Gasta SEO: As good a guide as any from Fathom SEO

Fathom SEO guide (short version)

With online marketing, there is never a shortage of data. At the end of the day, however, it’s not the data that matters. It’s about NEW dollars. To shape and adjust your marketing strategies, you clearly can’t ignore data such as;

How many people visit your website

What keyword consistently ranks well

Who agrees to link from their website to yours

Ultimately though, you’ll want to judge your efforts by leads and sales generated from the site. .
The performance of any online marketing initiative
comes down to three core steps:

Get (traffic)

Convert (visitors)

Measure (revenue drivers)

If you’re going to invest in online marketing – at any level – set your sights on how many leads
and how much revenue the effort drives.
What we’re talking about here is Return on Investment (ROI). In this case, the investment is in
online advertising (e.g. SEO, PPC, Online Video, Email, etc.), so we call it ROA, Return on
Advertising in this context.
Coordinating multiple facets of online advertising to maximize ROA is what we call Multilateral
Online Marketing (MOM), a new industry term coined by Fathom SEO that more accurately
expresses what it takes to succeed online – coordinating multiple programs that can efficiently
reach the right target audience when diverse disciplines work well together.
Each stage – Get, Convert and Measure – requires a great deal of know-how. The following
insights may help your business as you consider each step.
GET
You can’t generate money from your website until you GET
potential customers there. Traditional advertising can help
build awareness for your site, but we’ll focus on the online
opportunities. We’ll look at three of them:
SEO
PPC
Off-site (i.e. link building, online PR, social media)

SEO
In the most basic sense, SEO is about content. Great content improves a site’s ability to rank
well (i.e. GET more quality visitors) and more effectively engage potential customers. Yes, the
website must be technically sound so that search engines can reach the pages. And yes,
websites must be effectively optimized with title tags, page headers, etc. to help pages rank well.
But it’s really the breadth, depth and quality of the content (supported by relevant, strategic
keyword phrases) that helps attract high-quality visitors in the first place.
We liken content to fishing. If you drop one line in the water, you have one shot at catching a big
fish. Smart marketers essentially cast many lines at the same time - by expanding the breadth,
depth and quality of their website content using well-researched and targeted keyword phrases.
Once you have done the exhaustive research to identify and select which keywords are most
likely to GET the highest potential visitors in a reasonable amount of time, you can integrate
these terms into your content using proper SEO tactics. Too often, websites have limited text on
website pages. Sometimes a website simply has too few pages. Marketers should take stock of
their websites and be honest about what is lacking.
A robust content strategy is essential. Here are some ways to expand content:
• Create and promote an informative guide
• Develop and distribute a white paper
• Solicit user-generated content (encourage them to share their experiences or participate
in contests)
• Add a blog and get the word out
• Write articles
• Expand an FAQ section
• Build case studies
• Post employee bios
• Provide product/service details
• Create a glossary
• Review products
• Add a company history
• Develop a Featured Products section
• Add testimonials
• Add content from your newsletter or PDFs
• Develop a resources section
• Create videos and landing pages.

Here are 10 additional tips to help you make the most of your SEO efforts:

