What do I always tell clients, family, friends, cocktail party-goers (whose eyes glaze over as they get the answer), etc. when they ask about how social media can really benefit a non-consumer-products company (i.e. B2B social media)?

Build relationships.  Strengthen relationships.  Be genuine.  Add value.

I always add something like “social media can help with driving traffic to your site and building links for SEO, but that isn’t the main goal.” (clients seem to enjoy this; friends, family, cocktail-party-goers – not so much).

And I believe it when I say it – and I believe it now.

So, why did I start using LinkedIn Groups to push links to our news content over the past couple of weeks?  I wanted to see what kind of traffic that activity would bring to our site.

Lazy.

Lazy and dumb.

Lazy, because I simply submitted the URL to the news story (from our tailored news feed) and edited the lead-in to the article.  No time spent adding value to the story, or time spent initiating a conversation.

Dumb because there is absolutely no value created.  Users may see an interesting piece of content, but it’s a quick fix and they move on.  If I had kept up with this over a sustained period of time, I’m sure it would have hurt my personal brand, and KoMarketing’s brand.

I was lucky enough to have someone in one of the LinkedIn Groups comment very simply:

Good insights in this article Andy. Thanks for sharing. Is there anything you’d like to discuss about the article in particular?

I could be wrong, but I took this as a very polite way of saying “got any value to add here, or are you just going to submit your own content here?” If I didn’t read the comment correctly, that’s OK. Simply thinking about how to respond became a valuable exercise for me.

Here is how I responded:

Hi Chris,

To be honest, I did not have an angle when submitting this story. We have an outside service provide us with custom-written news articles that are specific to B2B and I wanted to share that content with the group.

That said, it’s probably a piss-poor way for me to use social media, so I’ll just say “guilty”.

Now that you ask the question, I’ll say that I think many B2B marketers are “getting it” that the way to use social media is to be genuine and not be overly promotional. Sometimes it comes down to an issue of resources in terms of who is going to create that genuine, valuable interaction, and sometimes it comes down to lack of creativity.

Of course, my thoughts here are the epitome of irony, because that is exactly what I was doing by submitting a news article from our website, and not initiating any valuable discussion.

I’m glad you asked the question, as it helped me stop and think about the purpose of sharing our news articles in LinkedIn Groups.

Looking forward to connecting in this Group more frequently!

Andy

http://twitter.com/akomack

I also went to Twitter, found that Group member’s profile there and made sure to try and make a connection that way.

Sometimes it just takes a minute or two of reflection before you realize that you are doing something that you wouldn’t recommend to someone else, and then make a change for the better (now, if my wife ever reads this, I may have to make some other changes at home that won’t be as easy).

On Sep 30, 2009 Google announced a new AdWords reporting feature that measures conversions for display ads in the Content Network (display ads are image-based or rich media ads only – not text ads).

When I first saw this I was excited because it provides an extra level of measurement that was missing.

Many ad networks have had this metric available to advertisers for some time.

In paid search, a “conversion” is typically measured when a user clicks on an ad and completes an action on your site that you have set up for tracking (e.g. purchases, contact forms, etc.).  The visitor does not necessarily have to complete the action on that first visit.  A cookie is set, usually for 30 days, and if the user returns (using the same computer) and completes the action before the cookie expires, the action is counted as a conversion.

A view-through conversion works on a similar premise – a user sees the ad, goes to the site, and has 30 days to take an action in order to be counted as a conversion.  The difference here is that the user “sees” the ad, and has not clicked on the ad.  In Google AdWords, if a user does click on the ad, then the conversion is only counted as a “click” conversion (and, hopefully, never counted twice).

In Sep 2007 Kevin Lee, of Didit, wrote a great article about view through conversions and ad networks.  In that article, Kevin did an excellent job of laying out how you might properly use this metric in evaluating success of an ad campaign.

View-through conversions are an excellent way to evaluate the effectiveness of the ad creative versions you are using.  Serve up multiple versions of a display ad (A/B or even multiple, simultaneous ads), and see which ads receive the best combination of click conversions and view-through conversions.

Here are some current issues with view-through conversions in Google AdWords:

1) Cookies – As with any search engine advertising, the tracking is only as good as you set it up, and only as good as the user “allows” the activity to be tracked (e.g. the user deletes cookies, sees the ad on one computer and converts on another computer, tells a colleague what they saw and the colleague converts after going directly to the site, etc.)  This is not an issue that is specific only to view-through conversions, but worth mentioning at the top.

