This document discusses integrating marketing and SEO for optimal results. It begins by contrasting reactive SEO, which lacks strategy and focuses only on optimizing existing content, with proactive SEO, which aligns SEO efforts with marketing initiatives through audience focus, a content development approach, and calls to action. It then covers using keyword research to identify terms to expand a site's reach and measuring progress. Key analytical tools like Google Search and Google Analytics are also discussed.

1. INTEGRATING
MARKETING & SEO
FOR OPTIMAL RESULTS
Brian D. Swanson

2. Today’s Session
 Current State of SEO
 Reactive vs. Proactive SEO
 SEO + Sales Cycle
 Keyword Research
 Essential Analytical Tools
 Questions

3. Getting Started

4. Current State of SEO
It Almost Sounds Correct, But Is it?

5. Current State of SEO
Most Accounting Marketers are in the
REACTIVE MODE of SEO & Content
Marketing. The Focus is on What the Firm is
Already Doing.

6. Reactive SEO
Elements of Reactive SEO:
 Lacks a Comprehensive Strategy – Fails to
Integrate SEO with Wider Firm Marketing Initiatives
 No Clear Audience Profile(s) – Unclear
Understanding Who the Firm is Targeting & Key
Motivations (Makes Keyword Planning Almost
Impossible)
 No Content Development Approach – No Formal
Content Calendar + Content That Appeals Only to Top
and Bottom of the Funnel
Simply Maintaining a Process of
Keeping New/Old Content Optimized

7. Reactive SEO
Reactive SEO Playbook:
 Title & Description Optimization
 Keyword Optimization
 Heading Tags (H1-H6)
 ALT IMG Tags
 Social Sharing
 Keyword Contemplation

8. Reactive SEO
Takes Content
Received & Optimizes
It. There Is No Formal
Connection Between
Audience Needs &
Content Creation.

9. Shifting Gears
WHY CHANGE?
My firm gets $50K - $100K
in new business (not to
mention total opportunities)
from our website annually.
ANSWER
Proactive SEO can double
or triple that number. It’s the
next step in the process.

10. Proactive SEO
Elements of Proactive SEO:
 Align SEO & Marketing – Integrates SEO Efforts to
Match the Natural Sales Cycle of the Firm’s Key Target
 Audience Focus – Clear Understanding of Which
Audience the Firm is Targeting + Important Messaging
for the Group
 Content Development Approach – Focused
Approach That Produces High Quality & Relevant
Content of Interest to Prospects – Mid-Funnel Content
 Calls to Action – Multiple Types of Calls to Action,
Including Gated Content – (Think Hubspot)

11. Proactive SEO Playbook
Proactive SEO Playbook:
 Marketing Focus Changes
 Ongoing Keyword Research & Rotation
 Production of Fresh + High Value Content
 Firm-wide Involvement
 Ongoing Keyword Research
 Competitive Analysis

12. Proactive SEO
Align SEO to the Sales Cycle

13. Proactive SEO
Conduct
Keyword
Research to
Identify a
Series of Terms
to Expand Your
Site’s Reach

14. Proactive SEO
Measure
Progress
On an
Ongoing
Basis

15. Proactive SEO
Traditional Calls to Action

16. Proactive SEO
Call to Action v2.0
What Is Being Offered Changed – Higher Value

17. SEO + Sales Cycle
How Can SEO
Be Used to
Address
Prospects in
All Stages of
the Sales
Cycle?

18. SEO + Sales Cycle
Keywords Driven By Prospect Searches
 Informational Searches – Designed to search on a
broad topic – Missouri Use Tax
 Navigation Searches – Designed to find a
particular website – SAMPLE CPA FIRM
 Transactional Searches – Designed to identify a
particular product that a user can purchase – Vacation
to Bahamas
Where Should/Does Your Firm Focus?

19. SEO + Sales Cycle
Effective Informational Search Targeting:
 High Quality Content on Website
 Detailed Blog Posts
 Content Tone & Approach
 Audience Focused
 Whitepapers, Checklists
Establish Your Firm as a Subject Matter Expert

20. SEO + Sales Cycle
Two Types of Keywords:
Short Tail Keyword Terms
• CPA Firm
• Accounting Firm
• Pittsburgh Accounting Firm
• Accounting Services PA
• Bookkeeping Services PA
• Pittsburgh CPA Firm
• IRS Representation
Long Tail Keyword Terms
• CPA Firm Serving
Pittsburgh
• Bookkeeping Services For
Pittsburgh Businesses
• IRS Representation
Individuals Pittsburgh
• Pittsburgh Business
Valuations
• Pittsburgh Outsourced
Accounting

