A comprehensive guide to ecommerce SEO. With bronies. Why, you may ask? Because that's my daughter's current obsession. Also because SEO+bronies=monies.
Slides broken into sections:
1. Technical SEO
2. On-page and Content
3. Social Media
4. Reporting and Analytics
5. Business Concerns
2. • The Ecommerce Ecosystem
• Technical Work
• On-page & Content Work
• Social & Off-page Work
• Analytics & Reporting Work
• Departmental & Corporate Stuff
Today‟s Talk is Wide and DeepAGENDA
14. • The Ecommerce Ecosystem
• Technical Work
• On-page & Content Work
• Social & Off-page Work
• Analytics & Reporting Work
• Departmental & Corporate Stuff
Technical Work is a PriorityAGENDA
15. Technical SEO on ecommerce sites can be huge.
There‟s Gold In Those Hills!
Pagination
Faceted Navigation
Site Search
SpeedDuplication
Mobile Sites
Multiple Sites
20. These are typically* the highest priority areas
Technical SEO for Ecommerce
*it always depends
• Duplication
• Faceted Navigation
• Pagination
• Speed
• Site Search
• Mobile
21. Ecommerce sites commonly have dupe issues at the product level
• Use forensics to delve into the issue (just a few tools,
keep it simple)
• Normally what‟s indexed is what matters (if it‟s a dupe
but isn‟t crawled, de-prioritize)
• Always crawl the site yourself (and don‟t trust
statements about canonical purity)
• Keep it actionable! Don‟t get caught in the maze
Duplication
22. Discovery, forensics, and some quick SEO hacks
• Step 1: crawl the site. Screaming Frog.
• Option: use their XML sitemap
• Option: use GWT‟s “Top pages” (there‟s a trick to this)
Duplication
28. Search modifiers are the tl;dr of SEO forensics.
Duplication
My favorite site searches for dupe content:
• site:mydomain.com and variations
• Exclude subdomains with: –site:blog.mydomain.com
• Find duplicate domains with –site:mydomain.com intitle:exact title tag
29. Search modifiers are the tl;dr of SEO forensics.
Duplication
My favorite site searches for dupe content:
• site:mydomain.com and variations
• site:mydomain.com with: intitle:”product or category title tag”
31. Search modifiers are the tl;dr of SEO forensics.
Duplication
My favorite site searches for dupe content:
• inurl:prodID=121212
• Use with site:mydomain.com
• Experiment with using category or folders, too, like:
site:mydomain.com inurl:/category/
• Knock off successive folders
• Use with intitle, such as: site:mydomain.com inurl:prodID=121212
intitle:”we‟ve got all the stuff here : brand”
33. Faceted navigations pose crawling challenges.
Keep it focused on user behavior.
• What facets represent search queries best?
• What types of content do you want crawled and indexed?
Faceted Navigation
36. Be discriminating with what gets crawled.
Examples to crawl:
• category, brand, item, type
Examples to not crawl:
• size, price, session ID, review rating/count
Consider:
• color, size, various attributes (uses, materials, etc)
Faceted Navigation
37. Tools to use for crawling controls on facets.
Ensure URLs are constructed only one way.
• No creation of different URLs based on selection order
Ensure rel canonical signals are on URLs that have
tracking parameters appended.
Don‟t be afraid to use parameters within URLs.
• key=value&pair constructed URLs allow easier crawling and
management in GWT
• Never use folders for session IDs or params that don‟t change page
content
Faceted Navigation
1
2
3
42. Tools to use for crawling controls on facets.
Faceted Navigation
Use rel=nofollow on non-essential facets.
• Links can still be crawled, but this will decrease discovery
Have non-essential facets rel canonical to a superset page:
http://www.mydomain.com/cat/shoes?brand=nike&color=green&price=100
<link rel=“canonical”
href=“http://www.mydomain.com/cat/shoes?brand=nike&color=green&view=all”
/>
43. Tools to use for crawling controls on facets.
Faceted Navigation
Option: place all unnecessary facets in a unique directory.
