Social Media and SearchPresented by Arnie Kuenn

Twitter @ArnieK or @VerticalMeasure

#SMAZ

Optimizing for Search is Critical

When someone types a keyword into the search box, there are only two possible outcomes: They will find you. They will find your competitor.

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Search Marketing Reality

Organic search traffic can be so valuable, it can sustain an entire business.

Organic search rankings are something you can work to influence, but ultimately you do not control them. The search engine algorithms make that call.

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Why Invest In Search?- The #1 position

will get clicked 43% of the time!

- Natural search results receive many more clicks than paid search

- Natural search converts 30% better than paid search

- Clicks are Free

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

What Happened in 2009?

Google: Made ~540 changes in 2009. They update the algorithms almost every week.

Search Engines got even better at eliminating spam. Quality backlinks became much more important last

year, weak backlinks became almost worthless. If the link is easy to get, the search engines know it. Social Media “signals” became a real factor.

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

What to Expect in 2010 Quality in Search Optimization (SEO)

Create Engaging, Unique Content Optimization Each Page You Want To Rank Get Trusted Inbound Links

Changing Search Results Personalized Search: You need to be there to be

considered Universal Search: Capture real estate with local,

video, press and blog posts Social Media influence

Signals & Real Time Results

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

How Does Social Influence Search?

It can influence the actual rankings for your website Mentions & Signals Backlinks

Social Media actually appears in the search results Real-time search Blog posts Images Video

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Example Search Results

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

(reputation management too)

How Does it Work Today?

Bot or Spider

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Title tag

ContentH1 tag

Bold

What Does It Look For?

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Meta DescriptionAward winning SEO Link Building Services. Vertical Measures is a reputable, USA Internet marketing company helping businesses get more website traffic thru higher search engine rankings, link building, social media, local search, and search engine optimization.

Search Engine Results

Indented Listing

Local Listing

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Your Website: Create Good Content

Build pages around your keywords Add real value to the web visitor

Unique Informative Entertaining

Who do you link to? Good neighbors It’s your reputation

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Proper On-Page Optimization(in order of importance for 2010)

1. Links - internal & external

2. Freshness of content & keyword usage

3. Title tag (viewed in results)

4. Image Alt text

5. H1 tag

6. Description meta tag (viewed in results)

7. URL structure

8. Page load times (Google Caffeine)

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

What NOT to do on Pages

Try to fool the search engines Keyword stuffing More links than text Any content that is not of value to your visitor

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Biggest Factor is Still Inbound Links

The best links: From trusted sites Have proper anchor text Have varied anchor text Are from many different domains (new 2010) Determined editorially (Social!)

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Social Media in Search Results

Videos, Images, Blog Posts, Profiles, Tweets, Updates… they all appear in search results (Fred Example)

You still need to optimize Social/Profiles where possible: titles, keywords, tags, descriptions, etc.

Try to build links to them too.

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

The Best of Both – Social & Search

Build Great Content & Promote it Good for Social Media?

Is it “Link Worthy”? Can you promote it?

Examples: Lists Case Studies Comparisons Satire & Parody Interviews Polls & Surveys Videos Contests (detailed example, next) Promote it using social media!!!

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Example: Run Contests!

Bridal Contest Answer 3 questions:

Your engagement story Your wedding day theme plan What is special about your wedding

that you shall win this free sponsorship?

Facebook Ad Increased followers on Twitter

through regular tweets

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Big Companies Too!

Major hotel chain has us working many different promotions Attend a Motor Sports event, get a discount Visit Disney, get a discount Attend LPGA event, get a discount Go to a Little League Baseball game, get a

discount Multi-night stay, get Double Rewards Multi-night stay, get $50 Gift Card

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Even Internet Marketing Companies!

Boost Your Juice $5,000 Grand Prize and $1,000 for 2nd Place Submit essay telling us why they should win Chose finalists and had the public vote on it

Promoted via Twitter, FB, PR & Blogger Outreach Own first 14 results on Google for “boost your

juice” (branding) Over 2,000 visitors to just the contest page Links from more than 50 different sites Another simple one for Valentines (SEO Poem)

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Other Examples of Using Content

Video Interview Series (#6 “Internet Experts”) Watch Jeramie McPeek for some great ideas

Videos on SEO Tips (#5 “SEO Videos”)

Post on 50 Blog Topics (#3 “Corporate Blog Topics”)

Image Posts (car crashes, tattoo, parrot flower)

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Have a Corporate Blog

24% of our page views come from our blog posts (~4,000 per month)

We make 8 new posts per month

Gives us a vehicle to post new link worthy content

Keeps the search engines coming back

Internal linking

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Social & Search – Other Ideas

Widgets & Badges

Licensing of Content or Tools Research results, white papers, free tools, etc.

Article Placement Write authority articles and ask to place them

Twitter @ArnieK @VerticalMeasure#SMAZ

Thank You!Q & A