Getting started with a search engine optimization campaign?  Here are some basic tips for getting started:

1.    Keyword Selection

The goal of SEO is to rank organically for specific keywords.  So, how do you know which keywords you want to go after?  Think about how someone would search for your services or products online, and compile a list of some variations of those core keywords.  Some keywords are highly competitive and the search engines will return tens of millions of results. While those keywords can bring significant traffic to your site, they may take longer to rank for and might not be the type of visitor you’re ultimately seeking.  If this is the case, consider formulating your SEO strategy on some “long tail” keywords that are less competitive but will still bring targeted traffic.  Taking your core keywords and attaching geographic terms like your city or zip code are a good way to break out a “long tail” list.
There are many tools out there to aid with keyword research.  A couple good ones to start with include Wordstream’s Free Keyword Tool and SEO Moz’s Keyword Difficulty tool.

2.    Good Quality Content that Gets Love

“Content is king!”  This phrase is thrown around a lot in the SEO world, and it’s pretty accurate.  Search engines want to show quality websites to their users and having good, informational, and relevant content on your site is a big step towards being recognized as a quality website.  Producing unique content helps you stand out from the competition and will also generate natural inbound links from other sites who find your material unique.  So, take some time when writing copy for your product or service web pages.  Blogging is a great way to produce fresh, relevant content in which both visitors and search engines will take notice.

3.    Meta Content and Page Titles

While developing your quality content, be sure to structure it in a search engine friendly manner.  This includes a keyword rich page titles, targeted headlines, and appropriate keyword usage throughout the paragraphs.  Any images that are placed on the page should have alt descriptions and keyword related file names.  If you are attempting to optimize an interior web page for a specific keyword be sure to have content that is closely related to that keyword and use it consistently throughout the page.  Don’t overdo it and spam your page with keywords!  This is easily identified as amateur SEO and won’t do you in favor in the search engines.  Keep in mind that you’re producing content and good descriptions for humans first and search engines second.  Here’s a guide to the perfect SEO page via SEO MOZ

4.    URL Selection

Creating a new site, or looking for a new domain? URL selection is critical to not only your brand, but also which keywords you want to rank for.  Try to find a URL that has one of your core keywords in it, but stay away from multiple hyphens.  A strong ranking factor for Google is keywords in the URL, so if you can find a gem of a URL you will most likely be ranking for that keyword with relative ease.  Shorter is better than longer from a usability and user recognition standpoint.  Shorter URLs are also easier to share on sites such as Twitter.  Striking a balance between your brand name and your keywords is important, but don’t stray to a .info or some other lesser known extension.  People are used to .com so try to keep that level of familiarity with your users.

5.    Relevant Inbound Links

Links are the lifeblood of a successful SEO campaign.  Links are how search engines determine a site’s relevancy and popularity.  The theory goes that if many sites are linking to you, then you have something of value to say, and if you have something of value to say then search engines will want to point users to your site.  However, not all links are created equal.  If you have a site that sells car parts, then getting a link from a website that sells flowers isn’t going to do you much good.  In other words, you need links from sites that are relevant to your subject matter.

Google, Link Building, search marketing, SEO

The debut of the iPhone 4 has created quite a stir for consumers worldwide trying to get the best and latest Apple product. The craze has even left some people waiting hours in line just to get the newest smart phone. But whether you are involved in the craze or not, the iPhone 4 and smart phones like it have the capability to influence you more than you may know.

For example, from an industry standpoint you may be wondering how does this affect me?  Other than the fact that you might personally want one of these smart phones, mobile phone advertising is quite different from your basic PPC ad. Most would assume that they show up the same regardless of the platform, they are actually very different.

Being the industry leader, Google is currently the only major search engine that offers full mobile advertising. For Google Mobile there are some minor requirement changes that your mobile PPC ads must adhere to differently than normal:okay

-Ad Format: Mobile Ads only allow three lines of text: the headline, one description line, and one url/number line that allows the advertiser to have a one url or phone number link for their customers to connect to.

