The Complete
Internet Marketer
Internet Marketer
How To Be Successful With Search Engine Marketing In
Seven Easy Steps!
by Jay Neuman
This article is an excerpt from: The Complete Internet Marketer: A Practical Guide To Everything You
Need To Know About Marketing Online
Search Engine Marketing is the most effective way to advertise online. When people want to find
something online, they start with a search engine. Getting a link to your website and a few words of
promotional copy displayed on the first page of their search results reaches them at the most
opportune moment. Customers have just described what they want by entering the search term.
They are actively seeking something they can respond to. It is the best case scenario for targeted
marketing.
Buying sponsored links on search engines is easy. Some search engines have automated bidding
tools to make buying keywords as easy as placing a bid on eBay. On the other hand, very small
differences in your click-thru rates and conversion rates can make the difference between positive
and negative return on your investment. It is a balancing act.
The secret to successful search engine marketing is found in following these seven easy steps.
Step 1:
Choose Search Engines
Which search engine should you advertise on? This is the first decision you must make once you
have decided Search Engine Marketing is right for you. The simple answer to this is start with the big
ones. As of the writing of this chapter, 73% of all online searches in the United States are performed
on two search engines, Google and Yahoo. If you do nothing else with search engine marketing, you
should advertise on these two. After Google and Yahoo, there are two more that account for another
15%, MSN and AOL. Almost 90% of all searches are performed on these four search engines.
(source: Nielsen NetRatings July 2006)
After you have bought keywords on the big search engines, you can look into specialty search
engines that focus on the niche you are targeting. For example, if you have a restaurant or live
music venue, you may want to get listed on Citysearch.com. If you are a Business-to-Business
supplier, you may want to list on Business.com.
Step 2:
Choose Keywords
The second, and most critical step is to determine which keywords you will buy. There are two parts
to this decision. First, you must identify the words and phrases that best describe the content on the
web pages where you want to direct traffic. Next you must identify what words and phrases web
users are most likely to enter as search terms when they are looking for content related to your web
pages. The basic rule is to find as many variations as you can on the words and phrases you
identified as being relevant to your web page. Then try to figure out which are the most likely
variations web users will search for. These are the keywords you want.
Some search engines will show you suggested variations to the terms you’ve selected. They also
may be able to tell you which terms are most popular.
Now here is an important point. You do not necessarily want the most popular search term. If the
term being searched most is a very general word or phrase, then you may get a lot of clicks on your
link (which you pay for), but they may not convert to sales. It is better to be more specific in your
keyword choice. This way you will get clicks from searchers who are more likely to be interested in
the specific things you offer on your site.
For example, you may have a business offering legal assistance for small businesses. You could
advertise on the very popular search term, “legal services.” However, this would be likely to bring a
lot of clicks from people who did not need help with their small business. You could also advertise on
the popular term, “small business.” But then you might get clicks who do not need legal services. On
the other hand, if you advertise on the specific phrase, “small business legal services,” you will get
clicks from searchers who are in the market for your specific services. You will get fewer clicks, but
they will convert at a higher rate.
It is not possible to tell exactly what the right keywords for your business will be up front. The best
approach is to start with a larger set of keywords as a test. Measure the results in clicks and
conversions. Then stick with the ones that yield the best results.
Step 3:
Balance Your Budget with Desired Ranking
Once you decide where you want to advertise and what keywords you want, the next step is to
decide how to make the best use of your available budget. You will pay more money for a higher
rank in the search results. The top listing will cost more than the second listing, which will cost more
than the third, and so on. The general rule is that you want to be above the fold on the first page of
search results. The fold is the area of the page displayed without scrolling down. However, having
the number one listing does not necessarily gain that much over the number two or three. You will
only know by testing. You may also find that you get better overall results by paying less for a listing
below the fold, or even on the second page.
The best way to proceed is to start with a test using only a small budget. Test a large number of
different search terms, on different search engines and at different list order. Run this test for a few
weeks and see how your various options perform. Pay special attention not only to click-thru rates
but also to conversion rates. With this information, you can run your full program with those terms,
search engines and rank orders that performed the best for you.
Step 4:
Write Effective Link Copy
The best keywords will only work for you if people want to click on your link when they see it. The
next step is to write effective link copy. You have only a few words to make people interested
enough to click. This is critical advertising copy. Make those words count.
Link copy should be closely related to the keywords the user entered. Generic sounding links are not
very good at enticing clicks. Separate copy should also be written for different variations of your
search terms.
Link copy should match the needs or wants of users entering the given search term. When writing
link copy, consider why a person might be entering one term versus another. Then tailor your copy
to that. Take the example of small business legal services above. Someone entering the term,
“small business law” may be looking for general information. On the other hand, someone entering,
“small business lawyer” may be looking to hire a lawyer. Both may be good prospects for your
business. But they will respond to different messages.
