Web Marketing Overview from Naifawebsites.com

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Web Marketing Overview

Six recommended areas to focus your online marketing efforts:

1. Keywords -- Identify the BEST terms for people to find you.

2. Site Content -- Make it useful and keyword-rich; update frequently.

3. Submissions -- Send to the search engines, and post on directories.

4. Link Strategy -- Constantly increase the number of relevant incoming links (plus online PR).

5. Paid Search -- Place small ads that will appear on search results pages.

6. Email Marketing -- Build a list, stay in constant touch, make offers, pay to be in other e-newsletters.

There are other Internet marketing categories, but these require more resources: Banner Ads, Affiliate Programs, Blogs, and interactions with Online Communities.

1. KEYWORDS

• Build a list of the words and phrases people use to find you

• Keep in mind:

  • Capitalization does not matter

  • Use both singular and plural forms of words

  • Include the cities, districts, regions, zip codes your services cover

  • Think of word variations (advice, adviser, advisers, advisor, advisors, advisory)

  • Also include common misspellings

  • The more “niche” your services and target market, the better chance for higher search engine ranking because the less competition you will have for your specialty keywords (example: motorcycle insurance vs. car insurance)

• Keyword research

• Listen to your clients. What words do they use?

• Technique to see the keywords your competitors use – view their source code

• Keyword list available at www.goldkeylongtermcare.com

• Google AdWords Keyword Tool (Online Demo)
  This free service from Google provides you with a list of terms to potentially target. Enter a word or phrase and the tool returns a list of searched-for phrases containing those words, listed in descending order. Be sure to enter common misspellings in your query. Google AdWords Keyword Tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal)

• Example: “ira rollover” – shows good opportunities with phrase variations that have low competition yet reasonable search frequency:
  - roth ira transfer
  - maximum contribution ira
  - contribution limit ira
  - catch up ira

• How to add keywords to the meta tags in your sites source code

  • Tutorial is available in the Customer Central/Online Tutorials/Marketing Tips section of the www.financialvisions.com website

  • Follow the step-by-step instructions, then forward the information to your webmaster.

2. SITE CONTENT – Enhancing with Keywords

• Place most important keywords near tops of pages.

• Headlines are especially important.

• Keyword-rich text in a long paragraph at the bottom of the Home Page. (Use the “Disclaimer” section.) See example at www.goldkeylongtermcare.com.

• Develop several pages focused on particular keywords.

3. SUBMISSION TO SEARCH ENGINES

• Submit your site to the important Web search engines

• Just focus on the major ones; they feed content to the other minor ones

• Simple online tool that can speed up the process:

  • Wait until your meta tags are in your source code (mentioned earlier)

  • Go back to www.siteowner.com/system/meta.cfm

  • Scroll down and click on “Submit Your Site.”

  • Leave the boxes checked on for all of the search engines listed.

• The next step is to be patient. It can take several months for your site to get listed.

LISTINGS IN DIRECTORIES

• Three major directories that are free:

  • Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.org)

  • Yahoo! Local (local.yahoo.com)

  • Google Maps (maps.google.com)

  • Step-by-step tutorials are on www.financialvisions.com in the Customer Central section mentioned earlier.

• The main Yahoo! Directory (https://ecom.yahoo.com/dir/submit/intro/) costs $299/yr., but

  • will definitely improve your search engine ranking if you make this investment.

• Process:

  • Listing process is more complicated than making a simple URL submission

  • Browse each directory; need to select your category when you submit your site

  • Get ideas by looking at the companies that are listed in different categories.

  • Decide on the best category for your business

  • Look at your competitors in that category to get ideas for how to describe your business.

  • Write your description, usually can use a maximum of about 20 words.

  • Follow each directory’s instructions for submitting your site.

  • For most directories, you will submit only one time in one category. Yahoo! Local, however, allows multiple categories, so take advantage of that.

• Directories focused on specific industries, as well as other local directories. For example, search for “directories (your town or region)” and “directory (your town or region)”

• Professional organizations -- Check their online directories to make sure your website address is included and has a hyperlink to your site.

4. LINK STRATEGY

• Relevant, incoming links to your site (called “link popularity”) are viewed favorably by search engines, so link-building efforts are critical to improving your ranking. Factors to consider:

• The “bigger” (high-traffic site) the incoming link, the better. That’s another reason the directories are so important.

• Focus on INCOMING links; avoid having too many OUTGOING links.

• Do not use “Free-for-all” pages and “link farms,” or services that promise lots of links. The search engines will actually penalize you if links aren’t relevant or don’t relate to the content on your site.

• Reciprocal links:

  • Create a “Resources” page. (See example on www.goldkeylongtermcare.com)

  • Find complimentary websites; search for “link building software”

  • Local link partners – find them on Local Yahoo!

  • When you locate sites, send personal emails to administrative contact found in the Whois Directory (www.allwhois.com).

• Online Press Releases

  • PRWeb.com. Also, search for “free press release distribution.”

  • Examples of newsworthy topics:

  • A new partner has joined your firm

  • New address

  • Your support of a worthy cause

  • Your company is offering a new service

  • Workshop or seminar announcements

• Format: search for phrase “press release format” and you’ll find examples.

5. PAID SEARCH, Google Adwords

Google Adwords is the leader in this category, though all search engines offer paid search, the small ads (also called “Sponsored Links”) that appear next to the “organic” results.

• Process:

  • Set up an Account.

  • Determine how much you will budget for each day.

  • Create campaigns

  • Choose keywords that will trigger your ads to appear

  • Decide what you will pay for each click on your ads. The ads will no longer appear on a particular day, once your daily budget has been reached.

• Use Regional and Local Targeting

  • Your ads will only appear in the geographic region you have specified.

  • Your ad’s position is determined by both its click price, and its RELEVANCY. If it has a good click-through-rate, it can appear higher than those who have higher bid prices.

• Test the program by starting small ($5 to activate, $.05/click, a few dollars a day)

  • Go to adwords.google.com, and click on “Sign-up Demo” to preview the sign up process.

  • “Click to begin” and you will be walked through the process.

  • Or… You can pay Google to set up a customized campaign for you ($299)

6. EMAIL MARKETING

Build an email list of people you know and those who agree to receive emails from you (opt-in list).

• Capture email addresses on your website by offering free reports, free seminars, etc.

• Rent opt-in lists from “email list houses” (do a search). One resource is www.listfinder.directmag.com.

• Keep adding to your list whenever you collect business cards, or talk to people and ask for their addresses so you can send information.

• Text ads in other e-newsletters (also called “sponsorships”)

• Submit articles to other e-newsletters

• Common E-Mail Pitfalls

• Placing content below the fold (not seen in the Preview window)

• Making it too difficult to unsubscribe

• Sending the right offer to the wrong database segment

• Leaving out the call to action

• Asking too many questions on the newsletter sign up form

• Buying a list, instead of renting one

• Not checking in with customers on a steady basis

• Treating everyone the same

• Sending emails with attachments (main reason for routing to spam folders)