Robots.txt exclude this directory.
http://www.mydomain.com/cat/shoes?brand=nike&color=green&price=100
http://www.mydomain.com/filters/shoes?brand=nike&color=green&price=100
User-agent: *
Disallow: /filters/
44. Tools to use for crawling controls on facets.
Faceted Navigation
Issues with robots.txt
• It‟s a sledgehammer approach
• Nothing will be crawled
• No link equity will flow
• You‟ll get „suppressed listings‟ in the index like this…
45. Links are crawled but URLs are blocked.
Faceted
Navigation
Tools to use for
crawling controls
on facets.
46. Tools to use for crawling controls on facets.
Faceted Navigation
Parameter Handling
• Powerful and configurable
• Can screw yourself
• Need key=value&pair structured URLs
• Requires you to truly understand your site
50. What about meta noindex?
Faceted Navigation
Meta noindex is strangely absent from Google‟s advice.
• I‟m less confident in meta noindex, follow really doing what we
want it to: keeping content out of the index but still crawled.
• meta noindex, follow + rel canonical are conflicting signals.
• There are signs that Google is choosing to treat meta noindex
differently than before.
53. Sorts shouldn’t be crawled.
Sorts & Pages
Sorts are different views of the same data set.
• Use rel=nofollow on sort links
• Use rel=canonical on sort URLs to a superset page
(normally the view all)
54. Sorts shouldn’t be crawled.
Sorts & Pages
Sorts are different views of the same data set.
• Have sort links coded as page anchors that don‟t create
unique URLs (e.g. mydomain.com/cat#sort100)
• Use javascript links that are less likely to be crawled
(Googlebot will probably still crawl them)
55. There are two main ways to consolidate pages.
Sorts & Pages
Use either rel next/prev or rel canonical.
• Rel prev/next creates a series of pages
• Should still use rel canonical on duplicative URLs (such as
tracking IDs)
56. There are two main ways to consolidate pages.
Sorts & Pages
Use either rel next/prev or rel canonical.
• Rel canonical, if used for pagination, should reference the
view all page
• The view all page needs to provide a good user experience
(fast loading)
58. Site speed is crucial.
Speed
• 40% of your visitors will abandon a site if loading takes
longer than 3 seconds (Gomez)
• Half of your visitors expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less
(Gomez)
• 1 second in loading time decreases conversion by 7%
(Strange Loop)
59. Site speed is crucial.
Speed
If an ecommerce site makes $100k in revenue per
day, a 1 second load delay equates to $2.5M in
lost revenue annually.
(Strange Loop)
65. There’s a best practice, and a reality.
Site Search & SEO
Best Practice
• Site search pages should be fast.
• They should offer a valuable experience.
• They should lead to conversion.
• They should have high engagement.
66. There’s a best practice, and a reality.
Site Search & SEO
Unfortunate Reality
• Lots of site search pages are really basic
• They can still rank well
• Site search pages convert well
67. There’s a best practice, and a reality.
Site Search & SEO
Reality
• Lots of site search pages are really basic
• They can still rank well
• Site search pages convert well
…there‟s also this…
68. Site Search &
SEO
Fortune 10
ecommerce brand
Pages Displayed in Non-Branded SERPs
Heavily reliant
on site search.
69. Answer these questions before doing anything.
1. How much organic traffic are search pages responsible for?
1. How are engagement metrics looking? High or low bounce
rate, high or low conversion?
What should you do?
Site Search & SEO
1
2
70. What should you do?
Site Search & SEO
Answer these questions before doing anything.
2. Balanced with above, are these pages causing issues with
our crawl space?
3. Are there duplicative issues at play? (For example, can
anything become a search?)
3
4
75. Here’s what we recommend.
Mobile
Get the sites accessible on mobile devices.
