thinking outside the box: 5 seo strategies for success

Think Outside the Box: 5 SEO Strategies for Success

Confidential and Proprietary Information

Alison Garrison SEO ManagerTori Klem

Marketing Account Manager


Agenda• Recent Search Engine Developments• 5 Outside-the-Box SEO Strategies – Rich Snippets– Social Media– Local SEO - Even if your business is not “local”– Video– Diversifying your Marketing Mix

• The Future of SEO – Where are we headed?

• Q&A

Join the conversation: #VolusionSEO

Panda & Penguin• Devalued “low quality” pages– Targeted “over-optimized” sites using

“manipulative” tactics–Dramatically altered link profile and

anchor text values

• Placed greater emphasis on local and blended search

• Applied new methods of measuring relevance, engagement and authority



Recent Penguin Patches

• Targeted “webspam”– Thin or duplicate content– Photo driven sites– Link heavy sites

• Does that sound like your store?

Recent Penguin Hit


You Are Not Alone!


Out-of-the-Box SEO Strategy #1

Rich Snippets


What is a Snippet?


What Makes a Snippet “Rich”?


How Rich Snippets Effect SEO


Higher Search Results

More Qualified

Traffic

Better Click-Through

Rates

Google Authorship

• Google Authorship enhances a content-related query with an Author or Publisher image


Moz.com

Increasing Influence Over Ranking


Rich Snippets Tips

• Give the search engines the rich mark up they desire

• Keep product info up to date• Implement Google Authorship tag• Implement a review strategy


Looking to the Future

• Rich snippets will eventually be the norm

• Search display is always changing; be aware of current search display trends

• Mark up helps search engines immediately locate and identify what they view as valuable information


Useful Resources

• Learn about Volusion store mark up • Test your rich snippets here • Learn more about

Schema rich snippets • How Google uses rich snippets• Learn how to activate post-purchase

email to solicit reviews• Learn how to

set up Google AuthorshipConfidential and Proprietary Information

http://bit.ly/1dqOfej

http://bit.ly/15juVgF

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http://bit.ly/14bFM6q

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Out-of-the-Box SEO Strategy #2 Social Media


Join the conversation: #VolusionSEO

Why Social Media?

• Social media has massive reach• Social platforms are used like search

engines• Builds links• Increases speed and frequency of

indexing• Bolsters branding• Signals authority and engagement


The Rise of Social Signals



http://www.searchmetrics.com/en/

The Rise of Social SignalsTop 10 Ranking Factors

Moz.com

Increasing Influence Over Ranking



Social Media Impacting Organic Traffic

Twitter Works Too


Fans engaging back


Social Media Optimization Tips

• Commit to platforms that fit your market

• Craft a strategy and prepare to engage regularly and usefully

• Act on social media like how you act at a party or social engagement

• Incorporate keywords naturally into posts and social content

• Ask for reviews and feedbackConfidential and Proprietary Information


• Social media is not going away and will continue to influence the online ecosystem

• There’s a growing shift toward search within social networks

• Don’t be afraid of trying new social platforms

• Social signals are the new backlinks• Social media requires strategy, time and

knowhowConfidential and Proprietary Information

Useful Social Media Resources

• Stay abreast of social media trends with Mashable and the Social Media Examiner

• Monitor social media topic trends with Social Mention

• Organize your social media channels with Hootsuite


http://on.mash.to/19JZIFf

http://bit.ly/19JZMEU



http://socialmention.com/

http://socialmention.com/

http://bit.ly/1dtDGp6

Useful Social Media Resources

• And Volusion is here to help!• Utilize Volusion’s Social Store feature• Like Us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

and Google+ for regular social media updates• Check out Social Media videos on our YouTube

Channel• Check out our Social Media Pinterest board

for useful infographics• Regularly check in with the Volusion blog for

social media tips specific to ecommerce


http://bit.ly/17L1uA9

http://bit.ly/17L1uA9

https://www.facebook.com/Volusion

http://bit.ly/19xWlgX

https://plus.google.com/+volusion/posts

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http://bit.ly/12q5PZy



http://bit.ly/19K03Ys


Out-of-the-Box SEO Strategy #3

Local SEO(Even if your business is not locally focused)

