How Google Analytics Can Be Misleading...

I love Google Analytics, but their reports can be misleading if you don’t understand the critical concept in the article below.

In today's Check This Out, I’d love to get your input...

 

 

Why Google Analytics Reports Do Not

Match AdWords Reports

 

Out of many popular topics like Facebook advertising, email marketing, mobile website development, and a handful of others, would you believe me if I said more people want help with Google Analytics setup and reporting?  Well, it’s true.  My assumption going into the survey was that bland and boring Google Analtyics would be sitting on the rock bottom.  But it’s right at the top!
 

So with that in mind, I’ve decided to write about a topic that I’ve held back for fear that no one would find it interesting.  However, it’s a very important concept to keep in mind when you’re reviewing your Google Analytics reports.  It’ll also explain why your Google Analytics reports are often very different than your Google AdWords reports (if you’re advertising).
 
It’s call attribution.
 

What is Attribution?

Online attribution is the process of assigning credit for a website conversion, or Goal in Google Analytics. Think of it like giving credit to a salesman for closing a new client.  In that case you’re attributing the sale to one particular salesman.  The same thing happens online when a Goal is completed in Google Analytics.  The program must attribute the sale to the correct source of traffic (i.e. SEO, AdWords, Facebook referral, etc.).
 
This sounds simple until you think about the typical person surfing around online.
 
Let’s say I do a search in Google and click on one of your ads, which brings me to your website.  I read all about your amazing widget and how I would be insane if I didn’t purchase right now.  Then I leave your website. :)
 
I do a little more research into your company, I read some reviews, and find an online press release or two.  Finally, I search in Google again, but this time I use your company name, and I click on the non-paid result (the organic SEO result).  I’m already sold so I quickly make a purchase.
 
In that example, how do you think Google Analytics will handle attribution?  Does the AdWords ad get credit for the sale?  That’s how I originally found your site so that seems like a logical answer.  Or does the non-paid, organic result get credit because that’s the last action I took before purchasing?  Or do both get credit?
 
Take a guess if you’re not sure before reading on.  Don’t cheat. :)
 

How Google Analytics Handles Attribution

By default, Google Analytics uses what’s called “last click” attribution.  That means in my example, the conversion will show up as coming from the non-paid, organic search.  So it’ll look like revenue from SEO, not from the AdWords ad that originally brought me to the site!
 
Ah ha! See why I said this was a critical topic.  All this time you may have been misinterpreting your reports in Google Analytics.  Just because you’re getting all of your leads and/or sales from organic traffic, doesn’t mean your advertising is not performing.  It could be simply a case of mistaken attribution.
 
To make this even more complicated, I need to warn you that Google AdWords reporting uses “first click” attribution. That means in my example, when you run the report in Google AdWords, the sale would be attributed to the keyword and ad that was first clicked on.  So you’ll see the sale in AdWords and you’ll see the same sale in Analytics, but Analytics will be telling you the sale was generated from SEO!
uh oh… which program, Adwords or Analytics, should you trust?
 

Which Attribution Model Is Best For Your Business?

The short answer to my question above is that it depends on your business.  If most of your leads and sales are generated quickly upon the first visit, then “last click” attribution is most likely fine for you.  If you have a longer sales cycle and you know people shop around before making a purchase or contacting you, then first click might be best.  The good news is that earlier this year Google Analytics gave us the ability to report on conversions, or Goals, using 7 different attribution models.  They even let you create custom models if you really want to go nuts.  For the record, I do not recommend going nuts… Stick with the basic models.
 
To see this in action, log into your Google Analytics account and go to Conversions in the left navigation.  Then click on Attribution and then Model Comparison Tool.  You’ll see a report like the one below where you can compare different models.
 

 
I also recommend you review the Multi-Channel Funnels while you’re in the Conversions section of Google Analytics.  The most interesting reports are:

• “Time Lag” to see how many days it takes for prospects to convert.  This is where you can see if the majority of your conversions happen on the first day, or if it usually takes longer.
• “Top Conversion Paths” to see the full path to conversions.  In my previous example, this report would show “Paid Search” led to the “Organic Search” which then generated the sale.  So rather than rely on one single attribution model, you can see the entire sales path.

OK, that’s probably more than enough Google Analytics reporting info for one day.  The key takeaway is to always be aware of how Google Analytics (or any other tool you use) is attributing conversions in your reports.  And if you’re receiving reports from a marketing company, then make sure it’s clear how their tool is handling attribution.  Different attribution models can show vastly different results, which can lead to vastly different decisions about where to focus your marketing budget.

