Handout - InnSpire Conference

Transcription

RezStream :: Offering World Class Hospitality Services
Sales :: 866.360.8210 :: [email protected]
Your Competitors’ Strategies Revealed
Presented by Katie White, Director of Internet Services, RezStream, Denver, Colorado
Have you ever stopped to think about which competitor of yours dominates online?
Ever wonder why you don’t show up for some organic keyword searches?
Ever wonder which keyword combinations are searched more than others?
Ever wonder why you can’t rank for a specific keyword phrase?
Ever wonder why your Internet marketing company chooses the keywords they do select?
Do you think Internet marketing is easy and anyone can do it?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this presentation and handout are for you!
There are four major categories of Internet marketing to be analyzed when looking at your
competitors’ marketing strategies. If only you had access to their Google Analytics statistics!
1. SEO Organic Rankings
a. Know where you stand
i. Audit website
ii. Keyword research
iii. Competitor analysis
iv. Writing meta tags
v. H1 tags
vi. Strategic linking
2. Links
a. OpenSiteExplorer.com
3. Your Message
a. Directories
b. Website
c. Specials
4. Website Design
a. Appeal
Why ORGANIC Search Engine Optimization is Important:
The results shown below in this table are similar to search results for 99% of all RezStream clients.
The important fact to remember is that Google.com or organic revenue is the top revenue producer.
Local directories tend to come in second with national directories following behind.
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Essential Elements of Search Engine Optimization:
1. Meta Tags
•
•
•
Meta tag title: 60 characters or less
Meta tag description: 155 characters or less
Meta tag keywords: approximately 6-10 keywords or less
2. H1 Tags – these are useful for SEO as well as converting visitors. You want to make sure to
incorporate a good keyword as well as highlight a point of difference or a reason to stay with
you. These must be tagged appropriately.
3. Keyword Description – often times we see spam within the keyword tag. You want to have
6-10 keywords. They are not as important anymore, but you still want to have a few. They
can get you in trouble if you do not use them correctly.
4. Strategic Linking
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a complex balance of science and art. Google examines
hundreds of elements when determining what websites rank well in the organic (free) listings.
Below is a table of results from Google when someone types in the keyword phrase
“cape may bed and breakfast.”
Note: Organic results always display just below the pay per click or “sponsored” ads.
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Note: 99.9% of every client’s top revenue source comes from Google.com. Google is still #1 when it
pertains to producing revenue or when people decide to make a purchase decision.
Most businesses do not have the basic elements of SEO integrated into their websites. Search engine
optimization is often viewed as being intangible. To Internet marketing specialists, it seems that
everyone has their own opinion about what keyword phrases are most important. Would it surprise
you to learn that some opinions matter more than others?
“I did a Google search the other day and our website doesn’t come up for anything.”
This is a typical client comment when questioning their Internet marketing firm.
It is relatively easy to move beyond opinions and actually test which keywords work better than
others. You must also be able to rank for any term you do choose. Yes, that statement is correct.
Just because you want to rank for a keyword does not mean you actually can.
3
Essential Components of Keyword Research and Rankings:
Step 1: Audit your website to see how many pages you have.
•
•
Go to Google.com and in the search bar search site:domain.com. Note: There is no
space between the colon and the domain. Do NOT use “http://” or the “www.”
This allows you to see which pages are showing up in the Google index.
You should then cross compare by clicking through your entire website and copying
the URL’s into an Excel spreadsheet.
Step 2: Conduct keyword research to see exactly what people are searching for.
What you think people are searching for and what they are actually searching for may surprise
you. If you only guess what people are searching for and do not monitor the search activity of
your competition, this lack of knowledge will only end up hurting your attempts for success.
•
Use this FREE tool: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal.
