Search Engine Optimization Blog and other cool stuff!

At first glance there may seem to be an infinite number options to market your business on the Internet.  And while there are countless options there are only a few distinct strategies… four to be exact.

I will briefly describe each, in order of my personal preference which I believe is perfectly aligned with the effectiveness of each strategy.

1. SEO ( Search Engine Optimization) or as I sometimes like to call it “The Long Tail Strategy”

SEO is built upon the Long Tail Strategy.  You could say that SEO is the vehicle that rides on top of the “long tail” boulevard.   The Long Tail theory is now part of the daily vernacular of the web.  The theory was developed and popularized by Chris Anderson, Editor of Wired Magazine who coined the phrases as a way of describing how infinite demand  (picture a very very long never ending tail) can be met in the digital age with media suppliers such as Amazon, Itunes and Rhapsody, etc., where traditional bricks and mortar suppliers of media, books, periodicals, music where limited by shelf space and forced to cater inventory only main stream authors and musicians that appeal to the masses (or fat belly of the bell curve also known as “pop culture”).  Simple enough.

As applied to marketing, the long tail theory explains how businesses / customers can connect directly without relying on traditional “interstate like intermediaries” such as catalogs, directories or traditional stock-everything-you-sell retailers.  Fifteen years ago, an organic soap maker in Montana would have to develop rely wholly on retailers to sell soap, except for the one-off sale here and there from someone who happened by his business.  What I am calling the “the long tail strategy” allows this same organic soap maker in Montana to implement SEO and respond to people who are searching for “organic soap.”

Search Engine Optimization empowers small and mid-market business owners; allowing for previously impossible levels of efficiency and precision in attracting and communicating to prospective customers.

Another aspect that is deeply intriguing about Chris Anderson’s analysis of the web is how infinite taste is, when unfettered by the limitations of traditional producers / retailers of goods, services and media.   Something all budding and seasoned entrepreneurs should be reminded of… in the digital age, the challenge is finding a niche and delivering value to a specialized audience / customer base.  Success for business men, film makers, artists, authors, musicians no longer requires that one scale the corporate ladder (or break into Hollywood’s very narrow line of vision) or crack the code of mass culture.

Embedded in this theory, of course, is the assumption that people use search engines which allow them and empower them to “go off road” in search for precisely what they are looking for.  If traditional directories were elevators, or train cars (vertical / horizontal search) search engines are magic carpets… allowing for infinitely precise search across many dimensions.   Consider that people may use search engines to find directories (indicating that directories are no longer a main conduit for behavior but no one (at least it is absurd to imagine) would use a directory to find a search engine.

For more on The Long Tail Theory Visit Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Tail

For more on SEO visit Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization

#2 Lead Generation

In short, lead generation is a form of web marketing (and traditional marketing) that qualifies a prospective customer for a supplier/vendor while simultaneously providing passive value to the prospect, typically in the language of “access to a qualified network of vendors for free.” There are countless niche examples across many industries. Legal Match comes to mind for the legal industry and Service Magic for general contractors, plumbers, painters, roofers, etc.  I have seen lead gen work, however there are some inherent drawbacks to the service. For starters, the prospective client typically must fill out an in depth questionnaire, which limits reach as not everyone is willing exert the time, or be willing to disclose information; though you could argue that the step eliminates casual shoppers and refines a set of prospects who are serious about resolving a particular need.   Of greater concern, is the fact that a lead that has been generated is never, or I should say… rarely… exclusive, or passed on to the most qualified vendor. Rather a lead is sent forth to many vendors who are then given the opportunity to contact the prospective customer. You could argue that this diminishes the value of the lead (from the view of the business / supplier); and could  be potentially misleading if a prospective buyer assumes that the most qualified (based on presumed customization of their need to a particular skill).  That said, lead generation services can be very effective, I merely believe they are a distant second to the effectiveness of implementing search engine optimization as a web marketing strategy.  S

For more on Lead Generation visit Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_generation

