

- Between 68% - 72% of searchers believe Natural [unpaid] results produce the most relevant information.

- Paid Advertising [Pay-Per-Click] is the fastest growing segment of Search Marketing. It is easier to pay your way to being shown on high ranking search result pages rather than make changes to your website content and work your way “up” to the top of the list naturally or organically. However, the per-click expense of some keywords can become a barrier to a company utilizing the PPC model only.

- 72% of searchers who use a search engine to look for a specific product or service will purchase or request more information from that company… only if they easily find what they are looking for when they land on your website.

- Search engine algorithms are highly protected and they can change without warning. SEO professionals can only surmise, extrapolate and interpolate the weighting of components used to gain high ranking. This is why successful SEO is as much an art as it is a technology skill.

Anyone who states that they or their company has a special relationship with a particular search engine, thus getting preferential treatment for their clients, is not telling the truth. Search engines NEVER offer any kind of privileged treatment to any company or individual in the form of sharing inside information about their search algorithms! Beware of individuals or companies making these outrageous claims.

- The vast majority of websites focus on what they are selling or presenting rather than what the website visitor is seeking for when they land on the site. Forward thinking web designers opt for the WIIFM approach [What’s In It For Me]. Some industry spokespeople site examples where websites that conform to the WIIFM methodology, out-perform those that don’t by 20% – 30%! It is worth reviewing your site with the visitor in mind.

THE MOTIVATION AND DIRECTION
[Ensuring we are on the same page…]

So this brings us to the reason why companies MUST subscribe to implementing search engine optimization techniques into their websites in order to be successful. It is about delivering relevant traffic to the website thus creating revenue, adding members, obtaining subscribers, building brand awareness, customer service, creating loyal customers, etc.!

You have to decide if one of your Internet marketing goals is to build relationships or not. In some marketing quarters you will here that it is not about developing long-term relationships; however, others will say it is. Our experience shows that Internet buyers are fickle and less often search for a product on a specific website rather than start their search by entering the keyword term in the SE and look at the results that are delivered on page one.

Think about it… when was the last time you wanted to purchase something and started your search by saying “I want a relationship with the company who sells to me”? Didn’t you really look for the product color, size, cost, or a meaningful description of the product? Other schools of thought subscribe to the adage that focusing on only the immediate sale is extremely shortsighted! The point is consideration MUST be given to this issue when analyzing your Internet strategy as the answer can go either way depending upon the product or services offered.

Company executives need to ask their marketing staff what immediate message is conveyed to a potential customer who lands on their company’s website homepage. Is the information focused on the Company or the visitor? Are they trying to develop a long-term relationship with the visitor or not? Does the site provide data or a process that can be used by the visitor to make a purchase decision and take action? Pick any competitor’s website and tell the marketing staff they have 11 seconds to determine the primary message being conveyed. Have them write down their short answer. Now compare the answers… This will be an eye-opening exercise and make them look at your website with a different perspective. Hopefully one that converts visitors to clients!

Now we should be on the same page regarding important baseline info about most websites so we can take a deeper look into the things that your Internet marketing team can do to make your web pages rank higher in keyword search engine results. Remember, Search Engine Marketing has enormous potential to generate lead opportunities, revenue or even contributions because it actually has the ability to reach your potential buyer or participant at the precise moment when he or she is interested in and looking for your product or service.

The Keywords, Linking, and Keyword Density topics provide a quick tutorial of the key ingredients found in all good and effective Search Engine Optimization [SEO] programs. This advice will help you and your Marketing Team obtain opportunities, avoid wasting money and get quantifiable results from your Internet Marketing budget.

Remember, SEO combines understanding the technical [science] part of what search engines are looking for in their algorithms with the [art] deliverables re: making modifications to the website that will increase and maintain high rankings in their keyword search results.

These deliverables are found in things don’t you see, changes in the code that creates each webpage and the keywords behind the web page that search engine spiders “see” and use to determine the page’s relevance and rank it accordingly. Keep in mind that the “driving force” for search engines e.g., Google, MSN, Yahoo, etc. is delivering “relevant information” to the person searching on a keyword phrase.

KEYWORDS
[Selecting and Using the Right Ones…]

Let’s start with the most basic ingredient of any Internet marketing program. You must figure out what words prospective clients are entering into search engines to locate your type of products or services. Picking the “right” keywords is not about what the CEO or other executives think!

