The Findability Formula

Transcription

1 The Findability Formula The Easy, Non-Technical Approach to Search Engine Marketing Heather Lutze WILEY John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

2 Contents Foreword by Orvel Ray Wilson Acknowledgments Introduction Who Should Read This Book? How This Book Is Different The "Secret Agent" Pen Story About the Author xv xix xxi xxi xxiv xxv xxix CHAPTER 1 The Basics 1 The Long and Short of It 1 Definitions 2 Findability 2 Keywords 4 Search Engines 4 Search Engine Results 5 Search Engine Marketing 5 Paid Search 5 Natural Search 6 Search Engine Optimization 6 Organic and PPC Placement 7 Debunking the "Free" Myth 8 Page One Visibility 9 Vll

3 viii Contents Advertiser Ad Customer Conversions Search Engines The "Big Three" CHAPTER 2 First Things First Conducting Your Paid Search Campaign Knowledge before Action The P Words Laser Focus A Good Click Avoiding Bad Clicks CHAPTER 3 How People Search, Shop, and Buy Online Path to Purchase Correcting a Common Misconception The Buying Cycle The Keyword Trail CHAPTER 4 The Art of the Keyword Why Keywords Are Key Leaving the Laundry Narrowing the Field Secret Sauce CHAPTER 5 Keyword Alignment on the Path to Purchase Keyword Tails and Search Strings Advantages of Targeting Your Keywords Phased Searches Information Phase Shopping Phase Purchasing Phase

4 Contents IX Purchasing Keywords Establishing Trust The End Game The Pause That Refreshes CHAPTER 6 The Keyword Discovery Process Impatience Finding Your Keywords Company-Centric Keywords Mapping Out Your Keyword Strategy Step 1: Your Positioning Statement Step 2: The Brainstorming Session Step 3: Using a Keyword Research Tool Step 4: Negative Keywords CHAPTER 7 Grouping and Themeing to Complete the Keyword List Organizing and Refining Your Keywords ABC Computer Company Keyword Themeing and Grouping Grouping Keywords by Customer Experience Why Are We Having You Go to All This Trouble? Organization Grouping According to the Buying Cycle Keyword Combinations and Variables CHAPTER 8 Location, Location, Location Geotargeting Geographic Modifiers Geotargeting versus Geographic Modifiers Another Example Recommendation Example: A U.S. Delivery Campaign with Geographic Modifiers

5 x Contents CHAPTER 9 Seasonally 95 Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus 95 Hidden and Subtle Seasonality 96 Reverse Seasonality 97 Campaign Timing 97 CHAPTER 10 Writing Your Ad Text 101 What Is an "Ad"? 101 How Hard Could It Be? " 103 It Ain't Easy 104 Your Ad Writing Goals 105 Step 1: Ad Writing Bucketed Keywords List 105 Step 2: Understanding the Ad Text Landscape 106 Pick Me, Then Click Me 108 The Components of a Paid Search Ad 108 A Window into Your Competitors' Souls 109 Ad Preview Tool 110 Putting Pen to Paper 111 The Headline 112 Description Line Description Line The Display URL 120 The Destination URL 122 More Help with Ad Text 124 Real-Life Example 125 Trust 127 The Italian Job versus Wayne's World 129 Incorporating the Buying Cycle into Your Ad Campaign 130 Ads along the Path to Purchase 131 CHAPTER 11 After the Click 137 Quality Score 138 What You Need to Know 140 Where Are You Sending Them? 141

6 xii Contents Step 3: Build Out Your Campaign(s) in AdWords Editor 178 Step 4: Set Match Type in AdWords Editor 180 Step 5: Set Bidding in AdWords Editor 186 Step 6: Upload Campaign to Google AdWords 186 Step 7: Go through All the Campaign Settings 187 Step 8: Insert Conversion Codes 196 Step 9: Make a Final Check and Activate 199 CHAPTER 14 The Care and Feeding of Your Search Engine Marketing Campaign 201 Finding a Balance 202 Let It Stew 203 The Exception to the Rule 203 Two Weeks Later: 80/ Rebucketing 205 Focus on the Cream 206 Checkpoints 206 Checking Your Quality Score 209 Tweaks and Refinements 30 to 60 Days 209 What about the Other Search Engines? 211 Ongoing Support 211 Search Engine Relationships 212 More Help and Support 214 CHAPTER 15 Hiring Help 217 Decisions, Decisions: Outsource or In-House? 218 Hire an Agency or Independent Consultant 218 The In-House Option 223 CHAPTER 16 SEO Search Engine Optimization 227 What Search Engines Care About 228 Your Primary Concern 229 What Is SEO? 229

7 Contents xiii PPC + SEO The Marriage of Two Enemies 230 The Big Picture 231 Tools You Can Use 232 SEO Road Map 232 Step 1: Theme Web Pages with Converting PPC Keywords 233 Step 2: Run Multipage Keyword Density Analysis 234 Step 3: Edit Title and Meta Tags 240 Step 4: Write New Web Site Page Copy 240 Step 5: Update New Title, Meta Tags, and Page Content 241 Step 6: Submit Your Revised Web Site to Search Engines 241 Step 7: Track Your Results 242 Linking 243 Not All Links Are Created Equal 243 SEO Wrap-Up 245 The Findability Formula Wrap-Up 245 Invitation 246 Index 248