Search Optimisation for Luxury Brands Stephen Pratley MD - Shine Marketing

Search Optimisation for Luxury Brands The importance of search marketing for upmarket brands Challenges facing luxury brand websites The importance of content Getting other sites to talk about you Integrating search with other marketing activity

The importance of search marketing for upmarket brands

Challenges facing luxury brand websites

The importance of content

Getting other sites to talk about you

Integrating search with other marketing activity

The importance of search marketing for upmarket brands Over 65% of the UK population now online at home 72% use the internet to research high value purchases regardless of where they buy them 42% of respondents cited search engine listings as the most common way they search for products and vendors (Jupiter Media Matrix) Put briefly, everyone in the UK who has a credit card can now find out about your brand online, and will do so.

Over 65% of the UK population now online at home

72% use the internet to research high value purchases regardless of where they buy them

42% of respondents cited search engine listings as the most common way they search for products and vendors (Jupiter Media Matrix)

Put briefly, everyone in the UK who has a credit card can now find out about your brand online, and will do so.

The importance of search marketing for upmarket brands Large or important purchases are more heavily researched online than impulse buys. Online shopping no longer automatically means ‘cheap’ or ‘discount’ Increasingly, online is a way to find niche products, get faster delivery and finding more about a brand before purchasing.

Large or important purchases are more heavily researched online than impulse buys.

Online shopping no longer automatically means ‘cheap’ or ‘discount’

Increasingly, online is a way to find niche products, get faster delivery and finding more about a brand before purchasing.

Challenges facing luxury brand websites Smaller potential audience Heavy reliance on image over content Less willingness to engage with social media sites, forums, facebook etc etc. Overall fewer appropriate opportunities than for mass-market brands However – quality should be easier

Smaller potential audience

Heavy reliance on image over content

Less willingness to engage with social media sites, forums, facebook etc etc.

Overall fewer appropriate opportunities than for mass-market brands

However – quality should be easier

Opportunities for luxury brands Fewer opportunities, but easier to leverage them Recognise your USP’s Create editorial opportunities Back them up with strong images that other sites will WANT to use Remember it is the knock-on effect of the links you want, readership is of secondary importance.

Fewer opportunities, but easier to leverage them

Recognise your USP’s

Create editorial opportunities

Back them up with strong images that other sites will WANT to use

Remember it is the knock-on effect of the links you want, readership is of secondary importance.

How do you achieve good search rankings? Visibility Relevance Popularity

Visibility

Relevance

Popularity

Visibility

How do you achieve good search rankings? Visibility A site that search engines can read and understand

Visibility

A site that search engines can read and understand

Basic Visibility Obstacles to Google Flash menus Text written as graphics Forms Google can only read text & links http://tools.seobook.com/general/spider-test/ This shows what your page looks like to Google If it can’t read your site, neither can Google

Obstacles to Google

Flash menus

Text written as graphics

Forms

Google can only read text & links

http://tools.seobook.com/general/spider-test/

This shows what your page looks like to Google If it can’t read your site, neither can Google

Relevance

How do you achieve good search rankings? Relevance Content on your site that relates to the search terms you want to appear on Google for.

Relevance

Content on your site that relates to the search terms you want to appear on Google for.

What phrases do you want to rank for? What phrases are people actually using to find you and your competitors? ‘Luxury’ is actually not used by consumers very often except in travel & property. Will these phrases turn into sales? ‘Luxury gifts’: probably not ‘Buy men’s calfskin wallet online’ : probably

What phrases are people actually using to find you and your competitors?

‘Luxury’ is actually not used by consumers very often except in travel & property.

Will these phrases turn into sales?

‘Luxury gifts’: probably not

‘Buy men’s calfskin wallet online’ : probably

Keyword Research Search engine tools show what people are actually searching for adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal Wordtracker.com inventory.uk.overture.com

Search engine tools show what people are actually searching for

adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Wordtracker.com

inventory.uk.overture.com

Keyword Research

The importance of content What is content? Copy Images, and video Interactive tools Why is it important More text = a ‘long tail’ of longer search terms you can be found for Shows authority and knowledge

What is content?

