On a daily basis, I run through a variety of different strategies and tactics designed to push brand awareness online through search optimization. Fortunately, because larger brands have millions of dollars to spend offline, brand awareness becomes much easier for search online - you see an ad for Dell on TV, and then you do a search on Google for Dell's latest specials.

That's easy.

What's not as easy is associating that brand with a certain lifestyle or category that may not be entirely relevant to the brand. Sometimes brand messaging, via other channels, makes it easier for a Search professional to bring awareness in that Search space. For example, Coca Cola taught the world to sing in perfect harmony back in the 70's. I'm sure millions of dollars were dumped into that campaign, made even more evident by the fact that I am still writing about it today. But how do I drive people to the site on a lifestyle-based set of keywords like "teach the world to sing" or "perfect harmony"? The answer has probably less to do with Google and more to do with Facebook and how social media is now permeating our activities online. 

I think the answer to this teaser lies in the process of evangelizing the importance of an organic search campaign while delivering a solution on how to meet that objective. SEO has always been an afterthought in a digital campaign and only as of late have I seen a shift from other activities that now bring SEO to the forefront. I believe that some of the strategies influencing that shift include digital asset optimization, using content as strategy, and of course, the increase in social media activities.

Maybe the answer is to have a Coke and a smile :-)

Thanks to Meredith McPherron and Joe Pulizzi

Successful Digital Asset Optimization (DAO)?

So what the hell am I talking about?

Well, I'm referring to digital asset optimization (DAO) and what it means for Search campaigns. I believe that DAO has already been executed, in some form or another, on our websites. It's been done by optimizing images with keyword-centric naming standards, as well as implementing alternative text attributes, naming our videos appropriately, and optimizing our PDF's for search engines. Google's Universal Search or blended search has compelled the Search industry to socialize our onsite digital assets in order to keep up with the ever-evolving algorithm. Well, let me tell you something…I like it. It essentially makes Search industry professionals think beyond the meta tag and begin to think laterally.

My only concern is how do we measure the success of a well-executed DAO campaign? Is it the result of the blend search engine results page (SERP) or is it SERP domination on Google's first page? I suppose if we were to expand DAO to include RSS feeds, user generated pages/sites, and micro blogs - well, then SERP domination would then become more apparent.

If well executed, a DAO campaign will have a great chance of success in visibility and then we'll see who wears the pants in the search engine family.

Thanks to Heather Frahm for the inspiration.

I like cookies. I like SEO. I would probably like SEO flavored cookies if there were such a thing.

What I like less is the idea that certain strategies cannot be replicated to produce a desired result. In a previous post I described the difference between productive and reproductive thinking. In this post, albeit similar, I'd like to tell you why I believe cookie cutter strategies in Search (particularly SEO) work and why we should continue to use them.

I normally would not advocate for using a similar strategy to achieve a certain result unless there were some benefit in doing so. The fact is repetitive SEO strategies work. Why would there be so many similiar top 10 lists of "how to's" in Search. SEO Rockstars are interviewed as to what they believe the most impactful ranking factors are when optimizing for SEO and the list repeats itself year after year...keywords in title, keyword in anchor text, keyword dense content, you know the drill. The point is that we shouldn't immediately dismiss known tactics that work. Feel free to reprise a strategy that once worked for you in a previous campaign remembering to weave in the new strategy to excite the algorithms.

Now if I could just find a social media flavored muffin I'd be in heaven.

Thanks to Josh Walsh for the inspiration.

There always seems to be trade off of who owns what throughout the Search process in almost every strategy particularly during the content creation and distribution phase. New ideas and Search strategies, whether it is a new twist in link building or content creation, challenge us in revealing every single tactic used to a client. This is most apparent when budget contraints, timeliness of implementation, and client pushback begin to surface. When do we create the Squidoo content or engage bloggers in order to push our strategy without sacrificing tranparency?

I do believe in full disclosure while understanding that there may be roadblocks along the way. Rather than let business as usual drive our Search strategy let productive thinking lead the way in creating new avenues of opportunity.

Thanks to the creators of Boston Legal for the inspiration.

How many different ways can we write about linking and the strategies involved to compliment a holistic organic search campaign? Apparently too many. But I've decided to throw my hat in the ring anyway.

