Esther C Kane

Succeeding in Internet Marketing or SEO involves a variety of activities – there’s no ONE magic task or program that works.  Like any other marketing, it involves a team effort.  The “team” being the following…

1) Content

If you’ve done any Internet marketing in the past you may have heard the term that “Content is King”.  Basically, when it comes to the Internet, “content” (also known as words) rule the roost.  The reason for that is because that’s how communication takes place on the Internet (for the most part).

What I mean is that the Internet is basically a collection of machines.  Machines that follow rules set up by programmers.  Machines that “read words”.  Those words being the words that are typed in to the search engines and the words on website pages.

If you’re searching for “davie fl dentist” you will get websites that have the words “davie fl dentist” as well as phrases that the search engines think are related (like “ft lauderdale dentist”, etc.).

So, the game then is to find the keywords that people are typing in and then putting those phrases on the website pages where they need to be (according to the rules made by those programmers).  When that happens, then the search engines can match the search with the website.

Of course, there are 200 rules and just putting words on a page is not enough but it’s the basics and it’s where every single website owner who is marketing their website must begin.  Otherwise, all the other rules won’t make a difference.

2) Conversion

There are many websites out there that bring in visitors, lots and lots of visitors.  But, what’s the point of all those visitors if there are no sales or if the conversion of visitors to customers is very low?  If your website was a storefront and all you got were lots of visitors but very little or no sales then all you would end up with is a very dirty floor in your store.

So, once the visitors start coming to your website, you want to know…

a) where are they going?

b) what are they doing on each page?

c) what are they searching for?

d) are they doing what you want them to do on each page?

Internet marketing involves analyzing these factors on each website page every month to find out how can those pages be tweaked, how can the conversions be better?

Ignoring this part of Internet marketing means that all the hard work you put into optimizing your website will just stay shelved.  In other words, all that hard work won’t work.  Why?  Because optimizing the website, adding content, researching the keywords, all of that is to please the search engines’ rules.  All of that is to help the search engines to find your website.  But to convert customers, now you have to please them.  So, navigation through the site, helping the customers find what they’re looking for easily, all that is a vital part of converting those visitors into customers and increasing your sales.

3) Collaboration

Oh, if I had a dollar for every client I’ve managed who just wants to hire me to market their website and they don’t want to be bothered – I could get myself a very nice expensive bottle of wine.  (And believe me, I need that wine after arguing with these clients!).

I know, I know – you look at shows like Mad Men and you see how clients just walk in and the “team” of advertisers presents them with ideas and does all the work for them.  Creating billboards, television commercials and newspaper advertisements, etc.   Yeah, that works great with traditional marketing but Internet marketing is way too liquid for that.  Internet marketing changes every single day (at least it should).

Here’s what I mean…

I have a client who is a local dentist.  I have been begging her to send me information about her practice for almost a year now.  She has a website but it only has the most basic information on it.

Recently, I did a little search for her on some local programs like Yelp and Foursquare, Facebook, etc.  Anyway, I found several coupons and other “service specials” on those sites.  Now, why didn’t she send me that information?  When I asked her – she said she didn’t think of it.  Even though I’ve asked many times.  Somehow, the connection is just not getting through.

Whatever is happening in your business, it has to show on the website as well.  Otherwise, it seems as if the website is abandoned (and to the search engines, if the website is abandoned, then the business must be also).

In Conclusion

So, to have a successful Internet marketing campaign and get your moneys worth from the marketing you’re paying someone to do (if that’s what you’re doing) – add content to your site on a regular basis, study the conversion research and collaborate with your webmarketer.  Believe me, it’s worth your while!!

I was reading Blumenthals.com today, catching up and read an  article posted in July.

“Google is clearly reducing their reliance on third party reviews and increasing the prominence of their own reviews. That is obvious and it makes sense from their self interested point of view now that they are garnering adequate volumes of reviews on their own.”

So, what does this mean?

Basically, that website ranking status on Google is becoming more and more dependent on reviews that are placed on Google.  So, how can your website get these reviews?

