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Table of Contents

Increasing Traffic to Your Website 2

What You Need To Know

SEO – On Other Websites

Start Measuring

Online Advertising

Set Your Goals and Know Your Customer

Social Media

SEO – On Your Website

Local Sites and Reviews

Other Ideas

Want to get started right away?Jump to page 11 - SEO on Your Website

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What You Need to Know


Get Familiar - Terminology

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the marketing practice of making sure you’re in the right place, in front of the right customer, using the right words on their computer, tablet or phone.

It’s marketing connected to sales, delivering you new customers, when they’re ready.

Here’s our quick start guide to making sure your business is primed for success, and to make sure customers discover you again and again. Your sales will grow as a result.

Search Engine OptimizationPinpointing specific key terms to use to drive web customers to your website. This involves managing content on your home site, monitoring keywords used in web searches, and getting links to your site from other websites, with a goal of driving traffic to your website and turning visitors into customers.

Keywords Terms customers use to search for your website. Example: Pizza Hut – “pizza delivery fast,” “local pizza delivery.”

AnalyticsMeasurements detailing how customers found your site, keywords used, time on your site, browser used, web connection used, location, etc.

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Increasing Traffic to Your Website 5Your WebsiteAn important frontline connection with prospects, customers, clients and more. This is not just a billboard, it’s a sounding board and communication tool for your visitors. Content on your website should be tailored slightly to keywords, and vice versa.

Paid Listings vs. Organic ResultsAs illustrated below, organic results are the website listings that are shown according to the Search Engines ranking algorithm, as opposed to those that are paid advertisements. (see page 16 for further description)

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Paid Advertising“yellow background”

Paid Ads

Organic Results







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Start Measuring

Establish a baseline before you start making changes to your content and getting more links, so you can measure what works best.

Set up Google Analyticswww.google.com/analyticsYou’ll need a free Google ID, and to drop a snippet of code within your website. Depending on your needs, many other stats packages are available. Google Analytics is standard, free, and integrates with advertising.

Set up Webmaster ToolsThese tools not only help you monitor links and keywords, they can also help you identify any problems with your site.

• Google Webmaster Tools www.google.com/webmasters/tools (also requires a free Google ID)

• Bing Webmaster Central www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster

Set up Google Alerts www.google.com/alertsTo track when other sites mention you or your competition

• Search query suggestions: company name, competitor name, web address, your top keywords

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http://www.google.com/analytics

http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools

http://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster

http://www.google.com/alerts


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Increasing Traffic to Your Website 7Customize AnalyticsAsk us about customizing analytics so you can easily see what other marketing activities actually work. These include intelligence based on cart history, order history, email history, links, etc.

• Our customers have seen e-commerce orders completed that originated from emails sent over 14 months earlier. That was a good email!

• We are able to track how much a purchase, completed employment application, or completed contact form cost you from different sources. We can set you up to track this too.

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- from a study by Chitika








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Set Your Goals and Know Your Customer

Set Your Goals So you know how much time, energy and money to invest in your online marketing efforts

Define achievable and measurable goalsYou might hope for a 10% increase in new traffic overall. Maybe 10 purchases from 100 qualified leads. Start with a hope, then check for reasonableness. Review past analytics.

Define payoff – monetary benefit if goal is achievedWhat does this look like in dollar figures if you reach your goal? Example, if you’re a pizza restaurant, and you set a goal of 100 pizzas, what’s the revenue?

Set your budgetWhat would reaching your goal be worth to you? Base it as a percentage of your goal.

Start testing

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Know Your Customer Through analytics, other research, and even asking customers directly, take the time to understand:

Know Your Competition Try out your search terms on Google and Bing. How are you listed compared to your competition? What other terms are your competitors using? Who is linking to your competitors?

Their online habitsWhat sites do they use for search? What websites do they trust? Why do they shop with you?

Their search keywordsHow do your customers find you? What products do they search for online? What types of business do they trust online? Check analytics and webmaster tools.

What problems they have that you can solveKeep mental notes and even a journal of your customers’ questions. Learn to spot trends and habits in your customers’ behavior.

Run a reportUse www.SEMrush.com or ask us about a full competition report.

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SEO - On Your Website

Build your keyword list• More common keywords will have more competition, and

will require more time, energy and money to improve your ranking.

• Review analytics and competition reports. You can also try the Google Keyword Tool adwords.google.com/o/KeywordTool for more ideas.

