Archive for June, 2009
Monday, June 29th, 2009
By Karon Thackston © 2009, All Rights Reserved
Have you ever noticed that ecommerce sites have their own set of challenges when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO)? If you’re a small ecommerce site owner, I’m sure you have. One reason is copy plays such a vital role in the optimization process. Because ecommerce sites typically have significantly less content than many other types of websites, they can face struggles others don’t have.
There are a few elements you, as an ecommerce site owner, can put into practice that will boost your tendency to get ranked highly. However, you’ll need to start from the ground up. Keep in mind that words on any part of the page or coding count as content.
Keywords First and Foremost
The basis of any optimized website is the keyword list. Why?
Because the search terms you choose to focus on will be used in every area of development from the navigational structure all the way through to the copy.
As you look through your choices, think of the structure of your site. When you create a list of terms to use on each page, start broad and work your way to the more specific keywords. For instance, if your site sells shoes, you’ll want phrases such as [discount shoes], [shoe store] or [shoes online] for your home page.
As you move through the different sections, select search terms that reflect what’s available on those specific pages. In fact, I find it helpful to create a chart and on it I list which terms will go where. It makes keyword usage much easier to keep up with as you move through your site.
Do not use the same exact keyphrases on every single page of your site. Do not try to shove as many keyphrases as you can onto every page of your site. Each page gives you a unique opportunity to rank with the engines because each page stands on its own. Select search terms specifically for the individual pages.
Where do you use the keyphrases you select? In all these places:
Navigation / Links
As you’re setting up site navigation, keep your keyphrases in mind. You’ll want to create category and page names using keyphrases whenever possible. Of course, length is always a consideration for navigation names.
Let’s say (for the sake of example) you plan to have separate categories for men’s shoes, women’s shoes, and children’s shoes.
After looking at the keyword research, you find that these are, indeed, viable keyphrases.
Those are certainly easy enough to work into your site and they are applicable to your particular categories. In your content management system (CMS), name your first category [women's shoes]. Also name your first navigational link [women's shoes].
When possible, also use keywords in your individual URL page links. While I used to think this carried little weight (if any) with the engines, I’ve recently read several comments from Google that recommend using keyphrases with dashes in URLs.
This isn’t always possible due to the constraints of the CMS, but when you’re able to do so, insert keyphrases into URLs.
Breadcrumb Trail
This is a very important SEO and usability feature to add to your site. Breadcrumb trails look like this: home > women’s shoes > designer shoes > black > pumps.
It helps visitors see where they’ve been. But do you notice what else it’s doing? It’s creating long-tail keyphrases of sorts. If you look on our imaginary keyword list, you’ll see that [women's designer black pumps] is another viable keyphrase.
As customers click through the navigation, they are following a trail of keywords. The Googlebot can follow that same trail.
Alt Tags / Image Attributes
Here’s another little-known or forgotten area to include keyphrases in. The text used in these tags counts the same as anchor text used in your copy. Be very sure that the keyword-rich descriptions you include in alt text and image attributes apply to the image they’re related to.
Copy
Last, but certainly not least, we move from behind the scenes to the forefront of your site. Good copy is vital for many reasons.
Yes, it helps you with search engine rankings, but it also communicates with your site visitors.
The biggest mistake I see ecommerce site owners making is not using copy to connect with visitors. They look at copy as the
enemy: something they have to include for the sake of the engines. But well-written SEO copy can quickly convert lookers into buyers.
As you write copy for each page, interject keyphrases into your headlines. Google and other engines give particular importance to headlines, so include search terms if at all possible.
In addition, work keyphrases naturally into your category page copy as well as individual product descriptions, using search terms that are specific to each.
Granted, it takes time and planning to build an ecommerce site with content that’s truly engineered to rank high. However, if you give due diligence to the steps above, you’ll find success comes much easier.
Karon Thackston is an SEO copywriter specializing in ecommerce websites. Need help boosting conversions and rankings? Visit http://www.marketingwords.com today.
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Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
By Karon Thackston © 2009, All Rights Reserved
In today’s economy, where auto and real estate sales are down, most people are focusing more on maintenance of their homes and cars rather than replacement. That means the do-it-yourself
(DIY) market is seeing a surge as was reported recently in Internet Retailer magazine. What did the publication recommend?
One suggestion was for auto parts and home improvement / hardware store sites to ramp up the content on their pages to help DIYers do their projects right. But just how – exactly – do you create a page that assists others and generates sales?
Quality Content Is Key
First and foremost, give quality content. Don’t halfway explain how to replace a broken window or the process for bleeding an air bubble from a brake line. DIYers need details. Give step-by-step instructions for whatever it is that you’re describing. Never skimp.
Use Copy and Video Together
If you’re delivering the material in writing, offer numbered steps or a checklist that your visitor can print off and refer to as he/she makes the repair/renovation. Include pictures when
possible: they can be a vital part of ensuring your reader understands what you’re talking about, especially if your reader is a novice.
Better yet, create a video your site visitors can watch and also offer a printable “notes” sheet and/or materials list that they can keep handy while working. I recommend breaking long videos into short segments, so your customers can watch the parts they want without having to repeat the entire 20-minute session on dishwasher installations from beginning to end.
Explain the Benefits
If you’re selling a specific type or brand of item, explain why in your copy and/or video. For instance, “Using a 3/8″ swivel ratchet with a deep-well socket will make your job easier because you won’t have to strain to reach the nut.”