2) Accountability - Search advertisers love the fact that paid search is so accountable.  It’s the purist form of direct marketing out there.  But, with view-through conversions you may actually see the conversion in more than one place.  For example, a user sees the ad and then goes to a search engine and searches for the website and/or company name/brand.  In an analytics package this would look like an organic search conversion.  Or, if the user simply types the website address into their browser and converts on the site, that looks like a Direct Traffic conversion.  However, in Google AdWords the credit was given to the display ad.

3) e-Commerce - Issue #2 above becomes even more of a thorn in the analyst’s side when there is e-commerce revenue being tracked.  For example, we have a client now who is engaged in B2B e-commerce.  Google Analytics measures e-commerce revenue for the client.  But, Google Analytics does not measure e-commerce revenue for view-through conversions!!!! (I have been told by someone at Google that there are no plans to integrate e-commerce tracking and view-through conversions in Google Analytics).

If we spend $1,000 in click charges and receive only $2,000 in revenue from the click conversions that are measured, then not only is the campaign disappointing, but we are missing the true ROI measurement here.

If we had an additional 12 view-through conversions, how much revenue should be credited to the campaign?  At the moment, the only option we have is to take the average revenue per transaction for that campaign and multiply it by 12 (the number of conversions).  But, what if there was a significant, large order?  Or what if the orders from this user audience are much smaller than average?

This becomes an issue of “faith”.  Even if the click conversions are not paying for themselves, we have to have faith that the view-through conversions added enough revenue to justify the PPC spend.

4) Identifying Domains - Google AdWords currently only reports on view-through conversions for specific domains/URLs if the conversions occur within a Managed Placement.  Data for view-through conversions in Automatic Placements are not currently available from Google.

I have been told that Google does plan on making view-through conversion reporting availale for Automatic Placements “soon.”

In the meantime, without this information, how can you make intelligent decisions about which sites in the Content Network to target for Managed Placements, bid more on, exclude, etc.?

All of these issues lend themselves to  my question – “Are Content Network View-Through Conversions Real?”

As Kevin Lee suggests in his 2007 article, use the information to inform strategic decisions about creative ad versions and the effectiveness of a particular network of sites.

Other Resources:

• What’s View-through conversion tracking, and why should I use it for my campaign?, Google AdWords Support
• View-through conversion reporting on the Google Content Network, Google Conversion Room Blog
• Google Introduces the View-Through Conversion Tracking Tool for Display Ads, Arnold Zafra, Search Engine Journal
• View Through Conversion (overview), Philip Pollock, Just Search
• View Through Conversion Metric in Google Adwords, Alban G., SEO Sydney Blog
• PPC ROI Calculator – B2B version & B2C version, KoMarketing Associates

Related Blog Posts:

• PPC Checklist (for moderate AdWords management)
• 3 Things I Love About the New AdWords Interface
  
• Reactions to Google’s Latest White Paper: CPA Performance Trends on the Content Network
• Changes to Tracking Conversions in AdWords
• 9 Generic PPC Ad Copy Tests to Boost CTR

Source: Wikimedia Commons Symbiotic Creatures Playing Nice

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Note for geeks and sticklers:  While parasites can have a mutually beneficial relationship (mutualism) with their host, I am questioning whether or not there is a parasitic relationship (parasitism) where the host does not benefit.

I’ve been in the SEO trenches since 2000.  Not as long as many, but long enough to form an opinion.

I’ve pretty consistently felt that SEO practitioners who follow best practices, and don’t spend time gaming the system for short-term gains, have helped organize the Internet.  This goes for SEO consultants, in-house SEO practitioners, business owners, etc.

But, we have provided this organization and structure based on the rules of the game that Google has established.

Google says “unique, quality page titles” and  “great meta descriptions”, and we do it.  Google indicates that content should be both unique and valuable, and we create content that users actually will read (often enough).  Google indicates that cross-linking between pages within a site builds thematic relationships, and we cross-link.  Google says that inbound links should be from trusted, authoritative, and relevant sites, we find ways to build those relationships.

What’s the end result?

Relevant categorization of Web sites and a higher number of usable/valuable Web pages.

Google monetizes this organization.  SEO’s monetize the work needed to achieve these results.  Companies monetize the search results they garner.

There is a SYMBIOTIC relationship between search professionals and Google.  Each helps the other achieve their goals.

