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Having trouble finding your Minnesota business in the search engines?  The likely culprit is that your website isn’t search engine optimized. Ok, so you maybe have heard that before and don’t want to incur the high cost for search engine optimization or another website.  But perhaps part of your reluctance isn’t related to high rankings, but rather how much business you could garner from spending money on an unknown endeavor.  If you have ever pondered this question or are unsure whether search engine optimization is right for you, read on.

Local search…what’s the big deal anyways?
According to the Kelsey Group, total ad spending online in 2007 was about 7% of a $605 billion dollar ad industry.  That translates out to about $42 billion or so being spent on Internet related media.  However, that number is projected to grow to about 21% of a $707 billion dollar market in 2012.  That’s a factor of more than 3x in the next couple of years.

But what’s more exciting is that nearly a 3rd of that above 2012 is expected to come from local directional media, where the highest growth is expected to come from local search revenues.  And as they say, that is where the “rubber hits the road” for local Minnesota businesses looking to improve their rankings through search engine optimization.

I don’t get much from my website now, so why should I spend more money on it?
What seems like a logical question, could be viewed as flawed in many ways.  First, how do you know you don’t get business from your website?  Do you track all of your leads and sales?  The above scenario could also be viewed as a trap that can best interpreted as a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you don’t spend money on marketing your business online, how do you expect to get a return from it?  Moreover, laying out the statistical facts above isn’t to say that “everyone’s doing it,” but more to get you thinking about why other businesses would be wrong in their global tendency to spend more money on Internet media versus others in the long term. Lastly, even if you track your leads and sales closely and note that your website is performing subpar, it could mean that your website is inadequate in converting the traffic that it does receive. In that case, it may be time to update your website as it’s no longer in keeping with its industry competitors.

What kind of return can I expect?
This is likely one of the hardest questions to answer because there are many variables that can influence return. However, I will give you some statistical guidance from readings I have encountered along with some personal experience.

First and foremost, search engine optimization is not about rankings…it’s about driving relevant traffic to your website. All the rankings in the world don’t mean a thing unless they drive “qualified visitors” that take action on your website. Results do vary industry to industry based on elements beyond control such as overall demand. Typically, the best products and services that perform well in search are commoditized   and well known given that the medium is “pull” by nature.

Take the keyword “lawyers minnesota” for example.  Using a free Google keyword tool, over 33,000 people searched for this keyword term alone in August. It has been estimated based on AOL data, that the #1 listing captures about 43% of the organic (non-paid) search volume for that term. Thus, in the above example, that would translate out to over 14,000 people clicking to your website. Taking an industry average of 2.5% action rate (I.E. - they either filled out a contact form or called you), this would mean that you would have at least 40 prospective clients that got in contact with your company. If you know your close rate, the rest as they say is history and you should know exactly how much you should be willing to spend to achieve the traffic required to reach your ROI objectives.

The Power of the Long Tail
As you probably know, consumers and businesses use more than one keyword to describe a product or service.  Generally speaking, the more generic a keyword is such as in the above example, the more search volume they exhibit.  However, there are likely other consumers searching for “minneapolis lawyer, minneapolis bankruptcy lawyers, etc” that also are potentially good keywords to target.  Fortunately, search engine optimization involves more than optimizing your website for a single keyword phrase.  However, keep in mind that your goal isn’t to achieve the most traffic, but get the most relevant visitors to your website that want to buy what you sell.

Do I need a new website?
Before you ditch your website in search of another one, you may be happy to hear that it may not be necessary to completely revamp your website to rank better in the search engines.  Many website’s can be updated with properly optimized html coding and copy without the high cost of a complete redesign.  But having a search engine optimized website is only half of the equation.  If you haven’t promoted your company online through any other means than just having a website, it’s likely that your website doesn’t have many external links (a critical component to increasing your rankings) pointing it.  Thus, your search engine optimization strategy may also require a focus to drive external links to your site through means of press releases, articles, social media, and directories just to name a few.

Where do I get started?
If your company doesn’t have a firm grasp on your website or search engine optimization, it would be best to contact an search engine optimization agency such as ours for a consultation. As every company’s website, ROI objectives, and search engine optimization needs vary, when consulting with any search engine optimization firm, you should be prepared to ask what kind of return your company should expect given your investment.  If your internal resources or search engine optimization company is unable to answer this question, I would recommend choosing another company.

As in all marketing practices, your website marketing initiatives should never go stagnant because your competition is likely on your heels and will take ground at your expense.  If your company hasn’t considered search engine optimization until now, it’s never too late to get started. 

If your company hasn’t felt the pinch of a slowing economy yet, you are one of the lucky few.  However for many businesses, the onset of a recession has led businesses looking for more cost effective ways of getting their message to their target market without breaking the bank. 