Google Places Page

If you don’t have a Google Places page yet, contact your webmaster – it’s free and it’s a must have in today’s Internet marketing.  Your places page comes with a large red button that reads, “Write A Review”.  Encourage your clients, visitors, etc. to write a review there.  Maybe offer a discount for that review.

Here’s What A Places Page Looks Like

Some ideas about reviews…

1) Offer discounts to clients who write a review.

2) Put links asking for reviews on your website to your Google Places page.

3) Ask your webmaster to add some of these reviews on your website and enhance them with microformatting.  (I know, code techy stuff but it will really help Google to see and index those reviews for you.)

4) For your mobile users, there is a Google Places App – check it out on iTunes – this way your clients can give you a review right then and there!

So, go for it!

Years ago a friend (a great Internet marketer himself) told me that I should write an ebook about Internet marketing.  He told me that I knew more about the subject than most people he meets in that industry.  I was flattered, of course, but my immediate response to him was…”I can’t write an ebook, who am I?”  I went on to explain that I didn’t have any new angle or information on the subject, I was just me doing the work that I love.

Well, that was about 3 years ago.  I think I’ve grown a little since then (well, at least I hope so).

What Was Wrong With My Thinking Back Then?

Well, not so much that my thinking “was wrong”, more like I didn’t feel unique.  I didn’t feel strong enough in my knowledge base to be so bold as to write a book about it.  I mean a few posts here and there, consulting with clients telling them what I read and what I know – that just didn’t seem to be enough.  (In my mind).  But what I did fail to recognize is that I AM UNIQUE.  I mean, WE ARE ALL UNIQUE in our own ways.

You can fill a city block full of restaurants and each restaurant is going to be different.  Even if each restaurant was an Italian restaurant, they would each be different.  The staff would be different, the taste of the food, the atmosphere, the menus, etc.  Each one of these details would be different and as a result, all those little details create a different experience for the client.

What I failed to recognize back then was that I have UNIQUE qualities that I bring to this industry.  I mean, first, I’m a woman (which is rare in this industry), second I’m older (I’m 53 – can’t believe it!) which is REALLY rare in this industry, I’m also self taught which means that my “lingo” is not so techie.  I can convert the technical jargon that I read into plain speak for my clients.  And I will admit, that is the one consistent compliment I receive from my clients – they like how I talk.  Plain, simple, easy to understand.  And that factor alone is very comforting for so many small business owners who struggle to try to figure out what this Internet marketing “thing” is all about.

How Are You Unique?

So, how are you unique or different?   What obvious factors have you not thought about?  Well, take some time and think about them.  As your friends, colleagues, clients.  They’ll give you ideas.  Believe me, it’s always better to see yourself through someone else’s eyes than your own.  It’s more honest that way.

Here’s A Tip – It’s All In The Details

What I recognize now is that it’s really all in the details.  I mean, what I do as far as Internet marketing is not much different (if at all) from what other Internet marketers do.  I mean, there’s only so much that can be done when dealing with machines anyway.  But, it’s the little details that make me unique that I failed to recognize.  Just like the scenario of restaurants that I talked about earlier, there are unique factors in each one of them.

Take a look at Mike Stimpson’s website, he’s just another photographer – there are millions of them.  But he love Lego and he loves to play with lighting.  So, look at what he did.  It’s just a simple little detail.  This makes him unique.  This makes him different and subsequently makes him stand out from the pack.

So go ahead, find out your unique qualities and put them on your website.  Let the world know how you’re different from the others in your industry.  You’ll create your own niche and a band of followers.

I just finished reading an entry at a social media site from an Internet Marketer who had recently left his employer because the ROI wasn’t what the employer had expected.  The Internet marketer was using SEO (search engine optimization), social media marketing (via Twitter and Facebook) and blogging.  These three factors put the site in the top positions for multiple keyword phrases in Google.  They were averaging 2 sales per day from his efforts.

So, you may be thinking to yourself…”Well, what did the employer expect?”…

Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?  I mean, did the Internet marketer give him any ideas of what may be expected?  I have to wonder if the Internet marketer was reporting the number of visitors to the site and THEN talking about the sales.  It may be that the number of visitors wasn’t changing much and the employer may have been focusing on that number.  It can happen!

