search engine-marketing

www.bournemouth.ac.uk

Search engine marke-ng Understanding search engines and marke0ng to them.

www.bournemouth.ac.uk 2

What you need to remember

  Google considers ‘links’ a sign of trust.   All natural SEO strategies are based around the idea of increasing the number of external links

  Op0mised pages perform be@er in Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns

  cost of the keywords will be less

 adverts will rank higher

 be@er click through‐rate.


Organic vs. PPC

  Two types of results generated by search engines.   Organic ‐ these are results from all pages indexed

  free!

  users are 60‐80% more likely to click on an organic result, than a PPC

 more space to communicate your message. (see controlling how your brand is found)

  Pay Per Click (PPC) ‐ these are results from adver0sers who have paid to appear   target by ‘keyword’

  integrate into campaigns

  give immediate results.


Understanding the anatomy of Google

PPC Results

Organic Results


Organic user behaviour

User most likely to click first three results

The likelihood that user will click on a link drops by 15% per result

Tip: 90% of users do

not go beyond the

first page.


  There are ‘thought’ to be over two hundred factors, which affect ranking in Google

  Google, doesn’t just consider structural factors:   site layout

  page content

  links.

  It also considers behavioural as well:   click‐through rates

  Google/browser bookmarking.

  Creates a quality score or ‘page rank’   low page rank = low perceived quality by Google

  pages should have a consistent rank through‐out.

Factors affec-ng ranking

Further reading: h@p://www.seomoz.org/ar0cle/search‐ranking‐factors/

1 ‐ 10

PageRank

Tip: Find out your page rank, download the Google Toolbar.


Tips: MaH CuHs, Google engineer

Check out his Google video entries to find out more about Google and how it works

h@p://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=3583760678227172395


The Good news

  You can get good search results by following the basics.   Incorporated into the 2008 Quality Review

  help to improve the number of people visi0ng the site

  raising the profile of our offer.


The Bad news

  90% of users do not go beyond the first results page.

  Users tend to click the first three links result.

  Search Engine Op0misa0on is difficult.


  Google, allows you to control how your brand is

found in three ways:

1. Title tag 2. Site descrip0on, controlled by the sites meta‐descrip0on,

and/or your dmoz lis0ng*

3. Site links, controlled using Google’s Webmaster tools.

Controlling how your brand is found

Site descrip0on

Site links

Title tag

*site links are Google’s recogni0on of brand!


Tips: For controlling your results

  Title tag ‐ make sure its your school name.

  meta descrip0on ‐ describes what you do.

  Site links ‐ reflect your key goals.

  Consider buying your school name ‐ This is useful

if you are running a campaign, you can then link

directly to the campaign page and users will not

have navigate through your site.


Basic SEO strategies

  Flat hierarchical structure

  Expose as many pages as possible.

  Pages should be part of site structure, not stand alone.

  Quality/Seman0cs of mark‐up

  Use of 0tle tag

  Correct use of heading, paragraph and other tags.

  URLs

  Use text links, rather than image links

  URLs generated are meaningful and related to the document

  Database should generate clean urls

  Links need to be present for at least one year.

  About relevance of document

  Not about keywords, keyphrases   density of keyphrases

  concentrate on what phrases users will search on

  think what would be the primary, secondary and ter0ary phrase searched for

  Google understands synonyms.


Tips: Web authors and Basic SEO techniques

  URL, reflects the 0tle and heading.

  HTML validates and is seman0cally correct.

  your copy use keyphrases users would search for.

  your page is part of the sites naviga0on.

  Your site uses a flat folder structure.

  your page contains internal/external links, with meaningful link text.


Advanced SEO strategies

1. Link bait 2. Affiliates

3. Feeds 4. Other methods


  Google treats links as signs of trust   Measures internal links, as well as external links.

  Link bate

  The “idea of creating a lot of natural links” - Washington Post.

