Chapter 06: Designing Your Search Marketing Strategy

The algorithm of the software updates. Semantic markup. Search intent. 

One thing is for sure: the search is not what it used to be!!! 

Fortunately, all of these changes are good news for digital marketers, like the rest of us. Since we are not trying to game the system, etc. 

And, once you are in an honest marketer is trying to deliver real value, you will build a solid foundation for search marketing success. 

That being the case, the search can help you to increase your website traffic and visitors to the trust, and, at the same time, the support of your other digital marketing disciplines as well. 

In this chapter, you will get an overview of the methods that are working now, among other things, the language you use to talk about it, the stats will be the measure of your success, and the role of which is to take their marketing strategy. 

Before we delve into details, but let's cover some of the basic principles. 

The Big Picture

First, SEO is a broad field divided into 2 big camps.

1. The structural, or technical, side. People in this camp focus on the technical details of your website rather than the quality of your content.

2. The content side of things. People in this camp know how to create well-optimized content, build links and boost social shares.

Which camp is best?

It's not a competition. In order to be successful in search marketing, you will need to do both. When you do create a link to the assets, or to get more backlinks, you need an SEO specialist. But, if Google doesn't seem to see them as an asset, and you are not in the ranking, it is likely that you have some structural problems. Do you need an SEO strategy. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that SEO is not a once and done, the task at hand. 

Hundreds of thousands of web sites, which are constantly fighting for the #1 spot in the search engines for target keywords, and be sure that the place is kind of like playing a child's game, "king of the mountain."

You can knock the guy sitting there now, but somebody come up behind you, try to get you out as soon as you get there.

This means that your content needs to be paid for, updated, and upgraded to rank higher search engine results pages (SERPs) and protect your top ranking. In the meantime, everything needs to work directly from a technical point of view.

Finally, the search is constantly changing. Google's algorithm does not exist. Based on artificial intelligence, and learns more every day.

As a result, the rules change too. The strategies you use today will not be the ones you use next month or next year. And that's okay.

Expect to continue learning and refining the strategies you use. Do not resist; just accept it as part of the process - because the only way to win this game is to follow the rules.

Methods of Well-Executed Search

Search has evolved more than any other marketing discipline. Today, you must know the rules of search. Otherwise, you can hurt rather than help your brand.

So let’s start by reviewing the methods that are working well today.

Search Marketing Today

Today, Search Is Mobile

People are conducting searches from their mobile devices. That means your pages must be easily accessible from phones and tablets as well as computers.

It’s important to adopt a “mobile-first” mindset.

Today, Search Is Structural and Technical

As mentioned above, if your site isn’t set up right, Google won’t even see you. But once your structural issues are resolved, you’ll focus mostly on content and basic on-page optimization.

The key to SEO is simply to build a better page than anyone else on the web.

For each search query, Google wants to put the absolute best page at the top of the SERPs. So your page needs to be the most relevant and the closest match for searchers’ intent.

How do you do that?

You have to research what is already ranking for your targeted keywords and keyword phrases and build something to make it 10x better than the ones to the sides. 

That's it. 

This is not a hack and an easy-on button. Just a lot of hard work. 

However, on a positive note, if your content is 10x better than anything else on the web, it will be to rank your pages. 

Today, The Search For The White-Hat 

Gone are the days of keyword stuffing. You will have to do what Google wants, and what they want to do is to give a better experience to its users. 

Antique style grey-hat and black-hat SEO tactics, the border illegally, and they're definitely immoral. So, it is NOT the approach that we're going to take it. 

The tactic of cover, we will provide you with a solid company that is reputable and can be trusted. And to be honest, this is the only way for you to grow your business in the long run. 

Today, The Search All Over The Place Is What Matters 

What comes to mind when the topic of marketing, will be on the top? Google it, right? 

It is the top search engine results, but keep in mind, they are by no means the only search engine in town.

Today, every channel uses a search algorithm, which you can learn and leverage in order to achieve success. 

This means that you are not limited to optimizing for Google. It may be more profitable for your business to be the focus of the Google Maps service or the public. 

Let me tell you why... 

Google's search bots, is incredibly smart, which makes it tough to rise to the top of their SERPs. However, most of the other robots—just think of Amazon, Yelp, or of the terms of service is less complex and easier to understand. Not only that, but it's likely to be fewer and fewer people are competing for their favorite sites, so it's an easy game to win. 

We tend to equate marketing with Google. However, there is a lot more to it than that. Search engine marketing is all about producing the right content and publish it on the right channels in order to attract the right clients, and then do whatever it takes to make your content rise to the top, whether it is Google or any other channel. 

Approaching it in this way, you'll take your search game to the one-off of the playing field. Even though there may be fewer off.

Today, Search Is About More Than Traffic

When it comes to SEO, and we're talking about the win, the rankings and beat out the competition. You'd be forgiven for thinking that rank on top of Google (or whatever channel you are using is your number-one goal for the field of search engine marketing. 