Optimize pages so Google, Bing, and Yahoo can easily index and read your pages.• Each page is unique and can be optimized for different

keywords. Remember that many visitors won’t enter your site through the main page.

• Headlines. Don’t get cute. Describe the content of your stories, articles, sections. Include a keyword.

• Good body copy. Include a call to action. Include keywords.

• Title tags. The page title is what google uses for the headline in your listing. Make it descriptive. Make it something your target customers will want to click on. People on search engines are looking for something. Each click takes them closer to what they want. If it doesn’t, they hit the back button and leave. Make your title tag:

• Unique

• Descriptive of the page

• Include a keyword or two

• 65-70 characters long

• Include your business name (and location if appropriate) at the end

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http://adwords.google.com/o/KeywordTool


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• Site Speed. Make sure your site is quick. Webmaster tools or the Google Page Speed tool will tell you if it’s not, and what you can do to speed it up. developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights

• Fix Broken Links. Use the W3C link checker validator.w3.org/checklink to identify any broken links. Want to check more pages? Give us a call.

Optimize your pages for user experience• Deliver quality content. Don’t be a link farm. Don’t beat

keywords over the head. Share actionable content interesting to the reader. Use good grammar.

• Make it easy to scan. More often than not, visitors scan the page, rather than read it. Keep your headlines clear. Use subheads. Keep your website simple. Don’t include too many “levels” of navigation. We can help with this! Simple. Logical. Intuitive for someone who has never seen your site before.

• Make it easy to share. Relevant content. Sharing tools, like email, print, and social media buttons.

• Make it easy to connect with you. Contact info or link to engage on every page.

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http://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights

http://validator.w3.org/checklink


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SEO - On Other Websites

Submit your site to Google and BingIf you are not already listed. It’s easy to do, and makes you available to searchers. Search engines are smart, but it’s helpful to provide them as much information as you can. They’ll do a lot of work for you – but not all of it.

Competition reviewWhat sources and online communities link to your competitors? We can help with this, please request a competitive review. What keywords are they using? You may find some that you never thought of. Or better yet, you may come up with keywords that your competitors haven’t thought of.

Links from other sitesIn business, you rely on person-to-person and word-of-mouth referrals to find opportunities. The web works the same way! Consider asking your partners for links and referrals. Ask them to include a brief description of your business, products or services (include some of your big keywords). These sites could include:• Online directories

• Local newspaper marketplaces

• Online yellow pages

• Industry directories

• See the section about “Local Search and Reviews” for more ideas

• Vendors and Partners. Who do you do business with? Ask them for links to your site if appropriate.

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• Sponsorships. Do you donate to any clubs, events, community organizations or non-profits? Ask them for a link to your site.

• Advertisers. Ask for web links with your ad campaigns.

• Associations. If you belong to a group in real life, you shouldn’t be afraid to request links from them in the web world.

• Chambers of Commerce

• Industry Associations

• Better Business Bureau

• Alumni Directories

• Forums. What listservs, email chains or forums do you participate in? Keep your web address and keyword rich tagline in your signature.

• Wikis. Where are you considered an expert? Where are you described? Find and link back!

• Media. Stay up to speed on local information outlets, and ask for inclusion in simple lists or who’s who of your local community. Make sure they mention your site.








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Online Advertising

Search Advertising• Search ads usually show above regular results, or on the right

side of search engine results pages.

• This is a great way to test keywords; see what works and what doesn’t. Some will work right away, others will need to be changed. You can watch visits in real time, and measure costs.

• You control your budget and can make changes as often as you want.

• If a keyword phrase works well: Put more energy into those words in organic listings. Revisit your content, if necessary.

• If a keyword phrase doesn’t work: Try a different phrase, different combinations, etc.

In addition to SEO, you can explore online advertising - which often works on a pay-per-click basis. You’ll specify how much you want to pay for keyword deliveries, and match up to your goals. We’ll help talk you through it.

Where to start advertising• To advertise on Google, use Google AdWords

adwords.google.com

• To advertise on Yahoo and Bing, use Microsoft adCenter adcenter.microsoft.com

Getting started• Set up a free account

• Add keywords

• Set bids for each keyword (how much are you willing to pay when someone clicks your link?) Your bid and the relevance of your web page will affect your position.