  Possible examples of link bait   Free content e.g. example tutorials from the Media School on how to use video editing

software to create effects.   Research blogs from leading academics in their field, for example wordpress

  Sample podcasts on lecturers about interesting or challenging subjects   Useful and/or helpful information about starting university and how to prepare   Virtual tour of BU, Bournemouth & Poole.

  Social bookmarking   Will increase number of external links

  Will raise the profile of the content on social bookmarking sites, e.g. Del.icious, Digg, Stumble Upon   increase click-through

  increase user bookmarks.

1. Link bait

Example: www.soton.ac.uk

Further reading: h@p://www.washingtonpost.com/wp‐dyn/content/ar0cle/2006/04/26/AR2006042602441.html


Recommenda-ons for BU

  Add social bookmarking to new templates.

  Develop a link strategy   specify how links are name

  who to link to

  encourage exis0ng site to link to BU.

  Develop a content strategy   iden0fy sources of exis0ng for promo0on

  iden0fy sources of new content for promo0on.

  Iden0fy methods of distribu0on

  Encourage deep‐linking, when a page moves use a 301 re‐direct.


2. Affliates

  Setup an affiliate programme

  Banner ads, which link directly through to BU site

  Paid Per Ac0on (PPA).

  Possible examples of affiliate programme

  Interna0onal Recruitment Agent ‐ PPA on basis of applica0on.

Example affiliate adverts

Courses that help you

shine shine



  Inves0gate the feasibility of establishing a University affiliate programme   Run trial programme with trusted partners for example   Partner Colleges

  University Agents

  Associated BU websites.

  Affiliates receive cash for comple0on of PPA (Paid Per Ac0on)   For example University Agents are paid for students who apply online and then go on to enroll as a student.


3. Feeds


  Set‐up XML feeds   Possible examples of feeds

  News

  Academic blogs

  Courses

  Sports results of BU Teams

  Student Union Events.

  Benefit content is pushed to users   Encourages repeat visits

  Bookmarking

  Content awareness.



  Integrated RSS feed technology into Cohort.

  Explore different applica0ons for this technology.


4. Other methods


  Expose search keyphrases on homepage.

  E‐PR   Online press releases seeded with keyphrases

  BU research blogs

  Media guide to exper0se

  Survey & polls

  Brand monitoring.

Tip: You can monitor nega0ve PR by seqng up a Google Alert



  Incorporate user searches into homepage, through the use of Tag clouds.

  Develop an E‐PR strategy and iden0fy technology required to deliver an online Media Centre.


Pay Per Click ‐ PPC

1. Audience behaviour

2. How to iden0fy audience behaviour

3. Understanding audience behaviour

4. PPC bidding and budge0ng techniques

5. Integra0ng offline

6. Banner Ads?!?

7. Beyond Google


Audience behaviour

Long tail phrases Short tail phrases

complex phrases, less compe00on, more intent as buyers

simple phrases, most common, most compe00on , less intent as buyers

Undirected, exploratory Directory goal‐oriented

‘Browsing’ ‘Comple0ng’ ‘Researching’

Buying Cycle


How to iden-fy PPC audience behaviour

  Before you begin a PPC campaign, it is essen0al you work with MarComms to carry out a keyphrase analysis

  Iden0fying audience behaviour:   what language do they search in?

  what search engine are they most likely to use?

  do they search at a par0cular 0me of day? (daypar0ng)

  what stage of the buying cycle are they at?

  what keyphrases or synonyms do they use?

  how do the keyphrases or synonyms perform (in terms of search volumes)?

  what gaps or pa@erns exist in keyphrases or synonyms?

  For example do users search on loca0on, on type.

Tip: Remember your advert has no value if it can’t be seen. Make

sure that you know your audience. So your advert has maximum profile and impact.

Useful links h@p://www.davechaffey.com/seo‐keyword‐tools


How understanding PPC audience behaviour can help

  Understanding audience behaviour allows you to:   Target an audience depending on stage of buying cycle/stage of informa0on journey

  using short tail keyphrases for ‘larger’ budget or high profile campaigns

  larger search volumes

  exploring what BU types of courses offers for example ‘postgraduate business courses’

  at the beginning of the buying cycle.

  using long tail keyphrases for ‘smaller’ budget or targeted campaigns.