Build responsive sites (as a foundation).
Can add mobile-specific experiences as needed.
76. Here’s what we recommend.
Mobile
Get the sites accessible on mobile devices.
All major implementations are supported, and work.
• Responsive (same URL)
• Subdomain or folder (mobile switchboard tags)
• Same URL with dynamic content (Vary: User-agent response
header)
77. Here’s what we recommend.
Mobile
Other good things:
• Minimize redirects, each adds 0.6 second delay.
• Serve tablet users the desktop site.
• For separate URLs, place alternate tags on
desktop pages (to mobile), and canonical tags on
mobile (to desktop).
78. • The Ecommerce Ecosystem
• Technical Work
• On-page & Content Work
• Social & Off-page Work
• Analytics & Reporting Work
• Departmental & Corporate Stuff
Creating Experiences Through ContentAGENDA
79. For ecommerce, „native‟ content is limited.
Content & On-Page
• Category pages
• Product pages
• Buyer‟s guides
• Reviews
• Blog content
84. Content &
On-Page
It all starts in the
SERP, too.
I expect these
Nice SERP display
Option but I don‟t want to bid
Can‟t buy here
Thin experience
Out of stock
Thin experiences
Already turned off
85. I expect these
Nice SERP display
Option but I don‟t want to bid
Can‟t buy here
Thin experience
Out of stock
Thin experiences
Already turned off
86. This experience is just so much better.
Content & On-Page
This is valuable.
88. When Permanently Out of Stock, Option 1
Content & On-Page
301 the URL to a newer replacement product
(This is rarely how product inventory works)
89. When Permanently Out of Stock, Option 2
Content & On-Page
404 the URL if no newer product exists
(This is hard core)
90. When Permanently Out of Stock, Option 3
Content & On-Page
Continue serving the page with messaging and good
recommendations
(This is best, but harder to do)
91. Content &
On-Page
Don‟t do it like
this…
Tad Chef
http://blog.ahrefs.com/ecommerce-out-of-stock-products/
107. Your inventory is your content.
Content & On-Page
• Tons of content opportunities with inventory
• Buyers guides, reviews are always useful
• Retailers don‟t need to be publishers
108. Your inventory is your content.
Content & On-Page
• You can wrap and re-wrap your inventory in creative ways
109. Say it with me:
topics, not
keywords!
Content & On-Page
111. Content & On-Page
My Little Pony Topics
Average Monthly Search Volume
260,000
185,000
110,000
100,000
80,000
56,000
45,000
112. Content & On-Page
My Little Pony Topics
Average Monthly Search Volume
260,000
185,000
110,000
100,000
80,000
56,000
45,000
Each topic
category
represents
many queries
113. Very broad categories…
Content & On-Page
Topic Top Query Examples Monthly Search Volume
Generic Custom / Personal
personalized gifts, personalized gift ideas, customizable
gifts, custom gift ideas
421,212
Company / Corp. / Business /
Employees
retirement gifts, corporate gifts, gifts for co-workers,
office gifts, executive gifts
90,490
Promotional Products
promotional products, promotional items, hit
promotional products, promo items, promotional gifts
81,370
Marketing / Advertising
advertising techniques, creative marketing, marketing
ideas, marketing materials
37,550
Engraved
engraved gifts, laser engraving, wood engraving,
custom engraving, glass engraving
23,130
Branded / Logo
logo products, logo items, branded products, branded
items, logo merchandise, logo gifts
8,080
Trade Shows
trade show giveaways, tradeshow giveaways, trade
show items, trade show promotional items
4,550
114. … to more narrow
Content & On-Page
Topic Example Queries Search Volume
Wedding / Bridal / Grooms personalized wedding gifts, wedding favors,
wedding favor ideas, cheap wedding favors
264,210
Keychains custom keychains, customized keychains,
personalized keychains, personalized key chains,
key rings bulk
99,080
School / Sports spirit wear, custom varsity jackets, custom team
apparel, high school apparel, Greek apparel
81,490
Pens custom pens, personalized pens, business pens 72,480
Notepads personalized notepads, personalized post it notes 24,920
115. Comparison Calvin
Content & On-Page
“The pledges need quality embroidered shirts
for a golf tournament they‟re playing in.”