1. Type in every combination of keywords you can search only 100 keywords at a time.
Below is an example of a very short list.
cape may accommodation
cape may accommodations
cape may b&b
cape may bb
cape may bed & breakfast
cape may bed & breakfasts
cape may bed and breakfast
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cape may bed and breakfasts
cape may hotel
cape may hotels
cape may inn
cape may inns
cape may lodging
cape may new jersey accommodations
cape may new jersey bed and breakfast
cape may new jersey hotel
cape may new jersey hotels
cape may new jersey inn
cape may new jersey inns
cape may new jersey lodging
cape may nj accommodation
cape may nj bed and breakfast
cape may nj bed and breakfasts
cape may nj hotel
cape may nj inn
cape may nj inns
cape may nj lodging
2. Put the keywords in the Google Keyword Tool and the select the “search” option.
Note: You can search in mobile applications and desktop or segment them out
depending on your needs. You can also search by country if you are interested in
targeting international markets.
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3. Once you select the search option, you will need to turn on “[Exact]” match type and
turn off “Broad” match type. This will show exactly what people are searching for.
4. Download this list and save it into Excel. You will then examine the results and choose
your keywords for optimization. Factors to help determine keywords you will use are:
•
Competiton: shows you how competitive the term is in the Google pay per click.
Note: If it is competitive in the Google PPC, chances are it is a good converting
term. Also note, the cost per click for this competitive term will likely be higher.
•
Global Monthly Searches: the approximate 12-month average of user queries
for the keyword on Google search. This data is specific to your Keyword Match
Type selection.
•
Local Monthly Searches: if you specified a country or language for your search,
this is the approximate 12-month average number of user queries for the keyword
for those countries and languages. This data is specific to your Keyword Match
Type selection.
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Keyword
[cape may hotels]
[cape may bed and breakfast]
[cape may hotel]
[cape may nj bed and breakfast]
[cape may new jersey hotels]
[cape may b&b]
[cape may lodging]
[cape may bed and breakfasts]
[cape may inns]
[cape may accommodations]
[cape may inn]
[cape may nj hotel]
[cape may nj lodging]
[cape may bed & breakfast]
[cape may new jersey bed and breakfast]
[cape may nj bed and breakfasts]
[cape may nj inns]
[cape may new jersey hotel]
[cape may new jersey lodging]
[cape may nj inn]
[cape may accommodation]
[cape may bb]
[cape may bed & breakfasts]
[cape may new jersey inns]
Global
Monthly
Competition Searches
0.94
12100
0.94
4400
0.95
880
0.92
720
0.94
720
0.91
480
0.96
480
0.94
390
0.95
260
0.86
210
0.85
210
0.96
170
0.96
140
0.86
140
0.88
110
0.94
91
0.83
58
0.9
58
0.86
46
0.61
36
0.82
36
0.77
36
0.87
36
0.89
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Step 3: Choose keywords.
Ideally, after reviewing the table above, it would be best to rank for “cape may bed and
breakfast,” as it produces an average of 4400 searches per month. The issue is that you cannot
simply rank at any given time for any keyword you like. You must check the competition.
1. Develop a list of those ranking in Google’s top 10 spots. If they are all “directories,”
your chances will be slim in breaking onto page one of Google. If they are displaying as
“locals,” you need to make sure you have an updated and optimized Google Places listing.
Note: “Cape May Bed and Breakfast” would be difficult to break into the ranks in that the
top results are all directories. You should make sure to have listings in those directories.
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"Cape May Bed and Breakfast"
Directory
www.bedandbreakfast.com/cape-may-new-jersey.html
Directory
www.capemaytimes.com/bed-and-breakfast/cape-may.htm
Local
www.queenvictoria.com/
Local
www.angelofthesea.com
Local
www.bedfordinn.com
Local
www.carrollvilla.com
Local
www.gingerbreadinn.com
Local
www.windwardhouseinn.com
Local
www.summercottageinn.com
Directory
www.iloveinns.com
2. Analyze a less competitive keyword like “Cape May Lodging.” Lodging properties are
intermixed with the directories so there is a higher probability to rank for that keyword.
"Cape May Lodging"
Directory
www.capemay.com/
Directory
www.capemay.com/capemayhotels.html
Directory
www.capemaylodging.com
www.capemaytimes.com/hotels/default.htm
www.capemaylodging.com
Directory
Lodging
Directory
Lodging
Directory
Lodging
Lodging
www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g46341-Cape_May_New_Jersey-Hotels.html
www.montreal-inn.com
www.vrbo.com
www.queenvictoria.com
www.bacchusinn.com
Step 4: Perform further analysis of the competition.