Why shouldn’t you focus on the number of website visitors?

For businesses that are local and specialized, like lawyers, dentists, specialty doctors, etc.  The numbers of visitors to these types of sites will not alter much unless the geography they are in alters.  Think about it, if your a family dentist living in Denver, Colorado – there are approximately 600,000 people living in Denver.  That’s your pool.  You’re not going to attract people from Colorado Springs or from Breckenridge or Steamboat Springs – you’re ONLY relevant to the folks in the Denver area.  And even with that said, it’s really only on the side of town that your office is in.  So, the number of visitors to your site will cap at some point (unless a new community or area is opened up in your geography and more people move in).

So, what’s the point of marketing if there’s a cap in the visitors?

It’s the sales – sales – sales!!!!  If you are marketing your website to 600,000 people and you’re getting 1% of those visiting your website and 5% of the visitors convert into customers your goal (and the goal of your Internet marketer) is to increase that 5% to more and more.  You’re still getting the same number of visitors but now you want to convert those visitors into customers.  It doesn’t help to have more people come to the website if you can’t convert them.

So focus on the number of conversions – if your Internet marketer isn’t giving you reports on your conversions – ask them to start.  It’s the true measure of the success or failure of your Internet marketing campaign .

As I was having my breakfast this morning I was catching up on the latest SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Internet Marketing news. I came across this little gem…

“Ten years ago, the SEO process included a monthly analysis, recommendation and implementation plan; a purely human-based process. This is no longer enough. Businesses need daily insight into their digital footprint: rank, competitors, backlinking. This is only possible when humans and technology come together. SEO software systems are now available and make this insight possible.”
From The Globe and Mail

I have to admit, I still do the monthly plan.  Hmm – but this gives me food for thought.  I mean, I look at client websites everyday – so maybe I SHOULD give daily reports?  I’m conflicted cause, as it is, the monthly information seems overwhelming to some business owners.  I can’t imagine how they would react if they start getting daily data from me.  But then, maybe I’m underestimating my clients.

And what about the time?  How can I squeeze more tasks into my day and keep my prices low?  The article talks about “seo software systems” – which are great for analysis but that means more cost.  Ugh – decisions!

Well, as I think about that concept here’s my idea of what I think would be important daily factors for my clients to know.

1) Social media mentions – this would be important to monitor daily.  What is being said about you (and/or) the company or brand?  Maybe nothing is being said, well, that’s not so good either.  These days, the “word of mouth” concept has grown to include referrals and recommendations from programs like Yelp, Facebook, Google Maps, Foursquare, etc.  These are all social media type of programs that can promote your business.

2) Competition Analysis – you may not think that the landscape of search results changes much, but believe me, it does.  There are websites out there that get updated every few hours.  That means new data is added or removed from the site, it’s a constant factor.  Why?  Well, for a few reasons.  For the search engines, it means that the website is getting updated, it’s being used and it is popular.  For the Internet viewer it means that the business is alive and is working hard to keep their clients (and potential clients) well informed and up to date.  Think about it, when you do any kind of research on the Internet, which will you read first?  An article written in 2008 or an article written in 2011?  An article written last January or one written yesterday?  (as long as their both on the same subject!).  The Internet is today’s newspaper, who wants to read yesterdays news when today’s newspaper is sitting in the driveway?

3) Backlinks – who’s linking to you?  Years ago it used to be the number of incoming links was important.  Today, it’s not the number but where the incoming link is coming from and what that incoming link is saying.  If your a plumber and your website gets an incoming link from Angie’s List and the text on that incoming link is a positive review, that’s GREAT!  But what if you get an incoming link from Service Magic and they reviewed your business and gave you a 1 star rating.  That’s not great!  But wouldn’t it be cool to know that right away so you can respond to it?  Possibly correct it?