Sample Search Queries
What can we provide to help him
accomplish his task?
What else can we provide of
interest?
Conversion Goal Why He‟ll Do It Success Metrics
Task 1: I want to find a resource for Greek apparel and merchandise.
[fraternity apparel] Broad selection of quality gear
Popular brands
Great service
Speedy turnaround
Newsletter
Explore options
He needs shirts for the
pledges.
He needs a reliable
resource going
forward.
Subscribe for 10% off.
Sign up for newsletter
Purchase shirts
Social share/like
Task 2: I want to find a resource for Greek apparel and merchandise.
[embroidered polo shirts]
Wide selection of name brands –
high quality
Great prices
Great Service
Speedy turnaround
Newsletter
Find the best
option for shirts
Great prices.
10% discount.
Minimum order works.
Easy to order.
Can get a quote and a
sample.
Purchase
Sign up for newsletter
Social share/like
116. Comparison Calvin
Content & On-Page
“The pledges need quality embroidered shirts
for a golf tournament they‟re playing in.”
Ideal Workflow
Search Rank & Display Page Content
Conversion &
Motivation
[embroidered polo shirts] Custom Embroidered
Polo & Golf Shirts – Buy
Wholesale & Save! |
InkHead
Top Quality and great
prices on golf and polo
shirts from your favorite
brands, including Nike
and Adidas.
Images and details of
product offerings. Calvin
can filter and sort by a
range of criteria,
including price, brand,
color, sub-category and
style.
Carl sees what he
needs and he sees lots
of choices. He knows
the brands, the prices
are reasonable and the
ordering process looks
simple.
Clicks to buy.
117. Comparison Calvin
Content & On-Page
“The pledges need quality embroidered shirts
for a golf tournament they‟re playing in.”
Ideal Workflow
Search Rank & Display Page Content
Conversion &
Motivation
[embroidered polo shirts] Custom Embroidered
Polo & Golf Shirts – Buy
Wholesale & Save! |
InkHead
Top Quality and great
prices on golf and polo
shirts from your favorite
brands, including Nike
and Adidas.
Images and details of
product offerings. Calvin
can filter and sort by a
range of criteria,
including price, brand,
color, sub-category and
style.
Carl sees what he
needs and he sees lots
of choices. He knows
the brands, the prices
are reasonable and the
ordering process looks
simple.
Clicks to buy.
User exp.
begins here
Content
creates the
conversion
118. Spend a lot of time on SERP presentation, says Derpy!
Content & On-Page
119. The SERP display is where it all begins
Content & On-PageAMZN doesn‟t do schema
Rich snippets
Great URL. But wigs??
Really bad title, CMS hack
Search results
UK version?
120. The SERP display is where it all begins
Content & On-Page
Click-worthy
Secondary Choices
121. The SERP display is where it all begins
Content & On-Page
Ignored
122. The SERP display is where it all begins
Content & On-Page
SERP Presentation is Critical
123. The SERP display is where it all begins
Content & On-Page
SERP Presentation is Critical
It impacts CTR!
And can even
influence rank.
124. The SERP display is where it all begins
Content & On-Page
SERP Presentation is Critical
How about an
example?
125. Useful Example
on Organic CTRWhat happens when
video thumbnails
appear for product
pages?
Content &
On-Page
129. Queries with Video Thumbnail Queries without Video Thumbnail
THIS.
AVERAGE QUERY CLICK-THROUGH RATE
2% 17%
130. Queries with Video Thumbnail Queries without Video Thumbnail
THIS.
AVERAGE QUERY CLICK-THROUGH RATE
2% 17%
Users didn‟t want a
video, they wanted a
product.
131. • The Ecommerce Ecosystem
• Technical Work
• On-page & Content Work
• Social & Off-page Work
• Analytics & Reporting Work
• Departmental & Corporate Stuff
What is the Social Value of a User?AGENDA
137. A first touch model helps social a tiny bit.
Social Sites for Ecommerce
138. Social Has A
Growing Impact
On Core Retail
Social Has A
Growing Impact
On Core Retail
Source: Internet Retailer, 2014 Social Media 500 &
Business Insider
139. Social Has A
Growing Impact
On Core Retail
Source: Internet Retailer, 2014 Social Media 500 &
Business Insider
140. • “Sales funnel” no
longer an accurate
model for online
retail environment
• Does not reflect the
open-ended nature
of social media
Role of Social
Media
Old Consumer Journey
150. Role of Social
Media
Takeaways
The consumer journey has
changed.
The new model reflects
stages where brands can
exert influence.
A users‟ brand experience
takes place on social media.
1
2
3
160. Facebook
Takeaways
Post more unbranded content
Simplify CTAs
Post adjacent interests
Deepen connections by supporting
issues important to fans
Give fans direct access to catalog
via a custom tab
1
2
3
4
5
163. Images and engagement
Twitter
Source: http://blog.bufferapp.com/the-power-of-twitters-new-expanded-images-and-how-to-make-the-most-of-it
Tweets with images received 150% more retweets.Tweets with images received 18% more clicks than
those without.
164. Twitter
Takeaways
Platform is suited to creating and
leading conversations
Easy for pushing out low-cost
content
Use branded hashtags to reach
unconnected audience
Messages can be amplified quickly
and easily
Respond to users with RTs and
replies
1
2
3
4
5
171. Pinterest
Takeaways
Boards are an opportunity to
showcase brand‟s aesthetic and
personality
Organize and curate boards using
unbranded imagery
Focus on aspirational or inspiring
themes
Curate boards that speak to user
interests
1
2
3
4
182. Real Men Real Style Group
LinkedIn
Source: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Real-Men-Real-Style-Wardrobe-4063499
183. Real Men Real Style Group
LinkedIn
Source: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Real-Men-Real-Style-Wardrobe-4063499
184. • The Ecommerce Ecosystem
• Technical Work
• On-page & Content Work
• Social & Off-page Work & Off-page Work
• Analytics & Reporting Work
• Departmental & Corporate Stuff
How to Report on SEO for EcommAGENDA
185. Thinking about reporting on SEO
It‟s not about keywords.1
Focus on bottom-line metrics that matter.2
Engagement metrics are important for YOU dear SEO.3
You‟ll need more than a single analytics package.4
186. It‟s not about keywords.
Analytics & Reporting
186
Track topics or page types instead of queries.
1
187. Track topics or page types instead of queries.
It‟s not about keywords.
Analytics & Reporting
1
More insightful
(queries
change)
More
actionable
(search
volume)
Easier to spot
trends
(seasonality)
Less obsessive
(no more
ranking
reports)
191. It looks like this.
Analytics & Reporting
191
GWT URL data Analytics URL data
192. Most helpful with multiple data views
Analytics & Reporting
192
Several different views
193. Track bottom line metrics.
Analytics & Reporting
193A
• Revenue from organic
• Organic traffic by search engine
• Organic conversion rate
2
• Use content groupings in GA
• Hit level only
• Useful for ecommerce page types
194. Analytics & Reporting
• Use content groupings in GA
• Hit level only
• Useful for ecommerce page types
Track bottom line metrics.2
More here: http://cutroni.com/blog/
195. Engagement metrics
Analytics & Reporting
195
3
• Time on page, avg. pages/visit, time on site
• Very useful to spot poor experiences
• Bounce rate is a useful metric for Panda
• Group high bounce rate pages to analyze
• Segment alongside conversion rate
• Report on these only when they lead to ACTION
196. You‟ll need multiple tools.
Analytics & Reporting
196
4
• Best in class:
• Brightedge
• Linkdex
• SEO Clarity
• Search Metrics
• Search Light
• SEO analytics are essential.