Do a search in Google for your keyword with quotations marks around the keyword. You can see
that there are “About 7,120” results (web pages) competing for “cape may bed and breakfast”
vs. 1,980 results for “cape may lodging” and 29,600 results for “cape may hotel.” This can also
give you clues as to whether one keyword will be easier to rank for than others.
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Step 5: Check your website against your competitors.
Go to www.OpenSiteExplorer.org and click on “compare pages” and enter the competitors
showing up on page one of Google, for the terms you wish to rank for. Note: With the free
version of OpenSiteExplorer, you can only do three searches a day.
Analyze how your page of your website compares to your competitors.
1. Page Authority – the higher the page authority for you the better better your chances of
outranking your competion for that term. If everyone in your list has a higher page authority
than you do, your chances of ranking well organically for that term are diminished.
2. Total Links – you also need to look at how many incoming links you have compared to your
competition.
Note: If you find that all 10 competitors on page one of Google have more incoming links, as well as
a higher page authority than your page, you do not have a chance to rank well for that particular
term.
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Step 6: Write meta tags.
Once keywords are selected, you are going to write meta tags. Each page on your website should
have a unique meta tag. A meta tag is a behind the scenes code that Google uses to display in
their organic results. Meta tags must contain a combination of good keywords, points of
difference, and calls to action. This may be the only moment you have to grab someone’s
attention and entice them to click through to your website.
•
•
•
Meta tag title: 60 characters or less
Meta tag description: 160 characters or less
Meta tag keywords: approximately 6 keywords or less
WEBPAGE
META TAG TITLE
Home
Page
Award Winning Cape May
Bed and Breakfast :: Book
Now
Rooms
Page
Cape May Lodging At Its
Best :: The Queen Victoria
META TAG DESCRIPTION
Join us in our beautiful oceanfront Cape
May bed and breakfast. We offer spa
services, gourmet breakfast, and
incredible packages. Book online today.
Looking for award winning Cape May
lodging? Join us in our oceanfront bed
and breakfast complete with pool, hot
tub, spa services and more. Book now.
KEYWORDS
Cape May Bed and Breakfast,
New Jersey Inn, Cape May
Vacation
Cape May NJ, Queen Victoria,
Lodging, Oceanfront Bed and
Breakfast
Step 7: Write H1 tags.
After you have chosen your keywords and have written unique meta tags for your website,
you will need to write H1 tags.
•
H1 tag: a header on a page that is visible to your website visitors. It should include
the keyword you are targeting and add a point of difference or a call to action. Write a
unique H1 tag for every website page. An H1 example is displayed below:
Step 8: Integrate strategic linking.
Within each page of your website, there should be one to three links to other pages of your
website, while using a good keyword. Note: In the paragraphs below, we are linking “Cape May
lodging” and “Cape May Inn” to interior pages of the website. Never use the terms “click here.”
Using a good text link internally, which comes in from other resources, tells the search engines
what the web page is about.
In the example below, we want the page to be about “Cape May lodging” and a “Cape May Inn,”
not “view our rooms page.” This will help increase rankings in the Google organic results.
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Review: Eight Steps for Successful Search Engine Optimization
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Audit your website
Conduct keyword research
Choose keywords
Perform further analysis of the competition
Check website against competitors
Write meta tags
Write H1 tags
Integrate strategic linking
Links:
Link building is one of the most important yet still ignored aspects of Internet marketing. Links are
beneficial for a number of reasons. First, they can bring you business. Second, they provide value in
the search engines’ eyes, which can elevate your positioning organically. Every business should have
a sound and strategic link building campaign each year.
Use these steps to audit your competitors to find additional links:
Step 1: Go to www.opensiteexplorer.org – this free tool will show you the top 50 links your
competitor has. Copy every link into an Excel spreadsheet and continue this practice for all
competitors. Obtain a link in as many of the same places as possible. The higher the domain
authority and page authority, the better.
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Step 2: Do a search in Google.com using your competitor’s name. Cross check and update your
Excel spreadsheet.
