can small business seo compete with big brands?

Can Small Business SEO Compete with Big Brands?

Christina Hecht and Brynna Baldauf

Vertical Measures

www.VerticalMeasures.com

As an SEO Specialist, Brynna works in developing the rank and reach

of client websites by optimizing the on and off page aspects. She

helps each client to balance the content and necessary snippets of

code to create a well ranking and converting site which ultimately

increases sales and traffic.

ABOUT US

As the SEO Strategist. Christina enjoys working on clients’ projects

long-term, helping them set and reach goals, and getting to

understand their business’s narrative as seen through an SEO

lens, and producing measurable results. Christina has spent her

career cross-training in several areas of digital marketing and is

passionate about educating clients on the technical workings and

gratifying results of organic SEO.

@little_bry @christinahecht


“There is a powerful lesson in that for battles with all kinds of giants. The powerful and strong are not always what they seem.”

-Malcolm Gladwell, David and Goliath



ABOUT VERTICAL MEASURES

• Why we do this

• Small Business and Vertical Measures



DO SEARCH ENGINES FAVOR BIG BRANDS?

Myth: Big Brands get a pass from Google, even when engaging in spammy

practices.

Reality: Big Brands get penalized, too, but overall strength allows for

recovery

(see JC Penney, Overstock, Expedia/Hotels.com)



DISPELLING THE MYTH

Brands have age, affinity, hit algorithmic points, money for other channels,

resources to create content

What you need to do:

• Get over it

• Figure out why brands are succeeding in your space

• Start Content Marketing!



BIG BRANDS

Money

Promotion, advertising

People

Content creators

Audience

Brand recognition and affinity, wide

reach

Algorithm

Professional SEO and platform, big data

reports, content, links, engagement,

age of their domain, etc.

Knowledge Graph potential

Ad

van

tag

es

Dis

adva

nta

ges

Money

– Budgets can stifle agility

People

– Inconsistent voice, buy-in from

disparate departments

Audience

– Set too wide, can’t get micro-

local

Algorithm

– Making mistakes, buying links,

cannibalizing content, losing

track of “inventory”

They’re not expecting you!



SMALL BUSINESSES

More wary of decisions=better

understanding of choices

Fewer people to coordinate

– Better chance at a single

voice

Better opportunity for genuine

audience interaction

Playing by the algo rules in the end

is a much better strategy

Ad

van

tag

es

Dis

adva

nta

ges

Not as much money to put

toward wide-scale promotions

and big data tools

Fewer people to do the work

Audience may be harder to

understand/develop

personas/reach

Slower to see improvements

when you have to play by the

rules



HOW TO COMPETE WITH BIG BRANDS

• Competitive Keyword Research

• Basic Onsite Optimization

• Ideation

– More tools

• Content Creation

– Make more content based on what you learned

• Be where they’re not expecting you



COMPETITIVE KEYWORD RESEARCH - HOW TO

Tools

• Google Adwords Keyword Planner

• KeywordTool.io

• Ubersuggest.org

• Many More!

Method

• Enter Competitor URL into Keyword Planner

• Look at Keywords they are Associated with

• Repeat with Your Site URL

• Compare Crossover and Opportunities

• Enter Keywords into KeywordTool.io or UberSuggest.org to find variations


https://adwords.google.com

http://keywordtool.io/

http://ubersuggest.org/

BASIC ONSITE OPTIMIZATION


CONTENT IDEATION - HOW TO

A. Take Keywords from competitive research

a. Enter into keywordtool.io and Ubersuggest.org

b. Look for long tail phrases

c. Relate them to the following:

B. Who is your audience; what do they do all day?

C. What are common questions to your service team?

D. What are popular questions in your industry?

E. Can you simplify or explain something?

F. Is there a learning/education curve to your product?

G. Have you done research on a related topic?



CONTENT CREATION - HOW TO

● What are you good at creating?

● Use different forms of Content

● Make a content calendar and stick to it! (Free Template Here)

● Publish to your networks

○ Social Media

○ Youtube

○ Email Blasts

○ Newsletter Updates

○ Medium.com

○ Press Releases


http://www.verticalmeasures.com/content-editorial-calendar-template/


BE WHERE THEY’RE NOT EXPECTING YOU

● Mobile

● Rich Snippets in SERPs

● Local and micro-local

● Other channels and niche networks

● Fully engaged in an 8-step content marketing strategy




Mobile


Rich Snippets - Schema.org



Local Search

● 32% click on the Map in Local

SERP results

● Check your location in other

maps and apps:

○ Apple Maps

○ Yelp

○ Foursquare

○ Citysearch

● Engage in social at the

micro-local level





Channels Content Marketing


RESOURCES

Basic Onpage SEO and Rich Snippets: http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/basics-of-search-engine-

friendly-design-and-development

Meta Tags: http://www.verticalmeasures.com/resources/seo-tutorial-videos/meta-tags-video/

Keyword Research: http://www.verticalmeasures.com/resources/seo-tutorial-videos/choosing-the-best-

keywords/

Local SERPs Heat Map:http://localu.org/blog/a-heat-map-click-study-for-googles-local-carousel-results/

Rich Snippets: Schema.org

Google Structured Data Markup Helper - https://www.google.com/webmasters/markup-helper/

How to Convince Your Boss to go all in with Content Marketing-http://www.howtoconvinceyourboss.com/


http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/basics-of-search-engine-friendly-design-and-development

http://www.verticalmeasures.com/resources/seo-tutorial-videos/meta-tags-video/

http://www.verticalmeasures.com/resources/seo-tutorial-videos/choosing-the-best-keywords/

http://localu.org/blog/a-heat-map-click-study-for-googles-local-carousel-results/

https://schema.org/

https://www.google.com/webmasters/markup-helper/


QUESTIONS?


NEXT WEBINAR…

8 Steps to Win at Search Social

& Content Marketing

Learn about:

• What content marketing is / isn’t

• How search, social, and content can work

together

• The 8 steps to an effective internet marketing

program

18Dec

11am PST

2pm EST

Arnie Kuenn

CEO, Vertical Measures

Register: www.verticalmeasures.com/webinars

http://www.verticalmeasures.com/webinars