Businesses are side-stepping this recession by bringing their products and services online, where the cost of maintaining a website is only a fraction of what other mediums charge.  But having a website is only half the battle. If you do not market online or do so in a limited capacity, you should consider reexamining your integrated marketing campaign to include allocations for search engine marketing.  Ideally this would include both search engine advertising and search engine optimization. 

Let’s first consider search engine advertising.  According to IDC analysts (www.idc.com), online advertising grew 27 percent in 2007 and is unlikely to be affected by a continuing downturn in the economy.  What’s even more encouraging is the number of adverting dollars spent during the fourth quarter of 2007 which topped “$7.3 billion for the fourth quarter of 2007, about 28 percent more than the same period in 2006….” IDC findings continued.   Given these overwhelming statistics, it becomes apparently clear that online advertising is growing despite a recession.  The reason for this is simple.  It gets results! 

Let’s turn our attention to search engine optimization.  The good news is that if you have a website, you already have one key component.  The bad news is that it’s unlikely “search engine optimized” unless you or somebody else properly optimized the website for search engines.

Thankfully, there are numerous resources and companies that have considerable experience in this growing field.  However, buyers should be aware that not all search engine marketing firms or individuals are the same.  In fact, search engine giant Google warns against hiring a “search engine optimizer” that uses unethical practices to manipulate search results and, in addition, has a search engine advertising certification process.

The process of search engine marketing can vary greatly depending on the skill of the agency or individual.  For example, properly search engine optimizing a website will involve researching the right keywords to integrate into the website along with a strong linking campaign that will favorably increase the likelihood of being found for those keywords. 

In short, every business should have a search engine marketing plan.  Ideally, the search engine marketing plan should encompass the company’s business model, objectives, and return on investment goals. This will lay the foundation for how much visitor traffic and search engine optimization is required to meet the above goals.  One last point to keep in mind is that the internet is a dynamically changing landscape that never sleeps.  Search engines are constantly innovating and competitors are hungry.  What might be working today may not be working tomorrow.  Have a solid search engine marketing plan backed by a qualified agency or individual to manage the plan and your business will reap the benefits at your competitor’s expense.

It is no secret that the landscape of marketing within the hospitality industry has been evolving in recent years as more and more hotel rooms continue to be booked through Internet sites.  While it can be a daunting task for brands that have historically focused their efforts in traditional media to realign their marketing to emphasize Online initiatives, there are basic principles that will help make the transition simpler and ensure that your hotel maximizes its Internet advertising budget.

Get Found:  It is difficult for consumers to book an Online reservation with you if they cannot find your Website.  Because search behavior varies from consumer to consumer, the best way to ensure that your site is found is to have a strong presence in both the natural or “organic” results (search results that appear in the center or left-hand side of the page) and paid or “sponsored” listings (search results that appear in the highlighted regions at the top and bottom of the page and in the “sponsored results” located on the right of the page in most search engines). 

To obtain high organic rankings, it is vital that your Website is search engine optimized for important keywords.  That means that you need to know what words your target audience is searching for and make sure that the content of your Website (copy, html tags, etc.) highlights them.  Free Online keyword tools such as Wordtracker (http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/) allow you to estimate the daily search volume for common terms and related phrases.

High paid listings can be obtained through pay-per-click advertising campaigns where you bid on relevant keywords and are charged a fee each time a searcher clicks on your ad and visits your site.  Again, it is important to understand what consumers are searching for and to ensure that the content of your Website reinforces your ads (I.e. don’t advertise on the words “business travel” if your hotel and Website do not offer a business travel program).

Keep it Simple:  While it’s tempting to create a flashy Website with dramatic images and videos or custom animation, remember that the ultimate goal of driving traffic to your site is to get visitors to book a reservation.  Therefore, it is important to regularly review the design and architecture of your Website to ensure that the Online booking process is simple and concise.  Make it possible to check rates and availability on every page.  Clearly highlight a 1-800# throughout the site.  And minimize the number of clicks required to actually “book” Online.  Studies show that a percentage of visitors are lost with every additional click needed to complete a desired action, so keep it simple.

Make a Compelling Offer:  With your competition being only a click away, it is important to make a compelling offer that encourages visitors to book with you rather than searching for a better deal.  Feature current specials or promotions predominantly on your Website’s homepage and in the main navigation.  Whether you run a seasonal special or offer something that simply has perceived value in the eyes of your customer, consumers want to feel like they are getting a deal (whether it be saving $100 or getting free movie tickets).