Is Your Website "Over-Optimized"?

If your website is “over-optimized” then your Google rankings will suffer.  Use today’s article as a 4-point checklist to ensure you’re not sabotaging your rankings using overly aggressive SEO tactics.

4 Spammy SEO Mistakes to Avoid

 

Many businesses are so eager to get ranked in Google that they over-do it. They use aggressive SEO techniques that ultimately backfire, pushing their website further and further down the rankings…
 
It reminds me of the guy who is trying so hard to impress a girl that he ends up doing the complete opposite – she runs away.  When you over-do it with Google, she’ll push you away as well!
 
So, in today’s article, I’m going to walk you through 4 “over-optimization” mistakes to avoid to ensure you don’t get pushed away by Google.
 

1. Stuffing Keywords into Page Titles

Google looks at the title of every page, and it helps to tell Google what your page is about. Your titles have a major impact on how your pages will rank in Google.
 
In case you’re not familiar, your title is part of the code of each page. It’s actually not visible on the webpage itself, but if you open up a browser, in the upper left-hand corner of that browser, you’ll see the title of the page.
 
Because of the weight Google puts on titles, a lot of people try to force their keywords repetitively in the title. I see this mistake very often when I’m reviewing websites.
 
Back in the day, this type of keyword stuffing could improve your search engine rankings. But these days, that tactic does not work as well. Instead, it can be counter-productive.
 
It’s important to include your keyword in the title, but if you repeat your keywords a lot or include lots of different variations unnaturally, that can actually hurt your search engine rankings because Google will see that as manipulative.
 
And here’s another way that stuffing your titles with keywords can backfire…
 
The title is actually what shows up in the search results – it’s the blue under-lined link in Google’s search results. And if you’ve just put a lot of keywords as the title, then when somebody does search, and your website shows up, then that’s going to look pretty spammy.
 
I know, personally, I’m not going to click on that link if it doesn’t look like a legitimate website.
 

2. Forcing Keywords into Your Webpage Copy

The second over-optimization tactic I see all the time is stuffing keywords into the actual webpage copy.
 
Before, I was talking about stuffing keywords into the title. From a website visitor’s standpoint, you could sort of fly under the radar stuffing keywords into your title tag, because most people actually don’t notice that when they’re on your website.
 
But putting keywords directly into the body of the webpage is obviously much more noticeable to your website visitors.
 
If you force keywords into your copy, your website visitors will read unnatural sentences and random keywords stuffed into the content. That looks really spammy, and it can be counter-productive for your ultimate marketing goals.
 
After all, what’s the goal of SEO anyways?
 
It’s not just rankings. And it’s not just traffic either. The ultimate goal of SEO should be to generate leads and sales. And if your website content is spammy, that could really hurt your website conversions.
 
Plus, if you force keywords into your website copy, Google will see that as unnatural and spammy as well. And that can hurt your search engine rankings. So it’s just not a good idea.
 

3. Creating Near-Duplicate Pages Purely For SEO

Imagine you’re a dentist, and you wanted to rank for the keyword phrase “New York City dentist.” You might create a page on your website focused around that keyword phrase, right? Maybe you’d optimize your homepage for that phrase.
 
But then, you might decide you’d also like to rank for a similar phrase like “Manhattan dentist.” And so, maybe you’d create a page for that keyword phrase too.
 
And so on, and so on.
 
Creating those near-duplicate pages used to work OK years ago…
 
But not today.
 
Google has gotten smarter at figuring out that a lot of different keywords are synonyms with the same search intent. And the Hummingbird update improved Google’s abilities even more.
 
You don’t need to have two different pages for New York City dentist and Manhattan dentist because Google understands that’s the same search, so they’ll display the same results for that.
 
Instead of creating near-duplicate pages for different synonyms, you should group your keywords into topics, and then create the best page you can for each topic.
 

4. Over-Optimized Anchor Text

When it comes to SEO, you need to build up your website’s authority.
 
And a major factor in your website’s authority is the quantity and quality of links from other websites that are linking to your website. You can basically think of a link from another website as a vote in your favor.
 
Every link to your website has what’s called anchor text, which is the clickable text.  This anchor text helps Google understand what a particular page is about.
 
Again, imagine you’re a dentist based in Manhattan, and you want to get your website ranking at the top of Google for “New York City dentist.”
 
Wouldn’t it be great if lots of websites linked to your website with the anchor text New York City dentist? That would help you reach the top of Google for that phrase.
 