But there is another way to look at Local SEO…



Search Term Visits Revenue

rom knee brace houston 1 $109.99

orthopedic foot braces in houston 3 $105.99

<brand> market inc lake george ny 3 $33.92

bariatrics tucaloosa alabama 15 $883.5health and wellness bariatric birmingham alabama 1 $263.5

bariatrics of tuscaloosa alabama 10 $231

<brand> farm equipment munfordville ky 107 $3,045

bulk turnip seed companies in michigan 1 $133.98

where to buy sugar beet seeds in ontario 8 $101.08

maternity hospital gowns canada 22 $128.81

white house souvenir shop washington dc 22 $496.05

Skip Local If…

• Your business uses a PO Box• You do not want your address to be

public• You are terrified of foot traffic• You are located in a very isolated

place


Why Local?

• Local results are on the upswing– Tablet & mobile search is on the rise– One third of results are now locally influenced

• Provides a competitive edge in your region• More information for the search engines• Google favors those who are transparent

and use their products• Additional search result real estate


Squeeze Out the Competition


Local SEO Tips

• Never try and trick your way into local business

• Set up Google (+ or Places) account• On-page optimization on website• Implement a citation strategy– Always use consistent information in

citations

• Local PR



• Traditional organic results are changing

• Localization is not going away• Google shows love to those who use

their products• Local SEO can tip the scales between

you and a close competitor


Local Resources

• Optimize your Google Places account• How to implement

local Schema markup• GetListed.org provides a number of

local SEO resources


https://support.google.com/places/answer/148047?hl=en

http://bit.ly/1anEBoX

http://bit.ly/18961Ra

Out-of-the-Box SEO Strategy #4 Video


Why Video is Necessary

• Attracts additional traffic• Adds value to your potential

customers• It’s less competitive• Can boost conversion rate• Increases engagement


Attracts Additional Traffic


Video in Blended Search Results


Informational Queries


Comparison Queries


Product Specific Queries


Adds Value to Your Customer


Video is Less Competitive


Increase Conversion Rates


Videos Increase Engagement


How to: Optimize Videos


1. Include keywords in title

2. Include a keyword rich description

3. Add a link within the description

4. Provide value within the video

5. Add keywords under “tags”

6. Categorize

A Few More Video Optimization Tips

• Post videos with SEO in mind• Use the company voice and branding• Frontload your videos• Repurpose old content for video



• Videos are moving from nice-to-have to need-to-have

• Google will likely reward helpful videos and will probably penalize “spammy” video

• YouTube is and will continue to be the dominant video player

• Short video applications are growing


Useful Resources

• Add Videos to product pages on Volusion stores (or, you can simply embed the videos)

• Video Schema Markup• Video Optimization Tips


http://bit.ly/17uX6XZ

http://bit.ly/15yhqmF

http://bit.ly/15yhqmF

http://bit.ly/1e7y2tf

Out-of-the-Box Strategy #5 Diversify Your Marketing

Mix



Complete Marketin

g Strategy

SEO

PPC

Shopping Feeds

Public Relations

Traditional Advertisin

gBranding

Email

Content Strategy

Social Media

cpcstrategy.comConfidential and Proprietary Information

Top Performing Comparison Shopping Engines

Diversification Tips

• Find the right mix for your company• Examine user behavior to identify

your best performing channels– Bounce rate, conversions, time on site,

etc.

• Repeat after me: – All well-behaved traffic is beneficial to

my SEO!


The Future of SEO

• The search engines will continue to be value driven– What is valuable in your industry? You need to produce

that online material.

• Blended search & localization will continue to be important– Do not ignore local optimization or complementary

search marketing channels

• It’s time to think beyond “traditional” SEO– Your goal is visibility for relevant search queries

• Search is always changing– Be quick to adapt – Track future algorithm changes here


http://bit.ly/18lGL6r

SEO Services

• Want to partner with Volusion SEO? Call 888-750-3996 to learn more about our services and current promotions.


thinking outside the box: 5 seo strategies for success

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