-Character Limit: Due to the smaller size of your mobile phone, the size of you PPC advertisement will also appear smaller. The character limits of your headline and description line are 18 characters each, with a total of 36 characters for the entire advertisement.

While the differences remain structural, the advantages that mobile ads have will eventually become a big factor for advertisers and customers alike. Advertisers will be able to attract customers with a new form of advertisement. And customers will be able to easily connect to products that they find appealing from the convenience of their phone.

Adwords, Google, Google AdWords, Mobile, mobile phone, Online Marketing, PPC

Does this look familiar?

Google First Page Bid Estimate and Actual Position

This inspiring sight is almost inevitable to anyone working in AdWords. Google takes care to inform you, in no uncertain terms, that your bid isn’t high enough to make the first page, and yet, when you look closer, your average position is still pretty good. Usually third or fourth. Definitely not on the second page.

Which just leaves all of us, search marketer and client alike, perplexed. What gives?

Anyone working in AdWords also figured out pretty quickly that it’s a mercurial creature, and often contradictory. Just because Google says something doesn’t necessarily mean that it means it, and the “below first page bid” situation is a prime example. In this case, a first page bid estimate does not equal the cost per click.

So just because Google says your bid is below the first page doesn’t mean that it actually is, and there are a few reasons why. Besides AdWords deciding to be contrary.

One, the first page bid estimate is just an estimate. That’s all. It’s an indication of how much you might have to pay to get on the first page, and not how much you actually will pay. In fact, you’ll often find that you pay less per click than your maximum CPC gives you room for. This is due to AdWord’s quality-based price system, which is a whole new beast of burden in and of itself.

Second, first page bid estimates only really work when a search query exactly matches the keywords that first page bid estimate is for. So if you’re using a broad or phrase match keyword, then forget about it; variations that trigger your exact keyword don’t make any difference in determining a first page bid estimate.

Third, Google search and the Google Search Network use different factors in determining pricing, ad position, and all that fun stuff. So that first page bid estimate you’re seeing? Only comes from Google search, not the Search Network, which is why you might be scratching your head at the huge disparity between the first page bid estimate that applies just to Google and the average CPC that applies to Google and the entire Search Network.

Finally, if you’re throwing your campaign around in more than one country, then the first page bid estimate comes from data from the country with the highest search volume for that specific keyword. Google does much better when you’re only targeting one country, so campaigns spanning multiple ones produce much less accurate first page bid estimates.

So the next time Google informs you that you’re below the first page bid in spite of all evidence on the contrary, that’s what gives.

Or AdWords just decided to be contrary.

Adwords, Bidding Strategies, Google, Google AdWords, Keyword Opportunities, PPC, search marketing

In the quest to create a truly epic pay per click campaign, our intrepid search marketer often runs the gamut of keywords, from the obvious to the creative to the downright silly.

But no matter how stupid “paper click” might sound as a keyword, there’s at least one person out there who’s going to search that exact phrase, right?

Right?

Oftentimes, depending on how enthusiastic the search marketer might be, an account can accumulate hundreds of keywords that never get any impressions at all, leaving one to wonder: is it really worth it, keeping all these zero impression keywords?

Maybe.

Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to cull any non-performing keywords, especially since a large number of them make it more difficult to manage your account. For the most part, they’re really not adding anything of value, since their click through rate is technically at zero percent.

On the other hand, a CTR of zero percent doesn’t necessarily lower your Quality Score, at least according to our Google sources. While CTR plays a major role in determining a keyword’s Quality Score, it’s not the only factor, not by a long shot. The historical performance of the keyword across Google’s entire system, the past performance of your display URL, the overall performance of your account—all of these go into the equation that churns out your Quality Score.

So while it’s safe to assume that most zero impression keywords are clogging up your account, it’s the Quality Score that ultimately decides whether a keyword is worth keeping or not. If the Quality Score is less than five, or otherwise significantly lower than the rest, your best course of action is to delete the keyword.

And if the Quality Score is good? It definitely doesn’t hurt to let it hang around a little while longer. A high quality keyword is better than nothing, right?

Right.

Ad Quality, Adwords, Google, Google AdWords, negative keywords, PPC, Quality Score