Sell Your Ideas

Netbiz will be one of the fine sponsors for the upcoming Communicators Conference . The conference will be sure to provide tremendous value in terms of new communication strategies for all levels of employees and freelancers. This year’s theme is ” Make Your Case” . With this theme in mind, the conference will cover an array of topics related to social media, public relations, business communications and marketing.  Some of the specific topics include:

• Internal communications
• Corporate social responsibility
• Building trust
• New and traditional media mix
• Job tips and interviewing

Attendees

This event has always attracted a large variety of communication professionals spanning from non-profit organizations to high level marketing firms. Here is the breakdown of experience levels expected for attendees:

• 35% have less than five years

• 19% have five to 10 years

• 28% have 10 to 20 years

• 19% have more than 20 years

Keynote Speakers

This year’s speaker list includes veterans from various disciplines.  Each speaker will bring valuable perspectives on emerging concepts and proven communication  methods. The list is compiled of these tenured individuals:

• Chris Brogan — Social media guru, co-author of the best-selling Trust Agents and president of New Marketing Labs.
• Jim Signorelli — CEO of ESW Partners and pioneer of StorySelling(SM) for building brands
• Peter Shankman — Founder of HelpaReporter.com, the site that revolutionized media relations, and CEO of The Geek Factory.

Event Details

The event begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends with a 3:30-4:30 p.m. networking mixer. Organized by the Portland Metro Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Oregon-Columbia Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), the Communicators Conference has been the premier professional development opportunity for communicators in the Portland metropolitan area since 1996.

The Governor Hotel is at 614 SW 11th Ave., Portland, OR. Registration for the conference is available online at www.communicatorsconference.com  .  Early-bird registration is only $85 for members of PRSA and IABC, $95 for nonmembers, $50 for students (includes lunch). After April 23, registration is $105/$115/$50 respectively.

Find Your Target

Any successful search engine marketing campaign must start with proper keyword targeting. This is something Netbiz does on various campaigns in order to improve the quality of search traffic for clients’ websites.  In order to convert sales and properly brand your business online, you need to be attracting a relevant target market. For example, it doesn’t make sense to attract Poodle buyers to your site when you’re a German Shepherd breeder.

Keyword Analysis

In the initial phase of  your online marketing campaign, it is essential to identify a target market based on your products and geographic sales area. These factors will play a huge role in finding the right web visitors. Buyer behavior can actually be tracked by the keywords they’ve used when searching on Google and other major search engines. To illustrate this, let’s take a look at 3 different search phrases and identify the searcher’s intent.

1) “German Shepherds” – This searcher is clearly looking at German Shepherds, and this phrase may get very high search volume. Since the search is on a broader spectrum, it may encompass a variety of consumers. Some may be serious buyers while others may be simply browsing the web for future purchasing decisions .

2) “German Shepherds  for sale” – This searcher has included “for sale” in the search which indicates purchasing intent.  While this phrase may get less search volume than its shortened counterpart, it may be more targeted for sales conversion.

3) “German Shepherd puppies for sale” – This searcher is conveying a need for a specific German Shepherd . The phrase could indicate that this consumer is deeper in the buying cycle. In addition, this searcher will not be appeased by browsing adult German Shepherds.

In summary, different keyword variations speak volumes to buyer intent. Different niche markets are defined by different keywords. When conducting keyword research , identify the targeted niche. With this information, it is time to evaluate some other factors such as search volume and competition. Below are some important points to consider when formulating keyword targets.

Look At Search Volume

One of the first things you should look at when choosing keywords is search volume.  It is imperative that targeted keywords have sufficient search volume to ultimately produce business conversion.   In theory, higher searched keywords will equate to more traffic and conversions for those ranking high in the SERPs. Make sure that there is enough search volume to produce targeted buyers.

Look At Keyword Relevancy

While search volume is an important factor, it is vital that targeted keywords are relevant.  It is ideal to have a mass of visitors who have your product in mind. Once again, look at keywords and phrases to distinguish buyer intent. One phrase may produce a vastly different visitor than another similar phrase.

Look At The SERP

S.E.R.P – Search Engine Results Page

It is beneficial to get a feel for the different competitors that show up on the search page for your desired keywords. Take a look at competitor sites. This concept is much like using history to predict the future. If competitors are continually ranking or advertising under a specific keyword, it may mean that they’ve found a successful  target. Use this information for you’re own success.

Watch Out For SEO Scams

Current business owners are faced with some big challenges.  For many industries, it is now essential to have a healthy web presence for pulling in targeted buyers and maintaining brand exposure.  In light of this,  the demand for search engine optimization has grown exponentially in the past few years. The market for SEO has become vast with a variety of companies offering different services for different levels of business.  Finding the right SEO company is always challenging. It’s a process that requires insight on proper SEO practices, pricing, and campaign management. Here are some valuable pieces of information to help in the process of finding the right  Search Engine Optimization  company , while avoiding the headache of an SEO scam .

Be Wary Of Guarantees

As clearly stated by Google, no form of SEO will guarantee higher rankings in the organic search results. Rankings are based on relevancy, and it takes a multitude of resources to improve positioning on the major search engines.  If a company guarantees an organic boost, there may be some form of spammy tactics involved. In the long run, a website will improve with the proper SEO resources. These resources will work to truly improve relevancy for search engines and users.

Be Aware of SEO Implementation

In the process of mapping out an SEO campaign, it is important to know what exactly is being done in terms of optimization.  Search engine optimization isn’t wizard magic. An SEO company should be able to clearly define the processes used while backing it up with metrics reporting.

Know Where Your Money Is Going

SEO campaigns vary in terms of ongoing maintenance and initial implementation. If you’re paying some type of recurring fee, make sure the purpose of this cost is clearly defined. Also, look at initial implementation . Most SEO projects require a bulk of work up front involving website change, keyword research, and strategy. Ongoing costs usually cover analytics reporting, consultation, and link building.  If an optimization company can’t clearly state the reason for upfront and recurring costs, your marketing dollars may be better spent elsewhere.

Don’t Trust Linking Networks

Some companies will operate on the strategy of linking networks. These types of networks are used as an ineffective alternative to proper link building . Sites benefit from incoming links , but these links need to be properly acquired.  As a shortcut, some shady companies will attempt to build relevancy by linking clients’ sites together in a web of artificial SEO .  In addition, it should never be required to include a link from your site to the SEO company’s site.  SEO is most effective when honest and relevant tactics are used.

Look At Results

It is important to look at the track record of any SEO company you’re considering to manage your optimization. Make sure that the firm discloses past campaign details as well as a snapshot of the their history in the search engine marketing industry.  Choose a company that has succeeded in SEO and maintains a positive reputation as a business.