Link copy should be clearly related to the content of your website without turning off potential
customers. This is a balancing act. Your link should act as a filter that draws in only people who are
likely to convert on your website. On the other hand, you may also want to bring in potential
customers who do not know yet that they want what you are offering. Once again, you will only find
the right balance by testing a variety of options and sticking with the best performers.
Step 5:
Use Deep Linking
When people are looking for something on the Internet, they are impatient. They want to be sent
directly from the search results to information related to the topic of their search. If people find
themselves dropped onto a home page they are likely to just leave and go to the next search result
listing until they find what they want. In other words, they expect to be linked from the search
results directly to a page deep in your site where they can instantly see what they are looking for.
This is called deep linking.
Deep linking is especially important when you are buying keywords. Make sure the listings you put
out there go directly to the content on your site related to the keyword being searched.
Step 6:
Create Effective Landing Pages
In some cases, deep linking is not enough. You may want to create custom pages for people coming
from your link. You customized the copy of your link to match specific needs and interests of people
who would be entering a given search term. You may also want to customize the content on the first
web page they see. Custom landing pages like this are sometimes called doorway pages.
Making a copy of your web page with alternate versions of the messaging, images or offer is easy
and inexpensive. This can greatly increase conversions from your search engine traffic.
Step 7:
Monitor and Improve
Finally, it is absolutely essential that you monitor the results of all keyword spending and continuously
improve your program. This is easy to do. The search engine will provide simple reports showing all
keyword buys with details about the results each generated. You can then fairly easily set up a
report from your Web Analytics software to show the conversions resulting from each.
Behavior on the Internet is constantly changing. Keywords and copy that perform well this month
may not next month. You should be constantly monitoring for drops in performance and make
adjustments. Also, continue to try new search terms. Slight changes in click-thru or conversion rates
can make a big difference in your bottom line.
There are seven critical metrics for Search Engine Marketing campaigns.
By collecting information about these seven metrics, you will know what is working and what is not
working. You can then use this information to continuously improve future Search Engine Marketing
efforts.
==========================
This article is an excerpt from The Complete Internet Marketer: A Practical Guide To Everything You
Need To Know About Marketing Online by Jay Neuman.
Since 1994, Jay Neuman has been helping businesses as varied as Fortune 500 companies, startup
Dot-Coms and nonprofit organizations overcome their Internet Marketing and Database Marketing
challenges.
Jay is currently Sole Proprietor of the KnExT Consulting Group.www.knextconsulting.com.
He can be reached at jay.neuman@knextconsulting.com
Seven Easy Steps!
by Jay Neuman
This article is an excerpt from: The Complete Internet Marketer: A Practical Guide To Everything You
Need To Know About Marketing Online
Search Engine Marketing is the most effective way to advertise online. When people want to find
something online, they start with a search engine. Getting a link to your website and a few words of
promotional copy displayed on the first page of their search results reaches them at the most
opportune moment. Customers have just described what they want by entering the search term.
They are actively seeking something they can respond to. It is the best case scenario for targeted
marketing.
Buying sponsored links on search engines is easy. Some search engines have automated bidding
tools to make buying keywords as easy as placing a bid on eBay. On the other hand, very small
differences in your click-thru rates and conversion rates can make the difference between positive
and negative return on your investment. It is a balancing act.
The secret to successful search engine marketing is found in following these seven easy steps.
Step 1:
Choose Search Engines
Which search engine should you advertise on? This is the first decision you must make once you
have decided Search Engine Marketing is right for you. The simple answer to this is start with the big
ones. As of the writing of this chapter, 73% of all online searches in the United States are performed
on two search engines, Google and Yahoo. If you do nothing else with search engine marketing, you
should advertise on these two. After Google and Yahoo, there are two more that account for another
15%, MSN and AOL. Almost 90% of all searches are performed on these four search engines.
(source: Nielsen NetRatings July 2006)
After you have bought keywords on the big search engines, you can look into specialty search
engines that focus on the niche you are targeting. For example, if you have a restaurant or live
music venue, you may want to get listed on Citysearch.com. If you are a Business-to-Business
supplier, you may want to list on Business.com.
Step 2:
Choose Keywords
The second, and most critical step is to determine which keywords you will buy. There are two parts
to this decision. First, you must identify the words and phrases that best describe the content on the
web pages where you want to direct traffic. Next you must identify what words and phrases web
users are most likely to enter as search terms when they are looking for content related to your web
pages. The basic rule is to find as many variations as you can on the words and phrases you
identified as being relevant to your web page. Then try to figure out which are the most likely
variations web users will search for. These are the keywords you want.
Some search engines will show you suggested variations to the terms you’ve selected. They also
may be able to tell you which terms are most popular.
Now here is an important point. You do not necessarily want the most popular search term. If the
term being searched most is a very general word or phrase, then you may get a lot of clicks on your
link (which you pay for), but they may not convert to sales. It is better to be more specific in your
keyword choice. This way you will get clicks from searchers who are more likely to be interested in
the specific things you offer on your site.
