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One of the most common question and conversations I get into when I�m asked by clients, prospects,
is, �What is happening with SEO and where is it going?� SEO is often confused as to
exactly what it is, what it achieves � The long and short of it is, the Google search
engine is as busy as it�s ever been and is it getting busier? Yes. Advertising is
taking more real estate, and done well, is getting a lot more clicks. However, organic
search part of the rankings, certainly still very busy, and a lot of traffic going through
there daily.
So there�s a serious prize to be gained by ranking high for your major keywords in
terms of traffic. However, the old ways of search engine optimization, which was basically
to create structure within your website and outside your website to bring the Google spiders
to see your websites in a better light than your competitors, for want of a better phrase,
the majority of that has gone. There are still some black hat people out there operating
and doing all sorts of things that supposedly, and officially, are no longer legitimate.
The bottom line of SEO for 2013 and beyond is that it�s really, really focused on producing
good quality content. Making sure that Google can index it well with metatext, describing
the content in an accurate fashion, and most importantly, to be producing plenty of content.
Google�s not interested in dormant, quiet websites with very basic text, a few images,
and a limited amount of real, genuine reason why somebody should spend time on your website.
They want to index busy, helpful websites with pages where people hanging around, visiting
from page to page, clicking links, they�re moving within the website. That, in Google�s
eyes, is a serious asset to the internet. As a result, it wants to rank that website
really well.
You may or may not have had a message through your Google Adwords campaign in recent times,
urging you to upgrade from what�s known as a Legacy campaign to an Enhanced campaign.
I think the deadline is 23rd of July, 2013, when Google will be turning all Legacy campaigns
to Enhanced campaigns. If you don�t want it to be done on an automated basis, which
I strongly advise you don�t allow at, you will need to move your whole campaign into
the Enhanced type.
Google have been fairly helpful with this. They are providing a good level of support.
However, it really helps to organize your campaign before you go through that process.
Particularly, thinking through the particular benefits that Enhanced will bring you. In
the coming weeks, we�re going to feature more and more information on Enhanced campaigns
because it really is a bit of a game changer. The whole way that Google Adwords will be
running under Enhanced campaigns will have [see change 00:04:01] issues compared to the
old ways. The same principles completely apply, and there�s no doubt whatsoever that it�s
a great opportunity. But it�s equally a very serious black hole of a problem if you
get your transfer wrong, or if you start a new campaign in Enhanced without really understanding
what Enhanced can do for you, and particularly, the dangers of it.
In 1984, a groundbreaking marketing book was published by a gentleman called Robert Cialdini.
It was called, �Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.� Cialdini touched on six
specific key points that he felt all marketing campaigns should take great notice of. The
first one he called, �Reciprocity.� When he talked about reciprocity, he was alluding
to the opportunity to offer somebody consistent value, and in return expect, at some point
in the future, they would reciprocate that value. In other words, present in online marketing
terms, delivering consistently good, worthwhile content through newsletters, through email
marketing, through videos, through blog posting. Providing something that consistently gives
your reader, your consumer, your prospect, something that has a value. At some point,
is likely to increase the chances of them becoming a customer of yours.
The second major principle that Cialdini referred to in his book was �Commitment.� This
has a specific usage in online marketing campaigns. That is to deliver something in your prospect
well below the price they would expect to pay for your full version. As a result, deliver
great value for a low price, but leaving massive room to offer them the full version at the
full price. The sense of this is you�re demonstrating the quality of what you offer
per dollar. As a result, that fantastic equation that you have engendered in their minds of
�This has got great value and it�s so cheap. I wonder what the full package, or
the full product or the full service would cost me.� Again, one way we leverage this
particular technique is to work with our clients to find out how they can best offer something
that minimizes the barriers of entry for prospects. Demonstrate value, and as a result, turn that
particular customer into a full-paying customer and a long-term customer.
Google recently, in fact just about a week ago, put through their latest update to Penguin,
the filter in the Google search rankings. There are certainly some substantial losers
around the world. The additional feedback is that Europe is having a bigger change to
their search engine rankings than, for instance the US or Australia is. The initial fall out
from Australia is the changes here have not been quite as dramatic as previous updates.
Apparently *** sites have been very heavily marked down, as well as quite a few business
sites that were focusing on trying to game Google. There were one or two angles that
they were using that have been exposed for a long time. This particular update has particularly
put a nail into those coffins.
I�m sure there�ll be a lot more feedback coming in the coming weeks. I think you can
expect at least another one or two updates this year, the way they�re talking and the
way things are moving. They�re very, very keen to clean up any algorithm gaming. Be
very aware that if your SEO campaigns are focused purely on something that Google doesn�t
like, you�re on a fairly short to medium term problem.