1. Know your target market.
Think of the many ways potential clients may be searching for your products or services.
2. Focus on website design.
Make sure your website has clear Calls to Action and navigation that will encourage visitors to
explore, learn and connect with your business.
3. Be realistic about keywords.
You may want to rank for a keyword phrase, but your website may not be poised to dominate the
major search engines for that term or phrase. You gain favor with search engines if you have a
keyword in your domain, your website is older than your competition and/or you have quality
inbound links pointing to your website. Your content and source code also must support the
keywords.
4. Write content – lots of content.
Extra pages can support your most important keywords and inspire many other search terms as
you develop your website.
5. Favor text headers (like the headlines on your Web pages).
Reinforced by H tags, the right combination of keywords in a page header can help with
rankings.
6. Add your blog as a directory, not a sub-domain.
A blog can support keyword themes and build up your core content. A blog also opens up new
opportunities for inbound links. Your blog should be on your domain, and not a disconnected
entity.
7. Write compelling Meta descriptions.
Meta descriptions have lost their influence on rankings, but they still appear within search engine
ranking results. Make sure yours include Calls to Action, company attributes and keywords that
resonate with the keywords used to find your website.
8. Get more links.
Add your website to free and paid directories. Write articles and add your company name and
link, when possible, to your bio. Issue news releases about the expertise you showcase on your
website.
9. Monitor your website analytics (Google is free).
Ongoing traffic analysis is a critical part of any SEO effort. You need to understand what
keywords are driving traffic and converting that traffic into leads or new customers.
10. Watch your rankings.
Sometimes a keyword ranks well on more than one page. Pay close attention so you can
determine what page is best positioned to help you achieve higher rankings.

PPC
Yes, PPC (Pay Per Click) costs money. But paid search marketing can help GET quality traffic
quickly. PPC can also support a coordinated effort by providing accelerated feedback that can
be used to inform the SEO strategy that is inherently more long–term, thus improving long-term
results. Create and test ads, pointing them to compelling content and strong Calls to Action.
Don’t hesitate to make custom landing pages specifically tailored to your ad. New pages may be
better than some of the existing ones on your website (that may lack clear offers or include
distracting navigation options).
Here are some other suggestions to help you make the most of your PPC campaigns:
• Do extensive keyword research
• Leverage geographic, time of day parameters
• Use vital defining options: phrase match (quotes) and exact match (brackets)
• Do A/B testing
• Don’t delay: revise ads
• Offer discounts
• Use clear Calls to Action and incentives (Order Today. Free Trial. Save 20%.)
• Make use of negative keywords
• Make sure conversion tracking is fully in place
• Track conversions, not just the click-thru rate (CTR)
Additionally, you should consider:
1. Plan your ads carefully.
With Google, for example, you want to create ads that are each supported by up to 15 relevant
keywords.
2. Make more than one campaign.
Daily budget caps are based on campaigns. You may want more than one campaign so as to
have freedom with your ads. When all ads share the same budget, they will not appear as often.
3. Bid on branded keywords.
They convert well, but some travel companies avoid the branded keywords because they’re
already ranking well with organic search. Branded keywords often don’t cost much and the paid
search conversions can make for a profitable investment.
4. Don’t get too greedy and miss an opportunity.
Some businesses back away from keywords that aren’t as profitable as others. But you need to
know your numbers. If a keyword is profitable, it may be worth keeping. Don’t just focus on the
exceptional or high-volume performers.
5. Be careful with broad match.
Broad match is often inexpensive and drives a lot of traffic, but the relevancy of the audience
may miss the mark.
6. Content Match in Google can hurt campaigns.
Content Match can work – if you’re careful and watch your spend. The ads appear with relevant
content outside of Google, but the people who click may not be in a buying mode (perhaps
they’re doing research or simply clicking out of curiosity).
7. Share conversion data with your SEO team.
The SEO specialists will want to know what’s performing. But don’t assume that your No. 1
position for a paid ad will be No. 1 in the natural search engine results. Your success will depend
on your content, site age and many other factors.
8. Make custom landing pages.
Often a website design has weaknesses and a custom paid search page can offer compelling,
targeted content with a clear Call to Action.
9. Make paid search pages without all of your navigation.
For e-commerce, some navigation may be necessary to help someone buy what you’re selling.
In many cases, however – if you just want a lead – you can focus on one offer per landing page
and prompt someone to fill out a short form or call your toll-free number.
10. Bid up on profitable keywords.
Do you have a keyword that is profitable for you yet its average position is below 1.5? Raise
your maximum cost per click and you'll almost assuredly see more clicks and conversions.
Another way to get higher rankings is to improve your quality score by writing specific ad copy
for that keyword and putting it into its own ad group. Within a few weeks, if you write your ad
copy well and achieve a good click-thru-rate (CTR), you should see your quality score increase
and your average rankings go up with no additional cost.


