Expert recommends video production SEO for brand marketing
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is something all online companies should be doing to improve brand awareness, it has been claimed.
According to Rob Griffin of Media Contacts, brands that are not focused on ecommerce should still invest in search engine marketing.
In an article for Search Insider, he explains that brands with an advertising presence in channels such as TV, radio, print and outdoor, still need to address online marketing as consumers are increasingly turning to internet searches to find out additional information on companies.
He highlights video productions in particular as a way of boosting search results.
"Don't be afraid to sink resources into your own SEO because of the inherent benefit it will have on your sponsored search efforts. For one, video SEO is a great way to get some extra mileage out of your creative and content investments as well," he said.
A recent report by research firm eMarketer found that online advertising spending will reach $61.8 billion (£40.5 billion) worldwide this year.
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The Thinning Line Between SEO and Social Media
I’ve been doing SEO for as long as I can remember. I rarely stop to look at the distance I’ve made since I started; more notably, the change in the SEO space and the change in my own philosophies. But when I do stop and look, I realize that I’m even more excited about SEO today than ever before.
I believe heavily in the significance of social media. Even though the blogosphere blows up with “SEO is dead” posts at least three times a year, I don’t think it is. On the contrary, I think it’s merging with social media. From TrustRank to editorial content to personalization, there’s so much in social media that Google adores. It’s just the way Google is going, and it’s far bigger than integrating Twitter for real-time searches. I believe Google is coming out with ‘Google Me’ for more control in the semantic web – that’s a pretty bold move into the social sphere.
New Content Marketing vs. Old Technical Recommendations
For me, content marketing as an SEO concentration is the largest slice of the pie. I still think about link building, and respect the specific values it brings. I still perform technical audits, but I really don’t get as gritty as some SEOs still do. I see many agency audits as part of my day job, and can’t help wondering if those SEOs believe in the value of what they’re recommending, or just making the recommendations because it’s routine, easy, and profitable. I think SEO matured past the order of keywords in a title tag, or some bloated code.
Google knows it’s their burden to overcome bad code, poorly crawlable navigations, and all the other traditional obstacles. They know that even the worse sites (to a limit) can have the best content for a user. If Google can’t figure out how to serve this content, the users will lose faith in Google’s results. Justified or not, Google made their own bed. Sometimes spending dozens of expensive hours with a design team or web platform just doesn’t make sense to me anymore. If it’s something I can change quickly on a WordPress platform, then I have no problem erring on the side of caution. But if it’s deflating the code of an entire platform for a hopeful benefit, I just don’t feel comfortable doing that. I don’t like making recommendations and dropping them in the lap of non-technical executives. Just feels cruel. I don’t feel I created any real value.
Creating Value Through A Social Media Approach
SEO for me is about optimizing for engines on behalf of the users. SEO is creating value for everyone involved. In my case, my niche is in ecommerce. I optimize for customers. I turn sites into authoritative hubs. I write and publish with a face. I’m not afraid to publically admit to a mistake if I cross the line. I communicate with customers like I would if I were working in a brick and mortar store, and provide a forum for conversation wherever possible. I don’t try to beat my audience – I meet the interested customers in the middle. In other words, I don’t run around with a megaphone like a carnival worker verbally assaulting passerbys. Instead I engage them on their own terms.
This includes a lot of day-to-day marketing, trust building, and value promotion. The “give to get” model really seems to bring power to an online store, just as long as that store is more than a thin vending machine. Direct conversions? Not always. But it’s not that easy anymore. There is still a long term reward, from branding to optimizing your other marketing channels, that helps websites survive this online climate. It’s old school marketing, really. The first version of the web isolated traditional marketing. Now in Web 2010, it’s obviously back with a vengeance. SEO needs to continue accepting that.
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UK Companies Not Utilizing SEO
According to results by ThomsonLocal.com and Analytics SEO, from the UK’s first audit of small business websites, almost 50% of all UK business websites are not using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) as part of their online marketing strategy.
Analytics SEO set out 30 criteria as key signals of SEO quality and fed them into their pioneering SEO software that was able to automatically and simultaneously perform an SEO audit of all 1,001 sites.
Here’s a summary of the findings.
The general state of UK business websites
■ 47% of all business websites have none or very basic levels of SEO
■ Over 70% of companies with less than 50 employees have none or very basic levels of SEO
■ Unsurprisingly larger companies tend to have better websites
■ With a few exceptions, the length of time a business has been trading or the type of business has little on no bearing on the quality of its website
■ 12% of all business websites are not indexed in any search engine
■ 0.6% of business websites are under construction
■ Only 3% of all business websites could be considered to have advanced levels of SEO
Technical Configuration of Websites
■ 74% of businesses have no basic website analytics software for tracking site visits
■ Only 2% of all businesses used advanced website analytics software
■ 82% have no HTML sitemap
■ 75% have no XML sitemap
■ 69% have no Robots.txt file configured
■ 71% have no Custom 404 page configured
Website Content
■ 35% do not have unique Page Titles
■ 56% do not have unique Page Descriptions
Popularity
■ The average company with less than 50 employees has 408 inbound links
■ The average UK company has 6,874 inbound links
“Now more than ever consumers are turning to search engines like Google and Bing, as well as local search websites for help in finding the best local suppliers,” said Jill Pringle, Marketing Director, ThomsonLocal.com, which commissioned the research.
“Local businesses need to wake up to the fact that investing in better quality websites with original content can bring them new customers more quickly, and ensuring that the website they build is search engine friendly is essential in today’s market.”
Woweb, a leading UK SEO and web design company in Lancashire, said “Any business website can dramatically increase revenue with a good SEO strategy. We’re seeing companies increase turnover by upwards of £50,000 per year just from having a solid search engine plan. However SEO is not a quick fix, it takes time to achieve but rewards are great once accomplished.”
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