The State of Search Marketing Gillian Muessig – October 2009

A Few Facts

Web Search is Popular Search Stats

Really, Really Popular... MS Bing 28-30 mm/day Ask 10-13 mm/day - Source: (ComScore + Nielsen + Hitwise) ‏ Search Stats Google: 100-150 mm/day Yahoo: 60-65 mm/day

And if You're Not in the Top Results 50% of users enter only 1 search query ~55% of users check out only 1 result 4/5 abstracts dissuade searchers 1/2 of all results are not relevant - Source: (Penn State University Study 2007) ‏ Search Stats

50% of users enter only 1 search query

~55% of users check out only 1 result

4/5 abstracts dissuade searchers

1/2 of all results are not relevant

You're Nowhere Search Stats

Reality Check: A Little Context Gillian Muessig – October 2009

SEO is a Marketing & Sales Tactic Acquire Customers Lower Acquisition Costs Create Awareness Brand Your Products How SEO Can Help Your Business

Acquire Customers

Lower Acquisition Costs

Create Awareness

Brand Your Products

Acquire Customers How SEO Can Help Your Business

How SEO Can Help Your Business Lower Acquisition Costs

Create Awareness How SEO Can Help Your Business

Brand Your Products How SEO Can Help Your Business

The Tribal Speak of SEO

SEO Language

Paid Ad Marketing - Banner Ads PPC Ads Text Link Ads Affiliate Marketing SEO Language

Paid Ad Marketing -

Banner Ads

PPC Ads

Text Link Ads

Affiliate Marketing

SEO Language

Technical / On-page optimization Content Development & Management Keyword Targeting Link Building Social Media Marketing Local Search Marketing Mobile Search Marketing Elements of Internet Marketing Organic Search Marketing

Technical / On-page optimization

Content Development & Management

Keyword Targeting

Link Building

Social Media Marketing

Local Search Marketing

Mobile Search Marketing

Elements of Internet Marketing

SEO Elements of Internet Marketing

Not SEO Elements of Internet Marketing

What is SEO? SEO

What is SEO? Not SEO

Where We Are

Technical / On Page Optimization Current State of Search Slower changes Clear, best practices Tools clarify and shorten the labor

Slower changes

Clear, best practices

Tools clarify and shorten the labor

Search Engine Ranking Algorithms

Relevance Elements of Internet Marketing

Popularity Elements of Internet Marketing

Trustworthiness Elements of Internet Marketing

Offline Popularity Elements of Internet Marketing

Timeliness Elements of Internet Marketing

Elements of Internet Marketing

Where We’re Going Emerging Trends in SEO

… And What to Do About It

More Crackdowns on Spam & Manipulation Emerging Trends in SEO bing

Purchased Links What to do about it More crackdowns, less value … in some locations There’s more bang for your buck in Badges Social Media pushes, including video Content creation

More crackdowns, less value

… in some locations

There’s more bang for your buck in

Badges

Social Media pushes, including video

Content creation

More Awareness = More Competition Emerging Trends in SEO

More Data Sources for the Engines Emerging Trends in SEO

More Tools & Metrics Emerging Trends in SEO

More Options in the SERPs Emerging Trends in SEO

Emerging Trends in SEO Social – Mobile – Local Power Triumpherate

Emerging Trends Social Media Social media is officially more popular than pornography 96% of GenY & Millenials have joined social networks They wield >£200 billion in spending power And it’s growing, not going (away)

Social media is officially more popular than pornography

96% of GenY & Millenials have joined social networks

They wield >£200 billion in spending power

And it’s growing, not going (away)

Local Search Marketing Emerging Trends in SEO

Emerging Trends Internationalization There are more users online in China than anywhere else in the world … and there’s only 20% penetration! SEO is just arriving in the Middle East France, Spain, Portugal have =/<30% penetration of Internet in the home. Iceland is most connected

There are more users online in China than anywhere else in the world

… and there’s only 20% penetration!

SEO is just arriving in the Middle East

France, Spain, Portugal have =/<30% penetration of Internet in the home.

Iceland is most connected

Emerging Trends Meanwhile, back at the ranch… UK just became the first major country to pass the watershed… UK advertisers spend more on Internet than TV…. Congratulations! You got the memo! Web accounts for ~25% of all ad spending

UK just became the first major country to pass the watershed…

UK advertisers spend more on Internet than TV…. Congratulations! You got the memo!

Web accounts for ~25% of all ad spending

Emerging Trends in SEO Mobile Search Marketing It’s that light you see at the end of the tunnel … it’s a train … and it’s coming straight at you

It’s that light you see at the end of the tunnel

… it’s a train

… and it’s coming straight at you

Action Items Things to Think About If your site isn’t optimized for mobile phones, turn off mobile in google adwords… saves $$ Should your site be optimized for mobile? Will buyers research ‘on the road’? Will buyers buy from mobile devices?

If your site isn’t optimized for mobile phones, turn off mobile in google adwords… saves $$

Should your site be optimized for mobile?

Will buyers research ‘on the road’?