However, this is not the case. 

If you can't pay your bills with the franchise. You will not be able to traffic to the bank. In actuality, these measurements are a bit of fluff. The real question is: Are you making money from a search? 

The reason why we are doing the marketing in order to get more leads and sales, right? So, in the next section, we are going to talk about a simple, 6-element model, in order to do just that. 

The High-Impact SEO in 5 Minutes or Less, and take them out. 

The 6-Part Model for Winning at SEO

There are 3 stages of search marketing, each with 2 priorities. Let’s take a look at what they are, and then we’ll look at the entire 6-part system in action.

Intent & Context

SEO starts with user intent.

What do we mean by that?

Essentially, everyone who types a query into Google’s search bar is looking for something. Regardless of the keywords they use, they have a specific intent.

But that intent exists within the context of what they’re doing and what they want or need. Both the intent and the context are critically important for you to understand.

For example, maybe they’re:

If you’re targeting a keyword, you must understand the user intent and the context that’s behind the search.

Ask yourself: What is the prospect searching for? Why do they likely want this information?

For example, if they’re typing in “historic bed and breakfast,” here’s what may be going on:

Intent = find a B&B

Context = anniversary is coming up

The context is important, and for that you have to ferret it out, as it will help you to know what information to provide in your content. 

Luckily, they have the best tool for the research of the earth, is easy to get to. It is your own mind. Keep in mind with your clients. What are the search terms that are the ones who hold you when you're looking for, or you could use for your product? Why are they looking for information? 

In order to identify the keywords that are most likely to be of benefit to, in order to try to understand the purpose and context of these searches. The idea is to anticipate their needs. 

In order to help you, just do a quick Google search. Start typing the search term into Google and take a look at the autosuggestions to Google it (see the picture above for an example). These proposals are the most common searches related to the words you are typing and you have to guess at what people are searching for.

Asset & Channel

Once you know the information people are looking for and why they likely want that information, you need to build a unique asset for each of those needs.

This stage of the process is all about content creation. Before you start, ask yourself these questions:

• What keyword/intent am I targeting?

• What asset will satisfy that search?

• Where should the asset live?

Let’s say the query is, “start a vegetable garden.” The asset could be a blog post. Since people search for blog posts in Google, that’s the channel you’ll optimize for.

Asset = blog post

Channel = Google search

But Google isn’t the only option. What if they’re looking for images to inspire them?

Your goal is to choose an asset that will best answer the intent/context you’ve identified, then choose the channel the asset will live on.

Once you’ve done that, you’re ready for the last stage of the optimization process.

Optimization & Ascension

At this point, you've created the resources to deal with specific queries, or you're ready to upload them to the channels. 

For now, it is time to optimize it for each of the channel's search algorithms, and the development of your customer's ascension to the plan. For this, you will need to answer these questions: 

What will be the ability to access? 

What is the next step in the customer journey? 

The traffic is not your goal, to keep in mind. Your ultimate goal is to generate leads and sales. So, you always have to tell your visitors what's the next step, these instructions need to be built into the supply. 

Let's look at a few examples. 

We're going to start with our many search for. Notice in the image to access a blog post, and the title tag is optimized for Google.

If we click through to that blog post, we can clearly see the ascension path.

Notice the button embedded within the content and the product offers in the sidebar. Clearly, this site has developed an ascension path that looks something like this:

Google search > blog post > shop > purchase

They are not only optimizing for search traffic. They are to optimise sales. 

This is what you want to do, too: take the traffic and convert it. And this is how you can get started right now. 

Go into Google Analytics to find all the pages on your site that get the most traffic. 

Think about the next logical step is for the service of this site. 

Insert a call-to-action (CTA) anywhere on the page, which will lead the visitor to the next step. 

This is what the search is about." It's organic, so it's like free money. And all you have to do is to put on an ascending path in your high-traffic pages. 

It's the same thing on YouTube. In this example, the music video is optimized for the search term "save money on food.

As you can see, the ascent of the way they are both in the video and below it. In the video, there are links to a fat-burning workout the product. Below the video is a link to her new book. 

Most of the SEO training, it focuses solely on the road. The main goal is to be to be ranked in the top of a Google search. 

But, as you can see, the people are looking for information on the various channels, so there is no reason to limit yourself. About ranking on Page 1 of Google is not available, has been ranked #1 on Pinterest or YouTube, it can be a better option. 

And the road is not the end goal. "Conversions." So, think beyond the traffic. Is clear that the promotion of christ's salvation in your inventory, and give an account of what they were going to do after consuming your content. 

Now let us take a look at the entire process, from the beginning to the end of the year.

The 6-Part System in Action

Let’s assume I’m Home Depot and want to create some YouTube videos targeting the keyword, “tile my bathroom.” I start by identifying the intent and context around that search query.