This  back of the napkin post is more about linking channels than tactics. We've seen enough top 10 lists on link building so let's look at it on a macro level.  

In identifying the link channels we can immediately point to 'traditional linking' which includes directories, press releases, direct linking (sites with resource pages, etc...) and more. A second link channel is social media such as bookmarking sites, social networks, and blogs to name a few.  And finally the last link channel is what I call a Trust channel. It includes only highly impactful trusted sites that, if a link were acquired, would have an immediate impact on your organic search campaign. Some of these sites/links would be Wikipedia,  trusted online newspapers (NY Times), etc...

The question then becomes how will each channel impact your site and what does your low effort/high impact grid look like?   At this point you'll need to determine what you believe the most effective approach should be and execute your link campaign accordingly. You may discover that your site is buzz worthy (new interesting product, hightly desirable service, etc...) and social media is the most effective strategy for immediate success.  

Your link channels might look different than mine but the idea is choosing the best path in channeling your way to link acquisition success. 

Thanks to Jason Mcgovern for the inspiration.

It would behoove any progressive search professional to develop a discovery process early in the campaign which will eventually lead to a mature understanding of the competitive landscape, content opportunities, and the site itself. Part of the exercise however is actually using your creative insights in successfully developing the insights of a search campaign. This is where your 'aha' moment will eventually transfer onto the client. Of course all of this requires time and effort but I think the end result will certainly pay for itself in client satisfaction. I know it has for me.

The light bulb above my head might be dim from time to time however that same bulb can shine brightly over a successfully executed search campaign.

Thanks to the scientists at Northwestern University for explaining what happens during an "ah ha" moment

A whole industry has been created around the need to deliver relevant search results to people performing a search on their favorite or least favorite subject, whatever that may be.  We, as Search professionals, will continue to be hired to influence the ever changing search engine algorithm while writing about how we manipulated keyword density to acheive a top spot among the competitive rankings.  We change content to make it pertinent to what the user is searching for yet we aren't quite sure what they are looking for anyway. If someone searches on "blades" are they referring to a blade servers, razor blades, knife blades, or the aerobatic pilots (yes, they exist).

I believe that as long as people are using a search engine to obtain information there will be a search industry and as long as there is a search industry there will be influencers desperate for relevance.

Thanks to Denny Crane for the inspiration.

As search marketing professionals we are continually challenged to return amazing results for our clients. The adept search marketers will undoubtedly meet those challenges while the rest of us will continue to search for the "secret sauce" so to speak.

There is a tool in our Search toolbox that can help make it a bit easier for us to reach those sought after results, the gap analysis.

A gap analysis basically consists of defining the present state, the desired or `target' state and hence the gap between them. In organic search for example a gap analysis might be a snapshot of rankings for your top keywords now and where you would like to be ranking in say 6 months and what tactics are needed  to reach those rankings.  For organic search I'd argue that the best approach is the Tactical Gap Analysis to help close the gap. The search marketing mix would ideally be where you can modify the mix to reach your goal. In other words a 60/30/10 mix of linking, content creation, and social search might be the perfect blend to reach those ranking results.

Although the gap analysis is not adequate for all situations  I believe an analysis of your online competitors and a good understanding of search tactics can help you reach your desired results.

 Thanks to P&G for the inspiration.

Implementing a comprehensive search campaign can be quite an undertaking. Executing on all the different components that drive the success of a campaign can be daunting especially when that success is tied back to certain goals and ROI. There eventually comes a point where certain tasks and outcomes become expected. It is a this moment that we need to define what is expected in a search campaign and what is an added value. 

Do you remember that the last time you checked into a hotel? What were some of the things that were expected when you were there?  Friendly staff? Clean room and sheets? Free internet?  Was there anything that was not expected? Free bottled water? Gym with windows? Valet Service? That is the signature of the value added idea.

So how does this transfer to Search? It might not be as involved as you might think. Your first reaction might be results. I was expected to meet x and my results came in at y. What if you don't meet your goal by the end of the contract or milestone? Too little too late. Perhaps a better approach is to incorporate value added elements throughout your search campaign such as on a call, in a deliverable, or in an email. What if you provide a client monthly report that had a insightful nugget about their competitors just before they read the boring  monthly metrics.

Remember that the idea of value added information is productive thinking that can become a valuable process.

Thanks to Toni Louw for the inspiration