Step 3: Set up a Google alert. Google.com/alerts
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Your Message:
Step 1: You already have the audit of where you have incoming links. Take the next step with
your directory listings and analyze the message. The goal is to make sure you stand out against
your competitors.
•
•
Highlight points of difference.
i. Example: The only Cape May bed and breakfast on the beach!
Make the copy interesting and fun. Below are two examples for the same property.
Which one do you like better?
i. Example 1: Open all year, our bed and breakfast is a fun place during all
season. Our inn is all you expect from quality New Jersey lodging
accommodations and some things you may not.
ii. Example 2: Our whimsical charm, world-class amenities, and romantic touches
are unmatched in Cape May. Unwind in one of our elegant and beautiful suites
complete with fireplace and ocean views.
Step 2: Apply the same logic on your own website.
• Read content on every page. If you are bored, you can bet your visitors will be.
• Make changes to the content, while keeping the following in mind:
o Analyze the message your competitors have and make yours better.
o Highlight your points of difference.
o Highlight how much people save with specials.
o Sometimes less is more!
o Keep search engine optimization with the H1 tags and weave good
keywords into the content.
o Make your content easy to skim and put the most enticing aspects at the
top of the page.
o Add links towards the top of the content because they get clicked more
often. This allows you to funnel people to your most important pages.
Step 3: How
•
•
•
•
•
you present your specials to guests is very important. Here are some tips:
Make sure to highlight how much people save.
Make your specials easy to skim.
Have amazing titles that grab the eye. Example: Stay 3, 1 is FREE.
If people have to read an entire paragraph to understand the specials, you should
rework it.
Whenever possible offer promotion codes so they are bookable online.
Step 4: Analyze the different ads you have running in Google AdSense.
• Test different ads to see which performs better.
• Highlight points of difference.
• If you market a rate, make sure it is attractive against your competition.
• Use a vanity URL with the keyword.
• Use keywords in the copy and title.
EXAMPLE:
Cape May Bed & Breakfast
Award-winning Cape May B&B
Stay 2, the 3rd is Free!
www.Domain.com/CapeMayBB
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Website Design:
With all the hard work involved in optimizing your website, it’s time to develop enticing copy so that
someone FINALLY clicks through to your website. You now have about three seconds to wow them
and keep them on your site. The challenge continues in that your visitor WILL be comparing your
site to your competitors before making a purchase decision. How do you compare? Ask a stranger in
the library or coffee shop to compare your website to your competitors without telling them which
one is yours. Listen closely to what they say and make positive changes to your website. NO ONE
will ever call you to tell you your website is horrible. They will have already booked with your
competitor!
Putting the time and effort into creating an artistic, search-engine friendly website that converts is
an essential part of doing well online. It is the essential Internet marketing element that will take
you from good to great!
Play on the emotions of your guests. Create an enticing, visual experience.
•
•
•
•
Analyze your website against your competitors. Are you more attractive? Do your points of
difference, rates, specials, and layout far surpass your competitors?
Organize your website and develop the site in order of importance.
Have calls to action.
Add an online booking engine.
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•
•
Track revenue to the source and use the statistics to analyze how people are using your
website.
Add heat mapping to your website. It is an inexpensive tool to add and the information you
obtain is invaluable.
Conclusion: Having a better working knowledge of the steps outlined in this article should help you
understand the strategies used by your competitors and what you should do moving forward to
surpass them. Please understand that the techniques highlighted here are only a brief review of the
intricate science of Internet marketing. However, any attempt to incorporate the principles in this
article, whether employing an Internet marketing specialist or not, is a step in the right direction
toward obtaining better conversions online. Ultimately, that is our final hope—to improve website
visibility, increase website traffic, and convert website visitors into making a purchasing decision.
About the Author: Katie White is the Director of Internet Services at RezStream, with over eight
years experience in this field. RezStream sells reservation software (RezStream Professional PMS),
online reservation booking engine services (RezStream Rez2u Booking Engine), Global Distribution
System services, custom website designs, and Internet marketing plans for all budgets to bed and
breakfasts and independent inns.
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Handout - InnSpire Conference

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