If you’re the type who likes to go into their analytics account or you may notice on some of our reports that one of your keyword search referrals says (not provided). Some may have more for this category than others. In fact I recently saw 1 client get 3 sales from (not provided). Hooray to the sales but unfortunately we don’t know the actual converting phrases, just that they came via Google organic search.

So what are we doing about it? Unfortunately there is not a whole lot that we can do about it. It doesn’t change the way we approach a campaign, we’re still going to be increasing your online visibility, driving traffic to your website and focusing on getting those conversions, we’re just not going to have the exact data to work with and report on. In some cases it may actually be worth including Adwords with your campaign, even a small one. It is still a solid marketing channel, it just feels a little dirtier in light of this seemingly deceptive rollout (yeah paid search referral data is still available even if you are logged into your Google account). Does seem a bit strange.

Paul Fleming is co-founder and VP of Interactive Services for Dinkum Interactive. A trained teacher, Paul has worked in a variety of forms of Internet Marketing but with a focus on SEO. Originally from Australia, he now resides in Philadelphia with his wife and 2 ankle-biters.

OnClick Google Analytics Link Adjustment

Let’s have a look at our website Dinkum Interactive which offers an image link back to our Twitter account. We can certainly track the number of folks who sign up to our twitter account but where they come from remains a mystery. At the very least, we would like to see who is heading to twitter from our website via the button on our home page. Not very interesting but for the sake of an example, right now the code looks something like:

<a href=”http://www.twitter.com/mydinkum”><img src=”images/twittericon.png” alt=”twitter icon” width=”83″ height=”76″ /></a>

So the first part of that link is the destination, the second part is the source of the image file. We are mostly concerned with the first part which we will adjust to accommodate for the onclick and will look something like this:

<a href=”http://www.twitter.com/mydinkum” target=”_blank” onclick=”javascript:pagetracker._trackPageview (‘/outgoing/www.twitter.com’);” ></a>

Then we would combine that with the image source code <img src=”images/twittericon.png” alt=”twitter icon” width=”83″ height=”76″ /> to give you your final link.

<a href=”http://www.twitter.com/mydinkum” target=”_blank” onclick=”javascript:pagetracker._trackPageview (‘/outgoing/www.twitter.com’);”><img src=”images/twittericon.png” alt=”twitter icon” width=”83″ height=”76″></a>

I use ‘outgoing’ but I know others use different names for that, plus I believe you can pretty much use anything to tag the outgoing URL landing page, you just need to be able to remember it when you’re checking your data which is why I like to keep consistent with it.

Checking Your Data

Now you’re going to have to head over to your Google Analytics account and make your way to the Content Section:

You will then go to Top Content which will display a list of your most popular pages.

Below this list will be a Filter option. Type in the relevant word here. I’ll use “outgoing” but I could also do www.twitter.com if i wanted.

This will reveal the details of visitors who have clicked on our link or logo or a hotbutton…or for you, whatever you have decided to track.

There may be occasions where something like this will come in handy, particularly if you are working with other websites who don’t have any form of analytics installed. You may need to let them know how generous you are and there’s nothing like hard and fast data to back you up.

Paul Fleming is co-founder and VP of Interactive Services for Dinkum Interactive. A trained teacher, Paul has worked in a variety of forms of Internet Marketing but with a focus on SEO. Originally from Australia, he now resides in Philadelphia with his wife and 2 ankle-biters.

1. Use modern coding standards. Ask your web developer not to use tables and that your website separates content from code (HTML/CSS).  Search engines care more about your content than about the markup that controls colors, font sizes, and other such things.
2. Make sure you use friendly, descriptive URL’s and that each page has unique page titles and meta data. While you are probably not going to be using the optimal keywords, phrases, and structure – at the very least if you make your page titles are relevant to each page, and populate those pages with a meta description that summarizes the content, you’ve eliminated a number of negative elements.
3. If you’re using a CMS, use WordPress. Out of the box, it is incredibly SEO friendly.  With a few plugins (such as the All in One SEO Pack, Google Sitemaps Generator, and Redirection) you are in good shape.
4. Use “Alt” tags. Take the time to give “alt” tags to your images, and descriptions to your links.  It only takes a few minutes up front but it’ll save you a lot of work down the road.
5. Generate an XML sitemap.  You can do this for free using www.xml-sitemaps.com.  If you can, use an automatic script such as the Google Sitemap Generator to automatically generate and submit your website’s sitemap to the three major search engines.
6. Use Webmaster Tools. By using Google Webmaster Tools, Bing’s Webmaster Tools, and Google Analytics, it will help ensure your site is being crawled effectively, and stay informed about how many links are indexed, if malware is present on your site, and where visitors are coming from.
7. Avoid Flash. Don’t code your website in flash and if you have an HTML site, do not put a flash intro into your site.
8. Use fresh and relevant content. Write good, unique copy that clearly describes your company and your services and make sure your homepage has 250-350 words of it.  Add new content regularly – and by that I mean make sure you put up a new case study, client profile, add an FAQ page, or highlight an employee every so often.  Search engines like to see that your site is growing at a regular pace – not too fast, not too slow – since it is a sign that your website is valid, updated, and legitimate.

In summary, this list will not ensure that your website is #1 on Google for any particular term.  However, it will help to make sure that your site is thoroughly indexed and available to search engines; that you’ve created a strong foundation for more focused and intentional SEO efforts in the future; and that you’ve fostered a website management strategy that includes the perspectives of the search engines, as opposed to simply a visual user.

Jacob Smith is a Senior Project Manager and Web Strategist with Dinkum Interactive and has led over 150 high-level consulting and website development projects over the last 10 years. He is active in both the internet and cultural communities, and serves on the board of Philly Car Share, the largest car sharing organization in the United States. Originally from Southern California, Jacob and his wife, Meghan, now live in Center City Philadelphia with their young sons Rory and Duncan.

Kelly Dunning is a Sales Consultant for Dinkum Interactive. With 10 years experience in sales and marketing, she keeps Dinkum’s new accounts, and Rick, in tip-top shape.

Big Banana in Coffs Harbour

I’m a big picture person. This served me well as a special education teacher as I would rarely sweat the small stuff, choosing to focus instead on what really mattered which generally involved some form of learning as well as some form of safety i.e no-one gets hurt. So in this world of SEO that I’ve been absorbed for a decent portion of my professional career, I am also more about what I feel really matters (like conversions) rather than some of the specifics (like rankings). Sometimes though, these things come together and that is why I enjoy analytics so much. Identification and tracking of data has become a bit of an obsession of late particularly with smaller businesses that have so many holes because they’re often wearing multiple hats or focused on providing services than worrying about their marketing infrastructure.

When we first opened shop, we found the easiest way to reflect the work we offered was to add analytics and then target the most important aspects of their website for our reports. A contact form was most likely. Possibly a digital download or a unique URL. That’s kind of where it stopped. So for that person who sent our client an inquiry after going to Google, typing in “Graphic Design Company”, a phrase that they didn’t rank for before but now are front and center on Search Engines, unless the client asked how the prospect found them, we really don’t know where that new client came from because, for whatever reason, there is no inquiry form on their website or the prospect called them on the phone and they never asked how they found them.

So that new client who will be spending $50K in the next year with you came through an initiative that you’ve been questioning about spending $5K/year for mostly because you didn’t ask how they found you. That’s a significant return on your investment but if you don’t know about it, that’s a problem.

Obviously e-commerce makes it a lot easier because we can actually set up revenue tracking and it takes us through the whole process, we’ve also set up call tracking so the client can close the gap between the web and the telephone. Nice and clean thank you very much. Unfortunately most businesses don’t work that way. A prospect may have originated from the Web but there might be several touches with the prospect throughout the sales cycle, several staff members may have to become involved to help seal the deal and in the end, when you close the deal, SEO may well have been the forgotten source.

Having worked in or with larger organizations or agencies, I’ve seen how integrated their initiatives can be. A big CRM that is actually tied together with analytics and fully integrated into the website makes for an incredibly seamless data source. It relies less on staff input  and more on actual hard and fast data and the reporting can be amazing. These things will show you every little detail from a go to whoa. Very impressive. Our aim is to be able to do this on a small scale which is the greatest challenge. Having to rely on workarounds and hacks to get what we need can tighten things up only takes you so far. The gaps still exist.

While these challenges will continue, if you’re a client of ours or working with another Internet Marketing company there are a few basics that you should be covering.

1. Make sure you have analytics installed on your website. We generally prefer Google Analytics because of the price point for smaller companies but there are a bunch of others out there that are affordable and really help to give you a better understanding of your website’s performance.

2. Identify and create conversion points or as we often refer to them, Key Performance Indicators (KPI). If your website doesn’t have an inquiry form, we’ll generally insist on adding one. Phone tracking has also become a pretty significant requirement and while it’s not necessarily cheap, it’s not outrageous and is well worth the investment.

3. Analyze and assess your campaign at least every month. We do monthly reports for our clients which allows us to get a solid overall perspective on our clients’ website performance and will then review with them. We do encourage them to go and have a look for themselves regularly as well.

4. Ask your prospects how they found you. Sure this is pretty challenging in many circumstances but it’s pretty important especially if you’ve invested a good sum of money into your Internet Marketing campaign.

Don’t assume that we won’t obsess over search rankings because there is still a pretty close relationship between a strong keyword position and conversion points but obviously with personalized search and geo-targeting and all the other initiatives that search engines are famous for, it makes for a pretty difficult justification of our activities. For us, analytics is the sweet spot and allows us to not only obsess over every little detail of your campaign, but give us a much clearer big picture.

Paul Fleming is co-founder and VP of Interactive Services for Dinkum Interactive. A trained teacher, Paul has worked in a variety of forms of Internet Marketing but with a focus on SEO. Originally from Australia, he now resides in Philadelphia with his wife, son and another on the way.

Paul Fleming is co-founder and VP of Interactive Services for Dinkum Interactive. A trained teacher, Paul has worked in a variety of forms of Internet Marketing but with a focus on SEO. Originally from Australia, he now resides in Philadelphia with his wife and 2 ankle-biters.

Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t just about optimizing your web presence for search engines (that’s important of course!); it’s also about optimizing for your human readers and understanding how humans use your website. Or, what I like to call, “HEO” – Human Experience Optimization. Wish I could take credit for the coined phrase; alas it’s been used before.

Here are Five Things You Need To Know or Do Before SEO

1. Know Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP). According to Wikipedia, “a value proposition is an analysis and quantified review of the benefits, costs and value that an organization can deliver to customers and other constituent groups within and outside of the organization”. In other words, your value is what makes you relevant, worthwhile, and beneficial to current or potential customers. Additionally, it can explain what sets you apart from your competitors and why customers should pick you over the competition.
2. Know and Own Your Message. Choose a message and stick to it. Don’t waffle. The message will, naturally, convey your UVP. But it is a brief statement that says “This is who we are, what we do, and why [you] should pick us.” The message needs to be clear and understandable to all who read it. Don’t weigh it down with jargon or fancy words. Uphold that message – in your branding, on your website, off-line – everywhere!
3. Know Your Target Market. This seems like a no-brainer really. But it’s super important to know WHO you’re talking to and cater your website’s content and offerings to them and their expectations.  This is actually where Social Media is becoming handy. Social Media is allowing us a unique opportunity to listen to our marketplace in real time. Check the pulse of your target market by listening on Social Media channels such as Twitter or on blogs.
4. Be Real. Today’s connected consumer is as savvy as ever. They can spot a scam or a bogus website a mile away. You don’t have to be over the top to get your UVP or message out there. You also don’t need to be wordy – give people what they want or need, in a genuine way, without wasting their time!
5. Install Google Analytics on your website. Believe it or not, we talk to new clients who don’t already have Google Analytics installed on their websites all the time. You don’t need to be an advanced analyst to understand Google Analytics. Reviewing your analytics regularly can provide insight on how viewers are getting to your website and how they are using it. This intelligence should help shape how you change and/or optimize your website in the future.

In summary, don’t get caught up in “Marketing Tactics Gone Wild”. Stay true to yourself and your customers – give them what they need when they need it and you’ll see good results from your web efforts.

Need to HEO your web presence? Contact us today.

Marilyn Moran is an Internet Marketing Consultant for Dinkum Interactive. With more than 15 years online experience and over 10 years in developing & marketing websites and Internet communities, she has spent the past 4 years focused on Web Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, and Social Media Marketing.  Additionally, she is an officer in the Philadelphia Chapter of the Social Media Club and sits on the Board of Directors for Philadelphia Area New Media Association. You can reach her at Marilyn@dinkuminteractive.com.

Kelly Dunning is a Sales Consultant for Dinkum Interactive. With 10 years experience in sales and marketing, she keeps Dinkum’s new accounts, and Rick, in tip-top shape.

Google Maps

There are a million things that can affect the sales of a brick and mortar business. Area competitors, availability of complimentary services and traffic sources are just a few. Google Maps is a great tool to help traditional businesses improve their understanding of what is affecting the business.  Competitors, access to public transit, complementary businesses and public attractions can be easily added to a private map with just a couple clicks of a mouse.

Online Surveys

Every business needs feedback. Online surveys can provide a quick and easy way to ask existing customers and prospects their opinions on a variety of topics. With services like SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang, it can be cheap too. Furthermore, online surveys don’t have to be complex as long as you follow a few online survey tips.

Website Research Tools

Whether a business is developing its own website, creating content or investigating its competitors, there are and endless supply of research tools that can be used to provide insight.  Here are a few:

SEOMoz Term Extractor – Want to get an idea of which terms your competitor is targeting? While you can start by looking at a web page’s Title Tags and Meta Description, the SEOMoz Term Extractor will offer some helpful advice.

Yahoo Site Explorer – Many consider links as a form of web currency. Businesses interested in who is linking to their competitors can use this tool to identify competitor linking strategy and even find a few link candidates of their own.

SpyFu - Pay Per Click marketing can be very productive and understanding what keywords are being targeted by competitors can offer some valuable insight. SpyFu is a tool that can do that.

