How to Target the Right Audience

Because it does not have the limitations of traditional marketing, Facebook advertising enables an Internet marketer to target a specific demographic based upon what their interests are, what specific things they like, and what they are currently discussing online. The primary advantage here lies in the fact that you do not have to wait for users to discover your brand or business via search. Facebook enables you to use a highly targeted method of advertising that can’t be found elsewhere.

In order for an advertising campaign to be successful, it is going to require you to perform a psychological assessment of sorts. Who is the specific user you are targeting? What is he or she interested in? What other interests might they have? What is their marital status? What is their educational level? With all of the information that Facebook users provide about themselves, the options are endless.

Facebook advertising involves more than just understanding the targeted demographic. You must also be willing to take the time to learn more about them. The type of data that you derive from a Facebook ad campaign is dependent upon how ready you are to engage in testing. Bear in mind, though, that testing all of these different characteristics at once isn’t going to be feasible. The key to success is to begin on broad terms and hone in on the demographics that are responding best to your campaigns.

Boosting Campaign Performance Through Optimization

How is optimization defined? In broad terms, it is a general term for boosting the performance of a particular keyword over time, which is determined by various keyword performance indicators. Optimization is something that cannot be broken down into clearly defined steps. Facebook ads are obtained via an auction platform, and potential advertisers are required to bid on the ads that are revealed to specific demographics.

In order to choose the right ads, it is going to be imperative for you to specify a certain amount of time that you can devote to analyzing data. You will need to understand your target audience’s response and be able to fine tune changes to existing ad campaigns to meet these responses.

Going Beyond the Campaign

As you become more comfortable with Facebook, the focus shifts from how to run the ad campaigns to how to interpret exactly what these campaigns mean. For example, how do they measure up to other campaign platforms? What exactly are you supposed to do with the new fans you’ve acquired? This where engaging the client become important.

Facebook has recently provided updates that will enable a marketer to track user behavior after he or she has clicked on your specific ad. While these new metrics are still in the infancy stage, there are guaranteed to be more updates on them in the future.

If you require assistance in learning more about Facebook advertising and the wonderful world of possibilities it opens up, then please contact us here at Profitable Media today!

1)      Natural Search Opportunities

The perception of SEO has changed drastically in 2012. This includes changes in how a company allocates budget, counts heads, and technology adaptation. These changes are a direct result of the increase in recognition of the opportunities that can be found in natural search. Take a look at these stats:

• 6 out of every 10 marketers have expressed intent to grow their SEO headcount in 2013.
• 16% of existing organizations and businesses now have their own dedicated departments just for search.
• The number of SEO jobs appearing on the Internet in 2012 increased by 24% over 2011, and the number of professionals advertising SEO services on Linked In increased by 112%.

2)      Content Marketing

In the overall scope of 2012, the introduction of Penguin updates only affected about 3.1% of the search inquiries made by consumers. On the other hand, the industry impact was substantial. The focus on the removal of thin content has forced SEO marketing professionals to focus their emphasis upon creating high quality content.

3)      Data Mashups

Internet marketers, and the industry as a whole, have become increasingly sophisticated. What they are looking for in data has also become more sophisticated as well. In addition to the standard Internet traffic data and PPC data, social insight and natural search visibility data are now being used to gain a more comprehensive view of their incoming marketing funnel.

4)      Earning Links

The traditional concept of link building has been replaced by link earning. The focus of these SEO tools has been shifted towards earning links by merit, rather than by force. Simply put, the best content earns links. Along similar lines, a new concept has also been introduced…that of link cleanup. Both Bing and Google have launched link disavowal tools, which now allow SEO marketers to clean up link graphs.

5)      Enhanced Search Results

There are two important takeaways from SERP changes this year that the professional SEO marketer should be aware of. First and foremost, while these changes may threaten current search visibility, they are also as equally filled with opportunities. Secondly, enhanced search results require a more forward thinking, passive mindset.

In the coming New Year, make your own resolution to closely monitor and follow these tactics. 2013 is going to be all about embracing SEO tools that produce long term results. Here is to a happy and prosperous New Year!

The two primary causes we see of failure to correctly engage display marketing is 1) trying to achieve the wrong goals or 2) not fully understanding all of the targeting options that are available and how they work. In walking you through the basic tenants of display marketing, we hope to enable you to avoid running into some of the common pitfalls that cause many Internet marketers to fail. Let’s get started!

