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DIVERSIFY YOUR SEO PORTFOLIO14 Must-Have Assets

Visibility within search engine results can drive brand awareness, boost web traffic and increase sales. Improving rankings on Google, Bing and Yahoo! requires a comprehensive search engine optimization (SEO) plan, as part of a multi-faceted digital marketing approach. Ranking near the top of search engines is crucial for businesses in any industry looking to gain a competitive advantage. Over the course of time, moving from being ranked second to first can result in thousands of additional customers and substantial revenue gains. Research has shown that fifty-three percent of searchers click on the top organic result when searching online; that number drops to 15 percent for the second result and less than 10 percent for the third.

These 14 strategies make up a well-balanced SEO portfolio and help drive visibility across search engines:

All digital marketing efforts should start with the optimization of the business’ prime digital asset, its website. On-page optimization is accomplished through optimized HTML, design and content. By mastering all three, marketers can ensure their websites are accessible and easy to read for both search engine spiders and users.

1. User-Driven Keyword ResearchKeyword research identifies the intent of consumers and creates visibility for brands across all stages of the conversion process. Comprehensive keyword research is a foundational component of all effective digital marketing and SEO strategies. Keyword research should provide businesses with information on how consumers are searching, how competitors are using keywords to impact searchers, and opportunities to create content and optimize digital offerings that create search engine visibility.

2. Engaging Quality ContentBusinesses should create content based on the insights from keyword research. Digital assets should be developed and created to fit one, if not more, target keywords. By creating unique pages for each keyword set, product or service that a business is looking to promote, search engines will be able to separate the pages and rank them accordingly. The content should be organized in a website’s architecture so that any user can easily move from one section to another and find what they are looking for easily.

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14 MUST-HAVE ASSETS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR SEO PORTFOLIO

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DIVERSIFY YOUR SEO PORTFOLIO 14 Must-Have Assets

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3. Highly Effective and Organized HTML/MetadataOn-page metadata explains to search engines what the website is about, and the more clear that message can be made, the more likely the site is to rank highly. An ineffective or unorganized code can lead toward a poor user experience and improper indexing by search engines. By using proper meta-data tags, subheaders and other coding clues designed for search engine spiders, businesses can effectively convey a web page’s content, message and focus to search engines. Breaks in the code can stop search engines from indexing additional web pages, hurt loading speeds and cause headaches when analyzing data in the future. Search engines have specifically laid out best practices for coding and those best practices should be followed as closely as possible to ensure the greatest SEO results.

4. Responsive DesignWeb design, including layout, loading speed, coding style and internal linking structure all impact search engine rankings as well as the user experience. Websites are the foundational asset of all digital marketing and should be complete with a responsive design and an internal linking structure that is easy to navigate. If the internal organization is not optimized, search engine spiders may not be able to index all of the content, meaning it cannot show up on search results.

5. Video and Image OptimizationMore than a billion videos are watched every day in the United States. With videos being prominently displayed in search results, making compelling, optimized videos is more important than ever. Videos that focus on being visually entertaining, informative and educational have the ability to influence prospects during their decision path. Video syndication creates increased organic search visibility by addressing all potential areas of discovery. By sharing videos strategically, and optimizing each syndication channel for SEO, businesses can increase their engagement and ROI.

6. Mobile OptimizationGoogle recommends businesses use a responsive design to appeal to mobile users because responsive websites automatically adjust to the size of a screen without sacrificing overall design or usability. Mobile users also have different wants and needs than desktop users. Keyword research should be done specifically on mobile users so businesses can create additional content and features that attract the mobile audience. Because they are using fingers or a stylus instead of a mouse and keyboard, businesses should adapt mobile designs to accommodate the limitations mobile devices currently have.




Off-page SEO strategies work to increase the ranking of digital assets by providing indicators to search engines that those digital assets are popular, authoritative and informative. The goal of an off-page SEO strategy is to create mentions of a business on various highly-read and highly-respected websites. These mentions help search engines decide what results to show for specific searches. In general, but not always, the more mentions across the Internet, the higher a business will rank.

7. Link BuildingLinks are one of the building blocks for all search engine rankings. Search engines use links as one element to determine the popularity and importance of a specific page. This is because search engines work by assuming that quality content, products and services will be linked to organically, while lesser content won’t be linked to as often.