#3 Directories

Directories are familiar.  We all grew up with print directories, yellow pages, etc.  On-line, this strategy includes a wider range of options: open source directories such as Craigslist, free or paid on-line classifieds, aggregates such as Ebay, Amazon, etc., and pay-for-access directories such as Angie’s List. The value is directly related to two factors (and this rings true for all Internet Marketing) usage (and usability) and content. If a directory has only a few listings — will anyone use it?  No.  If no one uses the directory, is a listing valuable?  There can be tremendous value in listing your business in a directory if and only if the directory is reputable, user friendly and receives volume usage (also known as eye balls, searches, hits, traffic, impressions, etc.).  However, there is danger in being listed as one of many and failing to distinguish yourself in large directories, getting “lost in the shuffle.”
For many reasons, SEO is superior, that is assuming that people are in fact utilizing search engines like Google in greater numbers for the particular good or service you provide, than the leading directory that may be the industry speciality.  But even then… numbers can lie.  Would you rather be 1 of 523 vendors listed in a directory that gets 10,000 searches a month, or ranked on the first page of Google in the organic results (1- for 1,000 searches a month?

#4 Paid Placement (Ad-words, Banner Ads, Pop-ups, etc.)

Paid Placement is far and away the most abused form of Internet marketing, that said… it can be effective.  An ad-words campaign on Google, is relatively effective… but not as effective as a natural SEO campaign.  That could change, if Google were to phase out the real estate devoted to natural results (which I don’t anticipate happening given the fact that their business model relies on natural results, even if their revenue model does not).  There are many factors to consider when evaluating paid placements — is the ad intended to reinforce a brand?  Generate initial interest in a new product or concept? Convert casual shoppers by offering a sale?

More importantly, what website, and where on the site will the ad be purchased?  ESPN is a better site to purchase a pop-up ad, promoting a male-focused product… but is the pop-up ad on the first page, will it be viewed every click,  every 20th click, or will it pop up only on a back page that caters to NBA fans, in the middle of summer (hint NBA fanatics/weirdos and much less traffic than the home page).  More-over, the local FOX News Channels web sports page in Green Bay Wisconsin may be a better buy than ESPN for a Wisconsin Medical Spa offering hair replacement treatments catering to men… for many reasons, the fact that Packer’s fans bald prematurely may just be one of the many reasons.

The point here is to measure and determine good better best, and do so by using a cost per 1000 measurement.  What does it cost to communicate to 1000 individuals, over the contract period for the ad?  Likewise, use common sense… does your target audience use the site? Can you pin-point whether they are looking for you, and the ad makes you more visible (such as with Ad Words) or are you trying to generate / create a need? The value of paid placement is based on cost vs. the benefit of the resulting exposure how often the ad is seen, and should be, like any form, measured obsessively.

Summary / Conclusion:

Regardless of what strategy you implement ask questions, demand data, make comparisons, try to determine the behavior of your prospective audience, ask your friends and family how they would search for you.

If possible demand proof, demand exclusivity, ask for testimonials.

SEO is easy to measure and track; furthermore it is intuitive to determine who your audience is, because they are looking for you.  Lead Generation has it’s advantages and disadvantages, remember that you and your competition will be receiving the same leads.  Directories are the oldest form of marketing known to the modern world, but have will they survive the digital age, so far few have successively migrated to the web.  Directories that aggregate information and have rich local content are phenomenal for certain kinds of transactions, poor for others.  Would you look for a Lawyer on Ebay?  A Hotel in Paris on Craig’s list?  Probably not… you might look for a house-swap on Craig’s list and a Lawyer on Lawyers.com.  But is this superior to optimizing a site to show up when someone searches “Patent Lawyer Boston” or “Hotel Paris” on Google?  I think not.  Lastly, be aware of what your buying with Paid Placement — are you buying it for vanity, branding, or is there quantifiable proof that the premier placement makes you the obvious choice ahead of your competition?

