Kärcher international SEO all in one place: Professional and standardized analysis with the Searchmetrics Suite

Transcription

1 Kärcher international SEO all in one place: Professional and standardized analysis with the Searchmetrics Suite

2 Challenge: SEOglobal not local In addition to selling from traditional retail outlets, the Kärcher online store is a key sales channel. To match retail success via online direct sales, professional Search Engine Optimization has become increasingly important for Kärcher. Key metrics for the central online division include not only Geo-local results, but also an internationally standardized and, above all, comparable database to facilitate successful SEO work. Thanks to Searchmetrics professional software solution, Kärcher has been able to establish benchmark mechanisms that each overseas subsidiary can apply to ensure efficient SEO. It was specifically a question of identifying the potential for optimization in the individual countries and establishing an SEO infrastructure to which all countries would have the same shared access in order to create a standard basis for comparing operating procedures, activities, and results. Julia Treitz SEO specialist at Kärcher» «Let s kärcher it! High-pressure cleaning equipment from the German company Kärcher is so well-known in Germany that the name has become a verb. Kärcher was founded as a traditional, innovative family business, coming into being when Alfred Kärcher designed the first European hot water high-pressure cleaner. The company has since become the leading global provider of cleaning systems, products, and services for homes and gardens & trade and industry, with products sold all around the world. With more than 10,000 employees operating in over 60 international markets, Kärcher is a truly global brand. Kärcher was faced with the considerable challenge of unifying all its international SEO measures to ensure global transparency and measurability of all successes achieved. The aim was also to make it easier for local on-site representatives to integrate Kärcher s SEO measures in day-to-day work, whilst reducing the work-load simultaneously. Before the implementation of the intelligent software solution from Searchmetrics, Kärcher s data was collected differently in each subsidiary. This in turn made it virtually impossible to evaluate and monitor SEO activities intelligently: the scope of the data collected varied greatly, and the data itself was not pooled cent-

3 Solution: The Searchmetrics Suite sets standards and boosts SEO across all markets to a uniform level rally, but remained in the overseas subsidiaries. Individual markets also had different opinions about the importance of SEO: while awareness of SEO tended to be very high in Russia and the Czech Republic, for example, other countries lacked the human resources and capacity necessary for professional SEO. The call for a single standardized tool to make the whole process more streamlined and to ease the workload became an increasingly important business decision. Primary among the requirements for a professional software solution was the need to unite international data: Kärcher needed a tool that was capable of querying and evaluating as much data as possible, but that was very user-friendly in terms of design, project personalization and reporting configuration of the desired data. The central objective was for each overseas subsidiary to be able to work clearly and efficiently and have the chance to showcase its successes in other words to plan, check, and optimize targeted SEO measures. We also wanted to make the necessary preparations for the future with expansion in mind: That s why having scope to expand was crucial for us, to make it easier to subsequently add new search engines and countries, says Julia Treitz. As part of the decision-making process to settle on intelligent, universal and customizable software, the Kärcher central online division evaluated the offer of several professional SEO solution providers, including the leader in search and social analytics software, Searchmetrics. Following a preliminary evaluation, a shortlist of providers was drawn up and these companies contacted.

4 «The various sets are being applied by our overseas subsidiaries, and our data evaluation work has become immeasurably easier, thanks solely to the increasingly professional way in which SEO is being carried out in the individual countries and coordinated by the central online division: for example, with the Optimizer s detailed view and the transmission of data from the web analytics tool we now have actual data traffic in real time and the flexible reports that show this in any market and overall. Julia Treitz SEO specialist at Kärcher» Kärcher s main criterion was that the chosen provider be a truly international service provider. It was vital to find software capable of covering all geographic markets and the most popular search engines in each market with a single tool. Searchmetrics proved to be the best solution for the job particularly due to the in-depth training and exceptional customer support, to explain the interface and function of the software in detail. In terms of content, a key focus was to link the Suite with the existing web analytics tool to facilitate observation of data traffic in real time. Kärcher s chosen option was the Premium Business Solution, the Searchmetrics Suite. The Searchmetrics Suite is an intelligent software platform that enables users to optimize their search engine ranking results. Users can aggregate very large volumes of data on websites rankings, keywords, and relevant competitors and analyze the results individually. The program shows the visibility of websites in various search engines, as well as key social media portals, with a global analysis encompassing 134 countries. This allows Kärcher to plan and analyze search results and social media campaigns, enhancing their online presence. For Kärcher, the Searchmetrics Suite links together multiple business performance features, which collectively tipped the balance in favor of the leading search and social analytics software. Particularly helpful in practical terms were the Optimizer and traffic keyword functions, as well as the solution s flexible reporting options (such as the Keyword Ranking report). The Kärcher central online division can now act as a repository for all activities, providing an overview of performance in individual markets. Overall, the intuitive user interface stood out as easy to understand and use in every international market.

5 Benefits: Complex and comparable data evaluations, thanks to userfriendly software The integration of the Searchmetrics Suite in Kärcher s SEO programme has been a step-by-step process, and the solution is being rolled out this year in 50 overseas subsidiaries. All staff members responsible will receive individual training before final implementation, with on-going support provided by Kärcher s central online division and from Searchmetrics itself. The Searchmetrics Suite has made SEO data measurable, more transparent, and accessible to more employees. The Searchmetrics Suite TM has proved to be an immense help within Kärcher, making SEO more professional and taking it to a single uniform level. Even in cases where there is little capacity, those responsible in our overseas subsidiaries are now taking SEO on board, says Julia Treitz. When getting started, the Suite s Optimizer is the perfect starting point. The Searchmetrics Suite has allowed Kärcher to create detailed on-site analyses of all its own pages and to leverage detailed recommendations for action proposed by the Suite to both initiate and implement concrete steps to optimize SEO. In short it does exactly what Kärcher needed. The Keyword Set in particular offers Kärcher true added value. Kärcher is particularly impressed with the Conversion feature: This lets you handle even more evaluations using real data, says Julia Treitz. Regular innovations mean that the user has an increasingly abundant range of evaluation options, almost on an on-going basis. This is an important sign for us that the software continues to evolve at a high level. Future users are often skeptical about implementing the Suite, says Julia Treitz, but for potential customers facing a similar decision, Kärcher would recommend embarking on an intensive preparatory phase and awareness-building among their overseas subsidiaries. It is crucial to set aside sufficient time for implementation, support and training sessions. With flexible reporting and the introduction of global standards, companies with both local and central responsibility can benefit from true data evaluation with greater transparency. Subject to change without prior notice. Published February 2014 If you have any questions about Searchmetrics Suite TM or would like to request a quote, please contact our sales team: sales-us@searchmetrics.com Searchmetrics Inc Broadway, 12th Floor New York, NY Phone: Web: info@searchmetrics.com Executive Board: Thomas Leo Schuster and Marcus Tober Handelsregister: HRB B Federal ID: