When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) misinformation, prejudices and misconceptions are the norm rather than the exception. Since we started out the #SMTPowerTalk series we've talked to industry leaders and marketers who have offered unique insights into how the words "social", "media" and "marketing" can be made to best fit together.
The challenge is not so much a practical one by way of tools or time or manpower, though certainly these elements do come into play, but a conceptual one where the traditional marketing mindset needs to change in order to make the best use of the opportunities available.
For the third #SMTPowerTalk we held this year, we invited SEO industry pioneer and arguably one of the first men to use the words SEO to describe what it is that he did, Bruce Clay, of Bruce Clay Inc, to talk about his journey and SEO in particular.
There were many deep insights that were revealed during the HOA including a definitive answer to the perennial question "Is SEO Dead?". Bruce has a 360 degree perspective on the search marketing industry and can see both sides of the equation. He also has the ability to use his knowledge of the industry and how it operates to explain some of the issues that come up again and again.
The "SEO is Dead" issue for instance is brought up again and again by those who fail to apply SEO properly, do not really understand its value and hope that whatever it is they do will provide a quick fix. Much of what Bruce revealed in the HOA centered around the need for education both for SEO professionals and their clients and time. Time to make the difference necessary, time to develop convincing search marketing strategies that deliver solid value and time, of course, to establish a baseline for results to be compared against.
Bruce Clay frequently says that SEO is a Marathon rather than a sprint. Once successful thing will not get you there in a landscape that is constantly changing. Catch the full video below for the rest of the insights:
Engagement Broadcasting is now part of search marketing.
The definition of search marketing is now so broad and it encompasses so many elements that traditionally would have been the purview of marketing and sales and PR that it takes a deep look at some data to help us unpack it.
An event like a Hangout On Air, when handled like an Engagement Broadcast with good pre-HOA and post_HOA follow ups, can help drive eyeballs, kickstart and maintain the online conversation and produce more engagement, opinion and reach than almost any other means available.
To help us see the reach of the Bruce Clay HOA and determine what worked and what didn't we invited semantic analytics tool, NOD3x.com in the HOA who tracked the hashtags we used, looked at reshares and engagement and mined both reach and opinion for us.
What is increasingly becoming obvious is that no online event can be presented as a one-off, unconnected one. Everything ties into something else and awareness of the connections and potential connectivity is something that every Broadcasting host should be aware of.
In this case our Engagement Broadcasting events have been handled by SEOWise. For a full look at the analytics involved and the discussion we had check out the video below:
The #SMTPowerTalk series of Hangouts are announced first on the Social Media Today Google+ Page. Click here to join if you haven't already, and be kept up to date on events critical to your marketing.