What is Involved in Maintaining a SEO Campaign?

Understanding Your Role

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is marketing.  Internet marketing.  Just like most marketing efforts, it involves work, education, and communication.  And, like most things in life, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Upon starting a campaign, we will alleviate most of that work from your plate. However, the keyword in the previous sentence is most of the work…

SEO is a symbiotic relationship in every sense.  We want your campaign to be as successful as you want it to be.  If it is not, we fail and potentially face losing you as a client.  Obviously, this would not be good for either party.  We truly have just as much a vested interest in the success of your SEO campaign as you do.

When we take on a campaign, we are essentially acting as your (internet) marketing directors. We need to continually stay up-to-date on the latest changes and advancements in search marketing.  These changes and advancements typically culminate in recommendations and guides that we must comply with in order to be successful.

While we are happy to offer suggestions and work with you, the ultimate decisions for these updates, recommendations, and suggestions for a campaign need to come from you, the client.  You (and the firm) will always know better from an inherent business value.  As an analogy, we can clear out the forest and show you the path, but you need to decide to walk down it.

To articulate this point, here are some factors to consider:

Selecting Keywords

This is one of the first steps and decisions we make in setting up a campaign.  As a cathartic look within, this is an important time to truly think about what the firm wants to target.  Be careful not to cast too wide of a net.

Blogging

Blogging is extremely important and develops relevancy to your website.  However, blogging takes a lot of work.  Each page needs at least 500 words of content.  Are the firm’s leaders writing blogs?  Is an assistant?  Do you personally have the time?  PaperStreet offers blog writing services if you need a hand.  The most important thing is that the work gets done—it doesn’t matter who writes it.  Content is still king.

Social Media

Being active on social media is the “lite” version of blogging.  It is literally networking with your audience.  Active social media accounts can really help establish a brand.  It also helps search engines find relevant content leading to your website.  Networking and searching within the social networks to find users can drive business, but just posting on social media is not enough. Networking is key.

Google Authorship

Do you mind literally being the face of your website?  Meaning, would you mind if your image was to come up in Google searches?  Google Authorship is a massively great feature. This is when your Google+ profile image shows up next to relevant posts that you rank high for.  Again, this is contingent on the fact that you are blogging within your website and author rank (i.e. how many people you have in your circles; your reviews; etc).

Videos / YouTube Channel

We highly recommend getting professional video services and setting up a YouTube.com channel for the firm.  Videos, particularly YouTube channels, are an asset to your campaign. They carry a lot of relevancy and authority.  Google (who owns YouTube.com) wants to see relevant video submissions.

Link Directories, Press Releases and Article Submissions

On May 22^nd 2013, Google rolled out its next generation of the Penguin algorithm update, affecting its searches.  Directories are now occupying most of the top slots of any given phrase.  We have always recognized the power of these listings; however, they have been given even more importance after the update.  With that in mind, another great way to become relevant for content is by submitting press releases and articles to submission directory websites.  These are usually picked up and distributed through their own services.

These are just a few examples of decisions that need to be made by the firm.  What is your focus for the campaign?  What are you targeting?  Who is going to write the content?  Are you going to be active on social media (other than just using it as a soapbox to speak your voice)?  Do you mind being the face of the firm?  Are you prepared to make videos?  Do you have something useful to say?  Are you prepared to submit to link directories?

We Need Your Help, Your Opinion

We completely understand that you are busy with your jobs.  SEO is not something you may have tons of time to devote too.  But, it is important and page one rankings are getting more competitive as the months and years pass by.

If we send a recommendation, it’s sent over for a reason.  Let’s work together.  Let’s communicate.  Let’s make this a successful campaign for both companies.