Ignite a Wildfire: Five basics that make for a cohesive Social and SEO relationship
Don’t assume your department is the driving force for a sale. The problem with ROI is that everyone from the social media manager and SEO to the customer service representative and advertising executive want to be the one recognized as the influencing factor in the customer’s purchase. May it be due to a banner ad the customer clicked on or a tweet the buyer saw it has become hard to decipher how that customer was influenced to purchase. Multi-attribution model analytics attempts to solve the problem of which channel to give the credit, but, ultimately, it is important to understand that it is the efforts of all channels involved that has an effect on ROI and overall success.
Social media brings to life what the SEO works so hard to make function. Consumers wants to feel like they are talking to a personality not a bot. Through social media a brand can become personified, making it easier to engage and compel consumers. Social media can also help the SEO get better rankings as social media brings in fans and increased personalized results. On the website, having links to the company’s various social media outlets allows the user the option to continue to follow and like the brand. This keeps the brand in the mind of the consumer and could drive future purchases.
For SEO and social media to work online reputation management is an essential component. If the conversation on social media about the brand is bad it is important to change the message as quick as possible. An example, currently, Urban Outfitters has been criticized for selling a t-shirt online that says, “Eat Less.” Actress Sophia Bush has spoken out about boycotting the company until the brand removes such messages (Click here for detailed article). Following the incident there has been an overwhelming response from social media users. For the brand to overcome the mixed publicity, they could remove the garment from their website and issue an apology. Companies must be careful of how different products or campaigns could affect how they are perceived. In regards to SEO, such an incident could drive traffic to the website, but have user’s bouncing as they are not driven to the website with the desire to purchase.
When it comes to understanding the consumer and building relationships communication is key. All channels must be open and willing to communicate, so any knowledge about the customer is being shared. With the above example of the backlash Urban Outfitter’s received from their “Eat Less” t-shirt, customer service may have been the first to get calls from angry customers. Strong communication would have had the customer service representative notifying the SEO in a timely manner of the reason behind the increased traffic and little purchasing, while social media could have helped on the front line with addressing consumer responses.
Use content marketing to communicate with customers and prospects through contests, graphics, infographics and other users. Simply speaking out can deliver a consistent brand image to consumers. Content marketing relies on inbound marketing, which does not cost money and is a “free” traffic source to the company’s website. It is important to believe in the power of the consumer to take control and want to learn and interact with the brand.
Burr, Ruth. "Marketing Analytics and the Problem of Attribution Modeling." The Moz Blog. N.p., 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.
Lopez, Jennifer S. "The Social Media Marketer's SEO Checklist." The Moz Blog. N.p., 19 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.
McGillivray, Erica. “SEO and Social: Two Peas in an Inbound Pod with SEOmoz.” Hootsuite University. Hootsuite, July 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2013.
Solomon, Natalie. "Sophia Bush Declares War on Urban Outfitters." MTL Blog. N.p., 3 Sept. 2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.
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