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Using Differentiators in
Keyphrases: What Every Search Engine Optimization Company Needs to Know
As
any good search engine optimization company knows, in search, more so than any
other medium, you have a very short window of opportunity in which to engage
your prospect. The only way to get a
solid competitive advantage in this arena is to utilize various techniques in
order to make sure that you are giving a prospect exactly what it is that he or
she is looking for. Otherwise, your prospect will simply click the back button
and visit one of your competitors - a process that only takes seconds.
One
way to gain a competitive advantage, of course, is to work on the website
itself. Any search engine optimization
company worth its salt will also be involved in conversion testing on your
website - in other words, making certain that the visitors who arrive on your
site are likely to take a point of action that eventually leads to a sale.
Split
tests, modifications in content, different color schemes, and numerous other
variable elements can all have a measurable impact.
There
is also another way that a quality search engine optimization company will seek
to maximize the value of the prospects that find your website through search
engines. In this case, however, it is
using your company differentiators in the keyphrases that they target to make
sure that the traffic that comes to your site is of a very high quality.
Gaining a Competitive
Advantage with Differentiators
As
more and more companies turn to organic search to gain a competitive advantage
while promoting their products and services, it can be increasingly difficult
to achieve high rankings for the generic terms that everyone in your industry
is pursuing. While any ranking is ultimately attainable, eventually a search engine
optimization company has to decide whether the effort involved is worth it,
especially when it recognizes that you can get overall better results from the
campaign by making sure that a very high percentage of people that are typing
keyphrases into search engines are looking for exactly what you offer.
This
is why your search engine optimization company should be able to leverage
differentiators in your keyphrases to give you the best competitive advantage
available.
What Keyphrases Will
Work Best for Your Business?
Suppose
that you are in an industry where companies can have a wide array of prices,
approaches, customer service levels, and so on.
Instead of targeting, from the outset, the general keyphrase that
defines the industry (for example "email marketing"), a good search
engine optimization company will take the time to help you gain a competitive
advantage by realizing what is different about your company in order to a.)
attract very highly targeted prospects who know what they are seeking and b.)
reduce the competitiveness of the keyphrases they are choosing.
Let's
take a look at a high-end provider of email marketing that has advanced web-based
functionality and focuses on the B2B market. This fictional business is seeking
a competitive advantage by working with a search engine optimization company. We can safely assume that the percentage of
people that type "email marketing" into a search engine who are
looking for this exact type of company is anywhere from between 0 and 100%.
By
looking into the popularity of other variations, however, we can see that it is
nowhere near 100%. Phrases like "cheap
email marketing" or "free email marketing" are very popular,
demonstrating that many people seeking "email marketing" are not
looking for exactly the service that the provider is offering.
Imagine
that instead of targeting "email marketing", a daunting task (that,
even if achieved, assures that a high percentage of visitors that come to the site
are not looking for the provider's particular type of solution), the search
engine optimization company takes advantage of the provider's differentiators. In this case, the search engine optimization
company would instead target phrases such as "business to business email
marketing" and "web-based email marketing". Suddenly the two objectives have been
achieved - the provider knows that a much higher percentage of visitors that
are typing these terms are actually looking for the right kind of company and
the competitiveness of the phrases has also been reduced, leading to faster and
higher rankings.
Using Modifiers to Give
You the Edge
There
are hundreds of modifiers that can give a competitive advantage by reflecting a
company's differentiators, including words such as "free", "affordable",
"high-end", "full service", "proven", "turnkey",
etc. The point is that by making use of
your unique differentiators in the search terms you target, your search engine
optimization company is already setting the table for your prospect before he
or she even clicks over to your website.
When the message that is seen on your site then supports the keyphrase
that was typed, you now have an engaged visitor. This can mean more leads, less site
abandonment, and better overall website performance.
Conclusion
Remember,
your company is better than the others out there. Ask yourself why, and then tell your search
engine optimization company to take advantage of these differences in your
keyphrases to give you a competitive advantage in your industry. The subtle addition of a few seemingly minor
modifiers can have a huge impact on your bottom line.
© Medium Blue 2008
About the Author
Scott Buresh is the CEO of Medium Blue, which was named the number
one organic search engine optimization company in the world by PromotionWorld in 2006 and 2007. Scott has contributed content to many
publications including The Complete Guide to Google Advertising,Building
Your Business with Google For Dummies (Wiley, 2004), MarketingProfs, ZDNet,
WebProNews, DarwinMag, SiteProNews, ISEDB.com, and Search Engine
Guide.
Search Industry Job of the Month
Got positions vacant or short term projects you'd like advertised? Sign up for a free account with the Search Engine College Jobs Board and find great candidates.
Search Engine Marketing Manager
Job Title: Search Engine Marketing Manager
Job Reference #: Unknown
Position Type: Full Time
Name of employer: Anderson Interactive
Location: Georgia USA
Date Posted: 28 February 2008
Position description:
Have a mind for analytics and a passion for the search engine
marketspace? Dig number crunching, tracking end-user behavior patterns
and discovering those long-tail search phrases that make a SEM campaign
overachieve?
Anderson Interactive [www.andersoninteractive.biz], one of the South
Carolina and Georgia region's largest and most rapidly growing
Interactive marketing agencies and a division of Anderson
Communications Group [www.acreativecompany.com], are a world-class
advertising agency that have been doing business around the globe for
over two decades. They're stacked with creative talent, analytical
thinkers and marketing horsepower. They move companies into the online
medium, creating balanced online/offline campaigns that deliver
results.
Anderson Interactive are seeking a Search Engine Marketing Manager to
join their growing team. This forward-thinking position involves:
Development of effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies.
Management of the execution and ongoing maintenance of SEO campaigns.
Development, production and execution of paid search campaigns.
Proactive monitoring of search engine marketing campaigns to deliver continually improving results.
Written analysis of campaign performance, with recommendations based on analysis.
Keeping ahead of the curve on new SEM opportunities and how they apply to our clients.
Live, eat and breathe web analytics and performance metrics.
This critical role helps grow and retain clients and continually
innovates and streamlines to deliver better client service and improved
campaign performance.
Qualified applicants will posses:
A minimum of two years in the SEM field.
Proven experience in delivering strong results.
Working knowledge of SEO/PPC strategies and tactics.
Experience with web analytic and search term research applications.
Team player with proactive personality.
Strategic, analytical and presentation skills.
Ability to multitask and problem solve to achieve objectives and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
BA or equivalent experience required.
This is a full-time, in-house position. Great benefits package and high-energy team environment. Competitive salary.
Salary range: Unknown
Closing date: Unknown
More info about company from:[www.andersoninteractive.biz]
Contact: Send resumes to Ryan Woolley ryanwoolley[at]andersoninteractive.biz
"Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth"
Peter Ustinov
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