The Power of Thumbnails and Images

According to Rebecca Lieb of the ClickZ Network, recent surveys show that video has a greater chance of being clicked if it has a thumbnail or image. These results are evident in the popularity of universal search. Rebecca advises marketers to take these statistics seriously and recommends posting related videos with each new video just as Greg Jarboe suggested.

The Power of Thumbnails and Images

SEO Alphabet Soup

A Cup of SEO Alphabet Soup

Often times, the topics at conferences are almost too narrow and the C-level attendees struggle to see the big picture. SES New York tried to solve that problem by dedicating an entire track of sessions to C-level executives and their understanding of the industry.

Amanda Watlington presided over one of those sessions and as she explains in this video, told the attendees how to manage their search efforts strategically. Approximately half of all online marketing spending is being used on search. As a result, Amanda says that conferences within the SEO industry are seeing more attendance from C-level executives and entrepreneurs.

Amanda began her session by differentiating between SEO and SEM. SEO is search engine optimization and is a long-term effort. SEM is search engine marketing and usually refers to short-term campaign efforts. Also, SEM is sometimes used in reference to the industry as a whole.

As if executives and managers didn’t have enough on their plate already, the advent of universal/blended search complicated matters even more. Also, since the search industry is expected to grow even in the down economy, it is more important now than ever for executives to understand how to manage their search efforts.

Just as she mentioned in our interview from PubCon South regarding universal search, Amanda says that SEO must be the visibility manager and not a soloist. It requires that companies broaden their online efforts and embrace video, images, news, maps, local, and mobile.

SEO managers must collaborate with videographers, the public relations team, and content creators to ensure that their SEO efforts are achieving the best results. They need to be aware of current trends and make sure they are capitalizing in those areas.

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SEO Alphabet Soup

Universal Search, Changing the Game of SEO

Universal and blended search has had a tremendous impact not only on searchers but also on SEOs. In this video, Amanda Watlington explains how universal/blended search has pushed SEO into a new position. With all the different forms of content that universal/blended search returns, SEOs have to look beyond the site.

Back in the early days of SEO in 1995, Amanda says that SEOs were classified as soloists. They worked closely with IT departments and in some cases, worked more with IT than they did with marketing departments.

Today, the game has changed. The SEO is, as Amanda calls him/her, a “visibility manager” or a “symphony conductor.” SEOs have to look at sites such YouTube, Flickr, and networking sites and work with videographers, public relations, and content providers in order to adapt to the game of universal/blended search.

In her session as PubCon South, Amanda listed the following steps for SEOs to succeed:

- Inventory the available digital assets
- Look for overlooked opportunities
- Audit current optimization success
- Find the gaps and close them
- Plan an attack based on business needs, not on what you think the engines want
- Monitor the results
- Get smart with the metrics

An important point that Amanda stresses is that even though SEO has changed as a results of universal/blended search, the expectations have not changed. If you expect changes and are prepared for them when they come, you will be able to alter your game and continue your work effectively.

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Getting Top-Rated Content With Blogs and Feeds

As search has evolved, so have searchers. They are no longer looking at corporate websites as the authority, but they are instead looking at their peers and other searchers who have had similar situations to theirs. Searchers want reviews, blogs, and social interaction. So why not take advantage of these free digital assets?

In this video, Sally Falkow of Expansion Plus Inc. explains how the use of blogs and feeds is a very smart strategy for businesses to adopt in this economy because it is inexpensive and gets search results. Also, universal and blended search allows the first page of search results to display all these digital assets. It’s not just ten blue links on the first SERP but blogs, feeds, images, video, news, and so much more.

Research shows that a searcher’s eyes are naturally drawn to an image or video before they look at a regular blue link. In other words, if you are not utilizing these assets then “you are missing an enormous opportunity.”

Sally suggests creating a content strategy that allows you to use digital assets that match your brand image. One method for doing this is storyteller marketing. Sally says, “Every brand has a story.”

Determine what your brand stands for, find out how people perceive your brand, and realize whether or not your brand keeps what it promises to keep. You will find a story somewhere among those answers. Strengthen your story using digital assets and you will be amazed at how your content and brand will rise.

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