But, does Google develop/maintain a PARASITIC relationship with SEO’s?  Possibly.  I believe that the following is unstated, but implied – “Do the work we ask for and we will make money from your efforts.”

Do search professionals act as parasites in relation to Google?  Sure.  “We make money from the power you [Google] exert on the Internet.”

But, SEO-consulting revenue is spread across the market very broadly, and that money pales in comparison to Google’s $21 Billion in 2008 revenue.  SEMPO’s annual The State of Search Engine Marketing (2008) estimates that $1.4 Billion was spent on organic SEO efforts (organic SEO is what’s relevant in this discussion, although one could argue that paid search guidelines from Google AdWords also help organize information in search results).

In talking about this blog post with my partner, Derek Edmond, he brought up an excellent point – SEO practitioners that find loopholes in Google’s algorithms live off of Google’s power as the most-popular search engine.  I won’t call this category of SEO’s “black hat”, because there are too many sticking points in that definition.  It’s enough to say that when loopholes are exploited, there are two outcomes:

1) These SEO practitioners make money

2) Google finds ways to tighten up their algorithms, and continues to enhance the quality of its search results

In a sense this is a mutualistic parasitic relationship between the two – loophole-exploiting SEO’s feed off of the host, and the host gets stronger through a self-defense mechanism.

Bottom Line

There is a definite symbiotic relationship between SEO practitioners and Google.

It’s hard to argue against Google being the host in this relationship.  But, it feels completely uncomfortable to label SEO’s as parasites.  There is such a negative connotation to this label.  However, there is no denying that the SEO community “feeds” off of Google.

Perhaps it makes the label more palatable when you consider that SEO’s provide incredible benefits to Google.  And, Google has brought considerable benefits to the public at large.  So, by extension, SEO’s enhance those benefits for the searching public.

(In writing this post, I gave up on the notion that Google is the parasite.  I’d be interested in your thoughts.)

The B2B Content Equation, Strictly Business column, Search Engine Land, Sep. 30, 2009

Time + Money = Content? [too simple, and misguided]
Time + Money = no guarantee of Valuable Content
Time + Money + Creativity = Valuable Content
xTime + yMoney + Creativity = Valuable Content [Time and Money are finite variables, while Creativity is infinite and must be part of the equation]

Using Your Search Engine Presence To Benefit Your Customers, Search Engine Land, Sep 21, 2009

What if you were a manufacturer of printers, and ranked very well in search engines for words related to “printing”?  Fantastic, and people will find you who may be potential customers.  But, many of your visitors will be looking for printing services.  Use that search engine power to generate leads for your customers who buy printers.  It can be a valuable tool in closing new sales when you give prospects this information.

7 Ways to Use Website SEO to Drive New Business, RainToday.com, Sep. 10, 2009

Specifically targeted at Professional Services firms.  Companies that rely on their consultants’ and partners’ expertise to help raise the reputation of the firm and generate new business can use specific search engine strategies and tactics to position their people as experts and subject matter authorities on the Web.  When potential clients serach for someone with a specific type of expertise, they should find your experts.

The topic was how to evaluate the “SEO-friendliness” of Content Management Systems (CMS).

click images to enlarge

Meta Description Tags do indeed matter.

But, they do not help with keyword rankings.

When done right, a Meta Description tag will be used by search engines as the text that sits under the clickable title/text on the search results page, AND the keyword that you targeted for that page will be in the text and bolded.

Even more important, a well-written Meta Description Tag will encourage the searcher to take the next step and visit your Web site.  In essence, a well-written Meta Description Tag will increase the Click Through Rate (CTR) of your organic search listing.

How many characters should be used in a Meta Description Tag?

The ideal number of characters, including spaces, is roughly 140.  I have see references to a 160-character “limit” and to a range of 145 to 150 characters, but I feel that 140 characters is the optimal number to ensure that your entire description fits into the search result.

Aspects of a good Meta Description Tag:

• 140 Characters
• 25 to 30 Words
• 2 Sentences
• Mention of your Company Name or Branded Product
• Value Statement – highlight the primary benefits of what you are offering
• Call to Action – think of things like “free trial”, “download”, “subscribe”, “see statistics”, “submit”, etc.

Below are 3 examples of search queries that produced Meta Description Tags (or lack of) that provide a set of contrasts to analyze.

Note: The images in this post use the acronym “SERP”.  Definition: SERP = Search Engine Results Page.  It’s the page you see after you click the “search” button.

