We live in a result-driven world!  Achieving sales, margin goals and cash flow results are common and constant discussions at most companies. However, when it comes to website performance, unless you’re selling products online, most people avoid conversations about results. Why is that?

Without sales, margins, and cash flow, a lot of organizations simply don’t know what to measure. If you’re talking about the web, search engine results are a great place to start.

Let’s say you own a pizza parlor and you want people to find your location online. 

How can you possibly get on the first page of Google search results, maybe even become number one, for pizza knowing that there are millions of pizza places in the United States?

The answer lies in selecting keywords that are specific to your business, such as “Pizza Parlor in Wheaton, Illinois,” for example.  Selecting the right keywords, as you might have guessed, is not easy, but it’s critical to quality search results. That’s why you have so many search engine optimization (SEO) specialists advertising on the web. Search engine traffic, it has been proven, can bring you more sales and new customers if done correctly. (Did you know that your website can get penalized for taking certain actions and actually drop in ranking? http://www.webconfs.com/15-minute-seo.php)

But with so many promising that they can make you number one in the rankings, on Google, how do you know who or what to believe?

When you search the internet for “search engine optimization” companies, you are bombarded with choices.  Many promise you immediate results in getting your rankings up, and they even promise you that they can guarantee you’ll be number one in the rankings.  Is that true? Can they really do that?

The answer is no. We have several clients that we’ve taken their keywords and over several weeks and months gotten many, sometimes most, of their keywords ranked #1 on Google. Does that mean we can do that every single time?  I would never make that claim. None of us know Google’s formula for ranking sites so making such a bold claim is, in our view, irresponsible marketing. There are many ways to accomplish high ranking results for your website.  The work that goes on behind the scene of your website is only the starting point.  There are online and offline optimization techniques, which we’ll leave for another blog.

Search engines have adapted to this new web-world of blogs, social media, videos, etc., and are constantly changing how they rank websites.  In previous years, your keywords and links was all that really mattered but times have changed!  Search engines take many more factors into account these days, such as your content, download speed, keyword relevancy and competition, the importance of inbound and outbound links, and of course your connections. 

It is not always about quantity, you also have to factor in quality.  As search engines are getting smarter, so should you.  A reputable marketing company can not only improve your website ranking but do it in a way that preserves your reputation. If someone is guaranteeing you #1 ranking on Google you need to ask yourself, “Does this sound too good to be true?” If it does, well, it may be time to consider another SEO firm.

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1. Every page needs a focal point

Every page on your website should have a focal point, a place where the visitor’s eyes are naturally drawn. It can be an image, a special offer, or a headline. In addition, that focal point should direct your visitors to act, a call-to-action.

Click here for free sample, for example.

Think of your pages as Billboards. Billboards are big, bright, and clearly direct you to take a specific action. You site pages should do the same.

Your focal points should include images and copy that is keyword rich and help the search engines find your site.

2. Headline can be very effective

Headlines organize your content by making a promise to the reader. It follows then, that your content must then deliver on that promise.

Using the “who-what-why” formula isn’t the only way to format your headlines, but it works. Think of your headlines as a promise, a commitment you make between you and your visitor.

There are many effective headline formulas out there, so you need never worry about repeating yourself.

Whether it’s on the page or in your meta data, headlines are an important SEO tactic.

3. Get 50% through the use of numbers

People are more apt to believe something when a number accompanies it. 51% of those surveyed believed something is more powerful than a majority of those surveyed believe…

Numbers grab our attention and are more credible than general terms. It seems people like specifics.

4. Use power words

Words like fast, easy, guaranteed and free are powerful copy.

    “Free is the most powerful word in the copywriter’s vocabulary. Everybody wants to get something for free.”

    -Robert W. Bly

In our email marketing we typically use headlines such as, “Free PDF…” or some other power word to increase click-throughs and, eventually, sales opportunities.

5. Think about your images

The cliché is “a picture is worth a thousand words” and it’s true. And if a picture is worth a thousand words then a video is worth ten thousand. Think long and hard about the visuals you use. Pictures and videos can supercharge story and include:

    * Photographs

    * Artwork

    * Charts and Graphs

    * Slidedecks

    * Video

    * Infographics

Make sure your images have an ALT description so the search engines know what it is you’re trying to communicate through your images.

6. Use Sub-Headlines

Would you read a newspaper if it had just one headline? Of course not!

We want information that is categorized and well organized.

If your text is longer than 250-400 words, you must use sub-headlines. No exceptions.

While the search engines give sub-headings slightly less impact than Headings, sub-headings remain an important SEO tactic.

7. Lists work

This entire post is a list.

Why do lists work so well? Lists are the building blocks of the thinking process, of ideas. To communicate your thoughts quickly and effectively, nothing structures the information like a well-thought out and logically organized list.

8. People love quotes

In my book Communication Wins, I opened every chapter with a quotation. Selecting the right quote for each chapter took up a significant part of my editing time.

Use quotes to organize your ideas and demonstrate that our major points are significant enough to have earned a historical quotation. If Abraham Lincoln commented on your major point, then it’s probably important enough for people to want to learn more about it.

9. Fun with font

Some people change fonts within their copy for emphasis. We think that’s a bad idea. To attract attention to a particular point or section of your copy, try using bold and/or italics.

The search engine can detect bold and/or italicized font in your copy and assume these are the important terms (keywords).

10. Your voice sells

There are dozens of good SEO copywriting techniques. We encourage you to learn and use them.

