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Boost your personal brand online using Search Engine Optimization. Fully updated with new search engine numbers and additional links.
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Search Engine Marketing for Personal Branding
Leveraging the power of the web to gain a competitive edge
Jeffrey WhiteJ White Research
April 17, 2011PO Box 7000 715, ‐
Redondo Beach, CA [email protected]
Search Engine Market Share
65%5%
16%
14%
Google Others SE's Yahoo Bing
Source: Experian Hitwise (April 2011)
Sponsored links/pay per click (PPC)
Usually sponsored links are here too but not for this keyword
Vertical search filter choices
Universal/Blended Search
Standard results
News results
Google local/places results
The Importance of Search Engine Position
Search Engine Result Position
How do search engines work?
• Proprietary Algorithms unique to each engine• Text reading robots/spiders• Placement and density of keywords/phrases• Analyze links both• Within your site and • To your site from others• More links=higher page rank
Your siteInternal Links: Links to pages within
your site
External Links: Links to your site from other sites
Image source: SEOmoz.org
Illustration of link types
6 Steps to Enhance your Personal Brand Online
• It starts with research• Clean up your digital dirt• Establish/optimize social profiles• Post a personal brand blog or website• Enhance your website using on-page
and off-page Search Engine Optimization
• Maintain, nurture and protect your personal brand online
[1] It starts with RESEARCH• Little or no presence at all• Unique names• Establish and position online brand
• A crowded field• Common names and surnames• More aggressive SEO is needed here
• Negative/inaccurate presence• Brand Problem• Most aggressive SEO, Detective work
Little to no presence
Crowded Field
• Little or no presence at all• Unique names• Establish and position online brand
• A lot of duplicate content• Common names and surnames• More aggressive SEO is needed here
• Negative/inaccurate presence• Brand Problem• Most aggressive SEO, Detective work
Negative/inaccurate presence
Advanced/Refined Search• Use name variations, alternate spelling
• Jeff, Jeffrey• Jon, John
• Use exact search term• “Jeffrey White”
• Add additional keywords• + research• + LAUSD• + Los Angeles
• Repeat in Vertical search, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pipl...
[2] Clean up your digital dirt• 45% of employers disregarded candidate
applications due to social media findings • Provocative/inappropriate photos or info• Drinking/using drugs• Bad-mouthed employer• Discriminatory comments• Lied about qualifications• Shared confidential info about employer
Additional Considerations
• More dirt• Repair bad domain, @handle, email
addresses• Remove disreputable “friends”• Unsubscribe to questionable social
games• Un-like questionable Facebook pages• Remove postings about extreme
political beliefs
[3] Set-up brand profile pages• Why bother? • Strong online brand…
• sets you apart from typical candidate• makes it easier for client or employer to
choose you • "The majority of kids coming out of college are
essentially generic" Time Magazine, It’s a brand you world.
• “18% of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites that caused them to hire the candidate.” Career Builder employer survey
[3] Set-up brand profile pages
• Facebook• LinkedIn• Twitter• Google Places, Google Profile• Other niche sites• Flickr, Quora• Others in your area of expertise
[3] Set-up brand profile pages
Google Profile
Google SERP 1
Google Profile results at the bottom
[4] Build a website or blog
• Register a domain name for your brand• Search “WhoIs” database for available domains• More common names taken first• TLD hierarchy - .com, .net, .org …
• Select hosting provider• Cost: $100-$300 per year • You can find hosting service review on the web
• Design and post website• Consistent with your brand• Predesigned themes with CMS (Wordpress, Drupal,
Joomla…) are available and make it pretty simple
[5] Optimize for Search: On page
• GREAT web page content• Design for target audience, conversion• Each page should only target 1-2
keywords/phrases• Keyword included multiple times, natural flow,
at the beginning and throughout the page
• Clean design and usability• Learn from sites you like• Don’t Make Me Think – Steve Krug• A common sense approach to web usability
[5] Optimize for Search: On page• Brand keyword in URL address
• Page content should be apparent from URL
• Worst to bestcdn6.fly.adioso.com/?cat=61&ID=174&custID=5afsd21 www.adioso.com/f?cat=61&ID=174www.adioso.com/f?ID=174 www.adioso.com/cat61/174www.adioso.com/cat61/british www.adioso.com/seattle/british-airways-flights
[5] Optimize for Search: On page
• Brand keyword in URL address• Brand keyword in page titles• Page description includes keyword and
accurately describes your brand• Should read like like ad copy
West Los Angeles Personal Trainer | BioMechanix Perfect your inner machine! Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) Personal Trainers offer private training in a state-of-the-art Los Angeles gymwww.biomechanix.net/
[5] Optimize for Search: On page
• Brand keyword in URL address• Brand keyword in page titles• Page description includes keyword and
accurately describes your brand• Videos, pictures and internal links include
keywords in alt attributes and anchor text
[5] SEO: Off page
• Submit domain and XML site map to major search engines and on all profiles
• Submit web pages on local and niche directories for your brand area
• Generate links to your site from others• Engaging content to attract links• Direct requests for links• Manual social media link creation• Use keywords in link text, rather than your
URL/Domain Name
[5] SEO: Off page
• HTML link format• SEOmoz's Website is a good resource for those seeking
to learn more about search engine optimization
[5] SEO: Off page
• Higher link value• More links, more value• Relevant content• Peer reviewed• More important, popular, trusted sites • Uses descriptive text• Points to the right page• Does not include rel=“nofollow code”
[5] SEO: Pay-per-click
• Pay Per Click Campaign• Set up AdWords account and find free
voucher on the web• Pay for search engine placement in
sponsored link areas• Great if you need immediate ranking• Only pay when someone clicks• Amount of traffic and competition
determines cost of campaign and placement
[6] Maintain, Nurture, Protect Brand
• Position yourself as an expert in your field • LinkedIn Answers, Twitter, Quora and
blog posting, e-zine articles• Join and participate in groups in your
content area and in your clients areas • Keep profiles fresh and up to date• Always be listening and always be testing• Set up a Google Alert for brand• Insert Google Analytics on your website
[6] Maintain, Nurture, Protect Brand
SEO Roadmap
• 6 techniques to build your brand online • Proprietary algorithms common to search
engines• SEO Roadmap
Conclusion
For Annotated Bibliography, Helpful Links and Advanced Search Operators Document
Contact Me
Contact Me:
Jeffrey White310-503-7435
www.JeffreyWhite.org www.JWhiteResearch.com