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Referrals from social media and email marketing efforts may be on the rise, but organic search is still a top driver of traffic to B2B websites. Searchers have matured and become savvier in recent years – however, search engine algorithms have as well. With that in mind, how important is keyword research in today’s online world, and how can you modernize your keyword strategies? In a recent webinar, SEO veteran Tracy Sabattis discussed five questions often asked about modern keyword strategies. These slides formed the basis for that presentation; they include several actionable tips and a list of SEO research tools (both free and paid) along with each tool’s pros and cons.
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KEYWORD STRATEGIES IN TODAY’S WORLD: 5 QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY SEO VETERAN TRACY SABATTIS
Sponsored By:
TODAY’S PANEL
Tracy Sabattis, VP of MediaCollege Factual, a property of Media FactualTwitter: @tracys
Michele McDonough, COORock the DeadlineTwitter: @NVMichele
Mike Agron, Co-FounderWebAttract, LLCTwitter: @WebinarReady
IT’S NOT 2009 ANYMORE
So, why are we still talking about keywords?
AREN’T KEYWORDS DEAD?
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
SEO is DEAD …. So KEYWORDS are DEAD AND BURIED!
Then, what’s the point of this discussion?
Image from The Death of SEO infographic at http://www.seobook.com/learn-seo/infographics/death-of-seo.php
LET’S TIME TRAVEL TO 2009
Microtrends in New Info Shoppers (PSB Study - Wall Street Journal)
“They believe in the information they find, not in the information that is spoon-fed to them.”
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123144483005365353.html
LET’S SKIP FORWARD TO 2010
A More Social Future (PSB Study)
“Social Media is shaping Consumers Behavior”
Source: http://www.psbresearch.com/press_pubs/press_publications_Jan_7_2010.aspx
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Optify’s Benchmark Study from 2012:
“Google is the single most important referring domain to B2B websites…. Google’s share of organic traffic to B2B websites in the study, topped 90% in November, 2012.”
Source: http://www.optify.net/business-to-business-marketing/the-highlights-2012-b2b-marketing-benchmark-report
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
• Search incorporates social signals
• Social builds brand awareness
• The more you can get in front of someone the better
Source: http://www.stateofsearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/social-vs-search-infographic.png
WATCHWORDS ARE BEREFT OF LIFE
SEO was never just about keywords.
Online marketing – like any marketing – is all about understanding your customer and targeting them all along the buying cycle with words they’ll understand.
content marketing hashtagsHTML titles
These all incorporate keywords.
EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT DEAD, AREN'T
KEYWORDS SPAMMY?
THE DEFINITION OF SPAM
Keywords are not spammy.
SEO is not spammy.
PEOPLE are spammy.
SPAM is unsolicited.
People are searching for YOU and YOUR INFORMATION actively… on Google, in social media and through other
online tools.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO RESEARCH KEYWORDS?
UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE
• Insider language is too easy to fall into.
• Buyers are shopping all along the cycle – not just at the end. They are arming themselves with information and then deciding.
• Remember, 92% of buyers don't want our carefully constructed websites and marketing messages. They just want to be smarter and better informed. They want to be entertained.
• We have to communicate without selling. We have to hook, without obviously pitching and selling.
• Optimize through content marketing.
WHERE DO YOU RESEARCH
KEYWORDS?
KEYWORD RESEARCH
• UBERSuggest.org – Google Suggest (in the browser)• PROS – Many searchers let Google’s ‘suggestions’
guide them. So targeting those can sometimes be wise.
• CONS – Google bases this on their data, and they want people to search specific ways, due to ads.
• Soovle .com• PROS – Suggestions from multiple places. Often
surfaces different combos. • CONS – Often repetitive
• Internal Search through Google Analytics• PROS – Can help identify what’s missing, what people
are looking for on your site.• CONS – Only used by a small slice of visitors. The
better your navigation, the less it’s used.
KEYWORD RESEARCH
• Bing Analytics• Have you set up a Bing Webmaster Account? Do it –
NOW… • Bing offers great webmaster tools – better than
Google. • They do ‘not’ block any search phrases.
• Competitors• Don’t just look at the top. (Brands, domain age,
backlinks.) Also look at the ones you are ‘surprised’ to see in top 10.
• Strongly recommend paid tools: • SEMRush.com • Keywordspy.com• Compete .com
• On a budget? • Target two sites and look at all their HTML data on
core pages, in their blog, in their social media posts.
KEYWORD RESEARCH
Keyword Eye (Basic and Pro)• PROS – Nice visualizations, very easy to spot keyword
phrases.• CONS – Based on AdWords. Don’t depend solely on
Google AdWords data. It’s designed to make money for Google, not for you.
Wordstream (Free and Paid)• PROS – Unique slices and dices, including a ‘Niche’
Finder, tons of long-tail keyword searches. • CONS – Free is limited to 30 searches (which disappear
quick) – This is really a Paid tool designed more for PPC in order to guarantee ROI.
SEOmoz (Paid)• Keyword Difficulty Tool (but only if you are using all the
other items)
KEYWORD RESEARCH
• Google Analytics• PROS – Can often pick up good long-tail clues or new
word combinations you aren’t consciously targeting.• CONS – When people are signed in to Google, those
keywords are ‘blocked’ to protect the searcher. You have no insight – it’s running at about 50%. You are blind to a lot of core searches.
• Google Webmaster Tools • PROS – More general search terms than Analytics.• CONS – Tends toward broad. Google controls what is
shown.
WHERE DO YOU INCORPORATE KEYWORDS?
MARKETING
Everywhere you market, you should be thinking about your customer and how they would describe you.
• Content Marketing• Hashtags• HTML Titles• Descriptive Website Content• About Us Pages
Think holistically.
CONTACT INFO
Tracy SabattisTwitter: @tracys
Michele McDonoughTwitter: @NVMichele
Mike AgronTwitter: @WebinarReady
Connect with us and continue the conversation! We’d love to hear your thoughts.