Website Analytics

It only makes sense to understand what a business’ existing website visitors want, so using a website analytics package is crucial. Website analytics packages like Google Analytics, Clicky, Mint or one of the many other analytics packages offer businesses the ability to get a better understanding of their users at very little cost. In addition, it’s equally important to spend the time to translate the data generated by any package into useable information. Just as Avinash Kaushik, he’ll tell you.

Twitter

While Twitter may not be the right tool for every business’ social media marketing efforts, it can be a great research tool. A quick search of Twitter using keywords and themes can uncover a great deal of information an opinion on a given topic. For those companies that actively use Twitter, asking Twitter Followers is a great way to quickly get opinions on products, company performance and many other areas.

In conclusion, these are just a few low/no cost online tools that I feel can be useful to businesses. What tools do you use for market research? Please share them in our comments section.

Bill Rowland

1. Businesses have limited resources, so I focused on getting the “biggest bang for the buck”
2. These are intended as a starting point.
3. These are general suggestions.

With that said, let’s get into it:

Start with a Website:

The cornerstone of any successful online marketing program is a well-optimized website. While businesses can participate in social media without an online presence, the return on their investment will be significantly reduced.

Register for a Google Account:

Google offers a suite of free services that businesses can find invaluable. They include:

Google Reader – RSS Reader to Automatically Subscribe to Blogs
Google Alerts – Online Reputation Management
Google Analytics – Website Analytics

Here’s a quick video tutorial: How to Sign Up for a Google Account:

Start by Listening:

Many businesses are excited about the potential of social media and jump in before determining whether it can be productive. A little research can save business managers a lot of time. A great place to start is to find and read several blogs related to the business’ industry, geographic region and competitors using Google Reader.

Here is a quick video tutorial: How to Subscribe to a Blog Using Google Reader:

Monitor What’s Being Said About the Company:

Many companies fail to realize that their customers, prospects and competitors may already be talking about them. Some of those conversations may be in praise of the company while others may not. Businesses should create a series of Google Alerts that will notify them whenever the company is mentioned online. Also, Google Alerts can also be created for the names of company managers, industry related terms, geographies and even competitors (hint, hint).

Here is a quick video tutorial: How to Create a Google Alert:

Register & Promote Reviews on Free Local Business Directories:

There are a variety of free local business directories whose social media components can have a dramatically positive effect for business. First, businesses must register with some of these directories. Here’s a starter set:

Google Local
Yahoo Local
Bing (Via InfoUSA)
YellowPages.com
Yellow Book
Yelp

After registering with each directory, businesses should then ask customers to rate their performance on these sites. Businesses will receive a business listing that will often appear above the search results and rank more highly when it has more reviews than its competitors. Here’s an example:

Create and Grow a Customer List:

Social media is all about communicating with other people. Existing customers are already interested in your business and creating a customer list allows businesses to:

• Connect with them through social media
• Determine which social media platforms they use
• Market to customers using email, if appropriate

Claim a Social Media User Name:

Consistency is important in all forms of marketing and this applies to social media marketing too. Using a consistent name across multiple services and platforms helps businesses get found more easily. Regardless of whether a business intends to actively participate in social media, it’s still a good idea to register their preferred User Name to prevent others from taking it. Businesses can use namechk.com to determine whether their preferred User Name is available on 72 different social networks. But before you run out to open 72 accounts, we suggest sticking with these to start:

Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
LinkedIn
Flickr
Delicious

Experiment to Find the Right Fit:

Social media can be a powerful marketing tool for business, but it’s not for everyone. Business managers should critically evaluate social media types and platforms to find those that may be productive. While a complete review is beyond the scope of this list, an explanation of social media types and platforms can be found here: Wikipedia’s Social Media entry. One approach that many have found useful is to identify competitors in like industries and evaluate their use of social media.

Establish and Track Goals:

Businesses must determine whether their social media participation is productive for the company, therefore goals must be established and tracked. It’s important that social media marketing goals be consistent with getting prospects to move closer to making a purchase, such as visiting the website, signing up for an email list, or requesting a quote. Unfortunately, too many businesses focus on non-productive goals like amassing followers, fans or online mentions.

Promote Your Social Media Presence Offline:

Once a business is familiar and comfortable with using social media, it should promote its presence to its customers, prospects and surrounding community both online and offline. Several ideas include:

• Include a Reference to Social Media Accounts in Traditional Advertising
• Include a Mention of Social Media in Individual Email Signatures
• Invite Website Visitors to Connect Via Social Media Services

This list is designed to get businesses pointed in the right direction. It is designed to be a starting point and is general in nature To reiterate, this list is designed to be a starting point and is general in nature. Some suggestions may not be the best fit for an individual business