search engine results: the best measure?
TRANSCRIPT
Search Engine Results: The Best Measure?• Search Engines’ changing roles
• Data-driven paths to sustainable results
• Trends that could impact futures
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Agenda / Outline
• Search Engines’ changing roles Evergreen SEO tactics
• Data-driven paths to sustainable results Email marketing, Lead magnets, storytelling, simplifying data management
• Trends that could impact futures End of geek-elite; Artificial Intelligence; Sales and Marketing Alignment
Search Engines’ Changing Roles History of Web Search - a 20 year lookback
Then
Now
❶
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Ads “Related” searches Wikipedia links Song lyrics
Random crap based on monitoring me
GOOG “thinks” it knows me better than me, even striking out “less relevant” keywords on my “long tail” search phrases
2017:
It s**ksagain
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GOOG, FB, MSN and others now auto-play videos, noisily competing for our scant attention.
Why? Because we can.
Search isn’t dead.
It’s undead.
It’s …
Zombie search. 10
Let’s be fair.
SEO – on-page: ...GOOD! SEO – off-page: …GOOD! SEM – ……………….GOOD! Content tagging: GOOD!
They all improve your web content’s visibility.
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SEO's 3 goals:
Quality of traffic (start here) - quality visits by potential buyersQuantity of traffic - number of quality visitorsOrganic traffic - traffic from non-paid links and content
What do do.
WHITE HAT Strategy (Google Trends)Competitive Analysis (Link:xyz)Deliver Amazing Content Headlines: 80% of your investmentAuthoritative VoiceWrite for people, not Search Engines
GRAY HAT (AVOID)Article Submissions Press Releases Without NewsReciprocal Linking & Link ExchangesLosing Your Voice Through AutomationIgnoring Social SignalsIgnoring Design
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Here’s how. 7 ways.
ResearchYour Topic, competitors and market (Google Trends)Long Tail Keywords (Google Keyword Planner, Long Tail Pro, MOZ)LSI - Latent Sematic Indexing - linking similar words based on context. Example: “Tree” means different things to a botanist and a logistician.
Domain Authority and linking Link your site to other relevant quality sitesInternal Linking
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Become an Authority on Your TopicPost regularly. Write long articles. Give bots a reason to live, crawl and refresh.
Optimize your Content (tool: SEO Analyzer)Longer copy (>1000 words) establishes authority, and is richer in linkable content and LSI contentStructure your content for easy scanning: concise sentences, discreet paragraphs, subtitles, bullets, listsCTA - Have a logical, relevant Call to Action on each site page
Create Great Headlines (the “80% solution”)5x more people read your headline than your copy.
Here’s how (cont’d)
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Meta Description Do it for every website page
Evergreen Content Refresh it occasionally. Give crawlers a reason to live.
Here’s how (cont’d)
What about Email? It’s high in ROI and control
Source: Direct Marketing Association
https://foundr.com/email-list/
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Want this?
What does Constant Contact report? 21
Stories constitute the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.
-Dr. Howard Gardner, professor Harvard University
CX
Customer Experience andStorytelling
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THE STORY SPINE
THEME STRUCTURE FUNCTION
Once upon a time…Beginning
The world of the story is introduced and the main character's routine is established.
Every day…But, one day… The event The main character breaks the routine.
Because of that…Middle
There are dire consequences for breaking the routine. Outcomes are unclear. Setbacks and surprises ensue.
Because of that…Because of that…
Until finally… ClimaxThe main character embarks upon success or failure.
And, ever since then…
EndThe main character succeeds or fails, and a new routine is established.
The moral is… Value The character’s experience benefits us.
CX
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Email: high in ROI and control
Upshot: Build your Email List. Why, besides ROI?
Control! Nobody can evict you from your email or your website.
• End “algo-slavery” to FB, GOOG, LI, et. al. • OWN the relationship – access to inboxes • OWN the data – build deeper understanding• Build relationships directly – share stories • Nurture Leads – listen, assess, respond
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time andattention
Ignore Delete Opt out Report SPAM Complain Negative Review Lower Brand Value Lost Customers
tolerance limit
Just keep it balanced. How? Data.
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Just keep it balanced, using data.
Buyers have high expectations. We can’t let them down.
They’re a bit overwhelmed. We have to adapt.
Good, clean data helps you attain relevance.
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Data, simplified: Who are these people?
COLD (newbie) WARM (subscriber) HOT (likely buyer)
No previous experience with brand or business
Is aware of brand or product
Familiar with brand, product, service
Hasn't shown interest in the brand or product before
Has expressed some interest
Specifically looking for what you offer
May resent a blind contact out of the blue.
May be on a mailing list Undecided about a purchase
Likely prospect, potential buyer
Looking for value or assurance before deciding to buy
Source: Foundr27
Build Lead Magnets. Lots of them. Gather data for each Lead Type - cold, warm, hot
Essential Elements:
1. Collaterals (give, give, give … then ask)Advice ● Cheat Sheet ● eBook ● Webinar ● Video
2. Landing Page w/ Call to Action (CTA) attention grabbing buttons, banners, art
3. Minimalist form fills
4. Thank-you pages - the true measure (GA Goal)29
Lead Magnet:
Advice, Free offer
Lead Magnet Process Flow Example: Account Based Marketing (ABM)
contact Call emailEx.: Trade
show
Follow-up steps
Recap OfferNotes
TRIGGER
RESPONSE
Lead Magnet:
Advice, Free offer
Lead Magnet:
Purchase
GIVE GIVE GIVE ASK
Lead Magnet:
Advice, Free offer
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Most people quit here Persist, and you win more.
Break-even Scenario
Product Expense R&D 1000Production build 2000Test, verify, support 500
MKTG & Sales Expense
Event Planning 500Travel (gas, lodging) 390Meals & Entertainment 225Marketing (web, email) 500Attendance time 2000Total Expenses 7115
RevenueUnit sales 11ARPS 695Gross Revenue 7645Net Revenue 530
Lead Magnet example 1
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Want this? Build effective lead magnets.
What does Constant Contact report? 35
Digital Marketing is Moneyball.
IF WE WIN ON OUR BUDGET WITH THIS DATA WE WILL HAVE CHANGED THE GAME
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Data is Moneyball. Treat it that way.
Closely monitor: • Where it comes from • Where it goes • How much you have • What types you have • How it behaves
Moneyball Questions to Ask about Data: • What types of information do you have? • How expensive is it to obtain each type? • How many records are there in each of those types? • Who is using that data? How? What are the results?
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$
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Data is Moneyball. Treat it that way.
Ways to treat data like money
• Optimize Sourcing Strategies • Renegotiate Terms • Reduce Total Cost of Ownership –
unify and cleanse all records
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$
Was: "Exhaust"
A dirty, ugly byproduct of systems, apps and transactions.
Not very sexy.
Changes in “Data-tude”
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Pro • accurate, timely business decisions • accurate, timely customer decisions • real time decision making • real time alerts
Con• unstructured data • talent shortage • tool complexity • Tool integration
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Data’s Pros and Cons
Q: So much data. Which data matters? A: Start with a buyer story.
“I am a ___ and I need a ___ solution to my ___ challenge.“
Find your relevant data.
Identify the 3 types of data needed to create a happy ending: 1. Signal data - tells you what customers want most at that
stage of their journey. 2. Solution data - tells you what type of experience they
should receive (aim for delight: exceed the “ask”). 3. Measurement data - tells you the results of your response.
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Where do you focus your efforts?
SEO
Business Intelligence
ContentMarketing
Social
!
Reputation
Automation
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Data Driven paths to sustainable results ❷
What you need: • Super Audiences • Personalized Customer Experience
How to get there: • Central Nervous System • “Record of Truth" database • AI. Yes, AI.
