Posted to Ron Miller Marketing blog on 9/25/2011
You Can't Trick
SEO is in my job description and right now occupies three places on my to-do list. I think every business owner right now understands at least the value of effective SEO but few understand the black magic that is SEO. I think I can shed some light as to just what is SEO.
On a fundamental level, Google (I’ve heard rumor of other search engines but for ease of use, I just reference Google) is all about the user experience. In fact, I think that what Google programmers are most keyed on is that little button that says, “I’m feeling lucky”. I don’t know if it’s an ego thing but from the very start, Google has had that. They are so confident in the accuracy of their search results that they have a user option where they don’t even show them to you. Interestingly, they still have that button even though almost no one uses is, and using it would preclude you from seeing any advertising. What it says about Google speaks volumes for the efficiency of their algorithm.
The goal of the SEO guy (me) is to position my site at the top of the list, for the keywords I specify. That alone is pretty arrogant. For thousands of keywords, there are millions of sites that rank…but here I am wanting to be on top. Of course the reason for the top position is tangible. Top position translates into site visitors.
So on one hand, Google wants a great user experience. On the other hand, I want my site to rank higher than anyone elses. Here I’ll share my first rule of SEO and that is, Google wins. What I want or what anyone else wants from their search engine positioning is not relevant. All that matters is what Google wants.
My second rule of SEO is, you can’t overestimate the intelligence of Google. Lots of people think that they can outsmart Google. Obviously, right? I mean, Google is a computer program. I’m human! Just like in the movies when the burglar wants to trick the motion sensors protecting the diamond. They always find a way. They move slow or do some gymnastics or rappel in from the ceiling…something. They can do this because they are smarter than the alarm system. Let me just say this and please don’t be insulted but you are not smarter than Google. Trust me.
My third rule of SEO summarizes the other two. There is no substitute for great content. Make your site great for humans to read, and Google will reward you.
My three rules of SEO:
1.) Google wins
2.) Google is smart (smarter than you)
3.) There is no substitute for great content
Posted to Ron Miller Marketing blog on 9/30/2011
Gray Hat SEO:
SERP Flooding
My strategy with SEO is to always wear the white hat. I think in the end, Google will crush everyone who tries to outsmart the search. Like I wrote in a previous post, it’s my theory that even though not many click on it, Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” button is everything to them. It’s a source of pride and ego. If Google gets a whiff that you’re trying to work an angle and get that link, they will jump on you. To me, SERP Flooding is exactly a technique aimed at doing that.
SERP Flooding (Search Engine Results Page Flooding) is a strategy where you try to monopolize all of the search results by creating multiple websites and domains. For example, a coffee roaster with the domain Buckstars.com goes and buys domains: java.com, mocha.com and latte.com. Buckstars puts unique content on each page but all of the content and links take the user to Bucksters.com. The links to Buckstars.com help that site with Google page rank. The baby sites serve as funnels for the user so that no matter which one appeals to them in the search results, they all bring customers to Buckstars.com.
For it to work, these baby sites have to not come off as a shill -- they must have some redeeming value. If you've made Buckstars as good as it can be, you'll have a tough time coming up with interesting and unique content for mocha.com. You'll also have to do regular updates to these sites and perform normal SEO tasks to keep them highly ranked.
What I've just described is not unethical or illegal. Google has not cracked down it. The practice is merely smarmy. So I ask, what do you think of that? Do it because it works and you can get away with it? Or always wear the white hat and approach SEO with the goal of simply creating useful content?
Posted to Ron Miller Marketing blog on 10/18/2011
The B2B Question:
Is Social for Me?
Not since the Internet itself, have we seen a boom like social media. Even the hype is getting hyped. In fact, in the past week I heard a speaker say if you aren’t masters of social media, then you’ve failed. On the other hand, a major publication wrote that social media was dead. Once you get through the hyperbole, The Question persists: does social media have a role in business-to-business marketing?
A quick search of Amazon yielded 15,844 results for a search of “business social media”. It seems like a lot of people have an opinion. I know that while I faced The Question, I read a lot of these books. The overwhelming consensus is that yes, b-to-b should embrace social media. They say we should do it because it will help us brand our business as thought leaders and we’ll dominate our markets. Great. Do you buy it? And if you buy it, how do you do it?
I buy it. I faced The Question every day for five years as the marketing manager for a plastic tubing manufacturer. I think as b-to-b marketers, we need to understand some things about social that make it different from other Internet marketing.
First of all, I don’t think anyone is searching Facebook looking for plastic tubing. It would be great if they were, but they aren’t. What does happen though is that my friends, customers, distributors and suppliers have all Liked my page. The Facebook page created a meeting place. It gave me a tool for sending out useful information to the group. The Facebook page also gave all of my “Likers” an easy way to share my business with the people they do business with. I used LinkedIn the same way, giving employees a place to congregate and create their own networks.
Probably the most important part of an effective social strategy is your blog. When I started out, I found that there was little information online about plastic tubing. In my blog, I created dozens of articles about how to select and use plastic tubing. I interviewed engineers and customers and packed the blog with useful information. I created the only plastic tubing resource online and traffic quickly followed.
Twitter is unlike the other major social media tools. I quickly had far more Followers on Twitter than Facebook Fans or blog readers. Many people use Twitter only as a way to send out links to blog articles. I see a lot of those but I tend to tune them out. I’m all about branding and the way Twitter truncates URLs limits what I can achieve. Instead, I used my 140 character tweets to write short tips like, “Flexible polyurethane tubing makes installing your refrigerator ice maker easier. Freelin-Wade.com”. I think it made my Twitter feed more readable, increasing readership when I did send out a link for my blog posts.
I am also a fan of Flickr. I posted most of our tube photography there and gained a large following. The tubing is pretty and the shots were interesting. One photo got thousands of views and though I have no idea if it generated sales, it was a successful branding mechanism.
The real trick to social media is keeping it going. The first couple of blog posts are easy, but take it from me, your motivation will wane. My suggestion is that before starting, while you’re feeling really enthusiastic, write out an idea list of 50 blog topics, 50 Facebook posts and 50 tweets. You don’t have to write the whole article or post, just the concept. It’s a lot of work to create this up front, but it’s the best way I know for getting some momentum.