(2004) Using internet search engines to market your services
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James Osgood presents on using search engines to market services and listings. He discusses how search engines are the top source of new leads, providing an overview of search engine marketing. Key points include how search engines work, different types of search engines, and how to optimize websites for search engines through techniques like keyword research and link building. He also discusses hiring a search engine optimization consultant to help with these efforts.
(2004) Using internet search engines to market your services
- 1. Presented by: James Osgood OfficeFinder.com Using Internet Search Engines to Market your Services and Listings Copyright © 2004 OfficeFinder ™ All rights reserved.
- 2. About OfficeFinder Tenant Rep Broker since 1979, CCIM in 1986 OfficeFinder created in 1995 Generate leads for our Network of Tenant Reps and Executive Suites members Link between bricks and Mortar and Internet Primary focus is on office space in US, Canada and UK Average over 1500 leads per month Facilitated $50 million in transaction value in 2003 Search engines #1 source of new leads
- 3. Search Engine Marketing Overview What they are Why they are important How they work Various types Major players and relationships How to get pages listed Free Paid Hiring a Search Engine Optimization Consultant
- 4. Search Engines – the Basics A software program that searches a database and gathers and reports information that contains or is related to requested terms Typically is an online tool Over 625 million the searches per day And…
- 5. How People Find Websites Source: Meta-Group (Business Intelligence) 46% Search Engines 20% Random Surfing 20% Word Of Mouth 2.1% Magazine Ads 1.4% By Accident 1.2% TV Spots 1% Targeted Email
- 6. How Search Engines Work Search engines have a special set of criteria, known as an algorithm 1 that they use to decide which pages to display when someone conducts a search. The algorithm may look at things like the domain name, title of the page, the text of the page, how many other web sites link to the page, and even what text web sites that link to a page use to describe it. Algorithm is Top Secret 1 Algorithm defined : A step-by-step problem-solving procedure, especially an established, recursive computational procedure for solving a problem in a finite number of steps. (dictionary.com)
- 7. All the major search engines have 3 components with varying emphasis
- 8. Crawler-based Search Engines Automatically visit web pages to compile their listings (Spiders Robots) Taking care in how you build your pages, determines if you might rank well in crawler-produced results. (Search Engine Optimization) Need to submit pages – no inclusion guarantees. Examples: Google, Inktomi, AllTheWeb, Teoma & AltaVista
- 9. Directories Directories are usually human-compiled guides to the web, where sites are organized by category in a directory format. ( Yahoo ) If you are listed with them, then crawler-based search engines are more likely to find your site and add it to their listings for free. Search by either keyword phrase or by category. Examples: Yahoo, LookSmart & The Open Directory
- 10. Sample Web Site Directory Sites organized by subject (drill down) Business & Economy B2B , Finance , Shopping , Jobs ... Computers & Internet Internet , WWW , Software , Games ... News & Media Newspapers , TV , Radio ... Entertainment Movies , Humor , Music ... Recreation & Sports Sports , Travel , Autos , Outdoors ... Health Diseases , Drugs , Fitness ... Government Elections , Military , Law , Taxes ... Regional Countries , Regions , US States ... Society & Culture People , Environment , Religion ... Education College and University , K-12 ... Arts & Humanities Photography , History , Literature ... Science Animals , Astronomy , Engineering ... Social Science Languages , Archaeology , Psychology ... Reference Phone Numbers , Dictionaries , Quotations ...
- 11. Paid Listings Every major search engine with significant traffic accepts paid listings Pay per Click (PPC) Pay for Performance Sponsored links Guaranteed to appear in the top results Quickly build visibility Examples: Google, Overture & FindWhat
- 12. Top Search Engines As of November 2003 Big 4 have 94% of the Search Market
- 13. Search Engine Relationships Interactive Search Engine Relationship Chart
- 14. A Two Provider Search World as of March 2004 94% of searches are powered by the big two
- 15. Getting Found on Search Engines Search Engine Optimization Search engine optimization means ensuring that your web pages are accessible to search engines and focused in ways that help improve the chances they will be found. No Guarantees Free listings (after submission costs) Paid Placement Guaranteed placement
- 16. Fundamental Search Engine Optimization Provide meaningful quality Content related to your keyword phrase Get a domain name with your keyword phrase e.g. www.4office-space.com Use your Keywords in your page title tag Develop quality inbound links Don’t over use keyword phrase Name your web pages with your keyword phrases e.g. phoenixofficespace.html
- 17. Fundamental Search Engine Optimization Use a site map to allow easy spidering Register with all the major search engines and directories Submit your pages regularly Check your search engine placement regularly Adjust pages and content as needed
- 18. How Search Engines Rank Web Pages Focus on the text content of a web page Link Popularity – quality and relevance of inbound links to your site Keyword Phrase density – especially at the top of the page Domain Name – www.keyword.com Title tag on page
- 19. Optimization Caveats Or how not be found or banned by the search engines
- 20. Dynamic HTML Pages Search engine robots follow standard links with slashes, but not always dynamic pages, generated from databases or content management systems Dynamic URLs have question marks (?) and other command punctuation such as &, %, + and $.
