Smarter Marketing for Remodeling Firms - Continuum Marketing Group LLC

Tag: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Something I bet you didn’t know about the term “Page Rank”

October 7, 2011
by David Alpert

I learned something new and amusing today about the SEO term called PR or Page Rank that you can use to win bar bets with. (no guarantees of course)  I always knew it was different than the term SERP rank which stands for Search Engine Results Page rank which means are you #1, #2 or #3 … in the search results.  Most people call this Page Rank.  However Page Rank has always meant the relative authority/importance of a particular page or website based on a Google algorithm that weighs things like number and importance of other websites that link to the page or domain and other factors.  What I learned today that was new and amusing was that Page Rank was named after Larry Page who cofounded Google and who came up with the concept of the Page Rank approach.

Share
: Remodeler and Remodeling Contractor Marketing, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Websites, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
: ,

Remodeler Marketing 101: Site Maps

July 18, 2011
by David Alpert

Most remodelers nowadays know what a site map is when it comes to their website and remodeler marketing. It is a page that has hypertext links to all the pages on your remodeling company website. But did you know you really need two and possibly three types of site maps to do the most good?

The first site map, the one people use, needs to be simple, straightforward, and well-organized. The second site map, sometimes called an XML site map, is for search engines and search engine optimization. This site map tells the search engines what pages you think are most important, least important, and how often the search engines should check for updates on a given page. The last type of site map is of value, for search engine optimization purposes, if you have videos on your website. There is a special format for video site maps that tells the search engines what they need to properly index videos on your website. The fact that you have videos on your website also helps your site in search engine optimization by improving its ranking… At least as long as videos are not on all websites.

If you have any questions about this or other remodeler or contractor marketing questions contact us.

Share
: Online Marketing, Remodeler and Remodeling Contractor Marketing, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Strategies and Tactics, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Websites, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
: , , , , ,

PPC versus SEO or PPC and SEO For Remodeler Marketing

June 13, 2011
by David Alpert

PPC (Pay per Click) marketing and SEO marketing are often seen as competing marketing tactics. While it is true that some remodeling companies select one or the other, in an ideal remodeler marketing world, you would use both PPC and SEO and use their strengths in a complementary fashion. (In most cases this is also the most cost-effective strategy, although not cheap.)

The benefits of PPC for remodeler marketing are that it is highly localize-able, controllable, quick to roll out, and you only pay for clicks. However, you still have to do keyword research, write ads, create landing pages that are similar to what you need for SEO remodeler marketing, tweak and modify the program over time, and of course you could end up paying for a lot of clicks that generate no leads. Therefore, when doing PPC, it is extremely important that you also do website optimization to make sure that your landing pages and website make the best use of every click you pay for.

The benefits of SEO for remodeling company marketing is that it is long-term, you don’t have to pay for clicks (especially ones that don’t turn into sales), and it can be less expensive for similar or better results. Furthermore, remodeler SEO efforts build upon themselves so that the longer you use SEO, the better your results. SEO also lasts longer than a pay per click program which is either on or off. Perhaps most importantly, SEO results show up in organic searches, where most people prefer to click, rather than sponsored links and ads.

In that ideal world of remodeler marketing, one would kick-start an online marketing program with a PPC marketing program while at the same time developing and executing an SEO marketing program. If done properly, you will be able to determine which keywords yield high organic rankings via SEO and therefore for which you can stop using, and paying for, PPC. As the SEO program for your remodeling firm continues, you can build your rankings for many of your keywords with SEO and stop paying for those keywords in your PPC program.

Eventually, you may find that there are some important keywords that, no matter what you try, you cannot feasibly rank high in the organic listings using SEO. For those words, you can continue a PPC program and therefore get the benefits of each – SEO and PPC – most cost-effectively when marketing for your remodeling firm.

If you have any questions about this post or other remodeler or contractor marketing questions, please contact us.

Share
: Online Marketing, Remodeler and Remodeling Contractor Marketing, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Strategies and Tactics, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
: , , , ,

Search Engine Optimization vs. Website Optimization

March 2, 2011
by David Alpert

We frequently find that remodelers seeking marketing assistance are unclear about the differences between Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Website Optimization. Both of these remodeler marketing practices are important and, though related to each other, they are not the same. It is important to understand that they are not the same and how they are different.

Search engine optimization, commonly called SEO, is a process in which changes are made to your website and “back links” are created to your remodeling company website from other websites that help increase your search engine ranking for certain search terms. Often times this can mean increased traffic to your website from other sites and to “landing pages” on your website specifically designed and written to capture traffic for specific keywords. However, ranking high in Google and increased traffic to your remodeling company’s website does not necessarily mean increased sales. The ranking and traffic increase are only truly valuable if the search terms you are using are ones that will attract the right type of visitors.