We can take their opinions and insight into consideration; however, it must be proven by identifying which words are actually being used in recent search engine queries. These keyword phrases must be thoughtfully grouped and integrated into the on-page content found on each page within the website. Placement of these keywords in the page copy, headings and code behind the page are essential to obtaining high rankings.

Keywords Found in the Page Copy

Placing keywords strategically within the page copy is critical to obtaining high search engine ranking. Writing for a website is NOT like writing any other marketing copy. It is not a brochure, press release, catalog or pamphlet. Page relevancy will be significantly impacted by the search engine spider returning your page’s content to the algorithm for analysis and indexing among the thousands or millions of other similar pages. Generally speaking, the use of keywords and variations of specific phrases tells the search engine what you feel is important about your product or service on that particular webpage.

It is important to have a website copywriter create the keyword-rich text for your pages. Even the actual placement of certain keyword phrases within a paragraph or sentence can determine whether it will be positive or have no effect at all. Specially trained Internet copywriters have the ability to write for search engines as well as making the page text easy for the website visitor to read and understand.

You cannot just “stuff” a page with keywords and expect it to rank well or read well. In fact, search engines have algorithms that can detect unnatural language patterns. If detected, they might penalize your site in the form of decreased rankings, and in some extreme cases they may ban your website from their database. The message here is to choose your words carefully and use them appropriately!

Keywords Found in the HTML Code

Placement of keywords behind the page that is visible to visitors comes with very specific guidelines. Namely, you must insert the right Page Title, META Description, META Keywords and Headings within the HTML code that is displayed behind the page that visitors see.

- Page Title: 2 – 6 highly searched keywords found within the page content. The Title is one of the top components search engines look for using their ranking algorithm… pick them carefully.

- META Description: 15 – 20 words describing the page’s primary keyword phrase. Use short statements i.e., “snippets” that include the primary keyword phrases. This is NOT the place to include “brochure-like” information. This is shown as the short descriptive statement in the search engine results.

- META Keywords: A maximum of 1 – 2 keyword phrases. Less than 10 words maximum. Make these words specific to the page content. Don’t repeat.

- Headings: H1 – H2 formatted and bold keywords above the paragraphs. These are like the main subject titles found in textbooks. They should also contain keyword phrases as search engines view them as important in determining the page’s keyword relevancy.

Note: Not all search engines value META data equally; however, it is used within their ranking algorithm and as such… remains valuable.

LINKING
[Making Sure Quality and Quantity Match]

This section discusses the importance of the link (sometimes called a hyperlink, or web link). A link is a connection from one webpage or website to another. Although a simple concept, a “quality link” is one of the primary components behind successful (high ranking) websites.

Incoming links are often referred to as “votes” for your website. Search engines consider these votes as a method of validating the relevancy of the data shown on the page within your website. More is better, but the law of diminishing return does apply at some point. Obtaining the highest quality inbound links is the key to high-ranking consideration.

A link has two ends – called anchors – and a direction. The link starts at one website (source) anchor and points to another website (destination) anchor. This link may be attached to any web resource (i.e., an image, a video clip, a sound bite, a program, a webpage document, a point within a document or webpage, etc.).

Other than the proper use of keyword phrases as described in the keyword section above, a site’s having a significant quantity of quality inbound links is one of the most important components in obtaining high search engine rankings. Inbound links are the ones that originate on another website or source e.g., 1) a directory listing your company, 2) a supplier’s website mentioning your products, 3) an organization listing your name and URL with a link back to your website, 4) a company who sells or markets related, but not competing, items, 5) articles containing a link to your website, 6) press releases about your website, etc.

Links within your website from one page to another, even though recognized and counted by the search engines, do not have the same value [or positive impact] as those coming from another website. However, inserting a well-placed, highlighted link to another page within your website using keywords that are found on that page will help increase relevancy on both pages. These are referred to as “anchor links”. By including these outgoing links on a page you are telling the search engines that there is more relevant content on the primary subject matter found on the originating source page. Be sure to include the keyword phrase within the actual link.

Some people might recommend using Link Farms or FFA [Free For All] linking schemes to build your website’s higher placement. Don’t fall for their pitch! Search engines regard these methods of building incoming links as “illegal”. Google states: “…avoid links to web spammers or ‘bad neighborhoods’ on the web as your own ranking will be affected adversely by those links.”