And so, that’s how a lot of companies have approach SEO for years. They would go out and build tons of links with identical or very similar anchor text.
 
When we’re conducting an SEO audit, we’ll take a look at a website’s link profile, and see how many links they have and where they’re coming from, and the anchor text of those links.
 
Often, we find that websites have very highly-concentrated anchor text, with almost all the incoming links containing the same keyword phrases.  Well, this is extremely unlikely to happen naturally!
 
Google knows that, and increasingly, this type of linking has become a big red flag to Google. When Google sees this, they know you are trying to manipulate the search results. As a result, taking this approach with your SEO can do more harm than good over the long-term.
 
Google’s Penguin updates and “unnatural link” penalties are focused on devaluing (or penalizing) these unnatural linking schemes. So you should avoid building links to your website with overly-concentrated anchor text.
 
If you’re in business for the long-term (which I hope you are!), then it makes sense to take a long-term approach to SEO. By avoiding these 4 mistakes, you’ll stay on Google’s good side and protect your rankings for the long-term.
   

Optimizing for SEO vs Google AdWords

Today I want to clear up a common misconception about your website.  Scroll down to learn why it’s a mistake to try to optimize the same webpage for both SEO and online advertising.

Why You Can Not Optimize One Webpage

For Both SEO and Advertising 

I realized as I was meeting with a client last week that there’s a common misconception about how to optimize your website for search engine optimization (SEO) and search advertising (i.e. Google AdWords).
 
For both SEO and search advertising, your website plays a critical, yet very different, role.  The misconception is that a single webpage can be optimized for both online marketing tactics.  This is simply not possible and in this article I’ll explain why you need separate pages for SEO versus search advertising.
 

The Many Roles of Your Website

 

The primary role of your website is to convert visitors into leads and customers.  It’s no different than a sales position in your company, and you should judge your website performance accordingly.  Sure, you may love your new, slick design, but does your “upgraded” website drive any more sales than the previous one?  That’s the all important question.
 
Next, assuming your prospects search for your products and services in Google, then your website must also have the appropriate pages for Google to display in the search results.  If your prospect searches for “huarache running sandals” and your website does not have a page about huarache running sandals, then guess what, Google is not going to show your website in the results.  The first step with SEO is to make sure you have a webpage for each of your target keywords.  That’s SEO 101.
 
Finally, if you’re going to advertise, then you need pages on your site that perfectly match the different offers you’re going to make in your ads.  For example, if you advertise a special buy one pair of sandals and get a free running shirt offer, then you better prominently display that on the ad landing page.  If prospects don’t find what they’re looking for within seconds of clicking an ad, then they’ll click back and go to a competitor’s website.
 
So let’s recap:

1. Your website should be designed to convert visitors to sales.
2. To optimize your website for search engines like Google, you must have pages that match the keywords you want to target.  These pages need to be set up properly so Google knows they are 100% relevant to the target keywords.  The goal of your SEO efforts is to first get ranked in Google so you drive traffic to your site.  If you can’t drive traffic, then there’s no one to convert into customer :)
3. To optimize your website for search advertising, you must have pages that match the offer in your ads (which also must match the keywords you’re targeting).  The sole purpose of these pages is to sell.  You’re buying traffic so all you need to worry about with your ad landing pages is converting the traffic into sales.

See how your pages optimized for SEO have different goals than your ad landing pages?  With SEO, your webpage must be set up to get ranked in Google.  Of course, you also need to convert the SEO traffic, but getting ranked is the primary goal.  With advertising, your webpage should be structured with only one goal in mind: get the highest conversion rate possible.
 

Why SEO Pages Do Not Make Great Ad Landing Pages

The temptation is to try to optimize your webpages for both SEO and advertising.  Sure, they are both online advertising tactics.  Plus, your website is an integral component in both.  But they really are different beasts.  A webpage optimized for SEO will typically not be the best landing page for your advertising campaign.
 
For one of my clients, the best ad landing page is simply a video that gives information and presents a compelling sales pitch to buy the product.  There’s no way we could optimize a video page like this for SEO.  On the flip side, the best pages for SEO typically do not convert high enough to be profitable on paid search advertising.
 
This is a very important concept to remember as you get started with online marketing.  Do not fall into the trap of trying to optimize your webpages for both SEO and advertising.  You must create different pages and optimize each tactic separately.

Top 5 Reasons to Invest In SEO Now

There’s a lot of skepticism about whether or not SEO is still a relevant tactic. That’s why in today’s article we address 5 reasons why SEO is (and likely will always be) a great investment for your business.