203. • The Ecommerce Ecosystem
• Technical Work
• On-page & Content Work
• Social & Off-page Work
• Analytics & Reporting Work
• Departmental & Corporate Stuff
Today‟s Talk is Wide and DeepAGENDA
@audette
- Wide Gulf in Revenue-Per-Click Remains Across Devices- Along with traditional computers, windows tablets and iPads generate double the revenue-per-click ofevery other type of device, including other tablets. - The Kindle Fire line was a particularly poor performer for advertisers in Q4, generating a 68% lower RPC than desktops, whichmay speak to both demographics and Amazon’s strategic tack with the product.
iPad: 11% organic search and 9% social trafficiPhone: 9% organic search and 12% social traffic
- Facebook Share of Social Visits Rises to 57%, up from 55% last year- Pinterest saw the largest gains from a year prior, with its share of social visits increasing from 9% to 14%.Even thought FB has announced search, we’re still not seeing people searching on FB the way that the do on Google. Until customer intent changes….
- Social Sites Generate an Average of 1.3% of All Site VisitsImportant – tough to track. AND referrals from social media sites show a clear upward trend over the long-term
iPad: 11% organic search and 9% social trafficiPhone: 9% organic searchand 12% social traffic
GK:First and foremost:Sales funnel is no longer an effective model of consumer behaviorDoesn’t accurately reflect how users now interact with brands OR how they seek out information in an online retail env’tMore importantly: model doesn’t reflect new ways in which brand influence usersMcKinsey & Co. proposed new model in 2010
GK:Consider phase: customer is thinking about a purchaseCould be based on interests or needs, or just research Typically starts at search barOnce user has options, he/she moves on to evaluate those optionsThis may take the form of reviews on site, third-party sites, or seeking recommendations from social media blogs, forums, social networksCustomer has made decision, and makes purchase, either online or in-storePost-purchaseexperience is where new model comes into play: Brand experience extends well beyond the purchaseSocial media empowers users to define relationship w/brandStrengthening relationship is necessary to encourage users to become advocates[next slide]
GK:The goal is to forge a strong bond with usersIf the brand-user relationship is strong enough, users will not re-enter consider phase SEO and Social are no longer separate online marketing strategiesNew journey offers challenges, but also unique opportunities to influence users’ purchase decisions.
GK:Consider: Site content relevant to specific audience interests. How will user find brand in search?Particularly important after Hummingbird updateRole of mobile devices important to take into accountOptimized mobile sites, etc.Evaluate: Site architecture, Content, UXWhat is user’s experience of site vs. competitors’? Easy to navigate or frustrating?BUY: Site reviews, and purchasing processWhat is user’s experience of product? Is it easy to find products? Reviews? Can they pick up in store, etc.