21. SEO + Sales Cycle
What Changes About the Keyword
Terms?

22. SEO + Sales Cycle

23. SEO + Sales Cycle

24. SEO + Sales Cycle

25. Keyword Research
Find New Terms to
Target
Proactive Method for
Capturing the Interest
of Key Audience(s)

26. Keyword Research
Effective Keyword Research
Requires SEO Knowledge AND Marketing
Knowledge

27. Keyword Research
The Process:
 Define Your Target Audience – Identify Needs &
Common Challenges
 Create a Keyword List – Short List of Terms
Prospects Might Search (Issues, Geography & Service)
 Check Search Patterns – Discover Which Search
Terms Are Relevant to Your Site
 Reevaluate Often

28. Know Your Target Audience
Define Your Target Audience:
 Who Are Our Prospects? – Public
Company, International, Private
Company, Key Issues ?
 What Terms Might They Search?
– Service Terms, Issue Terms or
Geographical?
 What Subject Matter is Top of
Mind? – Compliance, New Legislation,
Common Issues Faced, Profitability,
etc.?
What’s Important
to Your Target?

29. Keyword List
Brainstorm an Initial Keyword List
 Name of Service/Industry/Topic – 401k Audits,
ERISA Audits, Business Valuations
 Common Issues Experienced – Question Format
Search Terms – Who Needs 401k Plan Audit?
 Leverage Tools – Use Google Instant + Related
Keyword Terms for Additional Insights

30. Keyword List
Google Instant –
Suggests Related
Searches for the User
to Make
Related Keyword
Terms – Additional
Search Related to the
Initial Search

31. Check Search Patterns
Leverage a Keyword Research Tool to Identify
Search Patterns

32. Check Search Patterns
Identify Those Terms Most Relevant to Your Site &
Content

33. Check Search Patterns
Insights on
Keywords
to Target
Also Gives
Clues About
Potential
Content
Topics for
Blogs

34. Implement New Terms
Leverage the Research
 Modify Terms on Relevant Content – Service,
Industry & Thought Leadership
 Rotate Terms Periodically – Rotate Terms
Periodically to Ensure Keyword Saturation
 New Content Ideas – Use the Keyword Research to
Identify New Content Ideas – Thought Leadership,
Service or Industry Information
Commit to Saturating Keyword Terms with Content

35. Reevaluate Often

36. Reevaluate Often
Use Analytics to Determine How Keywords Are Impacting
Performance
Google Analytics

37. Reevaluate Often
Keyword Research is
an Integral Part of an
SEO Strategy –
Continually Focusing
on this will Enhance
Results

38. Essential Analytical Tools
What Should You Be Tracking?

39. Google Search
Key Information
 Messages – How Google ‘Helps’ You
 Links to Your Site – Not Internal Links
 Search Analytics – Queries
 Search Analytics – Impressions + Ranking
 Mobile Usability – Uncover Issues with Your Mobile
Site

40. Google Search
Main Dashboard – Gives an Overview of Website Status

41. Google Search
Messages - This Section is Where Google Will Email
Information About Website Errors or Security Issues

42. Google Search
Links to Your Site - This Provides Insights Into Who
is Linking to Your Site and the Most Linked to Content on
Your Site

43. Google Search
Search Analytics - This Provides Insights Into How
the Site is Performing Related to Search Terms and Other
Essential Metrics

44. Google Search
Search Analytics - This Provides Insights Into How
Many Impressions and Clicks as well as Keyword
Position, Which is Valuable Information for Keyword +
Content Planning

45. Google Search
Mobile Usability - This Provides Insights Into Any
Issues with Your Mobile Site

46. Google Analytics
Key Information
 Keyword Search – Most Searched Terms
 Audience Overview – General Audience Information
 Mobile Overview – Amount of Mobile Traffic
 Page Analytics – Most Searched Site Content
 Much More…

47. Google Analytics
Acquisition  Overview  Channel

48. Google Analytics
Audience  Overview

49. Google Analytics
Behavior  Site Speed  Overview

50. Google Analytics
Behavior  Site Content  All Pages

51. Google Analytics
Conversions  Goal URLs

52. Google Analytics
Behavior  Site Speed  Overview

53. Questions?

54. Contact Us
Brian D. Swanson
FlashPoint Marketing
720-535-5047
www.flashpointmarketing.biz
bswanson@flashpointmarketin
g.biz