Remember, creating inbound quality links is an ongoing process. It really never ends. Internet marketing teams must invest time in this activity or outsource it to reliable Internet marketing sources. Thinking this is a one-time activity will surely cause the webpage to drop in ranking as time goes by.

MUST ASK QUESTIONS
[for the SEO and other Decision Making Executives]

So what questions can you ask your Internet marketing team that will make you feel more comfortable investing significant Company budget dollars into these Internet Marketing initiatives? The following are only a few examples of areas where you can ask questions that will make your team focus on what is important for a successful Internet Marketing program:

- Have we compared the keywords used in our web pages and PPC campaigns with input from client surveys and in-house knowledge bases? Did we take this input and match it against what Google, WordTracker and other keyword research programs that state these keywords are highly searched terms? Have we targeted keyword phrases that will drive the quality traffic we are seeking?

- Have we designed our website with the visitor in mind? What statements are on our homepage [and others] that makes the visitor know that they are at the right place? Have we considered “what’s in it for them” [WIIFM] when they look at our data, products, and services? Have we made it easy for visitors to buy or at least communicate with us?

- Have we built “Call-to-Action” [CTA] statements within the website and PPC ad landing pages? Will these special statements help convert visitors to buyers? How did we determine the “hot buttons” that we believe will encourage visitors to take action? Are our offers based upon facts or subjective input? How do we know the CTA statements are working? How have you tested these offers? Do we measure the success of conversion on the website using website analytical programs?

- What steps have we taken to ensure that we can quantify all website activity? Can we measure visitor activities while on the site? Can we tie the pre-buying [website surfing] activity to a purchase? Can the purchase be connected to the path [and keyword phrase or PPC ad] the visitor took to land on our website?

- If you feel like producing an atmosphere of immediate creativity within your Internet marketing team ask them what they would do if the Company “found a way” to increase their Internet budget by 100%. Have them brainstorm and come up with a “wish list” of Internet marketing activities, it should not take too long IF they are “on top of their game”. You might be surprised at what they know and don’t know!

If your Internet Marketing team cannot answer these questions to your satisfaction, it is highly recommended that you immediately retain the services of a professional Internet Marketing consultant or organization. It is no disgrace to hire people who make their living helping companies rank higher in search engine results, convert more visitors to buyers and maximize generating revenue using the Internet. In fact, it is unacceptable not to take this action!

SUMMARY AND BOTTOM-LINE FACTS

Keep in mind that it is highly unlikely that one person can create a website, select the proper keywords, create the on-page copy and develop the statements that will convert visitors to buyers! It usually takes a team of people, and it is critical to follow the processes mentioned above in order to secure high placement within search engine results. Your website must contain the right keyword phrases as they are the foundation of your online business model. These keyword phrases must be used in sentences that make sense and relate to the visitors as well as the search engine spiders that are reading, indexing and ranking your website. You have two “masters” to serve.

Relevant inbound links are extremely important. Quality and high-ranking sites pointing to your website will increase search engine ranking. Relevant sites linking to your web pages will result in a site [or page] that search engines feel deserves to be ranked high in the page results. You can never have too many quality inbound links.

Finally, stay involved with the Internet marketing team. Ask them the hard questions. Make sure you don’t leave the creation and maintenance of webpage content to chance. Highly successful websites are based upon delivering quality [and relevant] content. This can be in the form of product descriptions, services, and other supportive information. Stuffing thousands of pages in a website that never get read works against you.

Make sure each person on the Internet marketing team [in-house or outsourced] demonstrates their abilities and understanding in creating and implementing search engine optimization and other Internet marketing techniques or don’t let them do it. Be sure to hire Internet marketing professionals to do the job if you don’t have the capabilities in-house. Too much is at stake to leave this part of your business to chance!

Finally, be sure to hire Internet marketing professionals to do the job if you don’t have the capabilities in-house. Too much is at stake to leave this part of your business to chance! We are pleased to provide you the insightful comments contained herein.

Please contact us at www.InternetConsultingAndCoaching.com or call us at 631-423-0815 for further discussion on how we might be able to assist you and your team or to review the Full list of PDF documents on Internet Marketing and Conversion techniques.

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