A little creativity and the right relationships can help GET visitors from sources beyond your
website. Of course, your website is actually the main draw. A person will link to your website if
you have outstanding content worth someone’s time. Showcase and market your expertise.
Don’t hold back. Here are some best practices to follow:
• Write articles for industry magazines and newsletters
• Post pieces to popular e-zines
• Issue news releases (about your new products, educational guides, studies, trends)
• Produce and distribute videos
• Pay for links from relevant websites
• Get free links from relationships (i.e. you sell men’s jeans and another site sells shoes)
• Participate in online communities
• Join trade groups and other organizations


CONVERT
It’s time to land the fish! Conversion opportunities abound. You simply need to ask visitors to
engage – no matter how they GET to your website. Even if they simply sign up for a newsletter,
that’s a conversion that may ultimately lead to a sale. You still end up with an email that’s
invaluable. Stay in touch with your leads through email campaigns (you can even schedule how
often you’ll follow up).
Some of the most obvious conversion opportunities involve forms and trackable phone numbers.
With phone numbers, you should make sure they’re clearly seen. Too often, websites “hide”
them on a Contact Us page or bury them at the bottom of a page or even after the copyright
notice. Even though a potential customer is on your Internet website, many still prefer to pick up
the phone when they reach out to engage.
Forms should be clear, attractive and as brief as possible. Don’t just say “Contact Us Today.”
Introduce the form with “Make an Appointment Today” or “Download Our XYZ Guide.”
Throughout the content, you should remind the visitor that he or she can get more information by
following linked text or calling a number. Why wait until the end of the page to entice the reader?
Make an appeal high on the page.
Be sure to include a different number solely for the website to avoid confusion with other
marketing efforts. In fact, Fathom SEO offers Call Tracking - a way to record calls and track
potential customers who convert by calling you. Call-in conversions can be tied to natural search
engine visits and paid search activity.
The following graphic illustrates just a few of the many ways you can encourage a potential
customer to connect with your business.
Here are some best practices to use for conversions:
1. Focus on one primary CTA
• Each page of the website should have one primary call to action, not multiples.
If you have another primary call to action, it should have its own page. This is a
great opportunity to up-sell the client.
• Depending on the site, you may want to use a secondary CTA. This might be a
good idea for a home page, but not for a dedicated landing page.
2. Simple, clear and compelling
• Your primary CTA should be simple, clear and compelling. Remember, your
goal is to get the user to complete a certain action. Your primary concern is that
they know what that action is and how to complete it.
• Show them why they want to visit your website, buy your product, get more
information, etc. Show them the benefits to following your CTA immediately.
They’re only concerned with what’s in it for them.
3. Keep it above the fold
• The CTA should be the first thing a person sees when they visit the page. Your
primary CTA should be placed at the top of the page, or just below the header.
Also, be sure that the button, link or form used to complete the action also
completely appears above the fold.


• Above the fold is within the first 650 vertical pixels of the page. 90% of users
have a screen resolution height of 768px or greater. You must also factor in
approximately 100px for the browser.
http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php
4. Make it stand out
• The CTA should stand out from the rest of the page. Whether as a headline,
button or in the copy, make it different. You want to be sure it catches the eye
and does not blend in with the rest of the page. Some studies have shown that
the color of the CTA doesn’t matter as long as it stands out from the rest of the
page. Don’t be afraid to experiment with bright colors and adjust the size of
your CTA.
5. Page Design
• The design of the page should be created with the primary CTA in mind. It
should be done so that it supports this CTA and does not distract the user from
completing the action. In most cases, a simple design will work better than
something complicated and busy.
6. Page Copy
• The CTA should follow and build upon what you’ve already said in the text.
Some readers may want to read your entire page before making a decision;
some will scan or read just a few sentences before deciding if the product or
service is for them. Make sure there are CTAs in different locations to appeal to
these different types of people.
7. Location, Location, Location
• Your primary CTA should be used at the top of the page as well as on the form,
on the submit button, in the headlines and in the supporting copy. It is important
to also include a call to action at the bottom of the page so users don’t have to
scroll back up to the top of the page.
8. Testing
• You will never know if your call to action is effective without testing. No matter
how much traffic your site gets, you can do testing. Even A/B testing simple
things such as headlines and submit buttons can yield valuable results.
Examples:

MEASURE
A business can measure its efforts in many ways, but the most significant ones should boil down
to costs and new revenue. When you are able to measure the results of your online advertising
efforts, you can identify and replicate the most profitable activity.
Marketers should be able to compare search engine advertising (including SEO) to other forms
of advertising. What ROA does the company normally get for direct mail, TV, radio, tradeshows
and the like? For every dollar invested, what kind of sales can be expected? Does $1 invested in
an advertising campaign result in $4, $5, $7, $10 or more in revenue? When you are able to
measure your advertising efforts based on ROA, deciding on how to spend your precious
advertising dollars becomes clearer. ROA brings objective accountability to the forefront of
advertising spend decision-making.
Here are some basic questions to ask about your ROA:
• How do you market apart from SEO and Paid Search?
• How much do you spend to get a lead?
• How many leads do you need to get a sale?
• What is your average sale?
• What is your sales cycle?
• How are your most important products selling?
Understanding your sales cycle is crucial. If you have a sales pipeline, you can anticipate how
many pending deals are likely to convert over time (given historical data).
Before new leads roll in, it’s OK to start with some basic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),
especially for an SEO program that takes time. If the KPIs are on track, we can anticipate that
the ROA is on its way.
The following GET KPIs reflect a scoring system based on improving organic ranking results.
Visibility, for example, refers to an index that rewards rankings with points – a No. 1 ranking gets
more points than a No. 99 ranking. Visibility trending is a snapshot of ranking progress. As
rankings improve, quality traffic improves, leading to more opportunities to CONVERT quality
visitors into revenue, which drives ROA.


Branding
Sometimes companies don’t sell anything directly as a result of their online advertising efforts.
Their goal is to increase awareness, not necessarily drive direct leads or sales. They attract
traffic for branding purposes and use the website to send visitors to dealers, retailers and more.
It’s possible to track many metrics. The aim should be to define what data is most essential
during different phases of a program. The tactics are the same: GET, CONVERT, MEASURE.
However, some KPIs (vs. ROA) may become the MEASURE focus. Here are just a few of the
possibilities;

Strategic keyword top 1, 5, 20, 30 rankings (per engine)
Search engine traffic
Overall traffic
Search engine traffic as a percentage of overall traffic
Page views
Traffic to a targeted page
PDF downloads
Newsletter sign-ups
Referring traffic (from other sites)
Indexed pages (how many pages/files are recognized by search engines)
Bounce rate (percentage of visitors who quickly leave the website)
Time on the website
Video performance (i.e. views)
Most-searched keyword phrases (branded vs. non-branded)
Call Tracking
Marketers also should leverage
Call Tracking for added insights.
A large portion of potential customers to your site prefer to CONVERT by picking up the phone. To effectively measure the results of your online advertising efforts, the calls must be included as conversions. Phone calls can be recorded and the call frequency can be measured in multiple ways
(including whether the call started with an organic or a paid search):

Automatically route calls based on pre-assigned rules
Place the phone number in PPC search ads and avoid pay-per-click charges.

Cost per Lead – Lower Isn’t Always Better
As you track and analyze results, keep in mind that achieving the lowest cost per lead should not
necessarily be the main objective. Sometimes leads may cost more, but result in more sales. By
measuring ROA, the picture becomes much clearer.