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Journey to SEO Nirvana | Keyword Research (step 3 of 5)

February 3, 2011 by admin · 3 Comments 

Now that we got quantification and some basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) housekeeping out of the way, step three in our journey to SEO nirvana is one of my favorites — keyword research.  Clients I work with often have strong ideas on what words they want to “own” on Google or the other leading search engines.

After years of experimenting and monitoring, I have found there are often too many words that could conceivably be SEO targets for optimizing their site.  The result of keyword research should be a very clear delineation as to which select words are targeted for optimization on a page-by-page basis.

Here’s a magic keyword selection formula . . . all thing’s being equal, you should target keywords that have:

  • High volumes of search traffic (in your geography)
  • Low levels of competition
  • High current ordinal rankings (for your website) on search engines
  • High levels of your website-specific search traffic (e.g. the terms visitors to your website are searching on to find you, and the search terms visitors use on your site itself)
  • High performance in Search Engine Marketing campaigns (e.g., high rates of clicks generated and/or conversions in any Google AdWords, or equivalent, campaigns)

Sounds simple, right?  Let’s walk through each of the above. Read more

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Check-in Madness

November 30, 2010 by admin · 5 Comments 

Green Check Mark

So I claimed all my business’s local listings — in  Google, Facebook, Yelp, Yahoo, Bing, MerchantCircle, Foursquare, Gowalla, etc.

As a result, I see that many of my customers are checking in when they come to my establishment.

The zaniness that follows those on the endless pursuit of Foursquare badges (I still don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to unlock the “Douche Bag” badge) seems to have merged with the daily deal/flash sale phenomena.

And now all these vendors want me to take one or more of three actions:

  • Post deals to attract “newbies.” (I was told I couldn’t use the term “virgin.”)
  • Reward frequent “checker-inners.’” (Is that even a word?  Why the hell did WordPress spell checker accept it?)
  • Lavish seminal riches upon the “king” (or “mayor” given we ridded ourselves of monarchy some time ago), i.e., the person who checks in the most frequently.

With so many players in the space, I pondered what to do.  I love that a small, local business can be relevant virtually, socially connected, and allow others to promote us to their friends, fans and followers on our behalf.

But . . . how many deals can a small, local business actually handle in the marketplace?  And what about our poor front-line servers/staff?  Many of them don’t “check-in” themselves, as they would rather interact with our customers face-to-face. Plus they don’t really want to interact with their cell phones and have to sort out a multitude of redemption codes.

Send me your thoughts and hopefully I’ll be able to develop (and post) a new, more effective strategy for dealing with this problem!

[Quick update June, 2012: Amazing how waiting can provide clarity.  MerchantCircle and Gowalla have both been bought.  And we have much clarity around the types of customers that align with our business target as well as those who do not.  We are narrowing in on focusing our efforts our Facebook and Foursquare.  What's your latest experience with check-in services?  Please comment.]

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Five Ways to Grow Your Fanbase

November 24, 2010 by admin · 2 Comments 

Five Ways to Grow Your Fanbase
Interesting post at American Express Open Forum titled “The Secret to Repeat Business:  Grow Your Fanbase.”
After noting that small merchants are “soured by $500 rate cards and the 50 percent cut that flash sales sites take from merchants,” Paul Rosenfeld, CEO of Fanminder’s, lays out two alternative, more successful strategies: 1) Engage your customers through fan lists that inform and provide deals; and 2) Grow your fanbase.
He then outlines five specific steps for growing your fanbase, which I’ve modified slightly for our purposes here.)
• Ask your customers to join in person.  There still is nothing like the personal touch.
• Post signs where people look. Savvy Cellar has posted signs above the bar, on the back of the menu.  We are thinking about adding signs in or outside the restroom (seriously people do text in there) and on our customer receipts.  The latter idea has helped grow Savvy Cellar’s email list.
• Claim your listing. Facebook Places, Google Places, Bing Listing, Yahoo Local, Yelp, Foursquare, Gowalla all provide you a place to reach new customers.  Most have apps that take advantage of geo-location technology on smart phones, so that customers can learn of your business or be reminded of it when they are nearby.
• Understand how customers move from casual to fanatical. Give customers a path to move from casual involvement to experiences that are more meaningful.  For Savvy Cellar that means that a first-time customer should be presented with high-quality wines, food and service (if all goes well).  During the course of that experience, they might be introduced to the idea of taking a wine class or participating in an upcoming tasting.  Give ‘em excuses to come back for something different and new.  The second date shouldn’t be the same as the first date.
• Make ‘em feel special. Let your fans on mobile lists, Facebook, or Twitter feel special by letting them in on inside info.  Savvy Cellar posts about the cricket that inhabits the bar at night, new wines our staff is tasting for next month’s menu and last minute deals or sales.
How have you grown and engaged your fanbase?

fansInteresting post at American Express Open Forum titled “The Secret to Repeat Business:  Grow Your Fanbase.”

After noting that small merchants are “soured by $500 rate cards and the 50 percent cut that flash sales sites take from merchants,” Paul Rosenfeld, CEO of Fanminder, lays out two alternative, more successful strategies:

1) Engage your customers through fan lists that inform and provide deals; and

2) Grow your fanbase.

He then outlines five (5) specific steps for growing your fanbase, (which I’ve modified slightly for our purposes here):

1) Ask your customers to join in person. There still is nothing like the personal touch.

2) Post signs where people look. Savvy Cellar has posted signs above the bar, on the back of the menu.  We are thinking about adding signs in or outside the restroom (seriously people do text in there) and on our customer receipts.  The latter idea has helped grow Savvy Cellar’s email list.

Read more

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