However, at the end of the day, you need to find your own voice. Your particular point of view, style, and tone, form the foundation for your audience appeal.

I love the way Peggy Noonan writes. She was President Reagan’s speech writer and has a lyrical style and velvet touch while, at the same time, the ability to cut like a knife, without sounding angry, through the foolishness that is served up to us on a daily basis as serious political discourse. Would I like to write like Peggy, you bet!

But I can’t. There’s only one Peggy and I’m not her. So I have to do my best to write like me. I’ve learned that my best writing is typically short declarative sentences that are easy to read and understand.

Do you agree?

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We keep talking about the importance of communication.  Being able to communicate is what will make or break your marketing campaign, what will make website visitors stay longer and what will eventually turn leads into customers.

We mostly communicate through content, but the first impression we leave largely depends on the visual appeal of the content we are presenting, may that be our website, our social media landing pages, our reports or our marketing collateral.  Choosing the right images to visually communicate our content is crucial to engaging our readers.

5 Tips to choosing the correct image:

1. Determine the overall concept of what it is you are trying to communicate. Then decide on the theme of your image.
2. Make sure you consider the colors in the image of your choice. There are many sites that offer images for a reasonable cost, such as Clipart.com,  iStockPhoto.com, Free-StockPhotos.com, PaintShop Pro, NeoPaint, and with so many images available, there is bound to be one that will be the perfect fit.
3. Avoid a cluttered image (unless you are writing about clutter).  A good image draws your eyes to the story you want to tell.  A cluttered image distracts from the story.
4. Consider your target audience.  Don’t leave anyone out of the story.  Make sure you choose an image that covers the whole of your target market, not just one part of your audience.
5. If you have any inkling that you have to explain the setting in the image to communicate your intention, it’s not the right picture.   

Remember, choosing the right image while communicating your message can make or break the deal!

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In my consulting practice I talk to a lot of CEO’s, Presidents and Sales leaders. Virtually all them believe their marketing skills are very good or excellent and tend to waste little time telling me so. I can count on one hand the times I’ve agreed with their assessment.

I'm not sure but I think many people think they are good marketers because they think they are good consumers. It’s an easy assumption but is really like saying because I’m a good driver, I’m a good mechanic. It’s false logic but it is what it is. More research is required.

Kent Huffman is a great guy to follow on twitter (www.twitter.com/kenthuffman). He’s savvy and does interesting things. One of the things he did was ask Twitter marketing kabobs to define marketing.

I define marketing as good communication, which means solid writing that delivers a clear, concise and compelling message, one that is unique and stands out in the marketplace. A good marketing strategy begins online, because that's where all the people are, and spreads into offline activities such as print. (You remember print, don't you?) That means good marketing and good blogging have the same active ingredients, which is interesting. Enjoy the definitions!

"Marketing is the process of making selling unnecessary." Jennifer Aaker, Professor at Stanford University (www.Twitter.com/Aaker)

"Marketing needs to tell a story to consumers that makes them want what you've got -- truthfully, uniquely, and repeatably." David Cooperstein,  Principal Analyst at Forrester Research (www.Twitter.com/MiniCooper)

"Marketing encompasses activities that maximize the value to the customer and the return on investment when bringing a product or service to market." Sam Decker, CMO at Bazaarvoice (www.Twitter.com/SamDecker)

"Marketing extends from understanding what the customers need to making sure they get it and are happy with it." Nigel Dessau, CMO at AMD (www.Twitter.com/NigelDessau)

"Marketing is the art and science of creating mutually satisfying exchanges." Theresa Flaherty, Professor at James Madison University (www.Twitter.com/FlahertB)

"Good marketing is developing trust between a consumer and a product. Great marketing is developing trust between a consumer and a product without the consumer even knowing it happened." Jesse Friedman, Professor at Johnson & Wales University (www.Twitter.com/Professor)

"Marketing: to identify, acquire, and retain higher-margin clients." David Harkleroad, CMO at Hay Group (www.Twitter.com/DavidHarkleroad)

"Marketing is the only function to connect a business from first idea to customer use and satisfaction. For us at Kodak, we take it a step further to say it serves as a 'catalyst for growth' by leveraging people, brand, products, partners, and technologies to transform Kodak into an industry-leading growth company." Jeffrey Hayzlett, CMO at Kodak (www.Twitter.com/JeffreyHayzlett)

"At its core, marketing is simply the process of connecting buyers and sellers. But to be truly effective, marketing also requires the creation of measurable, repeatable results by listening to customers and prospects, engaging in meaningful discussions, developing strong relationships, delivering value, and finally, engendering loyalty." Kent Huffman, Chief Marketing Officer at BearCom Wireless and coauthor of "Maximizing Your Marketing Efforts: Leading CMOs on Overcoming Budget Constraints, Positioning Your Brand, and Harnessing Creativity" (www.Twitter.com/KentHuffman)

"Marketing is the art of getting people to want something before they would have come to the same conclusion." Guy Kawasaki, Cofounder of Alltop and author of "Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition" (www.Twitter.com/GuyKawasaki)

"Marketing is everything you do up to the close of the sale and everything you do after the sale to keep your customer coming back." David Kimball, CMO at 10Beyond (www.Twitter.com/DavidKimball)

"Marketing loads and aims the gun. Sales pulls the trigger." Frank Sullivan, former Vice President of Marketing at Square D Company

What do you think?

Steve

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