Keywords for Display

When it comes to display, the majority of marketers are simply going to opt for Google’s default option. Try throwing in a few of these keywords and then see what happens. Most of the time, there is going to be a list of search words for the account. Make no mistake about it. This is a mistake. For search, the only aspect that Google is concerned with is the match types you receive for both positive and negative keywords. Negative keywords are utilized for the purpose of ad placement; however, if you simply choose to import thousands of negative keywords without conducting any research, then Google is not going to be in a prime position to serve your ad.

The general course of action that we recommend here at Profitable Media is to keep a maximum of 5-6 words in each ad group. At specific times, there will be no need to use negative keywords for display purposes. In the last several years, Google has adopted a theme based approach when it comes to selecting display keywords; however, the last few months, the emphasis has slowly begun to shift towards individual keywords. This makes it much simpler to select a keyword and run it on a display.

When it comes to keywords for display, the best approach is to choose broader search keywords and use them in display only campaign. Feel free to use a select few negative keywords, but do not simply import thousands of them for the sake of it.

Keyword Segmentation

The primary problem we see arising in most search ad groups is a lack of granular organization between keywords and the ads. The same holds true for display as well. During the process of creating display ad groups, your first step will be to determine the ad and landing page that will be the basis for each ad group. If the keyword does not match both, then it needs to be assigned to a new ad group. Segmentation is a good practice to get in the habit of using.

On the other hand, if you are only targeting your display ads according to the keyword, regardless of how good the particular keyword is, then it is certain you will find your ad placed on a larger plethora of sites. While some will bring the desired results you are looking for, others will fail. The primary downside to adopting this method is that you will never know if the problem lies in the site traffic or in the offer.

Specifically Targeting Placement

It is no secret that AdWords offers a plethora of targeting options when it comes to display. One particular option is called placement targeting. With this particular type of option, you can select placement for an ad on a specific included within the Google display network and ensure that you ad only is shown in that particular slot or site. Having the option of using placement targeting removes the guesswork from wondering whether or not your site placement is actually converting for the offer.

Those who prefer to use a research tool will enjoy taking advantage of what DoubleClick Ad Planner has to offer. This unique tool will locate placements on the sites where your targeted demographic spends the majority of their time, and you can rest assured that your sales ad is only being displayed to those who are at the most attractive prospects in your sales funnel.

The primary issue with placement targeting is that you will sometimes run into optimal sites that offer a wide variety of traffic and consumers. For example, a website like About.com is going to offer such a wide range of impressions, but most of these are not going to produce the favorable results you are looking for.

Let’s take a break here for today, but join us tomorrow as we begin discussing flexible targeting and offer testing (a.k.a….the good stuff!).

How Website Owners Can Go Mobile

It is safe to say that almost all business owners today maintain a website for their business. If you already have a mobile version, then you are a step ahead of your competition. While there are a number of excellent tools available to individuals that enable them to create their own apps, most experts are going to recommend that you hire a developer to create an app and then convert it to the right format for Android or iOS.

The Benefits of Creating a Mobile App

Bear in mind that creating a mobile app for your business is not necessarily going to increase your search engine rankings. The primary manner in which a mobile app drives traffic is through providing an entirely new avenue for search and inquiry. Smartphone owners do not browse the web that often. Instead, they are going to opt to browse their app store to find the info they are looking for. The presence of an app is going to enable your business to appear in market searches.

In addition to increasing your brand’s visibility, recent research has indicated that clients who frequently interact with a brand or business show more favorability towards that brand. This same research has also indicated that these same users found apps that were informational to be the most useful. For example, writing product reviews or information about new deals was a more effective method of engaging the consumer, much more so than entertainment apps.

If your website only has a an mobile search website, then the impression you create on a consumer is going to be fleeting, regardless of how interesting the content is. They will simply browse your site for interesting content and then close the browser. On the other hand, an app is going to remain on their phone, be installed, and used until such a time that the owner chooses to remove it. This is going to ensure more repeat traffic for your business.

To learn more about this method of driving traffic to your site, contact us here at Profitable Media today!