- 21. Dynamic HTML Pages Example CB Richard Ellis listing Mesa Corporate Center http://www.loopnet.com/stealth/pfui.asp ? url=/templates/forlease/fl_profile_page1.asp & PID=13670009&propAccessPwd= & STID=cbre & LL=true
- 22. Using Flash or Graphics on your Homepage Impressive but not search engine friendly Most search engines can not read content Some will follow links Home page gets highest SE consideration If you use Flash, have an alternate html site to submit to search engines Flash site sample
- 23. Spamming the Search Engines Overusing key phrase on page Hiding text in light colors on page Using Link Farms for inbound links Cloaking and redirecting pages Multiple sites with identical content Get caught – Get dropped
- 24. Paid listing Search Engines Many More Enhance Search123 Lycos ePilot Business Nation 7search SuperPages Business.com FindWhat Looksmart Overture (Yahoo) Google AdWords
- 25. Google AdWords Start gaining new customers in less than 15 minutes More than 200 million times a day , people use Google and its partner sites to find what they're looking for. Make sure they find what you're selling. With Google AdWords you create your own ads, choose keywords to tell us where to show your ads and pay only when someone clicks on them. Google AdWords ads appear on Google and partner sites AdWords Log On
- 26. Google AdWords Partners Google’s extensive content network of high-quality consumer and industry-specific websites and products, such as newsletters (U.S. only) and email programs, includes: includes: Google’s global search network, includes the following:
- 27. Google AdWords Format Search term: Office Space
- 28. Google AdWords Position Position is determined by combination of CPC and clickthrough rate. If an ad is irrelevant to users, they won't click on it and it will move down the page. Your relevant ads will rise, at no extra cost to you. Your ad can rise above someone paying more if it is highly relevant for a specific keyword Can loose position or be removed if minimum CTR not met
- 29. Overture PPC Partners Delivered over 1 billion targeted leads during past year Partner sites account for 95% of Overture’s Web traffic and includes tens of thousands of affiliate partners Overture’s Major Partners include
- 30. Overture Positioning Strictly based on cost Only top 3 bids widely distributed
- 31. Pay per Click – Getting Started Select Search terms Enter title and description for each term Determine bid amounts Overture top 3 are distributed to Partner sites – 95% of traffic Google up to top 8 are distributed to Partner sites Your listings appear on the web within minutes Track and adjust your position/bids Overture’s Flash Presentation
- 32. Selecting Keywords to Target What are your prospects searching to find? Your own Web Statistics Log Overture Search Term Suggestion Tool WordTacker.com – Free trial Database of terms that people search for. Enter some keywords, and they tell you how often people search for them, and also tell you how many competing sites use those keywords Google AdWords bid tool estimator and Keyword Tool
- 33. Title and Description Limited number of characters Make them compelling Use the keyword phrase Meet a need Stress benefit Stress USP Need Office Space? We can help Large or small offices, conventional space or executive suite, our experts can help. Pros in over 400 markets. Free info, tools and resources with personal assistance upon request. OfficeFinder Pros Need Office Space? We can Help. Local experts in 400+ markets Free Executive Suite Search - USA Free-Fast-Easy. Flexible office space for rent, lease or share, short- or long-term. Executive office suites and business centers in all price ranges, sizes, coast to coast. Call toll free. w ww.searchofficespace.com
- 34. Hiring a good Search Engine Optimization Consultant Educate yourself about search engine optimization, so that you will be able to ask good questions Try to determine if a company is credible and professional – get references Watch out for "too good to be true guarantees" Is keyword research performed for your Web site?
- 35. Hiring a good Search Engine Optimization Consultant Is the structure and design of your Web site considered? How long will the company provide regular maintenance and optimization services? Are placement reports available to show listings?
- 36. Hiring a good Search Engine Optimization Consultant Will the company provide paid listing management? Select a company who keeps updated with Internet and search engine technology What general techniques do they use Be prepared to pay, it is not cheap!
- 37. Online Resources Search Engine Watch - searchenginewatch.com Google AdWords - adwords.google.com Overture –overture.com Bruce Clay - bruceclay.com Wordtracker - wordtracker.com Search Guild - searchguild.com Net Mechanic - netmechanic.com Web Position - webposition.com