Copy

Images, and video

Interactive tools

Why is it important

More text = a ‘long tail’ of longer search terms you can be found for

Shows authority and knowledge

Popularity

How do you achieve good search rankings? Popularity Quality, relevant sites linking to yours shows Google you have authority in your market

Popularity

Quality, relevant sites linking to yours shows Google you have authority in your market

Getting other sites to talk about you Link building for SEO is all about getting well regarded and busy websites to talk about you in a positive manner This should be second nature to PR professionals but few agencies have grasped the fine detail yet.

Link building for SEO is all about getting well regarded and busy websites to talk about you in a positive manner

This should be second nature to PR professionals but few agencies have grasped the fine detail yet.

Getting other sites to talk about you Step 1 – sort your site out In order to get other people to talk about you, you need something worth talking about Interviews Opinions New products Celebrity endorsement Event appearances

Step 1 – sort your site out

In order to get other people to talk about you, you need something worth talking about

Interviews

Opinions

New products

Celebrity endorsement

Event appearances

Getting other sites to talk about you Step 2 - Train your PR agency Prepare some useful editorial, include quality images that will help them. Ask if the newspaper/ magazine has a website Ask if you can feature on that as well Say ‘you can buy the product / there is a list of stockists’ at our site, can you link to us? GIVE them the link

Step 2 - Train your PR agency

Prepare some useful editorial, include quality images that will help them.

Ask if the newspaper/ magazine has a website

Ask if you can feature on that as well

Say ‘you can buy the product / there is a list of stockists’ at our site, can you link to us?

GIVE them the link

A few titles your PR agency may not know about Don’t be too concerned about location US sites are read in the UK and vice versa The customer base for high-end good is global

Don’t be too concerned about location

US sites are read in the UK and vice versa

The customer base for high-end good is global

Finding sites that will link to you Tools that will help you find other sites that may be suitable to approach. Google Alerts : email alerts when your brand is mentioned Yahoo Site Explorer: sites that link to you or your competitors Technorati: Blogs talking about your sector Hitwise: detailed analysis of UK traffic patterns (paid for service)

Tools that will help you find other sites that may be suitable to approach.

Google Alerts : email alerts when your brand is mentioned

Yahoo Site Explorer: sites that link to you or your competitors

Technorati: Blogs talking about your sector

Hitwise: detailed analysis of UK traffic patterns (paid for service)

Getting the link (the techy bit) This is what a link looks like <a href= http:// www. aspinal oflondon.com > Aspinal Leather Gifts</a> It has 2 parts Where it goes to: http:// www. aspinal oflondon.com The link text: Aspinal Leather Gifts It appears as Aspinal Leather Gifts The link text is VERY important in telling Google what your site is about

This is what a link looks like

<a href= http:// www. aspinal oflondon.com > Aspinal Leather Gifts</a>

It has 2 parts

Where it goes to: http:// www. aspinal oflondon.com

The link text: Aspinal Leather Gifts

It appears as Aspinal Leather Gifts

The link text is VERY important in telling Google what your site is about

Integrating search with other marketing activity Your overall proposition PR Advertising PPC Affiliates & Partners

Your overall proposition

PR

Advertising

PPC

Affiliates & Partners

Summary Your checklist for SEO Success Decide on 3-4 phrases to target which will bring buyers to your site Create content about that subject either on product pages or on a more editorial section of your site Be forward about your heritage, expertise and other USP’s Remember websites when you plan your PR strategy Don’t forget to ask for links

Decide on 3-4 phrases to target which will bring buyers to your site

Create content about that subject either on product pages or on a more editorial section of your site

Be forward about your heritage, expertise and other USP’s

Remember websites when you plan your PR strategy

Don’t forget to ask for links