Here are a few of the meaningless indicators and statistics we often find our clients chasing after:

Google Toolbar Page Ranking Scores

You would be surprised at the amount of clients we have who still obsess over Google Toolbar PageRank scores. You might have heard fellow SEO professionals brag about their involvement with websites who have a PR score of 7 or higher. However, if you pay attention, you won’t often hear anyone mention a site if its PR score is 5 or below, but once it shoots past that magical number 5, all of a sudden, it’s a very big deal.

Recently, Matt Cutts of Google suggested that perhaps marketers are assigning too much value to generic PageRank scores. This Google assigned score does not have a specific value, only a relative one. It’s a safe assumption that a PR3 site is not going to outrank a PR7 site anytime soon.

However, if you start to strip away some of these caveats, then it becomes a game changer. When the personalized SERPs everyone receives to the mix, particularly when you consider the recent SERP enhancements authored by Google Authorship Markup, then you will realize that the only thing a high PR rank is worth is bragging rights.

Google SERP Ranks

In a similar fashion, there is a surprising number of marketers who believe that the sole goal of their SEO efforts is to achieve a #1 SERP ranking. Once again, SERP ranks are personalized. What qualifies as #1 ranking for one client is not going to hold the same meaning for another client in the same field. In fact, that #1 ranking may not even be relevant to the targeted demographic of the highly rated client. Additionally, one must consider whether or not that ranking was achieved for the target keyword or for just any old keyword in general.

If the ranking is just for any old keyword that receives little or no traffic, what is the point in putting that effort into achieving a ranking for a keyword that is not providing conversion rates for what your business is selling?

Paid Links and Link Exchanges

Even with the recent introduction of Google Penguin, there are still a considerable amount of marketers that actively seek out reciprocal links. The less scrupulous are willing to pay for links through junk directories. Every once in a while, they will also try cramming that <meta> keyword tag in there too. Don’t do that. Just don’t.

In short, pursuing any or all of the above is going to be a waste of your time. Once again, with so many new changes in the digital landscape of SEO, it is easy to lose sight of what is important. Instead of worrying about changing these scores, concentrate your efforts on increasing business revenues. As marketers, our focus should be placed upon generating higher conversion rates, improving our conversion funnels, and expanding our current markets to include new clients and business opportunities.

To learn more about creating truly meaningful business goals, contact us here at Profitable Media today.

1)      Perfectly Matching Keywords and Anchor Text

New algorithm updates from Google have reduced the amount of importance placed on perfectly matching keywords and anchor text. This shift has shown a growth in maturity on the part of the SEO industry as a whole, as it begins to move away from its prior, narrow focus on just a few high volume keywords. A recent Q4 survey has shown that one of the newest, biggest goals among marketers in 2013 is the scaling of keywords.

2)      Downright Bad Guest Posts

In 2012, quality has become the industry standard when it comes to content. As a result, the use of thin content to increase search engine rankings is becoming less and less common. Frequent updates from Panda and the introduction of Google Penguin have made it much more difficult for marketers to engage in keyword stuffing and bad linking practices. There’s no question about it. Thin content is on the way out.

3)      Link Building

The face of traditional link building has been changed in 2012. Link earning is its new replacement. Link building used to be a “get up and get them” active process. Now, it has become more of a passive, “sit back and earn it” process.

4)      [Not Provided]

Late 2011 saw the introduction of encrypted search from Google. Web analytics began to pick up on the keyword [not provided], and its rapid growth ultimately caused it to replace approximately 24% of all organic search traffic from consumers. A number of industry marketers raised hell over the loss of valuable keyword data, and this was a topic that frequently came up during the course of industry events. The end of 2012 has seen the decline of encrypted search, as industry minds worked together to create workarounds.

5)      Mobile

We realize, by far, this is going to be the most controversial prediction we make, but we believe, at least for the present, that it is going to be tabled. When we say “mobile”, we are not referring to it as a growing mode of driving Web traffic, nor are we saying that there are not definite multi-platform user experience considerations that should not be acted on.

What we would like to point out is that, currently, mobile searches, via smartphones and tablets, comprise only about 11% of all organic search traffic. If viewed in context, this is only seen as an 11% market share. While mobile search is certainly expected to grow significantly in the future, for 2013, we expect to see more of our clients focusing on the development of excellent content or trolling data for competitive advantages.

Once again, this is only an opinion piece, and we could be right or wrong. It will be interesting to see how our predictions match up at the end of 2013. Either way, we wish our clients a happy, healthy, and prosperous year in 2013!