The Top 5 Reasons to Invest in SEO

 

Does SEO still matter?
 
Given how dramatically the online landscape has changed — more people access the Web through smartphones than desktop, and social media is king among mobile users — it’s natural to wonder whether good-old fashioned SEO tactics have suddenly become obsolete.
 

But don’t worry, the answer is yes, SEO still matters.
 

In fact, good SEO might matter more today than it did a few years ago.
 

Google still processes more than 100 billion searches per month, and more than half of those searches are made from mobile devices. And while some aspects of old-fashioned SEO have been greatly diminished, many of the old rules still ring true today.
 

For example, content is still king, but there’s vastly more content online and more businesses are vying for attention. Marketers and business owners must evolve with the times or risk being left behind.
 

Good SEO doesn’t happen overnight, and getting more active on Facebook won’t replace the value of a great ranking in Google. Read on to learn the top 5 reasons why business owners should still invest in SEO.
 

 

1. SEO is an asset – it’s a good investment since it keeps paying dividends.

See all those people with their noses in their smartphones? They might be texting someone about what their spouse, friends or coworkers said. Or, they might be finding a place for happy hour, researching home improvement ideas or eyeing new running shoes.
 
Mobile technology has greatly affected how people interact with the Internet, and that includes how and when people search for the goods and services they need. Now, people are more likely to use Google when standing in line for coffee, waiting for doctor appointments or riding in cars with friends.
 
Given the mobile nature of Web searches, people are much more likely to visit businesses or buy products online as a direct result of good SEO – and that’s huge.
 
The simple truth is that investing in SEO is a smart business decision. It always has been, and there’s no reason to believe that will change. It’s crucial to view SEO as an investment rather than a purchase. Business owners who continue to invest in good SEO are much more likely to continue connecting with customers online despite seismic shifts in how people interact with the Web.
 

2. SEO helps conversions.

Having a great website that’s fully functional on smartphones and tablets is a must in today’s mobile world – but what good is an amazing website if nobody ever sees it?
 
When your website ranks at the top of Google, people are pre-sold on working with you. Organic results at or near the top of the rankings are often assumed to be authorities in their fields of expertise and make prospects more likely to trust you and therefore more likely to convert.
 
Having good content (remember, content is king) is the foundation of good SEO, and visitors are more likely to become paying customers when your website provides useful, engaging content.
 
The combination of having a solid website and a high ranking in Google is great for your company’s brand. Visitors and customers are both more likely to not only find your business, but to come back again later.
 

3. SEO is a zero sum game. So if you stand still, you’ll lose market share.

Ever play musical chairs? There are never enough seats for everyone in the circle, and when the music stops, someone always loses – and snagging a chair only gets tougher.
 
These days, landing an above-the-fold position in Google is a lot like musical chairs. Google is allocating less space for organic results and more room for PPC ads, local Web directory listings and even direct answers for search queries. Investing in SEO is absolutely vital for staying on the first page of the Google results.
 
Mobile SEO is even more competitive. According to 2015 data from the marketing firm MobileMoxie, only 3 percent of Google searches in the United States return only organic search results. In many cases, Google prevents any organic results from showing above the fold, instead opting to show lists, graphs, PPC ads with extensions, locator maps and more.
 
When the music stops, you want to make sure there’s still a seat for your business!
 

4. It’s not a fad — it will continue to change, but it’s not going anywhere.

Ah, the 1980s… The decade of success is fondly remembered for saxophone solos, fluorescent colors, Showtime basketball and angsty coming-of-age films.
But marketing gurus look back at the 80s and see it as something far more profound – the last days of advertising when the Internet didn’t matter.
 
It seems almost obligatory that people wonder each year whether SEO really matters. Not only has SEO mattered for roughly 20 years, but it will likely evolve and be relevant for decades.
 
Up until the end of the 80s, consumers tended to learn about products via radio, television and print ads, and purchasing decisions were often made in stores.
 
Nowadays, consumers often reach decisions on what to purchase – a moment that Google calls the Zero Moment of Truth, or ZMOT – while browsing websites on their phones. In other words, good SEO is arguably more influential to consumers than the full force of advertising channels from yesteryear.
 

5. Local SEO can be a huge opportunity.

About to leave the grocery store, and you feel like grabbing Indian food on the way home? Or are you out running errands and suddenly remember that you need a new outfit for an upcoming party?
 