It’s important for businesses to remember that search engines forbid paying for links, and doing so could result in a business being penalized in search rank or removed from search engines entirely. These rules include paying for links directly or paying for content with the express purpose of generating a link. To avoid lost rankings, visibility and market share in the future, businesses should focus on generating quality, organic links that cannot be viewed as unnatural to search engines. The best method to create natural and organic links is to generate quality content that other digital properties want to share or cite. By creating content that includes original insights, unique case studies and informative, actionable items, businesses have the ability to dramatically impact off-page SEO efforts in a positive way.

8. Ratings and Reviews (powered by Bazaarvoice)Generating new ratings and reviews on their own or third party sites can help a business’ SEO efforts in several ways. Together, they help businesses stand out in search results; increasing clicks that help drive traffic and increase sales.

Increase Click-Through-Rate: Search engines have incorporated ratings and reviews into their search results for businesses and products. Research shows that businesses with reviews receive more clicks from search engines than those without. Mobile and Local Searches: Search engines also use ratings and reviews when giving results to mobile users and those looking for local results. Generating Links: Reviews of products and services generally link back to the company’s website so readers can either make a purchase or find more information. When reviews are written organically, meaning not paid for, these links can be extremely valuable both in terms of SEO value and drawing attention to products and generating sales.

According to Moz’s yearly “Local Search Ranking Factors” survey of SEO professionals, the quality, velocity and diversity of online reviews and rankings are worth 10.3 percent in determining local search ranking performance. Search Engine Watch reports that 85 percent of consumers read reviews for local businesses. Dimensional Research reports that 90 percent of consumers say that positive online reviews had a direct impact on their buying decision. The same study found that 86 percent of people were affected by negative reviews.




9. Social Media Marketing that Drives Search VisibilitySocial media accounts can and should be used as a direct method of communication with consumers. While over-selling on social media can detract consumers, channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram allow businesses to listen to consumer comments and respond to them directly, which can build trust and loyalty over time. Social accounts can also work as a tool to move consumers toward being loyal brand advocates through the use of specialized deals/coupons, behind the scenes access and immediate attention to concerns.

Google+, which is owned and operated by Google, can have a direct impact on Google rankings. Specifically, if a brand has a Google+ page, and someone does a branded search, that Google+ page and information will show up above the fold. Google specifically says that +1 has no direct impact on organic search results, but with Google+ and Google Authorship information showing up in search results, creating and maintaining a Google+ profile is a must for all businesses.

10. Targeted, Keyword-Driven Paid AdvertisingPaid advertising, via either search or social channels, when combined with SEO strategies, can impact targeted audiences with specified messages created to enhance engagement, drive sales and boost site traffic. Both search and social advertising has the ability to target audiences based on location, device, demographics and more, which are options not available through traditional media outlets. It is highly trackable and can be optimized at every stage of the consumer decision path.

Paid digital advertising has the ability to work alongside SEO strategies to create stronger results. There has been conclusive evidence, as early as the mid-2000s, that running an integrated organic and paid search campaign led to improved online performance, versus running either an organic search or paid search campaign alone. Based on our research and research supported by companies such as Google and Forrester, ZOG Digital recommends that companies approach search engine marketing as a comprehensive program that includes both organic and paid search, for branded and nonbranded keywords.



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11. Local Search Engine Optimization (Location Pages, Directory Syndication, Google+ Pages and Local Link Building)New research shows 97 percent or more of consumers search online before making a local purchase. Consumers are searching online for where they can buy something at that very moment and are seeking answers quickly. Businesses that rely on foot traffic and in-store sales should focus on local SEO strategies that take into consideration how users search for information locally. Those strategies include, but are not limited to, building links with locally focused publications, optimizing on-page design and organization to feature each location separately, and generating ratings and reviews.

12. Active Optimization™

As digital marketing and SEO campaigns move forward over time, it’s vitally important that no business stay complacent with results or strategies. Many marketers think a one-time code update is enough but as the digital landscape shifts, it is important to continually improve on all strategies that comprise of a fully diverse digital marketing portfolio. Active Optimization™ is ZOG Digital’s process of continually analyzing metrics and results, optimizing performance and developing innovative strategies in order to make more customer connections and drive returns on investment.



