This document summarizes a presentation given by Ellen ReathWhite on integrating search marketing and social media strategies. The presentation discusses moving from independent "cowboy" mentalities to interdependent team approaches. It advocates leveraging unique expertise through specialist roles within cross-functional teams. Checklists and roadmaps are presented as tools to facilitate collaboration between search and social media specialists.
Better Together Search and Social - Moving From Cowboys to Hedgehogs By Ellen White
1. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Rugged Individualism versus Secure Interdependence
Better Together:
Search + Social
Moving from Cowboys to Hedgehogs
2. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
ELLEN
WHITE
• Employer
–
Team
Detroit
• Client
–
Ford
Motor
Company
• Search
Marketing
Specialist
–
SEO/SEM
• Digital
Analytics
Director
of
Organic
Search
(SEO)
for
Ford
Motor
Company.
Previous
clients
include
Johnson
Controls
and
Scotts
Miracle-‐gro.
Worked
at
Oneupweb
Digital
Marketing
Agency,
also
sold
software
as
a
service
for
Automatic
Data
Processing
(ADP)
Excels
at
communicating
in
a
plain,
straightforward
fashion
the
complexities
of
today’s
emerging
Search
Marketing
environment.
Committed
to
bringing
rigor,
discipline
and
standardization
to
the
Search
profession.
Believes
implementation
is
the
foundation
for
success…it’s
not
enough
to
hand
off
recommendations.
Favorite
Quote:
“Was
ever
a
would-‐be
gardener
SEO
professional
left
so
entirely
to
her
own
blundering?
But
every
mistake
must
be
used
as
a
stepping
stone
to
something
better…and
all
my
mistakes
only
make
me
more
determined
to
persevere.”
3. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
The SEO team bubbles up recommendations based on analytics data
• “There is a great deal of interest in [FILL IN THE BLANK], Our site is the best source of information regarding
this topic. But the way the site is designed blocks search engines from finding that information.”
Recommendation
• Help search engine crawlers find and understand content
Implementation
• Discovery à Design à Develop à Deploy à Post-Deployment
• Research à UXA & Copywriter Input à Engineering Input à QA à Reporting + Additional Optimizations
How the Organic Search (SEO) team works within the agency
Insights, Recommendations & Implementation
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Aug2009 Paid Visits from Search - Wired & Mobile Natural Visits from Search - Wired & Mobile
4. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Search
Marke*ng.
There we were, Search
Marketing professionals,
finally established, sitting at
anchor on calm waters.
5. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
S O C I A L
M E D I A .
And suddenly
our little
sister hit the
scene…and
our parents
were
enamored.
6. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Dependence ! Independence ! Rugged Individualism ! Interdependence
Cowboys. We are here.
Characterized by
• Competence
• Getting it DONE!
• “I’ve got this”
7. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Characterized by
• Rivalry
• Jockeying for position
• Fear of showing our inadequacies
The problem with Cowboys.
Dependence ! Independence ! Rugged Individualism ! Interdependence
We are here.
8. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Search + Social is you?
Dependence ! Independence ! Rugged Individualism ! Interdependence
A special kind of
cowboy
Characterized by
• Ignoring weaknesses
• Low-grade anxiety
• “I’ll figure it out” mentality
• Tendency to focus time & efforts on what you know
• Headed for burnout
You are the Search and Social Team.
You can’t do it all.
9. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Better Together.
Keep these five truths in mind.
1. No single person or team can master
the complexities in today’s Search/
Social discipline
2. Your knowledge in no way diminishes
me.
3. Sharing my knowledge in no way
threatens my place in this world.
4. Knowledge gaps are not intelligence
gaps.
5. We are all capable of learning.
Dependence ! Independence ! Rugged Individualism ! Interdependence
Let’s get here.
Be Humble. Be Teachable.
10. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Interdependence Leverages Unique Expertise.
What it is.
• A focus on unique expertise
• The opposite of “working on your
weaknesses”
• Focus on that one thing you do
better than anyone else at the table
• Become a specialist
• Let the strength of others strengthen
your work/team
“A fox knows many things, but a
hedgehog one important thing."
11. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
#1 Requirement
Feel Safe.