It is important for an SEO marketer to understand that different keywords are going to convert at different rates. Keywords are not all created equally. Discovering that a keyword offers poor conversion rates after you have put in the effort optimize is quite frustrating. However, did you know that there is a shortcut to finding keywords that offer high conversion rates? The answer is PPC data.

Generating Conversion Rates Through PPC

There is a wide scope of information available through PPC. If you have an existing PPC campaign (or several), then the information you extract from it can be translated into SEO opportunities. If you do not have a current PPC campaign, then you can establish tests beds to experiment with keywords that have the best chances for optimization. Bear in mind that it is recommended that you allow these ads to run for a minimum of four weeks before moving on to the next phase.

After you have collected an adequate amount of data, your next step will be to browse through Adwords to collect the keywords that are currently offering the highest conversion rates. The Conversion Rate Column in Adwords can sort the KWs that offer the best performance.

To delve deeper into the information you have collected, the keyword list should be exported to Excel, and then the keywords should be divided into thirds. These three segments should be labeled “top converting”, “medium converting”, and “low converting”. Using this info, you can then map out an SEO roadmap. First priority for strategic optimization and planning should first be paid to the top converting list. Once that list has been exhausted, subsequent efforts can be concentrated on the medium converting keywords. After you have exhausted both columns, the entire process can be repeated once more to generate a new list of high performing keywords.

Increase Your Chances of Success by Utilizing PPC

When it comes to search engine optimization, the decision of which keywords to optimize is often the first one you will make. However, it is also one of the singular most important decisions, as it can affect your bottom line in a negative or positive manner.

As a medium, PPC data affords an SEO marketer the chance to quickly gather conversion data for strategic planning purposes, whether it is launching a new SEO campaign or refreshing existing content. If you want to have a positive effect on your revenue, then taking advantage of the opportunities that PPC has to offer will be one of the smartest decisions you can make.

Analyzing Recent Shifts

Many years down the road, 2012 is going to be referred to as the dark days of SEO. Online ecosystems were permanently altered. The actions of less than scrupulous SEO marketers were exposed and punished. Reputations were destroyed, and even traditional and acceptable SEO tactics seem to be penalized at random. Worst of all, it seemed that no one could understand why this was happening.

Unfortunately, these trends seem set to continue well into 2013. Quick fixes will offer temporary solutions, but they are not sustainable as long term solutions. Many industry leaders are attempting to use their crystal balls to predict what Google will be like in 2-3 years. Despite these changes, there are still a number of good reasons to invest in SEO.

Technology Becomes More Humanlike

The engineers behind the Google brand are seeking out a method to make search engines think more like people. This is why new SEO strategies must be innovative and forward thinking. Looking to the past best SEO search marketing practices is destined for failure. These current changes are going to be irreversible.

However, at Profitable Media, we believe that the past should not be ignored completely. Historical trends and search volumes can provide an insightful look into demand. People tend to be creatures of habit. Human beings tend to be consistent in their behavior, and observing these trends and behaviors can provide valuable insights.

The Misconceptions about SEO

As aforementioned, a few of our clients have questioned the value of SEO search marketing. The primary problem arises in their current view of SEO. It is no longer a business cost. It should be viewed as a business investment. The search data that is uncovered through SEO can provide a wealth of information. It can be used to uncover niche markets and arenas of high demand, which could become quite lucrative. In being able to map the needs of your market, one will be able to:

• Take advantage of new opportunities
• Create effective campaigns
• Uncover hidden arenas that pose potential high profit
• Launch services and products in the most effective manner

The data can also be used to minimize the risk associated with entering new markets by areas of both high demand and low profit.

The Advantage of SEO

This article is not intended to be a sales pitch for the SEO services that we provide at Profitable Media. It is intended to be informative. When you choose to use SEO search marketing to assume the right tone of voice with your business’s targeted demographic, it can offer the following benefits:

• Significantly increase (in droves!) ideal prospects
• Garner more followers on social media platforms (like Facebook and Twitter)
• Brand your business as the go to source for client needs

Even with the shaky future of SEO and Google, SEO search marketing is still going to remain the key to successful business planning in 2013.