In the past, finding on-the-fly answers for spur-of-the-moment impulses was significantly less convenient. Now, thanks to smartphones, consumers can instantly find and compare nearby restaurants, retailers and any other kind of business – and according to research from Google, 50 percent of local searches led to consumers visiting stores on the same day.
 
If you’re a business owner, make sure your company is listed on Google My Business and ensure your business name and contact information are displayed correctly on your website, Facebook page, Bing Local, and any other online channel. You should also register your business on leading online review sites such as Yelp, Angie’s List, Urbanspoon and TripAdvisor. Online review site listings like these are often listed on the first pages of search results.
 
While businesses are starting to put efforts into Local SEO, there is still plenty of opportunity to build yours up before your competitors and now is the time to beat your competitors to the punch.

15 AdWords Stats That Prove It Works

15 Stats That Prove Google Adwords Is A Great Investment For Your Business 

 

Not sure Google AdWords is a good investment for your business?
 
Then consider the 15 stats below, which I organized around frequently-asked questions (FAQs) that I hear from business owners.

 
First things first, if you’re considering search engine advertising, then you need to answer this FAQ…
 

Are My Customers Really Using Search Engines To Make Buying Decisions?

Let’s take a look at some key stats:

• 86% of consumers use the Internet to find a local business (WebVisible survey)
  
  
• 72% of consumers prefer to find information on local merchants via search. (WebVisible survey)
  
  
• 29% of consumers search for local businesses at least every week (BrightLocal survey)

OK, so your customers are searching, but that doesn’t mean you should use Google AdWords.  That leads us to the next common question…
 

Why Use Google AdWords Versus Bing or Yahoo?

I’ll let the stats speak for themselves here:

• Google owns 71% of the search market share. (Netmarketshare.com).  This stat alone answers the question, but we won’t stop at just search.  Here are some stats about Google’s Display network…
  
  
• Google owns the world’s largest online display advertising network. (comScore)
  
  
• Google display campaigns reach 80% of global internet users. (Google Benchmarks and Insights)
  
  
• Consumers exposed to display ads are, on average, 155% more likely to search for brand- and segment-specific terms. (Specific Media)

Before we move on, here’s one more stat that is important to understand:

• About 97% of Google’s total revenues come from advertising. (Google Investor Relations)

Why is this stat so important?  It highlights the importance of Google AdWords to Google’s business.  Since Google depends so greatly on Google AdWords, that means Google’s focus and priority is on maintaining and continually improving the AdWords tool.  This is important, especially today when we see so many complaints about Bing and Yahoo support.
 
Now, if you’re familiar with search engine optimization, then you’re probably asking this next question…
 

Why Not Just Invest in SEO?

Unfortunately it’s not quite that simple, as the following stats highlight:

• 89% of the traffic generated by search ads is not replaced by organic clicks when ads are paused. (Google Research)
  
  
• For high commercial intent search queries, the top three ad spots take about 40% of the clicks on the page. (The War on Free Clicks)
  
  
• 98% of searchers choose a business that is on page 1 of the results they get. (BrightLocal).  This emphasizes the importance of ranking on the first page of Google.  If you’re investing in SEO (which I highly recommend for many of the same reasons listed here), then advertising is yet another way to get your business on the first page to ensure you in front of 98% of your audience.

And, of course, we need to address the most important question…
 

Do Google AdWords Campaigns Really Work?

When set up and managed correctly, then businesses can see strong return on investment from Google AdWords, as indicated by the following stats:

• Businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they spend on AdWords. (Google Economic Impact Report)
  
  
• 72% of AdWords marketers plan to increase their PPC budgets (Search Engine Watch).  This is a strong indication that those businesses were generating positive ROI, because if they were not, then they wouldn’t increase their budgets.
  
  
• 70% of mobile searchers call a business directly from Google Search. (Expandedramblings.com)
  
  
• 70% of mobile searches result in action being taken within an hour. (Mediative Labs)

Of course, there are a lot of factors that determine the success of a Google AdWords campaign so these stats should not imply that every ad campaign will be profitable.  The reality is that you must set up and manage your ads correctly to see positive results.

3 Steps To Find The Best SEO Keywords

I received a lot of questions about keyword research, so in today’s article, I’m going to walk through some of the steps we take to identify the best SEO keywords for any type of business.

 

Step 1. Brainstorm the Obvious Keywords

SEO keyword research is sort of like using a thesaurus. You need to start with a list of keywords, which we call a “seed” list.

 

I recommend you start by brainstorming the most obvious phrases that your prospect would search to find your product or service.