GK:Social media touches all stages of this new modelPowerful tool for brandsOffers greater opportunities to influence users in different ways along different points of this journeyAreas of overlap with SEOSocial also empowers usersSocial networks are open-ended, public, and outside of brand’s complete controlDoubly true with the rise of mobile usageClear social strategy required because social has an impact on all these stages, often simultaneously
GK:Brands can use social in strategically specific waysMonitoring Listening and gatheringResponding conversation, engagementAmplifying brand message, user advocacy, etc.Leading guiding conversation
GK:Brands should use social media to lead conversations, or point users to new products/offers, etcSocial media is as much about discovery as it is about discussionLeading takes many forms along the consumer journeyAt the beginning: Articulating the brand’s values, customer value proposition, and extending brand awareness via branded and unbranded content. Is the brand a leading voice? A tastemaker? An expert?At point of purchase: brands can use Social to target high-value customers and influencers with targeted offers or invitations into exclusive programs. (This can also be as simple as offering incentives for sharing)In the post-purchase experience: Brands should seek out users, thank them, reward them with praise, encourage them to post reviews, etc “Lead customers toward leading on brand’s behalf”
GK:Consumer journey has changedNew model reflects how users are influenced**Users’ experience w/brand extends past the purchaseThis experience plays out on social media4 functions to influence this experience
GK:Consumer journey has changedNew model reflects how users are influenced**Users’ experience w/brand extends past the purchaseThis experience plays out on social media4 functions to influence this experience
GRAEME:Why it’s important: largest user base of any social networkNetwork primarily used for defining identity FB’s strength is relationship-building not sales from the mouth of Paul Adams, FB’s Global Brand Experience ManagerWhat metrics matter: Shares vs. Likes Engagement vs. static actionFB audience is younger than your target**Derek deserves praise for growing fan base, but this is only a first step
GRAEME:Good example from JoS. A. Bank do more of thisengage with discussion in the comments section
GRAEME:Content is frequently brandedImages are redundant, repurposed content (appears on p. 36 of catalog)Repetitive content doesn’t give users a reason to followDoesn’t offer a new experience
GRAEME:In general, post length correlates to engagement and shares This is important to note with the rise of mobile usage (Mobile usage now 78% of Facebook activity)Simply put: small space in which to grab users’ attentionAlso competing for share of attention span
GRAEME:Competitor: MW use of unbranded content which speaks to users’ adjacent interests
GRAEME:Brooks Brothers: unbranded contentEasy, low-cost method of engagement
GRAEME:Nordstrom:Short post invites responseImages does all the “talking”Includes branded hashtagThis content is low-cost, high engagement,Also: optimized for mobile and easy sharingNote: Nordstrom technique of announcing sales by changing cover photo
GRAEME:Brooks Brothers:Cross-pollination and pointing users to interact on other social networks, giving them a reason to “tune in” to other channels
GRAEME:post more unbranded contentsimplify calls to actionhighlight importance of customer interactionspost additional content detailing the brand's heritagedeepen connections by supporting issues important to fansapply additional resources for customer servicegive fans direct access to catalog via a custom tab
GK:Why it’s importantReal-time interaction, low-cost engagementbetter suited to mobileNot necessarily as well suited to relationship-buildingBUT! Easier for brands to lead conversationthen amplify conversation
GK:Twitter can be text heavy, but new inline image preview (as of October) = opportunity for greater engagementImages critical for engagement, especially on mobile75% of MAUs on mobileTwitter’s mobile users are more engaged, and visit network more often throughout the day
GK:Use images to entice or amplifyContent should be new and uniquePublishing same images on all networks doesn’t incentivize users to followWhy tune in, if content is same on all channels?
GK:Platform is suited to leadingconversationsRespond to praise with RT and replyBest in Class: Nike
GRAEME:Users seek visual inspiration, including purchasing ideas opportunity for brands to establish authority as tastemakersIn general, users are in a more active “buying” state of mindPlatform skews female, but demographic can’t be ignoredPlatform skews toward higher income bracketsMost Pinterest traffic is through tablets, therefore highest-quality images are paramount
GRAEME:Guess the numbers
GRAEME:Pinterest is conversion friendly
GRAEME:In the main, imagery is not very compelling, and comes mostly from brandAgain: consider where audience is looking, and pinning from there
GRAEME:Nordstrom is “Best in Show” on Pinterestto be expected given audience, but there are still valuable lessonsPinning images from outside sources shows Nordstrom is participating in a conversationNOT broadcasting their own message
GRAEME:NordstromMajority of boards are unbranded, thematicThemes include colors, seasonsEven lifestyle themes (such as “DIY”)Majority of images in boards are not branded this practice places product images in an unbranded, social context
GRAEME:Curate themed boardsCurate content from third-partiesUser interests such as: lifestyle, food, dining out, or those identified in onboarding documentBest in class: J. Crew
GK:Instagram is fastest growing social networkVisual nature, ease of sharing makes this powerful platform for apparel retailersPopular among younger segment of the populationAlso optimized for mobile engagement boredom: checking phone, easy way to marketGreat that JAB is on this platformOffers incredible potential for JAB
GK:Nordstrom sets the barPosts don’t mention products Piques users’ interest
GK:Users ask about products in comments sectionNordstrom replies with item number for website, enabling conversion fasterPosts use hashtags to enter larger conversationIn this case #ManiMondayMany of the same hashtags from Twitter conversation apply to InstagramTo be expected given Instagram-Twitter integration#WIWT #OOTD #MensStyle
GK:CTAMixingreal-world, in-store experience with social media3 takeaways for this strategy:user-generated but essentially branded content, amplifies Nordstrom’s social reach to a user’s followers, who may be unconnected to the brand;the brand can monitor the hashtag to measure user participation; Hashtag also allows Nordstrom to follow-up and repost these images to reward users who have demonstrated initiative and brand loyalty.