Will buyers buy from mobile devices?

Emerging Trends in SEO New TLDs Today: 21 gTLDs (generic Top Level Domains) Within a few years… 1,000s of gTLDs

Today: 21 gTLDs (generic Top Level Domains)

Within a few years… 1,000s of gTLDs

Emerging Trends in SEO New TLD - Ramifications Gives the 1.6B Users More Choices Increased global reach New marketing & ad opportunities Makes your life a lot more complex

Gives the 1.6B Users More Choices

Increased global reach

New marketing & ad opportunities

Makes your life a lot more complex

Emerging Trends in SEO New TLD - Challenges IP, trademark & copyright protection becomes more complex Infringement potential increases with every new TLD © ® TM

IP, trademark & copyright protection becomes more complex

Infringement potential increases with every new TLD

Action Items New TLDs Some will be “vanity” IPs .verizon .aol .yourcompany? .yourindustry?

Some will be “vanity” IPs

.verizon

.aol

.yourcompany?

.yourindustry?

Action Items Things to Think About How will fractionilizing of TLDs affect: Marketing Advertisinig SEO Will TLD owners sell or restrict access to their properties? Should I own one?

How will fractionilizing of TLDs affect:

Marketing

Advertisinig

SEO

Will TLD owners sell or restrict access to their properties?

Should I own one?

Action Items More Things to Think About How will you protect your brand name among 1000+ TLDs? Reputation management will increase in value, scope, and quantity Multi-cultural translation will be critical

How will you protect your brand name among 1000+ TLDs?

Reputation management will increase in value, scope, and quantity

Multi-cultural translation will be critical

Facebook MySpace Emerging Trends in SEO

Emerging Trends in SEO Social Media Popularity Around the World www.seomoz.org/article/social-media-marketing-tactics

Action Items Social Media Jump on the bandwagon Set up, optimize, and cross link your profiles in general and industry/interest specific social media sites (twitter, facebook, myspace, WAYN, linkedin, etc.)

Jump on the bandwagon

Set up, optimize, and cross link your profiles in general and industry/interest specific social media sites

(twitter, facebook, myspace, WAYN, linkedin, etc.)

Action Items Things to Think About Talk to yourself

Talk to yourself

Stay Focused! Set Business Goals for SEO Search Referrals (Traffic) ‏ Conversions (Sales) ‏ SEO for Discoverability (Branding) ‏ Action Items

Search Referrals (Traffic) ‏

Conversions (Sales) ‏

SEO for Discoverability (Branding) ‏

Pay Attention to Trends The Disconnect Action Items 88% of Internet marketing expenses are spent on PPC. 12% is spent on SEO <10% of clicks are made on PPC ads >90% of traffic comes from organic search results

88% of Internet marketing expenses are spent on PPC.

12% is spent on SEO

<10% of clicks are made on PPC ads

>90% of traffic comes from organic search results

Action Items Things to Think About How will you create ad budgets to address the changing buyers’ landscape? How can you leverage offline ads to enhance your online ppc and seo efforts? Where does email fit in? Or does it at all? Hint: Millennials think email is archaic

How will you create ad budgets to address the changing buyers’ landscape?

How can you leverage offline ads to enhance your online ppc and seo efforts?

Where does email fit in? Or does it at all?

Hint: Millennials think email is archaic

Set Business Goals for SEO Search Referrals (Traffic) ‏ Conversions (Sales) ‏ SEO for Discoverability (Branding) ‏ Action Items

Search Referrals (Traffic) ‏

Conversions (Sales) ‏

SEO for Discoverability (Branding) ‏

Create a Content & Keyword Strategy Action Items

Develop a Link Acquisition Strategy Action Items

Engage in Social Media Action Items

Require Actionable Analytics Action Items

Why Should I Care About Social Media Marketing?

Reason #1 Social Media is officially more popular than pornography

Reason #2 14% say they generally trust ads 78% say they trust consumer recommendations

What do I do now?

Dive in

LURK LISTEN AND LEARN

Converse. Don’t talk “at”

Tap into the power of the Linkerati

Enjoy personal conversations

In front of your entire customer base Remember us? 

Have Some Fun

Are there two of you? That’s ok…

Things to remember: You’re at work The world is listening You really can’t take it back Be a Scout… personable, friendly, helpful

You’re at work

The world is listening

You really can’t take it back

Be a Scout… personable, friendly, helpful

Bear In Mind SEO is not free (just high ROI) ‏ SEO is not guaranteed (the engines don't owe you) ‏ SEO changes constantly (so keep up to date) ‏ SEO is a tactic (but requires strategy) ‏ Stay the course (and get an expert on your team) ‏

SEO is not free (just high ROI) ‏

SEO is not guaranteed (the engines don't owe you) ‏

SEO changes constantly (so keep up to date) ‏

SEO is a tactic (but requires strategy) ‏

Stay the course (and get an expert on your team) ‏

[email_address] Twitter: @SEOmom SPECIAL09 ($200 discount on annual SEOmoz PRO membership)