 

For example, if you are a dentist in New York, most likely, people are going to search ‘New York City dentist’ or ‘NYC dentist’. Those are what I would call the obvious keywords.

 

Once you’ve brainstormed some obvious keywords, you’ll want to plug them into Google’s Keyword Planner. This tool will give you more keyword ideas, as well as search volume.

Step 2. Sort By Search Intent

Google’s keyword tool will spit back a bunch of keyword ideas, and these keyword ideas will generally fall into 2 categories…

 

1. Keywords with purchase intent – where it’s obvious that prospects are looking to buy a product or hire a service provider.

 

2. Keywords with research intent – where the prospect is most likely just doing research, and not ready to buy.

 

In our example above, “NYC Dentist” is a classic example of a purchase intent keyword. You’d search that if you were looking to make an appointment with a dentist.

 

However, “dentistry” would be an example of a research intent keyword. If somebody is searching “dentistry,” they’re probably not ready to go to a dentist quite yet. In fact, they may not be interested in going to a dentist at all. They could be researching the field of dentistry and considering becoming a dentist.

 

Your first priority when optimizing your website for SEO should be to optimize your homepage and product/service pages for “purchase intent” keywords.

 

Note: It’s important to optimize your website for “research intent” keywords too… typically that’s where you can find some really nice “low hanging fruit” opportunities to drive traffic in the short-term. But we recommend that as Phase 2 after optimizing your core pages for “purchase intent” keywords.

Step 3. Prioritize By Search Volume

As I mentioned, Google’s Keyword Planner Tool will also show you the search volume. By “search volume,” I mean how many times that particular keyword phrase is searched in Google every month.

 

You’ll see that some keywords are only searched ten times a month, some are searched thousands of times per month, and some are actually not searched at all. Of course, you want to avoid optimizing for keyword phrases that nobody’s searching for.

 

If you start with obvious keywords, and then sort by search intent, and prioritize by search volume, you’ll be well on your way to finding the best SEO keywords in your market.

Online Marketing: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

 

I love old Clint Eastwood western movies.  They were always on TV when I was growing up and I would instantly get sucked into a ~3 hour movie, along with all those commercials.  Hey, I figure there were worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

I've probably watched The Good, The Bad and The Ugly about 10 times by now.  To be honest I can't always tell which one of Clint's movies I'm watching until they reintroduce it after a commercial.  They all include gunfights, signature one liners from Clint, and some timely, precision tobacco spitting.  My kind of movie. :)

Even if you haven't watched the movie, you can probably guess there's a good guy, a bad guy, and an ugly guy.  I'll spare you the details and jump right into how this relates to online marketing.  In my experience, online marketing plays all 3 of those roles: Good, Bad, and Ugly.

 

 

The Good

 

The good is usually what draws businesses to online marketing in the first place: It's affordable.  In some cases, it's downright free.  For example, any business looking for local customers can set up and optimize a Google+ Local page and within about a month get free exposure in Google's local business results.  No upfront fees.  No ongoing fees.  No fancy software to learn.  Just free exposure when local customers are searching for you.  Hard to beat free when it comes to driving new business!

Even advertising is usually more affordable online versus offline.  With Google AdWords you only pay per click so there is no big upfront investment like there is with TV, print or radio ads.

Of course, affordability isn't the only reason online marketing is good, but I think that gets the point across just fine.  Now let's look at the bad...

The Bad

The bad news is that online marketing is always changing!  Just when you think you've mastered search engine optimization (SEO), Google will go and change their algorithm.  Or just when you've built up a hefty Facebook audience, Zuckerberg decides to tweak their EdgeRank algorithm so you have to pay to get your posts in front of your prospects and customers.

Scroll through this list of Google algorithm changes to see just how frequently the search engine landscape changes.  Trust me, it's nearly impossible to keep up, and I do this for a living.  There's just no way a business owner can stay on top of all the trends and best practices without help.

And Google is just the tip of the iceberg... Have you looked at all the options available with online marketing?  Talk about overwhelming.  There's SEO, local SEO, search advertising, display advertising, Facebook advertising, email marketing, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, press release services, website conversion optimization, tracking and website analytics.  I could go on and on but you get the point.

Now, let's turn to the ugly side of online marketing...

The Ugly

First, there's the glut of information available.  There are books, blogs, articles, videos, and podcasts published online daily.  Some of it is sound advice.  Some of it is applicable for certain types of businesses.  And some of it outdated, or simply inaccurate.  Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible for a business owner to know who or what to pay attention to, which leads to poor marketing decisions.