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Any technique that enables computers to mimic human intelligence, using logic, if-then rules, decision trees, etc.
Statistical techniques enable machines to improve at tasks with experience. Includes deep learning.
Artificial Intelligence(mimic)
Machine Learning (improve)Deep Learning
(train)
Algorithms permit software to train itself to perform tasks, like speech and image recognition, by exposing multilayered neural networks to vast amounts of data.
The Artificial Intelligence Opportunity
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Martech = Absolute Power. Well, almost.
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Advertising & Promotion
Mobile Marketing Video AdvertisingDisplay and Programmatic Advertising PrintSearch and Social Advertising PR Native / Content Advertising
Content & Experience
Mobile Apps Optimization, Personalization and TestingInteractive Content DAM & MRM Video Marketing SEOEmail Marketing Marketing Automation & Campaign / Lead MgtContent Marketing CMS & Web Experience Management
Social & Relationships
Call Analytics & Management InfluencersAccount Based Marketing Feedback & ChatEvents, Meetings & Webinars Community & Reviews Social Media Marketing & Monitoring Experience, Service & Success Advocacy, Loyalty & Referrals CRM
Commerce & Sales
Retail & Proximity Marketing Affiliate Marketing & ManagementChannel, Partner & Local Marketing Ecommerce MarketingAutomation, Enablement, Intelligence Ecommerce Platform & Carts
Data
Aud / Market Data, Data Enhancement iPaas, Cloud / Data Integration & Tag MgtMKTG Analytics, Perform, Attribution DMPMobile & Web Analytics Predictive Analytics Dashboards & Data Visualization Customer Data Platforms Business / Customer Intel, Data Science
Management
Talent Management Projects & Workflow Product Management Agile & Lean ManagementBudgeting & Finance Vendor AnalysisCollaboration
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What’s in your stack?
Some usual suspects, plus this session’s responses
Email Marketing Outlook, Gmail, ConstantContact, MailChimp
Website / Blog Wordpress, Drupal, SquareSpace, Wix, GoDaddy
Collateral Assets PPT, MSWord, YouTube
Social Channels FB, TW, LI, PI, IG
Workflow Slack, Trello
Dealflow (CRM, SFA) SFDC, Zoho,
MKTG Automation Eloqua, Marketo
Finance, Billing, Acctg QuickBooks
eCommerce Amazon, Shopify
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Pro • accurate, timely business decisions • accurate, timely customer decisions • real time decision making • real time alerts
Con• unstructured data • talent shortage • tool complexity • Tool integration
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Data’s Pros and Cons – Same for your Stack!
First: Let’s Topple the High Priests of Code
Democratize Geekery.
Look who’s doing it: …
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Business Productivity750 SW AppsThousands of integration tools
Personal ProductivityThousands of applets to do your routine chores – and some you hadn’t imagined yet
Workflow (ios) Help your Mac / ios apps work together seamlessly
Integration sites – from codeless to code-light
AI
(MIMICRY)
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Code-light to Code-savvy
Glitch (Javascript library)
CodePen (front end)
TensorFlow Playground (Google)Neural Networks
CodecademyLearn HTML, CSS, Java, Python, more
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Second: Let’s get vocal. Why?
1. Security. 2. Ubiquity. 3. Convenience. 4. Satisfaction. 5. End app overload. 6. End of smartphones?
R.I.P.
AI
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Third: Let’s align to leverage the future. It’s already here, anyway.
Article: The Sales and Marketing Alignment conversation 59
Thank you!
Ed Alexander Chief Digital Marketer [email protected]
781.492.7638
For questions, contact:
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Appendix
Various and sundry resources Helpful links Out-takes from this slide deck.
(Out of time. Sorry. Enjoy.)
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CUSTOMER NEED
CUSTOMER SUCCESS
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https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/invest-create-perform
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