GRAEME:Basic makeup (only social network that skews overwhelmingly male)Good for SEOLess a relationship-building, more of a content aggregatorCurating communities – all users can post content, area for open sharing
GRAEME:Great unbranded contentDo more of thisLeverage platform to connect with influential blogs, uers
GRAEME:Effectively 2nd most-popular search engine3 billion searches a monthGoogle’s design change to the one-channel format means:Subscribers are paramountOf the 5,000 leading channels on YouTube, only around 2% are owned by brands. The most effective content keeps brand-messaging in the background, and instead focuses on being entertaining, useful or informative, and unique. On YouTube, experiential content beats commercial.
GRAEME:Mostly broadcast showcase for TV adsThis is redundant narrow range of contentMore than 2/3 of descriptions begin with “shop”Channel is not fully optimized to take advantage of SEO benefitsMost successful: Uniform of Success eventALSO: JAB hasn’t filled out About tabCTA to subscribeSubscriptions give content “velocity”Viewed videos stay in feed for 22 hours, longer than in FBRegular uploadingDoesn’t use YouTube channel to point users to other social networks
GRAEME:They have successfully connected this content to related channels, such as alpha m., Real Men Real Style, AskMen, and pthiso. These connections help users to understand what to expect from Men’s Wearhouse, establishes additional authority and approval, and provides valuable additional visibility (given that viewers of related channels are also pointed to the Men’s Wearhouse channel)Points uses to brand’s other social networksMen’s Wearhouse has created a custom tab, which organizes their content into playlists to help users easily navigate to the videos that are most relevant to them. This is a good tactic to improve user experience
GRAEME:Titles & descriptions employ keywords for better external SEO
GK:Surprising opportunity to engage with users who are well within target audienceReal Men Real Style LinkedIn Group24% of users are in apparel industry25% are in senior positions in their industry (money to burn, need for business attire)29% week-over-week growth rate in membershipUsers are actively engaged in discussions relevant to JAB
GK:In fact, Brooks Brothers already has a presenceUnbranded content is asserting brand’s authority reliable source of information helpful, without sales agendaJAB has capability to participateCould consider polling internally, encouraging employees as brand ambassadors
- Not Provided Visit Share Plateaus Around 84%- The share of Google searches that did Not Provide the search query to site owners roughly doubled over the latter half of Q3 2013 - Not Provided share remained flat throughout Q4.- Over the course of the entire year, the average site saw Not Provided increase from 28% of searches to 84% as Google moved to push more users to secure search.
- Safari and Android Users OVER-REPRESENTED in KNOWN queries on Google- In cases where Google organic query data is still provided to site owners, we find that Android devices account for 19% of visits, -triple Android’s 6% share of total Google organic traffic.- Desktop Safari users account for 23% of provided visits, but just 9% of all Google organic visits.