Second, there are many low quality (and even unethical in my opinion) online marketing providers.  For example, I've talked to many business owners who paid and lost thousands to an SEO company that guaranteed #1 rankings.   My spam folder is full of these prospecting emails so I know how tempting it can be for businesses.  However, the reality is that no one can guarantee #1 rankings. As soon as you see or hear that phrase, run away, hang up, or click delete. That's a red flag that you're not dealing with a reputable company.

How Much Does SEO Cost? (4 Major Factors)

Ever wonder why search engine optimization (SEO) prices can range from hundreds of dollars to several thousand dollars per month? The quality of the service is certainly a factor, but SEO fees also depend greatly on the type of business you’re in.
 
In this article, I’ll break down SEO pricing into the 4 major factors so you can see where your business falls on the spectrum of fees.
 

1. Local vs. National SEO

As you can probably guess, it tends to be easier to rank in Google for local searches than to rank nationally or even globally.  Therefore, SEO services are cheaper for businesses focused on a local market.
 
For many local searches, Google now displays Google+ Local business listings, along with a map in the upper right corner of the search results.  So instead of trying to get your business website to rank in Google, you need to focus on your Google+ Local business listing.  This is called “Local SEO” and it requires different tactics than traditional SEO.
 
Not only is local SEO cheaper, but you also tend to get faster results compared to traditional SEO.  For these reasons, I recommend most businesses start investing in local SEO first.
 
In our experience providing these services, and from discussions with many other SEO providers, we’ve found that most local SEO services range from $500 to $1,000 per month, and most national SEO services start at around $2,000 per month and go up from there, based on some of the factors listed below.
 

2. Number of Products/Services

The next factor is the number of products or services you want to target with SEO.  If you have 50 different products and you want them all to be #1 when prospects are searching in Google, then you need to optimize all 50 product webpages.  Clearly, that requires more work than optimizing just one product or service.
 
Some SEO companies’ fees are based on the number of keywords, which is essentially the same as charging by the number of products or services you want to promote.  So if you’re on a tight budget, it’s important to focus on the best SEO opportunities based on keyword search volume, SEO competition, and the profit margin of your product or service.
 

3. Strength of Competition

The third factor is the strength of your competition.  I’m not talking about your direct competitors that usually pop into your head.  I’m talking about SEO competitors who are already ranking in Google for the keywords you want to target.
 
We recently worked with a client that literally had no competition in an entire state.  So when we asked about competitors for SEO, they laughed.  In their mind, they had no competitors.  However, when we searched for the keywords they wanted to rank for, then sure enough, they DID have competitors. There were plenty of other websites ranking above them in the search results.
 
With SEO, you always have competitors and they may not even be in the same industry as you.  The stronger the competition, the more work (i.e. higher fees) it’s going to take to overtake them in the search results.
 

4. Existing Google Penalties

Another factor is whether or not your website has existing Google penalties.  A lot of businesses were hit hard by Google updates like Panda, Penguin, or the dreaded “unnatural link penalty.”  Unfortunately, I’ve talked to several business owners who have not yet fixed the penalties because of the fees involved.
 
If you have an existing penalty, then I recommend you first focus on fixing the root cause.  Until the penalty is removed, SEO is going to be like fighting with one or two arms tied behind your back.
 

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a lot of factors that determine search engine optimization prices. And one additional factor is whether you’re investing in a one-time SEO project (such as an audit or on-page SEO clean-up), or whether you’re investing in on-going SEO (including content development and link-building).
 
The first step is always an audit to assess the situation, understand the business goals, and lay out a plan of attack.  Then based on the 4 factors above, the exact SEO fee can be determined.

SEO vs. AdWords: Where should you start?

Is SEO or AdWords My Best Place To Start?

Last Friday I had lunch with an old college friend and her friend, Tim. Tim has been working on a new minimalist running shoe for the past two years and he's just about ready to bring it to market. Hence, the meeting with me to pick my brain about next steps.


If you know anything about my extracurricular activities, then you can see why this would be a match made in heaven. Not only do I love running, but I just so happen to run in huarache sandals. That's as minimalist as you can get without running barefoot. 

During our conversation Tim asked about SEO and AdWords advertising. He was curious to learn more and see which one was a better fit.


My answer? Hands down AdWords advertising is where he should focus his attention. Of course, he shouldn't ignore SEO completely, but that's not the path to profitability and sustainability if you're launching a new product or service.


I'll also point out the fact that Tim did not even bring up social media. If he had, then my answer does not change. Social media is not your answer when you're just starting out.