Or, “I really prefer ABC brand ratchets because they last longer and can stand up to the stress needed to torque these bolts down.”
Your Link to Profits
How do you turn these self-help pages into profit generators?
Include links!
Link the items in your material list to the exact page on your site that offers that product for sale. In videos, make mention of specifically where on your site a viewer can find the items needed to complete the project. For example, instead of saying, “Check our site for the exact wrench you’ll need,” you should say, “Visit the hand tools page of our site and click ‘wrenches’
in the right sidebar to find the exact wrench you need.”
Following these ideas will allow you to give your site visitors the information they need and also help yourself to some increased profits.
Want to learn the professional methods for writing search engine copy that ranks high and makes more sales? Get Karon’s Step-by-Step Copywriting Course, now in its 5th edition. Visit http://www.copywritingcourse.com today.
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Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
Just ran into a really odd problem with a client using Microsoft IIS to produce a Google Base XML feed. After a number of years with the feed working fine it seems that a little while back the feed stopped working for no obvious reason. The application was written in C# reading a SQL Server database and outputting a XML data stream that is then fetched by the Googlebase robot.
The problem symptoms were that the feed stopped outputting anything and the server closed the connection with the client.
I decided to update the application to use the XmlTextWriter class – perhaps IIS was changed to force the use of this new interface – but that didn’t help.
After much digging it turned out that adding attributes to the <rss> tag was causing the issue – remove the attributes and the application ran fine but then Google Base would not accept the feed as it didn’t declare the version or the namespaces required.
Some more digging and I found that the <rss> tag would allow attributes if the <channel> tag was missing.
Further digging showed that the <channel> tag would be acceptable if it had attributes. Now the Googlebase spec and the RSS 2.0 does not allow for the <channel> tag to have attributes. So to get around this I added a dummy attribute to the <channel> tag and that allowed the application to output the Googlebase feed without a hitch, would allow the feed to be rendered by Firefox. I have now resubmitted the feed to Googlebase and hopefully it will be accepted.
Posted in Pay Per Click / Paid Placement, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Adwords editor recently prompted me to upgrade so I did. Then the program stopped working and hasn’t worked in a week. I finally spent a few hours yesterday and today to troubleshoot the issue. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling. I tried uninstalling, cleaning the registry, and then reinstalling. Still no dice.
Finally I uninstalled and looked in the Google directory on my c: drive C:\Program Files\Google\ and sure enough there was a ‘Google AdWords Editor’ directory full of files. When I deleted this folder and reinstalled again the program started working.
Posted in Pay Per Click / Paid Placement | No Comments »
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
By Karon Thackston © 2009, All Rights Reserved
“I feel like I’m in a rut.” “I don’t know where to start.”
“I’ve written about everything there is to write about.” If you can relate to these comments, you’re not alone. Many company marketers and copywriters suffer from writer’s block when it comes to PPC ads. Here are 25 great writing opportunities.
Ecommerce
1. Category Sales – Something like “all outdoor furniture 50% off until 1/31.”
2. Product Sales – Along the lines of “every monogrammed tote bag 25% off.”
3. Rebates – “$100 Rebate on Wireless Printers”
4. Coupons – Offer coupons for use on an immediate sale or use coupons as an incentive to get visitors to sign up for your mailing list.
5. Free Shipping – Always a winner online.
6. Holiday Sales – President’s Day, Valentine’s Day… heck, Groundhog Day can bring extra visitors to your site if you offer a sale.
7. Combos – Buy 1 of these and 1 of those and get a discount. A cordless drill and flashlight. A pair of shoes and handbag.
Ice cream and cookies… it works for anything.
8. Buy One, Get One – Get one free, get one at half off, get credit toward a future purchase, etc.
9. New Products – Bring attention to new product additions by announcing them with PPC ads.
10. Seasonal Twists – “Women’s spring pants.” “Great summer markdowns.” “Your favorite fall fashions.”
Buying Stages
11. Need Recognition – “Time for a new lawnmower?” “Computer running slow?”
12. Information Search – “Search for __________.” “Scientific data on ________.”
13. Comparison / Evaluation – “Read reviews on plasma TVs.”
“Compare flat screen TVs.”
14. Decision – “Buy netbooks at 30% off.” “Best-selling netbooks on sale.”
Proof of Performance
15. Statistics – “92% Felt Relief in 7 Days”
16. Case Studies – Offer case studies that focus on the results your clients experienced from using your services/products.
17. Research Results – “88% Recovered in 24 Hours.”
18. Proof of Performance – Highlight anything that shows clients/shoppers know you can back up what you claim.
Customer-generated reviews, testimonials, analytics, etc.
Differentiation
19. Exclusive Products/Services – Anything you have that they don’t should be mentioned.
20. Rarely Found Products/Services – Anything you have that most others don’t should also be mentioned.
21. Specialties – Are you a marketing agency that specializes in email marketing? Say so!
Lead Generation
22. Size – “Largest agency in the U.S.” “More partners than any other firm.”
23. End Results – “Improve your ROI by 22%.”
24. Preferred Clients – “Small business CPA” or “Marketing for Major Corps.”
25. Freebie – A free white paper, consultation or case study for those who respond.
If you can’t get them to click your PPC ads, your whole campaign is finished before it starts. Learn the easy methods for writing PPC ads that get clicked at http://www.writeppcads.com.
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