eNewsletters and SEO
The Internet is used mostly for email and then as a resource for finding information. To find information on the Internet, many people use search engines.
According to Pew Research, 84 percent of American Internet customers have used search engines. Between June of 2004 and September of 2005, average daily users jumped from 38 million to 59 million – an increase of 55 percent.
Why do you need to understand the importance of this information and how can you and your company capitalize on this trend?
Google, Yahoo, Dogpile, oh my!
The Pew study stated that people are using search engines for commercial purposes.
- Almost half (49 percent) of searches took place on computers at work.
- 55 percent of searchers were more likely to look for information they considered "important."
The Internet is crowded with people who are serious, motivated and ready to buy. With that understanding, how easily are prospects able to find your Web site?
Simple Test:
Click on your favorite search engine and type the keywords a customer might use to find information about your company's products and services. Then try another set of keywords. Then another. How did your Web site rate? What about your competitors?
According to Pew, the average Internet searcher scans fewer than two pages of results. If you don't make the short list, you're missing out on opportunities. That's why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is so important.
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization is a process to improve your ranking among search engines' listings. It focuses on search terms prospects or customers may use and then carefully builds your Web site and its content around those terms. When done properly, the number and quality of your visitors should increase. Higher quality visitors mean higher quality sales leads and, ideally, more sales.
What's the most effective way to improve your SEO results?
Content is King
MSN advises:
- The best way to attract people to your site, and keep them coming back, is to design your pages with valuable content that interests your target audience.
According to Google:
- Create a useful, information-rich site. Write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content.
Yahoo! advises:
- Provide original and unique content of genuine value.
Valuable, information-rich, unique content will not only improve your search engine rank, but will attract more, quality prospects. They'll be more likely to click deeper into your Web site and return to your site in the future.
Eight Sure Fire Ways to Improve Your Web Site's Content and SEO:
- Carefully determine the keywords your prospects would most likely type to find your Web site and make sure your title and header are rich with those keywords.
- Retain fresh, relevant copy that is useful to your target audience.
- Lead with your most powerful message.
- Make an emotional connection with your visitors.
- Answer the visitor's question: "What's in it for me?"
- Effectively incorporate your keywords in your copy… but don't over do it.
- Focus on one topic per page.
- Use bullets, subheads and lists to make your content easy to scan.
If your content is relevant and useful, other Web sites may post links to your site. Every major search engine considers links as part of their ranking. Not only will you attract more visitors, but also you will improve your SEO as well.
How eNewsletters Boost SEO
Search engines gobble up fresh content and return for more. So will customers and prospects. That's why many high-traffic Web sites post and regularly update their newsletter archives. This is a simple and inexpensive way to provide fresh, timely material that is relevant to your target audience.
By tracking your clicks/views eNewsletter reports, you can determine which topics draw the most interest and emphasize those in your Web site and future newsletters.
Also consider Forward to a Friend and Subscribe options. It's another way of reaching new prospects and tracking the effectiveness of your content.
Bottom line: Write for Customers, Not for Search Engines
Don't get caught up in search engine rankings. Being number one in your category is meaningless if most of your visitors aren't among your target audience.
Google advises: "Make pages for users, not for search engines. Ask yourself, 'Does this help my users? Would I do this if search engines didn't exist?'"
Find out how Proven Systems eNewsletters can help in your SEO optimization efforts. For more information, contact Marc Dube at marc@provensystems.com or 800.720.5398. |