4) Search Engine Ranking – don’t get fooled by any marketer who tells you that it’s important to monitor your search engine rankings.  The reality is, that the majority of Internet users are on Google and Google implements “personalization” into it’s search results which means that your search results will be different that the search results for the same keyword phrases that your neighbor types in.  It all depends on the history that is on your computer (what sites you’ve visited in the past) and some other factors but it’s safe to say, that your search results could show you in the first position and your neighbor (if he types in the same keyword phrases) may not see your listing on the first page at all.  So, rankings don’t really matter.

5) Traffic – this is another tricky measurement.  I mean every business has their ups and downs so measuring traffic daily is like watching the stock market hourly.  It’s going to go down, the trick is to identify if it’s a pattern.  So, does it need to be done daily?  Not so much in my opinion.  But, it may also depend on the business that the website is promoting.  I suppose this feature would have to be individualized.

So, what do you think?  Would YOU want to receive a daily report from your Internet marketer?  If so, how would you want to receive it?  As an email?  As a PDF?  Or would you prefer to just go somewhere online and see it?  And what information would you like to see in that report?  Let me know!  It just might be something we start offering.

For the past 2 years or so we’ve been pursuing the notion that clients will take care of their own websites. We only got this notion from the clients themselves. I mean, as the economy continues to sputter away – businesses are looking for all kinds of ways to cut back on expenses. I can certainly understand that. So, as we received more and more requests for “self managed websites” and “do it yourself seo” – we began to provide that service.

So, we started offering custom websites in wordpress formats. This would allow the clients to manage their own sites in the least costly ways possible. In addition, we gave consultations on what to do with the new pages, how to do keyword research, how to write the pages, how to structure the website, etc.

Do you think it worked? Have you tried this with your own clients? Or have you tried this on your own? I’m sad to say that so far, it hasn’t really worked.

Here’s why…

1) Their eyes were bigger than their stomachs. In other words, the projects were much more time consuming than the clients dreamed possible. They simply couldn’t keep up with the work needed on the websites.

2) The procedures were more complicated than they thought. I should have known that once I began to pull out the spreadsheets with the formulas to calculate the keyword phrases that the clients would start fainting. And yes, faint they did. They wanted a program to simply give them the keywords (yeah, I wish) and when they found out that they had to do this work – most simply didn’t do it. It was too much for them.

3) It takes a major amount of discipline to engage in website marketing. Well, any kind of marketing. It’s not just the creation of the marketing campaign, it’s also the tracking of that campaign, and the tweaks that are needed in order to comply with changes on the Internet. Many small businesses don’t even track phone calls or incoming clients, etc. So, how can they possibly begin tracking the traffic through their website? It has to be set up in the business model. And unfortunately, many small businesses don’t do this.

So, although I would love to continue providing these kinds of websites and consultation services, I have to admit that I do it now with the thought in the back of my mind that it’s just not going to work. But, maybe I’m just jaded at this point. What do you think?

So, are you ready for even MORE information overload? Are you not happy with how quickly your news is updated on your computer screen?

Well, Google is bringing back “Real Time Search” which gives you, the User, the opportunity to search through social media programs like Twitter, Google+, etc. for whatever it is that you’re looking for.

As for it’s impact on marketing, well, for me, as an Internet Marketer, I won’t have to search on separate screens on Twitter or Facebook for information. All the information will show up on the Google screen.

Hmm – they really are taking over the world, aren’t they?

The best part about working with small and home based businesses is that I get to speak directly to the person in charge. It makes the entire marketing process so much easier.

The worst part about working with small and home based businesses is that sometimes I have to “convince” (or at least try to) the business owner that pages need content. Pretty pictures don’t sell on the Internet.

I just read this article from American Express about where to put keywords on a website page. The information is very elemental, I mean it’s Internet Marketing 101, maybe even pre-101 – but it does layout the very basics of how a search engine looks at a website page.

The article is called 8 Places to Use Your Keywords. If you’re a small business owner and want to try to understand this Internet Marketing thing, this is a good place to start.

Basically, if you keep in mind that a search engine is just a machine following sets of rules that are programmed into it. So, the program rule says that when someone types in a phrase like “where to put keywords” the “rule” is that the search engine has to find that phrase “where to put keywords” in those 8 places on a website page.