Here are our top 3 picks for SEO tools and tactics you should be focusing on in 2013:

1)      Implementing Social Media Tactics

For the last 5 years, we’ve seen an increasing number of consumers utilizing social media websites, like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Retail experiences are being shared with others on these sites, and these recommendations are going to significantly influence product discovery and search. These sites also create a unique opportunity for consumer engagement.

As a business owner, you should encourage your clients to share their positive experiences on these social media sites, but if there are any complaints made on these sites, you will also have the opportunity to defend yourself. Your business or brand can benefit from using social media tactics to engage your targeted demographic and draw new customers into your site.

2)      Creating Mobile Pages and Apps

An increasing number of consumers are also using their smartphones to browse for information and to make shopping purchases. In fact, many smartphone users have come to expect to expect these abilities when using their mobile devices.

Your mobile app and site should be optimized for the following features:

• Local Specific Calls to Action
• Drive Directions
• Local Store Pictures and Promotions
• Social Network Sharing
• In Store Offers

3)      Managing & Updating Data for Local Maps

When the data that your clients are provided with is consistent, it is going to reinforce the sense of confidence they have in your business, as well as the primary search engine the consumer is using. Google, Bing, and Yahoo are the three most popular search engines on the Internet today. By monitoring and updating the listings on these sites, it is going to provide you with the opportunity to optimize enhanced data, such as video, images, local descriptions, targeted categories, social media links, and the areas your business serves.

The content of local maps should not be neglected. Categories that you should focus on include targeted keyword categories, validated business listings, and the direct management of all related business data.

Because SEO tactics are constantly involving, it is going to be critical for you to update both your marketing tactics and your business’s website. For 2013, local search engine optimization and structured mark up of web pages are expected to be two of the hottest trends. To learn more about how to increase your conversion rates and drive more traffic to your website, contact us here at Profitable Media today!

Making the transition to Facebook advertising is going to be worth every ounce of effort. There are currently more than 900 million people on Facebook, and it offers a nearly limitless number of possibilities. The vast array of data that is present through Facebook and the versatility its ads afford enable Internet marketers to develop customized solutions for almost any type of client, whether that client is a Fortune 500 company or the local five and dime store.

Facebook is quite different from other forms of media, and it is important to bear this fact in mind. In fact, it is one of the factors that will make or break a successful Facebook advertising campaign. It is going to be essential for you to recognize the once in a lifetime opportunities, as well as the challenges, that Facebook presents. Today, we’d like to take a close look at the different elements of Facebook advertising and what the best practices for each are.

A Variety of Different Ad Types

The sheer volume of the different types of ads you will find on Facebook is second to none. Currently, Facebook offers seven different types of ads in its Marketplace for advertisers to take advantage of. Additionally, there are also multiple types of Premium Ads available, but we’re going to keep our focus on the Marketplace options. Each option maintains its own distinctive appearance, targeting capabilities, and creative customizing options. In the end, each one is going to serve to meet a different goal.

We frequently tell our clients that not every type of Facebook ad is going to be effective in meeting every campaign’s goals. The purpose of some ads is to invite users to like a Facebook page, while others are designed with the purpose in mind of encouraging interaction with page content. Before making a decision as to which type of ad you choose, your strategy must be well thought out.

How do you decide which ad is going to assist you in meeting your end goals? We tell our clients to keep their ultimate goal in mind. Once you know what your ultimate goal is, ad selection can be tailored to deliver the best possible results for the campaign and the client.

Creativity Is Critical

Creativity is an essential component of successful
Facebook advertising. Each different type of ad is going to exercise different creative controls, but the basic elements are going to remain the same: title, body, and image. This is also the point where the differences between Facebook advertising and traditional advertising are going to become more obvious than ever. Facebook copy is not the same as search engine copy. What has worked for you in the past with search engine copy is not, to put it bluntly, is not going to work well on Facebook.

Despite the differences, it can actually be a good thing for you. For example, it provides you with the opportunity to show off your creative muscle. Facebook copy calls for strict character limits, but it still must be exciting and informative. Moreover, it must also feature a strong and decisive call to action.

However, in order to be truly successful at Facebook advertising, you are going to need to keep your end goals in mind. In a similar fashion, images in the ads must also align with campaign goals and the brand or product that is being promoted. As you can see, creativity is going to play a critical factor in the success of your campaign.

We’ll take a break here today, but tomorrow, we’re going to discuss how to target the right audience, ad optimization, and moving beyond the campaign.