Website optimization is a process in which your remodeling company’s website, including its landing pages, is optimized so that visitors to your website take the actions you desire. This might be to sign up for your remodeling company’s e-newsletter, request a white paper, or contact you about a project. If you are getting the right type of traffic, but your website is not doing a good job of “converting” these visitors to leads, then your website needs to be optimized. The overlap between SEO and website optimization are the landing pages created for the purpose of SEO which must also move the visitor to take the next step towards the desired action. Arguably, the landing page can be the responsibility of either the SEO provider or the website optimization provider or both in terms of making sure visitors go beyond that one page.

If you have any questions about this post or other remodeler or contractor marketing questions, please contact us.

Share
: Online Marketing, Remodeler and Remodeling Contractor Marketing, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Strategies and Tactics, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Websites, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
: , , , , ,

Is Remodeling Firm Shopping an Online Activity?

October 19, 2010
by David Alpert

I was asked to comment on a recent Pew Internet study report* about online product research by Americans and its implications for remodeling firm marketing.  My take on the research report is in line with other reports and information I have reviewed on consumer buying trends and our experience with our clients.

The Pew report states that “58% of Americans have researched for a product or service online”.  That, though, does not reflect more interesting data on how those who are likely to be your target customers are using the internet for research of products and services.  For example, according to the report, among “internet users” 78% not 58% say they at least occasionally conduct product research and 32% say they have posted online product comments (think references, word of mouth, your reputation online). 46% of those in the survey reported using sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn, up from 5% just 5 years ago.

Adults over 65, who were part of the survey, researched significantly less on the internet than did those 30-64, which means your primary target for remodeling projects, which is often in the 30-64 age group, uses the internet more than the average for research (80% and higher).  Those in higher income brackets do more research online than those in lower income brackets, 83% of broadband users report doing online research compared to 67% of non-broadband users. Those with some college or college degrees research more online than high school graduates and much more than those with just some high school education.

While the Pew report was not measuring the way people looked for and researched remodeling firms, I don’t see a reason why the research habits of the various groups and subgroups in the study would vary for home remodeling purchases compared to other services and perhaps products.  And…in almost all cases, when there was a group that used the internet for research more than another, it was a group that more often than not fit better into a likely-to-ideal remodeling prospect profile.  My take on the percent of prime prospects for remodeling is that over 80% of them use the internet for research and, I expect, for remodeling services as well.  This indicates to me that remodelers’ must have websites and should seriously consider search engine optimization, social media, and local search marketing as part of their remodeling firms marketing efforts.

*The study was by Pew Internet, Pew Internet and American Life Project, a project of the Pew Research Center and was called “Online Product Research 58% of Americans have researched a product or service online”.  Dated September 29, 2010.

Share
: Local Search Marketing, Online Marketing, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Strategies and Tactics, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Websites, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media
: , , , , , , , ,

SEO, Social Media, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

October 17, 2010
by David Alpert

Having attended the Remodeling Show in Baltimore a few weeks ago and then the Remodelers Advantage Business Summit 2010 in Kohler Wisconsin last week, one of the clear messages that kept coming up speaker after speaker and also in side discussions was that search engine optimization (SEO) and social media like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are now part of how remodelers must market themselves. Not mentioned as much is also how local search is part of the mix as well.

There is no question that SEO, Social Media and Local Search are useful tools for marketing.  There is no question that many traditional remodeler marketing tools have become less cost effective in the past few years.  There is no question the way people buy, interact with each other and communicate has changed dramatically.  The challenge for most typical size remodeling firms is being able to find the way to use these new marketing tools cost effectively and maintain the level of effective marketing they need.

SEO and social media can be time intensive and require knowledge and skill sets most remodeling firms don’t have in-house.  But then again, remodeling firms rarely had the in-house staff skills to develop and execute marketing efforts like ad campaigns, direct mail programs, jobsites signs and vehicle graphics, websites and a whole lot more in the past.  With ads and mass mailings generally being less productive, those budgets can be reassigned to the new types of marketing efforts.  Marketing budgets for remodelers of all sizes and types have to readjust to the realities of today’s marketplace and on-line marketing costs.

We believe one of the secrets of making SEO, websites, social media, local search, e-newsletters, blogs and other new marketing tools work is to integrate them and have a broad strategy.  Integrated marketing communications has always proved to be more cost effective than standalone efforts and with SEO, websites, social media, local search, e-newsletters, blogs it is just as true.  In fact integrating all of the new marketing with the traditional marketing efforts that are still effective will further leverage your marketing investment.

Share
: Local Search Marketing, Online Marketing, Remodeler and Remodeling Contractor Marketing, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Strategies and Tactics, Remodeling Contractor Marketing Websites, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media
: , , , , , ,
Empowered by My Advanced Settings, by Xhanch Studio