Tim's #1 priority in the short term is to find his ideal selling strategy. In other words, he needs to figure out as quickly as possible the optimal price point, sales copy, website layout, cart abandonment follow-up sequences, upsells, retargeting sequences, referral programs, and iron out any kinks in the delivery and return processes.



So how the heck do you do all of that?


Well you start by driving a consistent, dependable stream of traffic to your website and then you systematically test all of the moving parts in your sales path. That's the basic process to find your ideal selling strategy. It's not rocket science, but it does take time, discipline, and the most important variable is traffic. Without a consistent stream of high quality prospects, then you can't test anything.


And neither SEO nor social media will reliably provide this type of traffic. That's why online search advertising in Google AdWords is the best place to start. As long as your ideal customers are going to Google to find your product or service, then AdWords is the best option available. Focus on optimizing your selling path and then when you're ready to expand your marketing, look into SEO or social media.

Digital Marketing "Summer Tune-Up" (3 Simple Questions)

 

Before summer speeds by and we’re officially into the fall season, I recommend taking some time now to tune up your marketing so you have a strong finish to 2015. Before we know it, the holiday season will be here… and then with the blink of an eye, the ball will drop in Times Square.

 

To help you assess your digital marketing and make fast improvements I put together the following 3-question “summer tune-up.”

 

Question 1: Where Can You Get More Website Traffic?

First, look at what’s already working and find ways to improve those campaigns.  What are you doing now that is driving traffic to your website? For example, if SEO is working (generating leads and sales), then determine how you can improve your current rankings and expand to even more relevant keywords.

This sounds overly simple, but do not skip this step!  It’s easy to overlook these easy opportunities to improve your marketing because they are typically not very exciting.  Personally, I find it hard to rally behind “doing more of what we’re already doing,” but the reality is that it’s by far the cheapest and most effective option.

Expanding into new territory is nearly always more expensive and more time consuming so focus on what’s already working first.  Then once you’ve maxed out a particular marketing tactic, then review your options to expand.

Second, assess what’s missing.  What are you not doing that could be driving traffic to your website? For example, if you’re using AdWords Search advertising, then consider expanding to Bing Ads to get even more exposure when your prospects are searching in Bing or Yahoo.  Or if you’re advertising in AdWords and Bing, then look into launching an ad campaign on Facebook.

 

Question 2: How Can You Increase Your Website Conversions?

Driving traffic to your website is only half the battle in digital marketing, yet it’s where most businesses invest most of their time and resources.

The second half, which is arguably the more important half, is converting that traffic into leads and sales.

Consider this example.  One business invests in marketing to drive 1,000 visitors to their website and converts 1% into customers.  A competitor invests half as much to get 500 visitors , but their website converts 2% into customers. Both businesses generate 10 customers, but the competitor invested only half as much to get the same number of customers!  If everything else is equal then the competitor is twice as profitable and can now afford to invest to drive even more traffic.

Can you see now how important it is to focus on improving your website conversions?

Now let’s review your website.  Do you have what’s called a “lead magnet” to capture contact information from website visitors?  A lead magnet is a free offer (report, white paper, video, coupon).

Note that a lead magnet is not an email newsletter subscription!  Email newsletters are not as compelling all by themselves and only a very very small percentage of your visitors will sign up.  Instead of an offering your email newsletter directly, offer a report that provides information or reveals a secret your ideal prospect needs to know. And when people opt-in for this report, they’ll also receive a subscription to your email newsletter.

If you already have a lead magnet, then take a closer look at it.  Could you make it more compelling? Can you offer more lead magnets that more closely match each of your different customer avatars?

 

Question 3: How Can You Improve Your Digital Marketing Tracking?

I’m not going to waste time in this article explaining the importance of tracking. Most people know it’s critical.  The problem is many businesses don’t take the time to set it up correctly, which means they can’t accurately measure the results of their marketing campaigns.

Here are the 3 key components you need to track your digital marketing:

1. Google Analytics to measure visitors and their activity on your website
   
   
2. Phone tracking to measure number of calls for each of your marketing channels
   
   
3. CRM (customer relationship management) tracking to measure leads and sales for each of your marketing channels

If you’re missing any of the components above, then set them up in the order they are listed.

The thing about tracking is it’s not retroactive.  That means if you’re investing in marketing now without tracking, then there is no way to determine which campaigns were profitable and which were losing money.  Only after you set up tracking can you start to calculate your return on investment (ROI).  That’s why I always recommend businesses get their tracking set up as soon as possible.