Keyword: crm software

Companies Highlighted: Salesforce.com Oncontact Software Avidian

click image to enlarge

Keyword: manufacturing software

Companies Highlighted: DBA Manufacturing cts guides (manufacturing software page) Shoptech Corporation TGI Ltd. (manufacturing software page)

click image to enlarge

Keyword: data warehouse training

Companies Highlighted: Kimball Group EWSolutions (data warehouse training page) tdwi (Education page) Atena IT Solutions (Training Services page)

click image to enlarge

Related Blog Posts:

• Branding, SEO & Competitive Keyword Phrases
• 11 Ways to Evaluate Your SEO Competition

Content Management Systems definitely make managing a website’s content easier.  But not all CMS platforms help you keep up with the fast pace of improving your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts.

I will be hosting a free Webinar, along with Dave Crouch of ten24 Website Solutions, that will highlight features you should look for in a CMS that allow for maintaining SEO best practices and that help make content & structural changes to a website easier.

Hope you can join us!

There are some posts that I have written that I wish had received more exposure than they did.  I might have published them on a day of the week, or time of day, that was not optimal.  The titles of the posts might not have been as compelling as they could have been.  The right people in KoMarketing’s social networks might have seen them.  There are many reasons why the posts did not see the readership that I think they deserve.

Here are the posts that I wish more people had read, commented on, and shared:

Get Real With PPC Regional Targeting

Value:  The tips in this post will absolutely help you target your ads more effectively based the geography of your business.  The premise is simple – fill out your Negative Keywords lists with the names of states, cities, countries, etc. where your buyers should not be looking for you.  I even provided a clean list of states and their abbreviations for you to copy & paste!

20 Questions to Ask When Crafting PPC Ad Copy

Value:  Ask your clients, internal marketing department, product management team, sales team, and others the right questions, and you will come up with valuable PPC ad copy that attracts qualified buyers.

SEO Superhero – Breaking Through Marketing Silos

Value:  Search Marketers often find themselves in a “silo” where they are not getting the big marketing picture at a company, or where the Marketing, Sales, and Product teams are not getting as much value as they could from the Search Marketing efforts.  This post provides some very specific ideas for how all of the Marketing stakeholders can help each other.

7 Search Marketing Strategies for Manufacturers & Distributors

Value: This post did get some nice exposure on Search Engine Land.  But, I do think that more B2B marketers should take a look at these valuable ways to gain more exposure in search engines – Google Shopping, YouTube, Trade Shows, International Commerce, Local Search, Leverage Technical Support Content, and Integrate With eBay.

Here is an off-site byline article, published in Search Engine Land, that I think could have had more pick-up:

Do SEOs Really Need Direct Industry Experience To Be Effective?

This is an external article hosted on Search Engine Land

Value:  You may think that it is critical for an SEO agency to have past experience in your industry, but there are many reasons why this is not a necessary part of being successful.  In fact, search marketing professionals are often very valuable in helping a company see some things it might have overlooked in their online marketing efforts, and learn how their customers think when it comes to search.

We may all have different definitions of what constitutes success, but, in your opinion, how long should it take to see the first positive results from Social Media Marketing that can be shown to the executive team?

Related Posts:

• Social Media Planning – It Should Take Time
• The Social Media Marketing Pitch – Stone Soup
• Success in Social Media is Not Always a Planned Event
• Six Key Elements of an Effective Social Media Strategy
• Why You Should Think Beyond the Direct ROI of Social Media Participation

The primary factors in determining what I recommended to them were:

1. They are currently only using Google AdWords.
2. They are not using any automatic bid management software
3. The person responsible for managing the PPC program has limited time to dedicate to daily management
4. The level of advertising spend is relatively low (in the single-digit $$thousands)
5. The program is targeted at B2B lead generation, requiring an extra level of ROI analysis

Here is what I provided:

PPC Management Checklist

Google also provides a “Getting started with AdWords workbook” that you might want to check out.

Related Posts:

• 3 Things I Love About the New AdWords Interface
• Get Real With Regional Targeting
• 9 Generic PPC Ad Copy Tests to Boost CTR
• 20 Questions to Ask When Crafting PPC Ad Copy
• Ad Copy Tips That You (Hopefully) Haven’t Already Read
• 20 PPC Tips For 2009
• 200+ Negative Keywords to Consider for B2B PPC

Useful Free PPC Tools:

• Keyword List Generator
• B2B PPC ROI Calculator