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• Create text ads – use a good headline and descriptive text that your target market will want to click on

• Company name. Do you show up in the free results when you search for your company name? If so, don’t include your company name in your pay per click keyword list. You’re already getting that traffic for free!


Other Pay Per Click Advertising options• Facebook ads www.facebook.com/advertising

• Linkedin ads www.linkedin.com/ads/

• Other industry sites or publications. Don’t discount your associations, or local bulletin boards.






http://www.facebook.com/advertising

http://www.linkedin.com/ads/


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Social MediaSocial media is an opportunity for you to support your other advertising channels by building trust. Social media users are on Facebook and Twitter to interact with friends, and, if you’re lucky, with your business.

Don’t abuse this trust by sending out too many deals or ‘buy now’ in your status updates. Instead, build relationships. Share your knowledge. Help people. Link to interesting industry-specific stories. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. Social media is a place where you can start a relationship, respond to customers, and build your public relations. Unless you’re buying ads, it is not advertising, it’s a conversation.

Consider profiles on:• Facebook www.facebook.com

• Twitter www.twitter.com

• Linkedin www.linkedin.com

• Pinterest (If you have great photos or heavy visuals only) www.pinterest.com

• Forums. Industry-specific social sites and Linkedin groups can be an ongoing source of ideas, questions, and sharing.

• This list covers just the basics - ask your sales, marketing and PR team for other resources, or call us.

Make sure all of your contact info is set up at each site Give customers a chance to contact you if necessary. It’s amazing how many people forget this step.

Keep it professionalUse a professional image and proper grammar when writing.

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http://www.facebook.com

http://www.twitter.com

http://www.linkedin.com

http://www.pinterest.com


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Local and Review Sites

Local sites aggregate your information and fill it into directories. These help search engines, but also keep you connected with your community.

Essentially, local site listings are free ads!They should include hours, photos, short descriptions, locations, lists of services, link to website, and easy connection for your customers. You are likely already listed on quite a few of these. Take the opportunity to make sure your contact info and web address are correct. And add some keyword rich descriptions.

• Google Places www.google.com/local/add

• Yahoo Local local.yahoo.com

• Windows Live Local maps.live.com

• Yelp www.yelp.com

• YellowBook www.yellowbook.com

• CitySearch www.citysearch.com

• FourSquare www.foursquare.com

• SuperPages www.superpages.com

• Ziplocal www.ziplocal.com

• MapQuest www.mapquest.com

• This list covers just the basics - ask your sales, marketing and PR team for other resources, or call us.

Reviews• To boost your exposure try to get at least 5 positive reviews

on each of these sites that permit feedback on your business.

• Ask your best customers for help. Ask your partners for help. They’ll be glad to talk about you.

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http://www.google.com/local/add

http://local.yahoo.com

http://maps.live.com

http://www.yelp.com

http://www.yellowbook.com

http://www.citysearch.com

http://www.foursquare.com

http://www.superpages.com

http://www.ziplocal.com

http://www.mapquest.com


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Other IdeasFinally, remember, your website is like a separate office and separate employee for your business. Any place where you list your phone number and locations, you should also list your website. This includes all printed marketing material.

A handy checklist:

Print• Ads

• Business cards

• Letterhead

Signage• Storefront

• Promotional posters

• Billboards

• Vehicle signs

Email signatures• Make your email your business card. You wouldn’t forget a

method of contact on your business card. Video and audio• On-screen in TV ads

• On-screen in training videos, or other content

• Radio ads – often, a “such-and-such-dot-com” at the end of your ad is more effective than a phone number

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Local phone book• Make sure your listings are current, correct, and include

your web address.

• Your phone book publisher will likely share your listing with other phone books and online directories.

• Note: It’s not always necessary to place ads in your phone book, but add your web address to your listings and make sure you’re in the right categories.







Please let us know how this works for you!

[email protected]

And if you have any questions along the way, contact us:

417 B Lincoln AvePO Box 368

Wamego, Kansas 66547USA

Toll Free: (888) 865-8511Phone: (785) 260-0146

Fax: (785) 380-2556

Website: www.imagemakers-inc.comEmail: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/imagemakersinc

Since 2001, Imagemakers has specialized in the kind of web development, graphic design, and marketing efforts that produce measurable results. Our award-winning creative and programming team brings over 70 years combined experience, and an incredible level of technical understanding and know-how to the table.

When we first meet a client we want to know exactly what you hope or need to achieve. From that moment on, we see that as our goal too.

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