  Smaller search volumes

  Commi@ed to a course or specialism, for example ‘MBA with a specialism in finance’

  at the end of the buying cycle.

  Exploit gaps or pa@erns in keyphrases or synonyms that compe0tors have missed.

  Improve campaign performance   increasing click‐through and conversion rates

  extending your campaign budget and improving Return On Investment (ROI).

Useful links h@p://www.davechaffey.com/SEO‐Best‐Prac0ce/Using‐the‐AOL‐data‐leak‐for‐SEO

Tip: Conversion rates vary, however, as an industry anything above 3% is

good


PPC bidding and budge-ng techiques

  Highest posi0on is not always the best   Higher posi0ons tend to cost more and convert less

  As a rule target posi0on 4‐8, they tend to convert be@er

  Use matching types   This give you more control where your advert appears.

  For example ‘postgraduate courses’ + ‘business’ or ‘computer aided design’

  Use nega0ve keywords where appropriate.

  Use daypar0ng

  Buy your compe0tors name   For example buy the keyword ‘Oxford Brookes’

  Improve your quality score   Reduce fees

  Increase conversions

  Improve your return on investment

Tip: Remember to convert visitors you need

compelling content with clear calls to ac0on.

Ultralase

Useful links h@p://news.cnet.com/2100‐1038‐5190324.html


Integra-ng offline.

  Campaigns don’t have to be online

  Can integrate PPC with offline as well   include reference to your brand or specific campaign message

  Considering coinciding with ‘daypar0ng’   to achieve profile and impact

  Possible examples could include:

  Postgraduate recruitment campaign connected to unique telephone number

  number creates a measurable metric

Tip: Where prospects can speak to a trained member of staff conversion rates

improve.

Take the next step and get a postgraduate qualifica0on.

Call: 0845 111 111


Banner Ads?!?

  Typically have a very low conversion rate   individuals tend to ignore images, which appear like adverts.

 Shouldn’t be used as a conversion tool  used as a means to increase brand awareness.  Shouldn’t, however, underes0mate there contribu0on to conversion.

Tip: Individuals are more

likely to click on images with faces and/or bodily parts such as the chest

or groin

Useful links h@p://www.etre.com/usability/eyetracking/showme/


Beyond Google.

  Consider other adver0sing opportuni0es, applying the same principles of:   Iden0fying and understanding user behaviour

  Using PPC Biding and budge0ng techniques.

  Other search engines include:

Tip: Consider using bid

management tools for managing mul0ple

search engine PPC. For example Atlas Search

Baidu ‐ China

Live ‐ Global Naver – South Korea

Yandex – Russia Yahoo! – Global



  Develop PPC strategy   Including a profile of visitor types and behaviour,

  keyphrase dic0onary, with informa0on about keywords and search volumes   English and foreign language version

  Trial different types of campaigns on and offline.

  Build market intelligence for HE conversion rates.

  Experiment with regional search engines


Bringing it all together – Effec-ve landing pages

  It is about the visitor, not the designer or marketer:

  Tailor the page to the individual   Use their language

  Answer there ques0ons

 Make sure you make clear what the next steps are

  Cross sell products

  Remember users do scroll.

Tip: Most people won’t

convert on their first visit to a site

Useful links h@p://www.dulux.co.uk/index.jsp

Useful links h@p://www.iabuk.net/media/images/Agency.com_Dulux_persona_case_study_405.pdf

Useful links h@p://www.davechaffey.com/Internet‐Marke0ng/C7‐Service‐Quality/Persuasion‐conversion‐marke0ng/Effec0ve‐landing‐pages


Bringing it all together – Effec-ve PPC & Web analy-cs

Tip: Google offers A and B

split tes0ng. This tes0ng will help iden0fy which page performs be@er.

Pay Per Click Advert

Landing page

PPC/Web analy0cs

Analyse advert and landing page Performance

Visitor

MarComms

search engine-marketing

Business