For example, you may have a business offering legal assistance for small businesses. You could
advertise on the very popular search term, “legal services.” However, this would be likely to bring a
lot of clicks from people who did not need help with their small business. You could also advertise on
the popular term, “small business.” But then you might get clicks who do not need legal services. On
the other hand, if you advertise on the specific phrase, “small business legal services,” you will get
clicks from searchers who are in the market for your specific services. You will get fewer clicks, but
they will convert at a higher rate.
It is not possible to tell exactly what the right keywords for your business will be up front. The best
approach is to start with a larger set of keywords as a test. Measure the results in clicks and
conversions. Then stick with the ones that yield the best results.
Step 3:
Balance Your Budget with Desired Ranking
Once you decide where you want to advertise and what keywords you want, the next step is to
decide how to make the best use of your available budget. You will pay more money for a higher
rank in the search results. The top listing will cost more than the second listing, which will cost more
than the third, and so on. The general rule is that you want to be above the fold on the first page of
search results. The fold is the area of the page displayed without scrolling down. However, having
the number one listing does not necessarily gain that much over the number two or three. You will
only know by testing. You may also find that you get better overall results by paying less for a listing
below the fold, or even on the second page.
The best way to proceed is to start with a test using only a small budget. Test a large number of
different search terms, on different search engines and at different list order. Run this test for a few
weeks and see how your various options perform. Pay special attention not only to click-thru rates
but also to conversion rates. With this information, you can run your full program with those terms,
search engines and rank orders that performed the best for you.
Step 4:
Write Effective Link Copy
The best keywords will only work for you if people want to click on your link when they see it. The
next step is to write effective link copy. You have only a few words to make people interested
enough to click. This is critical advertising copy. Make those words count.
Link copy should be closely related to the keywords the user entered. Generic sounding links are not
very good at enticing clicks. Separate copy should also be written for different variations of your
search terms.
Link copy should match the needs or wants of users entering the given search term. When writing
link copy, consider why a person might be entering one term versus another. Then tailor your copy
to that. Take the example of small business legal services above. Someone entering the term,
“small business law” may be looking for general information. On the other hand, someone entering,
“small business lawyer” may be looking to hire a lawyer. Both may be good prospects for your
business. But they will respond to different messages.
Link copy should be clearly related to the content of your website without turning off potential
customers. This is a balancing act. Your link should act as a filter that draws in only people who are
likely to convert on your website. On the other hand, you may also want to bring in potential
customers who do not know yet that they want what you are offering. Once again, you will only find
the right balance by testing a variety of options and sticking with the best performers.
Step 5:
Use Deep Linking
When people are looking for something on the Internet, they are impatient. They want to be sent
directly from the search results to information related to the topic of their search. If people find
themselves dropped onto a home page they are likely to just leave and go to the next search result
listing until they find what they want. In other words, they expect to be linked from the search
results directly to a page deep in your site where they can instantly see what they are looking for.
This is called deep linking.
Deep linking is especially important when you are buying keywords. Make sure the listings you put
out there go directly to the content on your site related to the keyword being searched.
Step 6:
Create Effective Landing Pages
In some cases, deep linking is not enough. You may want to create custom pages for people coming
from your link. You customized the copy of your link to match specific needs and interests of people
who would be entering a given search term. You may also want to customize the content on the first
web page they see. Custom landing pages like this are sometimes called doorway pages.
Making a copy of your web page with alternate versions of the messaging, images or offer is easy
and inexpensive. This can greatly increase conversions from your search engine traffic.
Step 7:
Monitor and Improve
Finally, it is absolutely essential that you monitor the results of all keyword spending and continuously
improve your program. This is easy to do. The search engine will provide simple reports showing all
keyword buys with details about the results each generated. You can then fairly easily set up a
report from your Web Analytics software to show the conversions resulting from each.
Behavior on the Internet is constantly changing. Keywords and copy that perform well this month
may not next month. You should be constantly monitoring for drops in performance and make
adjustments. Also, continue to try new search terms. Slight changes in click-thru or conversion rates
can make a big difference in your bottom line.
There are seven critical metrics for Search Engine Marketing campaigns.
By collecting information about these seven metrics, you will know what is working and what is not
working. You can then use this information to continuously improve future Search Engine Marketing
efforts.
==========================
This article is an excerpt from The Complete Internet Marketer: A Practical Guide To Everything You
Need To Know About Marketing Online by Jay Neuman.
Since 1994, Jay Neuman has been helping businesses as varied as Fortune 500 companies, startup
Dot-Coms and nonprofit organizations overcome their Internet Marketing and Database Marketing
challenges.
Jay is currently Sole Proprietor of the KnExT Consulting Group.www.knextconsulting.com.
He can be reached at jay.neuman@knextconsulting.com
