Search Engine Optimization in an eCommerce WorldWritten by Mike Barton
Before one can fully understand importance and necessity of implementing a search engine optimization program into their marketing mix, it is important to look first at phenomenal statistics regarding Internet use. For example: •There are 7 new people on Internet every second. •Every 4th person online is buying something right now. •One billion dollars in e-commerce transactions will be conducted this month. •Over one trillion dollars in e-commerce business will be generated this year. •1 out of 8 dollars spent by consumers is spent on online transactions. (Source: ACCUTIPS.com, December 2003) Furthermore, according to glreach.com, there were 649 million Internet users online worldwide in March 2003---a 14 percent increase in just one year! That comes out to be about 88 million new users in that year alone. There can be no question that Internet is continuing to grow at an amazing pace. While fact that so many consumers are online is important, it is even more crucial to understand what these consumers are doing while online. The two most outstanding reasons people use Internet is to communicate (e-mail) and to research (using search engines). Again, here are a few statistics regarding how people spend their time online (for more statistics and a list of sources, visit http://www.10xmarketing.com/information.asp): •88% of all Internet users use search engines •37% of online shoppers used Google to search for online retailers. Search was used by 25 percent of consumers searching Web for holiday purchases •For car buying decisions, search engine advertising proved itself a stronger influencer (26 percent) than TV ads (17 percent) •Virtually all affluent adult shoppers (HHI $100K+) use Web to make or research their purchases. For automobile, computer and travel purchases, Internet use is extraordinarily high (over 90 percent of those surveyed) When consumers go to Internet, they use search engines because they are able to find products they want, reviews, descriptions, consumer ratings, and best price possible. Consumers are less concerned with where they buy their products as much as they are concerned with how much product they can get for their dollar. Thus, each day millions of people use search engines to look for items they want to buy on Internet. Those businesses that appear on first page of these searches are getting 50% to 70% of business from these customers. There is little doubt that potential customers are currently using search engines to search for products and services your company sells. The only real question is, “What are you doing to help them find you, instead of your competitors?”
| | Exploring Beyond Keywords Into Behavioral Research Written by John Alexander
If you have ever studied search engine optimization, then you'll know that most educators place tremendous importance on performing good keyword research. After all, it's true that we need to optimize our pages for best phrases, or we will never realize our true traffic potential. It's all about trying to attract ideal audience of searchers to our Web site, right? Is that not what most of people do? They build a Web site offering their business services, then they say to themselves "How do I get traffic to my site?" For many Web site owners, their source of traffic is an after-thought.It's much wiser, to first try and discover what keyword phrases people are searching for on major search engines and then optimize Web content for those specific phrases. However, there are still further regions to explore that go beyond keyword research. Let's call it researching "behavior" of your target audience. The difference between keyword research and behavioral research is that keyword research keeps us in a rather technical mode and focused on finding out what words people are entering while searching. Behavioral research has added advantage of enlightenment and understanding that not only reveals what keyword phrases are being used, but why those keywords are being used. Give this some careful thought. What could possibly be more important than getting inside head of your target audience and discovering what they really want? Actually nothing! Once we understand exactly what someone is looking for, we can give them exactly what they want. Think "behavior." Every day, people around world use Internet as a tool for a vast array of purposes. A study of behaviors can carry you much deeper into understanding desires of your target audience and ultimately, an understanding of what kind of useful content to provide for them. While most people are thinking about what keywords to use, try to expand your scope to focus and discover fullest possible picture of what your customer REALLY wants, what they really are doing, by simply studying their searching behavior on major search engines. Why make all this fuss about behavior trends anyway? What creates behavioral trends? Think about it this way. If you can discover how a certain target audience is using Internet, then chances are rest of your target audience may be doing exactly same thing. This is not only helpful with respect to ideal keyword phrase selection but also may be helpful to your writing style. How you communicate to a grandmother will have a completely different spin than how you communicate with a sports enthusiast looking for sports scores or a photographer searching for a place to review several different lenses.
|