Keep in mind, this is very basic, there are other rules to follow (Google has about 200 of them) but the very basic rule is the placement of the keyword phrases. Of course, it also helps to know what people are typing in! (But that’s another story).

Anyway, if you’re debating with your Internet Marketer about the fact that they want to remove that large flash or graphic on your home page and replace it with something smaller and add more text to the page – this is why. They’re looking out for you. So listen!

A little while ago I posted a story about a client who insisted on selling a product that did not have much demand. At least not much demand that I could see on the Internet. Several months after he started with me I received a letter from his attorney letting me know the company was going into bankruptcy.

I wasn’t surprised, I could see that no matter how much SEO or Internet marketing I did on that website, if the product isn’t in demand, it’s just not going to sell.

So, here’s a little tool that you can use, from Google, to help you identify what product(s) and/or service(s) that you provide are in demand and how they’ve changed in the last few years.

We’ll be using Google Insights For Search. Here are the steps.

1) Go to Google Insights For Search.

2) On the top left you’ll see a column called “Compare by” – choose the Time Ranges.

3) In the column of “Time Ranges” select separate time ranges or create a custom one like Jan 2009 til Jun 2011. Either way, choose the time ranges that you would like to see reports for.

4) On the top right you’ll see another column called “Filter”. In that column choose…
“Web Search”
“Your search term – what you’re looking for”
“United States” (or Worldwide if you prefer – or any country)
“All Categories”

5) A tip on entering your “Search Term” – use several different search terms. For example: If you’re a dentist, you’ll enter in search terms like…
a) denver dentist (whatever your location is)
b) family dentist
c) veneers

6) You’ll also find in the search results several keyword phrases that are associated with the term you typed in. These keyword phrases are important, they give you an idea of what people are looking for on the Internet. And depending on the geographical locations you choose, you will also be given information on where these searches are in demand.

So, let’s try a dry run here with a certain business. Lets try Family Law. So, lets say you’re a Family Law attorney in Florida. Let’s see how this tool can help with your Internet Marketing.

1) I went to Google Insights and chose the Time Ranges of Jan 2004 – Jun 2011.

2) I chose United States, Florida, All metros

3) I typed in the keyword phrase “family lawyer”

The results tell me that this service has an average interest range of “44″ – You’ll see that number just above the graph chart on the right. The column is called “Totals”.

This number of “44″ tells me it’s fairly steady and the chart verifies that. So, that’s good, people still need family lawyers.

4) I typed in the keyword phrase “prenuptial agreements” and the report shows me that 2007, 2009 and the first part of 2010 were very good years for this service but otherwise, it’s not a high selling service.

So, I think you get the idea. Play around with this tool, you may find a niche in your industry that you hadn’t thought about before! Have fun!

My mother in law has a plaque in her kitchen that reads “Babe Ruth Struck Out 1330 Times”. You probably know what I’m getting at. The idea is that even though he failed 1330 times, he kept on playing and became famous for it.

So, even though you may fail, doesn’t mean you’re a failure.

Did You Know…

That Yelp.com started out as an “automated system for emailing recommendations”. That idea flopped but what they did notice is that their visitors posted reviews online. They stuck it out with that idea and here they are.

That YouTube.com started out as a dating site? It failed in that venue but the founders decided to keep everything in place and just make it a “video sharing” site. We all know how that ended up!

That PayPal.com opened it’s company with the intention of exchanging money between Palm Pilots. They saw the potential for more and have never looked back.

That Woot.com was created to get rid of unsold inventory. But oh, it grew to become so much more!

Flickr actually began as an online role-playing game. Yep – it started out as a game. But the owners saw that their program simplified photo sharing so they dumped the first idea and went with what ended up being a highly successful program.

Groupon was a subset of a larger “idea” called The Point. The idea of The Point was to mobilize “…groups of people towards action for various causes.” The concept struck a nerve and became so popular that Groupon felt confident enough to turn down Google when they offered to buy out Groupon for 6 Billion!

So, I think you get the idea here. These companies began their journey down one road but were smart enough to realize that they needed to listen to the audience and respond. Which they did and the rest, as they say, is history.

There’s even more of this story at Mashable.