Beyond SEO - Targeted Visibility Across the Web was a workshop at the 2011 Vermont Travel Industry Conference. Prepared by Gregg Banse of Direct Design and Lara Dickson of Deep Dish Creative, this presentation shows you why and how to attract qualified visitors - without the help of search engines – through the use of strategic networking, link building, email and ad buys. A bit of research and planning can yield substantial results. We show you how to locate, evaluate, develop strategies for, and monitor success with online networking, link networks, email campaigns and paid placements to boost your visibility and convert visitors into buyers.
Adding Social Media to your Hospitality Marketing Tool Kit
Beyond SEO - Targeted visibility across the web
1. BEYOND
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization
Targeted Visibility Across the Web
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
2. INTRODUCTION
We will show you why and how to attract qualified visitors - without the help of search engines – through
the use of strategic networking, link building, email and ad buys. A bit of research and planning can yield
substantial results. You’ll learn how to locate, evaluate, develop strategies for, and monitor success
with online networking, link networks, email campaigns and paid placements to boost your visibility and
convert visitors into buyers.
GREGG BANSE
Gregg is currently the president of 7th Pixel, a web strategies firm in Montpelier, and transitioning
to partner at Direct Design, a full-service media firm in Burlington. Gregg lives in Montpelier with
his daughter and a very needy cat.
LARA DICKSON
Armed with a background in destination marketing, Lara helps her local and national clients
create or reposition their online presence and brand reach by creating interesting, user-friendly /
search engine-friendly and engaging websites, email and social media outposts.
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
4. GOALS
Goals are the results you want to achieve with your website.
ACTIONS LIKE INTANGIBLES LIKE
➡ phone call ➡ making available important
➡ email generation information about services or
➡ email list signup products
➡ product purchase
➡ etc.
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
5. MEASUREMENT
Success needs to be measured. How will you measure it?
COMMON YARDSTICKS
➡ Increase in the number of visitors to your website
➡ Increase in the number of sales or lead generations
from your website (phone calls, email, or contact form)
➡ Increase in mentions and attention from press,
audience and competition
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
6. YOUR PERSONA
How do you want to be perceived online?
➡ Be genuine
➡ Be clear about what and why you're communicating
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
7. EVALUATION
Your current website is out there. How well is it doing?
➡Are you getting visitors and are they the people you're
marketing too?
➡ Is your website easy to navigate and is it easy to find
key information?
➡ Do you include calls to action and are they being used
by your visitors?
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
8. LOCATE YOUR AUDIENCE
The key is to find your market. Where do they hang out online?
➡ Research and monitor
➡ Lurking is useful
➡ What online resources might they be visiting/using?
➡ Where do your competitors get links from?
➡ What discussion forums might your market visit?
➡ What are the authority websites?
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
9. CREATE PATHWAYS
How will your audience get to your website without search? Pathways are
the vehicles that deliver visitors to your website.
➡ Straight up links
➡ Advertisements
➡ Videos
➡ Print materials
➡ Photo Galleries
➡ Bios on blogs
➡ Bios & signatures on discussion forums
➡ Links in emails and email newsletters
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
10. ENGAGE, INFORM, ENTICE
What areas of expertise do you have that your market would find useful?
➡ Marketing through demonstration of expertise
➡ Answer questions but don't solicit
➡ Leading versus pushing
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
11. THE TOOLS
USE SEARCH: Google, Facebook, Twitter, SHOWS & PRESENTATIONS
Yahoo!, Bing
LINK NETWORKS & NETWORKING
BLOGGING
PAY PER CLICK & AD PLACEMENTS
USE SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr, Foursquare, etc PRINT MEDIA
EMAIL MARKETING PRINT MAILINGS
WORD OF MOUTH LANDING PAGES
MEETINGS & INFORMAL CONTACT FORMS
GATHERINGS UNIQUE PHONE NUMBERS
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
12. SEARCH
WHO WILL WIN?
Profiles and Places
Blogging
Video
Someone who owns, tracks and analyzes it
Fresh, relevant, and interesting content
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
13. BLOGGING A business that blogs has:
WHO WILL WIN? 55% more website visitors
97% more inbound links
434% more pages indexed by search engines
Official websites
Catering to a niche
Blog posts
Commenting on other blogs
Video
Sharable
Fresh, relevant, and interesting content
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
14. SOCIAL MEDIA
WHO WILL WIN?
A real (human) voice
Response and consideration
Consistent presence
Promoting others
The Cool factor
Someone who owns, tracks and analyzes it
Fresh, relevant, and interesting content
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
15. WORD OF MOUTH
{see social media and resources}
Facebook Foursquare (location apps)
Twitter Yelp
YouTube Channel TripAdvisor
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
16. EMAIL MARKETING
WHO WILL WIN?
Succinct and specific messaging
Calls to action
Specific landing pages
Opt-in subscribing
Sharable
Someone who owns, tracks and analyzes it
Fresh, relevant, and interesting content
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
17. LANDING PAGES
WHO WILL WIN?
Succinct and specific messaging
Calls to action
Someone who owns, tracks and analyzes it
Fresh, relevant, and interesting content
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
18. PRINT MEDIA
WHO WILL WIN?
PRINT ADVERTISING - add your social places and review links to all of your print
advertising. Use logos (their free to use) and your @ or location name: /myawesomebiz
MENUS & BROCHURES - add your social places to your menus, brochures, rack cards
business cards, punch cards, catering brochures, to-go menus. Again, use logos along
with your @ or location name. Encourage check-ins with location based apps like
Foursquare, Facebook Places, GoWalla
ON THE FRONT DOOR - request and post your business on your front door, or
elevators, restroom doors, windows, LCD streams. Branded stickers (which are
instantly recognizable) are FREE from Foursquare and FB, etc. Just ask.
WEBSITE - seems obvious but include a link to EVERYWHERE your biz
lives online: review sites, location places, Twitter, FB, video channels,
online profiles, LinkedIn Groups, various blogs, etc.
TV & Radio - end your messages with your social places
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
19. STRATEGY
CURRENT CONDITIONS
WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO?
WEAVING THE PLAN
‣ see Evaluation
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
20. WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO?
➡ How much change are you willing to do (website,
online presence, print, etc)
➡ How much effort are you willing to put into building
and maintaining an online presence
TOOLS: Editorial Calendar, Hootsuite and Tweetdeck scheduled tweets, Ping.fm
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
21. CURRENT CONDITIONS
You should know what the current situation of your website and your
online presence are.
➡ How many visitors and who are they
➡ How is the current website being used
➡ How are your customers finding you now
TOOLS: Google analytics, Facebook Insights, Crazy Egg, Hubspot.com tools
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web
22. WEAVING THE PLAN
Evaluate the current conditions and contrast with where you want to be.
➡ Set timelines
➡ Review your level of commitment / time available
➡ Learn the tools and techniques
deepdishcreative BEYOND Search Engine Optimization Targeted Visibility Across the Web