Ongoing & Continuous Change
• Search algorithms
• Social media sites & their influence
Emerging
• Vocabulary
• Thought-leaders
• Strategies
• Tactics
• Analytics
• Goals & Objectives
• Your knowledge & the knowledge
of others
E V E R Y T H I N G
is
emerging.
N O
O N E
is
a
complete
expert.
In order for an atmosphere of
interdependence to thrive, all parties must
feel safe.
12. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Today’s Challenges.
Deadlines ! Fast Pace ! Constant Change = Profound Complexities
Moving from rugged individualism to
leveraging unique teamwork.
• Rely on the knowledge of others
• Receive knowledge graciously
• Assume a level of expertise with all
teams and clients
• Avoid the tendency to jump to “I
knew it first!”
• Don’t worry about your weaknesses,
worry about the weaknesses of your
team(s)
• Expose your weaknesses so that you
can get knowledge and training
13. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Checklists.
• Create a set of checklists that fit
your organization
• Create checklists for processes and
teams
• Add communication checkpoints
• Print your checklists
• Use the checklists & refine
• Avoid the dumb mistakes
• Complexity of today’s digital world
demands checklists
• Don’t let overconfidence cause you
to make mistakes!
How did Sully and his team execute
such a successful landing &
evacuation?
Checklists.
Rugged Individualist ! Operational Excellence.
15. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Ford.com
Consumer
Consumer
Consumer
Standard Search Marketing Model
Drive consumers to our platform from
Google, Yahoo! And Bing.
How we did it
• Content
• Links
• Site Architecture
• Paid Media
Where we struggle
• Content
• Links
• Site Architecture
• Budgets for Paid Media
Search vs Social
Search.
16. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Consumer
Ford
Content
Ford
Content
Ford
Content
Ford
Content
Social Media’s Distributed Content Model
Meet consumers on their platforms.
How its being done.
• Content
• Tweets & Posts
• Videos
• Blogs
• Images
• Links…a powerful ranking signal
Search vs Social
Social.
17. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Search vs Social
Search Strengths
“We know exactly what we want and
how to get it.”
Social Strengths
“We will come to you.”
Search Challenges
“You must come to us.”
• Deep research on important terms
• Strong knowledge of ranking factors
• Success measured on one platform
• Quick insertion into the cultural
conversation
• Ability to use common language
• Slow turnaround
• Architecture & Design Roadblocks
• Frequently restrained from using
common language
19. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Create
a
ROADMAP.
Strategy.
Social can leverage the
SEO team in the following
ways:
• Knowledge of linking
• Keyword research data
SEO can leverage the
Social team in the
following ways:
• Ability to deploy content
when brand site content
is thin, non-existent or
unable to be reached by
search engine crawlers
21. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Tactics.
Linking Strategy
• Leverage these powerful social media websites!
• Links matter / don’t matter? It don’t matter!
• Hoping for “likes”? Stop.
• Be engaging.
• Write good content (and include some valuable
keywords in a professional manner)
• Have an established plan for posts, tweets,
comments.
• Be authentic.
A2ract
LINKS.
Attract links.
Understand links.
Fix bad links.
Report-out on incoming links from your
social media sites!
I know. It’s a Lynx.
22. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Establish
BRAND.
Tactics.
What is your brand’s
theme?
For what topics do you
want your brand to
show up?
Where online should
your brand show up?
Extend branding to all
• Copy (posts/tweets)
• Images
• Videos
23. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Be
LIKEABLE.
Tactics.
Likeable Traits
• Quick wit
• Humor
• Thematically relevant to
your brand
• Authenticity
• Good member of the
community
• Responsive to others
24. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Determine
VOICE
and
CADENCE.
Tactics.
• Use the SEO team’s
keyword research to
create content strategy
• Vary posts and tweets
regularly
• Provide links to your
own content and to the
content of sites that are
thematically relevant
and of interest to your
audience
25. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
NavigaBon
can
get
TRICKY.
Tactics.
• Managing mistakes
• Employee Turnover
• Training – both inter and intra-team
• Ongoing & continuous innovation and
improvement
26. #SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite
Refine
your
ROADMAP.
Get
Your
BEARINGS.
Tactics.
Refine Your Strategy.
• SEO Team strategy
• Social Team strategy
• Review & revise quarterly
in first year