Introduction to Search Engine Marketing

Seamus Morley Introduction to Search Engine Marketing [email_address]

The web today……

10 Billion+ web pages

Now everyone has web pages

You have to market them

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Organic/ sponsored Note: 85% only use top5/7 results

How will they find you ? Searching – using key words/phrases VERY different from broadcast and print – it is not an `interrupt` medium

What is it ?

Google `invention`/votes = backlinks

authority sites e.g. bbc/xyz.gov

relevance ie to your page(s)

Page Rank (PR)

Why PR ?

Users can find relevant content

`Content is king`

High PR=backlinks from high ranking, authority sites .

Search Engine Marketing

Sponsored/ PPC,CPC

Faster Response (days)

Changeable

£££ !

Short term

Tactical

Organic/ Natural

Slower (3/6 months)

More credible (Editorial)

Better Quality response

Longer lasting

Strategic

BUT….SEM is not an exact science – the rules are not published and they change.

Landing Page Keywords: Ribbon walk Cancer walk pink ribbon charity walks Top 9 words produced 77% clicks Ad 1 Ad 2

Google AdWords…

shown when your keywords are entered

Key success factors:

Relevance (keyword, page content)

Click Thru Rate (CTR)

Cost Per Click (CPC)

Landing Page:

Title/Headings h1,h2/Alt Tags

Keyword(s) to appear multiple times in text

Clear ACTION for page visitors

Good; backlink via image to the event page (not bcc home page !) Better: backlink via anchor text –your top keyword Best: backlinks via multiple keywords as anchor text

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Content attractive & relevant/ lots of keywords - naturally…

Sponsors/Partners: get backlinks

Regular page updates/Press Releases/Blogging

Linkbait e.g. risk calculator, articles, info

Links from Highly Ranked, Authority Sites

Organic – building for the long term

To do…….

Segment your market:

Behaviour/attitude/age/??

Chose key phrases

3, 4 per segment

` Connection` map:

sector/.gov sites

associate/partner sites

media-local/national

Google analytics 1. Visitors – visit `quality` 2. Where are they coming from ? 3. What are they looking at/doing ?

GA data for `Ribbon Walk` pages only ie `profile` Effect of other marketing activity Bounce Rate: why are so many leaving so quickly ? Where is the `best` traffic coming from ?