Segment Your Audience:  Because different things appeal to different travelers, it is important to segment your audience and target them with timely offers that speak to their specific needs.  Highlight programs for business travelers, family packages, etc. in different areas of your site and send regular communications to consumers featuring your latest specials.  Providing an easy link for visitors to subscribe to a newsletter or to opt in to receive e-mail offers lets them tell you what they are interested in and build a large database of potential customers.  When sending e-mails, drive traffic to unique landing pages that reinforce specific offers rather than simply sending all customers to your home page.  Sending the right message at the right time helps you build a relationship with your customers and makes them feel like you understand their unique needs.

Online marketing and advertising can be confusing when undertaken without a solid understanding of your audience and best Website practices.  Even if you have good IT and marketing departments, it is often wise to enlist the services of an Internet marketing company that specializes in creating and managing effective Online campaigns. With a comprehensive Internet marketing plan and the help of experienced professionals, you will likely increase Online conversions, enhance user experience, and more fully maximize your Internet marketing budget.

When I was working in retail many years ago, I had the displeasure of having to close a high-end electronics outlet.  Customers came from far and wide, but many of them had no empathy for the years of hard work and memories.  Prices were already slashed by as much as 30 - 50% which didn’t stop the average Joe asking to get a better deal.  However, I will never forget the day my co-worker responded to a guy that asked what his best price was in which he replied “Excuse me.  Am I wearing a Jacket with question marks all over it?”

If you don’t get the above reference, he was referring to “Matthew Lesko” who airs on Infomercials about how to get free money from the government.  I nearly hit the floor laughing because if you have never seen this guy, he is one of the most obnoxious characters you’ll see on TV. Just check out the clip below:

In any respect, I get a kick out of infomercials like these because although you may think that no one would ever buy something from them, consumers love the idea of how something could make their life easier. Additionally, they wouldn’t be around if they didn’t work.

Anyone that has stayed up late at night or has gotten up early on the Weekend can speak from experience. TV infomercials draw us in and we have all fallen victim of one in some shape or another. But have you ever stopped to think what makes these so compelling? Is there something that can be learned from infomercials that can be applied to the online marketing realm?

Sure we can.  When you look at Infomercials such as these, they share a great deal of basic fundamental components of a successful online marketing campaign:

1. They are short- the Internet is all about speed and if you want your message to be heard, you have to keep it short and simple.
2. They sell benefits- in the example above, he talks about what you can do with the money and not how it works.  When constructing online web pages, keep in mind that your audience will want to know how it will make their life better and care less about how you have chosen to label features.
3. They are engaging- in simple terms, this means that they are able to generate a significant amount of interest in a relatively short period of time.  In the example above, the execution was humor (…i think).  The web is no different.  Advertising creatives need to be compelling and draw a web users attention to click on them.  From there, the website needs to provide an “experience” that was in keeping with the advertisement.

No matter how you slice it, Infomercials do work and have been around much longer than the web.  And I’m sure you probably don’t have to think too hard to recall some that you have likely have seen.  If you stop and think about it, you may realize an opportunity that you haven’t thought of…even if he’s waring question marks on his jacket!

Labor Day is behind us, which can only mean that Christmas and New Years is just around the corner.  Whether you are ready or not, these holidays along with others are big search engine traffic generators.  For search engine marketers, this means that planning is essential to be as successful and effective as possible.

What I find truly find perplexing is that although everyone regards “Christmas” as the grand poobah of all holidays, Halloween tends to go under the radar by some.  From experience as a parent, I can tell you that kids are just as ecstatic over Halloween as they are for Christmas.  Plus, if you think it’s all about the candy…it isn’t.  Kids love the whole idea of Halloween starting from throwing up the decorations, watching their favorite movies, to choosing what they want to be for the big night.  Retail outlets are littered with entire Halloween sections that are nearly impossible to navigate through.  To reinforce a suspicion, I ran some common holiday keyword terms in Google Trends for fun to see where Halloween ranked among holidays.  To my assumed inclination, Halloween was second in line only to Christmas.  In addition, Halloween traffic has slightly increased while Christmas traffic as flattened and declined.

For search engine marketing, this means that SEO and PPC campaigns could be developed or revised from the year previously.  In addition, keyword research can be done to determine what this years hot products may be such as depicted below.  Just check out the top 10 KEI keywords from Wordtracker:

Well, it looks like Gene Simmons and Slipknot are big winners…at least for this year.  (Side note- I didn’t even know what Slipknot was until I Googled it) Ok, I know what you are thinking.  What about the tricks or treats?  Using Google Insights for search, amazingly candy wasn’t in the top ten.  Not saying that this tool is perfect, but you could argue that candy was hidden in the treats.

Regardless, the main point from the above analysis says that if Halloween isn’t in your search engine marketing arsenal, perhaps I have made an argument that it should be.  Now if could only figure out what I want to be this year…