It all things, remember that everything on-line can be measured and quantified.

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It is rare to find a designer of anything who favors function over form. When you do, the “designer” may be downgraded by their peers into “engineer” status. Most designers prioritize form over function, and to their credit they probably know full well that by the time the engineers get their hands on their design, some of the form/ style will be shaved off to save money or to appease the market research crowd. In most industries there is a natural tension between design and function. Call it tension or a difference in priority — it is easy to see in a few industries (the auto and fashion industries for starters). The gestation process is clear in the auto industry as we see the aggressively new-age prototypes referred to as “concept cars” at auto-shows in London and Chicago morph into slightly improved (on a design level) if noticeable at all models by the time the cars actually go into mass production and hit the showroom. A similar process, thankfully occurs in the fashion industry. Famous designers create aggressively edgy fashion “couture” (a word I recently learned when my wife used it while shopping for ridiculously over-priced jeans) that only 1% of 1% of the world’s population would ever wear in public or fit into for that matter. And so between the runways in Milan where they showcase these designs and the actual display rack at Nordstrom most of the edgy design is lost in favor of more salable merchandise.

I guess with cars and fashion most people are just a bit too conservative to wear or drive prototypes.

What does this have to do with websites you ask?

Quite a bit actually.

The conflict between designers and engineers is very clear in the realm of websites. Web designers are aesthetically literate. They build “beautiful” looking websites. Web designers see in terms of lines, negative space, color, font, spacing, size, etc.

Where as web engineers (SEO guys) are functionally literate. They see in terms of performance, page rank, outcome, practicality, usefulness and efficiencies.

When it comes to websites: the conflict at first glance is not as obvious as the design of a car. Automakers must wrestle with far more compromise. Mainly because of most people cannot afford to spend $85,000 on a car, or $85 at the pump. So auto makers choose fuel efficiency over horsepower, and give up voice guided navigation and hand stitched Italian leather for a compass and cloth seats (and 45 other factors) to deliver a car in a more reasonable price points. Of course this analogy is not comprehensive, luxury auto brands sacrifice precious little and favor high price-point low volume production over lower margin mass-production — and from the looks of it, theirs no-shortage of people who are willing to ante up.

Back to web-design.

At The Search Engine Guys, we have a very simple agenda. We favor performance and function over design. We are pragmatists on this issue.

What is the point of having a website if prospective clients don’t view it?

What is the point of having a beautiful website if prospective clients don’t view it?

That said, we believe you can have both. We just prioritize performance ahead of design. Once a website has achieved rank, which in our book is first page placement on Google. Then let’s focus on tweaking the look, the lines, the color, the photos etc.

We are quite happy to work with web designers and commonly work on re-designs for clients.

Unlike other industries — a website is a digitally-organic thing. It can be revised continually. It never comes off the production line. So the conflict is not a natural either or.

If you have spent any time on the web, you have seen both extremes.

On a regular basis, we come across beautiful looking websites that very well could be framed and hung on the wall in the Tate Modern in London. Sites that with well balanced negative space, visually interesting hi-res photos and lines that observe all the religiously precise 1/3rd rules that they preach in art school.

The point is, that often these sites are buried on the 132nd page of Google.

The other extreme, is one you inevitably see more often. I call this extreme the “flee market approach.” A website so packed full of links, ads, content that it emits that intense vibe you get when standing in a flee-market. It’s overwhelming. Difficult to look at. It may be SEO friendly but not easy on the eyes.

Clearly there is a balance.

At The Search Engine Guys we recognize that our clients have different priorities, different personalities, and work within different industries. We strive to understand the nuances of our individual clients and implement our proven SEO processes to achieve optimal rank. Once we achieve rank, we are able to study the performance of the site in terms of how long people are spending on various pages, etc., from there we are able to test and refine both the content and the look and feel to maximize performance.

The challenge when it comes to content vs. beauty is to not “let the tyranny of either / or ruin the possibility of both / and” how’s that for a parting cliche’ for you?