better together search and social - moving from cowboys to hedgehogs by ellen white

#SMX #24A @EllenReathWhite

Rugged Individualism versus Secure Interdependence

Better Together: Search + Social

Moving from Cowboys to Hedgehogs


ELLEN WHITE •  Employer – Team Detroit •  Client – Ford Motor Company •  Search Marketing Specialist – SEO/SEM •  Digital Analytics Director of Organic Search (SEO) for Ford Motor Company. Previous clients include Johnson Controls and Scotts Miracle-‐gro. Worked at Oneupweb Digital Marketing Agency, also sold software as a service for Automatic Data Processing (ADP) Excels at communicating in a plain, straightforward fashion the complexities of today’s emerging Search Marketing environment. Committed to bringing rigor, discipline and standardization to the Search profession. Believes implementation is the foundation for success…it’s not enough to hand off recommendations. Favorite Quote: “Was ever a would-‐be gardener SEO professional left so entirely to her own blundering? But every mistake must be used as a stepping stone to something better…and all my mistakes only make me more determined to persevere.”


The SEO team bubbles up recommendations based on analytics data •  “There is a great deal of interest in [FILL IN THE BLANK], Our site is the best source of information regarding

this topic. But the way the site is designed blocks search engines from finding that information.” Recommendation •  Help search engine crawlers find and understand content Implementation •  Discovery à Design à Develop à Deploy à Post-Deployment •  Research à UXA & Copywriter Input à Engineering Input à QA à Reporting + Additional Optimizations

How the Organic Search (SEO) team works within the agency Insights, Recommendations & Implementation

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9 Paid Visits from Search - Wired & Mobile Natural Visits from Search - Wired & Mobile


S e a r ch Ma r ke*ng . There we were, Search

Marketing professionals, finally established, sitting at anchor on calm waters.


S O C I A L M ED I A .

And suddenly our little sister hit the scene…and our parents were enamored.


Dependence ! Independence ! Rugged Individualism ! Interdependence

Cowboys. We are here.

Characterized by •  Competence •  Getting it DONE! •  “I’ve got this”


Characterized by •  Rivalry •  Jockeying for position •  Fear of showing our inadequacies

The problem with Cowboys.


We are here.


Search + Social is you?


A special kind of cowboy

Characterized by •  Ignoring weaknesses •  Low-grade anxiety •  “I’ll figure it out” mentality •  Tendency to focus time & efforts on what you know •  Headed for burnout

You are the Search and Social Team. You can’t do it all.


Better Together.

Keep these five truths in mind. 1.  No single person or team can master

the complexities in today’s Search/Social discipline

2.  Your knowledge in no way diminishes me.

3.  Sharing my knowledge in no way threatens my place in this world.

4.  Knowledge gaps are not intelligence gaps.

5.  We are all capable of learning.


Let’s get here.

Be Humble. Be Teachable.


Interdependence Leverages Unique Expertise.

What it is. •  A focus on unique expertise •  The opposite of “working on your

weaknesses” •  Focus on that one thing you do

better than anyone else at the table •  Become a specialist •  Let the strength of others strengthen

your work/team

“A fox knows many things, but a hedgehog one important thing."


#1 Requirement Feel Safe.

Ongoing & Continuous Change •  Search algorithms •  Social media sites & their influence Emerging •  Vocabulary •  Thought-leaders •  Strategies •  Tactics •  Analytics •  Goals & Objectives •  Your knowledge & the knowledge

of others

E V E R Y T H I N G is emerging.

N O O N E is a complete expert.

In order for an atmosphere of interdependence to thrive, all parties must

feel safe.


Today’s Challenges. Deadlines ! Fast Pace ! Constant Change = Profound Complexities

Moving from rugged individualism to leveraging unique teamwork.

•  Rely on the knowledge of others •  Receive knowledge graciously •  Assume a level of expertise with all

teams and clients •  Avoid the tendency to jump to “I

knew it first!” •  Don’t worry about your weaknesses,

worry about the weaknesses of your team(s)

•  Expose your weaknesses so that you can get knowledge and training


Checklists.

•  Create a set of checklists that fit your organization

•  Create checklists for processes and teams

•  Add communication checkpoints •  Print your checklists •  Use the checklists & refine •  Avoid the dumb mistakes •  Complexity of today’s digital world

demands checklists •  Don’t let overconfidence cause you

to make mistakes!

How did Sully and his team execute such a successful landing &

evacuation?

Checklists.

Rugged Individualist ! Operational Excellence.


Search versus Social What’s the difference?


Ford.com

Consumer

Consumer Consumer

Standard Search Marketing Model Drive consumers to our platform from Google, Yahoo! And Bing.

How we did it •  Content •  Links •  Site Architecture •  Paid Media

Where we struggle •  Content •  Links •  Site Architecture •  Budgets for Paid Media

Search vs Social Search.


Consumer

Ford Content

Ford Content

Ford Content

Ford Content

Social Media’s Distributed Content Model Meet consumers on their platforms.

How its being done. •  Content •  Tweets & Posts •  Videos •  Blogs •  Images •  Links…a powerful ranking signal

Search vs Social Social.


Search vs Social

Search Strengths “We know exactly what we want and

how to get it.”

Social Strengths “We will come to you.”

Search Challenges “You must come to us.”

•  Deep research on important terms •  Strong knowledge of ranking factors •  Success measured on one platform

•  Quick insertion into the cultural conversation

•  Ability to use common language

•  Slow turnaround •  Architecture & Design Roadblocks •  Frequently restrained from using

common language


Search + Social Strategy & Tactics.


Create a ROADMAP.

Strategy. Social can leverage the SEO team in the following ways: •  Knowledge of linking •  Keyword research data

SEO can leverage the Social team in the following ways: •  Ability to deploy content

when brand site content is thin, non-existent or unable to be reached by search engine crawlers


Create a ROADMAP.

Tactics.

Create a written roadmap that contains •  Linking Strategy •  Content Calendar


Tactics.

Linking Strategy •  Leverage these powerful social media websites! •  Links matter / don’t matter? It don’t matter! •  Hoping for “likes”? Stop. •  Be engaging. •  Write good content (and include some valuable

keywords in a professional manner) •  Have an established plan for posts, tweets,

comments. •  Be authentic.

A2ract L INKS .

Attract links. Understand links.

Fix bad links. Report-out on incoming links from your

social media sites!

I know. It’s a Lynx.


Establish BRAND .

Tactics.

What is your brand’s theme? For what topics do you want your brand to show up? Where online should your brand show up? Extend branding to all •  Copy (posts/tweets) •  Images •  Videos


Be LIKEABLE. Tactics.

Likeable Traits •  Quick wit •  Humor •  Thematically relevant to

your brand •  Authenticity •  Good member of the

community •  Responsive to others


De te rm ine VO ICE and CADENCE .

Tactics.

•  Use the SEO team’s keyword research to create content strategy

•  Vary posts and tweets regularly

•  Provide links to your own content and to the content of sites that are thematically relevant and of interest to your audience


NavigaBon can get T R I CKY .

Tactics.

•  Managing mistakes •  Employee Turnover •  Training – both inter and intra-team •  Ongoing & continuous innovation and

improvement


Refine your ROADMAP.

Get Your BEAR INGS . Tactics. Refine Your Strategy.

•  SEO Team strategy •  Social Team strategy •  Review & revise quarterly

in first year


SEE YOU AT THE NEXT #SMX!

THANK YOU!!