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13. Metrics and Tracking TechnologyThere are many metrics that businesses should keep an eye on at all times to evaluate a digital marketing campaign or SEO strategy. All of these metrics can be both tracked and analyzed using ZOG Digital’s proprietary S2 Technology, which is built specifically to help businesses analyze data, track performance and improve digital marketing efforts.

Search Engine Rankings: Businesses should track top keyword rankings across Google, Yahoo! and Bing for both themselves and competitors. Web Traffic: With increased rankings, businesses should also see an increase in web traffic associated with those target keywords. If web traffic doesn’t follow increased search engine rankings, businesses should reevaluate the impact of the chosen target keywords. Conversions: For a digital marketing strategy to truly be measurable it must drive a specific conversion outcome like sales or leads. Conversions track how often visitors from various sources, such as search engines, social media accounts or third party sites, turn into consumers. Return-on-Investment (ROI): ROI is the metric that businesses must focus on in the long run because it accurately describes the effectiveness and the worthiness of a digital marketing campaign. By looking at ROI, businesses can make informed decisions about when to ramp up digital marketing efforts, and where money can best be spent to drive even more sales in the future.

14. Strategic Partnerships and Top TalentWhen creating a digital marketing and SEO plan, businesses should take an inventory of in-house talent and make a decision on how to best utilize existing experience, knowledge and time. When engaging in a digital marketing campaign, most businesses choose between purchasing a platform, which assists internal marketing operations by delivering metrics and some automation abilities, and hiring a full service partner, which offers expertise, experience and adaptability in addition to assisting with analytical reports. Businesses should look ahead to their goals and actively look internally to see if those goals would be best met by hiring and training a team to carry out marketing activities, or hiring an outside firm that has a proven track record and would need little ramp-up time. Additionally, it’s important to find a digital partner that works and adapts to in-house talent and is readily available to make any quick adjustments to strategy based on other factors.

Learn more about ZOG Digital’s unique approach to digital marketing and how their partner-level approach delivers industry-leading results.



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More businesses are investing heavily in mobile and local SEO, social media marketing and paid advertising on both search and social channels. Marketing budgets in each of those categories are expected to increase in 2014 and continue to go upward in the near-term future because potential consumers are using those features and channels more often. Specifically, mobile and local searches are expected to outpace desktop searches by the end of 2015, making them a growing field in which to attempt to gain market share.

In response, budgets for traditional advertising channels such as radio and newspapers, are expected to decline. This is because the amount of the public that can be reached through SEO, social and paid channels is much larger and can be more easily segmented and targeted. However, traditional advertising spending will not cease because it still has the ability to impact consumers on a large scale, but trends show that these traditional outlets are becoming more integrated with search and social components to enhance their value and effectiveness.

Moving forward, businesses will need to continue to adapt to the changing and growing digital marketing landscape, fully embracing the newest technologies and options to exert the maximum amount of influence over consumers. ZOG Digital predicts that discovery marketing will be the most effective way to capture the attention of consumers and influence their decision path. Discovery marketing is the process of making brands, products or services discoverable by target audiences, seeking information on any relevant digital resource. Discovery marketing is combining multiple proven digital marketing strategies to intersect with the consumer decision making process at key times, improving the chances of affecting the ultimate decision, creating conversions and increasing ROI.

ZOG Digital expects the mobile and local search markets to continue to gain traction going forward and eventually outpace traditional desktop searches. Because of this, we advise businesses to adapt digital offerings and optimize for both local and mobile now to be ahead of the trend. ZOG Digital also anticipates that social media outlets such as Pinterest and Instagram will become drivers of retail sales, giving businesses another opportunity to showcase products and services to consumers without fighting through the filter of traditional advertising and marketing outlets.

THE FUTURE OF SEO AND THE EVOLUTION TO DISCOVERY MARKETING


On-page SEO

1. Keyword Research

2. Content

3. Coding

4. Design

5. Video and Image Optimization

6. Mobile Optimization

Off-page SEO

7. Link Building

8. Ratings and Reviews

9. Social Media Marketing

10. Paid Advertising

11. Directory Listings & Citations

Other Factors

12. Active Optimization™

13. Metrics from Tracking Technology

14. Strategic Partnerships and Top Talent

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CHECKLIST

DIVERSIFY YOUR SEO PORTFOLIO

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14 Must-Have Assets

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