Keyword = “tile my bathroom”

Intent = to tile my bathroom

Context = My wife hates the old tile in our bathroom.

Asset = video on how to tile your floor

Channel = YouTube

As you can see, this is not a problem. In fact, it provides you with a logical workflow that will help you to create content that meets the real needs of your customers. 

You just have to figure out what you want to rank for, look at the top ranking of the content, and to create something better. Then, optimize, and create your ascension path. 

Now, let's look at the language that's used by marketers-search.

The Lingo: How does a Search Marketer Talk?

What are the terms you need to know as an SEO? These 4 terms will give you a solid foundation for talking about search marketing.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO is about optimizing the structure and code of a website so search engines can find, understand, and send traffic to that site.

This is a smart focus if you’re technically minded. Technical SEOs are skilled at tweaking code, setting up servers, and finding the technical issues that keep a search-engine spider from understanding what your site’s about.

When are technical SEOs called in?

Most of the sites are using a good content management system like WordPress or Shopify. Both of them are built with a solid technical SEO, on-the-spot, right out of the box, technical SEO is going to be a good one. 

However, as the place will be more, especially if more than one person can do it, it's almost guaranteed that there will be the development of technical SEO issues at a particular point in time. 

Place of hacks is one other matter which is technical Seo can help with that. On no account will Google to send traffic to you about the fact that your website gets hacked, and they are going to put you in the penalty box until the problem is resolved. 

These are just two of the scenarios, but there are plenty of technical issues to keep your site works well in the search engines. This is why technical SEO is so important. When you take away the technical difficulties, your search can bring an instant boost.

Intent

A person’s goal when typing a search query on the web. What information are they looking for? What are they hoping to achieve with that information? If you know your customers’ intent, you’ll be able to find the keywords that are most relevant to your business. Make a list of the reasons people might buy.

Those are your top keywords.

Asset

The content produced to satisfy the intent of a customer or prospect. It may include blog posts, product pages, social media profiles, podcasts, videos, and more.

Once you know the intent of a customer’s search, you need to design an asset to satisfy that intent.

Channel

The digital “home” of an asset designed to meet the intent of a customer or prospect. Assets might live on a website or blog, but they may also live on large content hubs like Amazon, Pinterest, iTunes, and TripAdvisor.

Metrics

What are the metrics that will help you track and improve your search marketing? Here are 4 to start with.

Traffic by Channel report

In Google Analytics, this is the first report we typically look at when we get access to a site. It tells you a lot at a high level: Where are we hurting? Are your traffic sources relatively balanced or does traffic come from just one or two channels?

When sites don’t do search marketing, their traffic tends to come from Direct or Email. Once search marketing has been implemented, though, you’ll begin to see more balance.

Quantity/Quality of Backlinks

Here at DigitalMarketer, we use Moz Open Site Explorer for this metric. But you can use other free tools, such as MonitorBacklinks, or paid tools, such as Ahrefs.

You want to run this report monthly or quarterly to track how many websites are linking to your site. That number should be trending upward, with more and more quality sites linking to you.

Keyword Rankings

Once you’ve identified the keywords you want to rank for, you need to track your position for those keywords.

For this, you can use the SERPs Keyword Rank Checker. Just type in your keyword and see where you rank.

In this example, we typed in “email subject lines,” and as you can see, we rank #4 for that term.

You can also see who’s outranking you. To make your page rank better, review their content and update yours to be 10x better.

Conversions from Search

If you’ve set up eCommerce or Goals in Google Analytics, you can go to the Channels report and look at the top-line revenue and number of transactions over time.

The metrics to focus on are Sessions, Revenue, and Transactions. Here, we have $67,000 from 2,000 transactions. To calculate the conversion rate, divide revenue by transactions.

$67,285.55 / 2130 = $31.59 per transaction

The Roles: Who Has Responsibility for Search Marketing?

To succeed at search marketing, you need 3 teams to have input and responsibility.

The Content Team

Search, search, and content go hand-in-hand. An understanding of SEO will help your content team to bring in more organic traffic from multiple channels. 

And the Tech Team 

Technical SEO is all your tech team's domain. If they do not have training in the technical, SEO, and they are probably throw up a little speed bumps that keep you from ranking well in the search. 

Public relations 

As the content team, your PR team needs to understand-search-marketing, in order to achieve their goals.

Summing Up

Search Marketing will not happen in a bubble. Ideally, it will be integrated into every aspect of your marketing strategy, from our research for content creation for the customer value optimization process. 

We have been providing a very good overview of how you can do this, but it's a lot to take in at one time. The good news is that you're going to get better over time. Just start where you are, and over a period of time, you will see improvements in your site's rankings and traffic. 

The next chapter is going to be for SEO, and analytics go hand-in-hand. And you will come to appreciate our down-to-earth approach to analytics. (It takes the fear—and a whole lot of pain—even the numbers out of the equation.)