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New SEO Best Practices with Schema Markup #SESCHIWeb Developers often faint and the mere mention of ‘schema’. The mysterious term conjures up thoughts of impossible code to implement with benefits that seem difficult to pinpoint. At least, those were just some of the perceptions surrounding schema markup. Anne F. Kennedy, the sessions first speaker and member of the SES Advisory Board, wants to reduce that fear among the SEO community surrounding schema markup and explain the benefits derived from their usage. Kennedy polls the office and asks ‘how many currently use schema markup?’ With what appears to be a little over half raising their hands, a little step back is needed. So Kennedy starts us with the basics: What is a ‘schema’ anyways? Schema is ‘a cognitive framework that helps organize and interpret information.’ Why it matters in search – and why this particular session is well attended – is because search engines crave information that help them categorize information, both literally and contextually. More importantly, they need that information to be organized in a way in which they can be easily understood. But schema markup is not new, as Kennedy notes. Schema.org - a joint effort by Google, Bing & Yahoo to develop a universal set of structured data – actually launched in June, 2011. However, in the wake of Google Hummingbird, where context is becoming even more important in search – as opposed to literally matching keywords to onpage ‘matches’ - providing more signals that can help search engines understand context is a necessity. Or as Kennedy more succinctly puts it ‘[g]et over keywords! Feed the search engines entities’ of information. Rich Benci, COO of Algebrize, takes over the floor and guides the conversation towards results. Schema Markup in Action If you’re needing proof of this new SERP reality, try searching for a celebrity. What you’ll undoubtedly find, like the example below for one of the more famous Chicagoans, is SERPs are highly influenced by schema markup. In this case, ‘Person’ schema markup is driving results that include a knowledge graph that clearly organizes certain information about Kanye West. While talking results, Benci passionately clarifies the difference between ‘schema markup’ and ‘rich snippets’. To summarize Benci’s point, schema markup is a classification of code, where as rich snippets is one of several ways that the subsequent information can appear in SERP (Knowledge Graph is another). Schema Classifications Schema.org includes a lengthy list of categories of information that can be organized with schema markup. While too numerous to mention all, the full list can be found at schema.org. Key categories include:
If you aren’t able to locate a category of information that applies to your company, you can provide feedback to schema.org and make the case for additional categories. How Fast Does it Work? Schema markup does not yield results immediately, according to Benci. While he shares that he has seen dramatic progress in how quickly search engines are reading, interpreting and presenting new results based on schema markup, he cautions that businesses should expect it to take 5-6 weeks – provided the code is properly installed – before results represent the schema markup. He also makes an important point, and one that many SEOs may struggle with: we are not entitled to rich snippets appearing in SERP. There’s no guarantee that the schema markup will produce results in SERP. Instead, Benci counsels practitioners to view successful results as being ‘awarded’ rich snippets. A result that is made more likely in Benci’s opinion by the comprehensive (and correct) implementation of schema markup on a site. Getting Started with Schema Markup Tools Two of Benci’s favorite tools come directly from Google:
With a few new tools in our arsenal and a better understanding of how schema markup impacts SERPs, the session ends. Is it a coincidence attendees immediately locate the nearest flat surface so they can unfold their laptops and pull up their site? That’s not for me to say. Stay connected for more posts from SES Chicago. You can also keep your finger on the pulse of the conference by following @elizalynnsteely and @bslarsonmn on Twitter.
© Online Marketing Blog, 2013. | New SEO Best Practices with Schema Markup #SESCHI | http://www.toprankblog.com          Maximizing Usability & Findability Among Multiscreen Users #SESCHI
Google released a study earlier this year that revealed 90% of people use multiple screens sequentially to accomplish their goals, using up to an average of 3 different screen combinations each day. The key takeaway from their study? Content needs to be optimized for all channels so brands don't run the risk of losing conversions from any one channel. This new initiative has posed several challenges to marketers on how to make their site findable, and usable, to multiscreen users in order to retain conversions. Bryson Meunier of Resolution Media and Shari Thurow of Omni Marketing Interactive shared a few best practices and tips on how to create the best website architecture to achieve excellent multiscreen experience. Decide What Mobile Configuration Strategy is Best for Your Site According to Google, you have three choices when it comes to the mobile configuration of your site: 1. Responsive Web Design: Same HTML & URLs but a different layout served through flexible layouts, dynamic grids and media queries The main advantage of this popular site configuration is that it’s one site. However, there a significant disadvantage to a responsively designed site: the download time can significantly increase. Workarounds are available. But when you do a workaround, it requires more JavaScript which in-turn increases downtime (so realistically, it’s hard to avoid the decreased downtime). 2. Dynamic Serving: Same URLS potentially different HTML served through device detection You have the power to decide what’s right for your business based on user activity and what you feel fits your messaging and design best. In order to determine which web design is best for your brand ask yourself the following:
Follow Google Guidelines Whichever configuration design you choose for your site, it’s important to follow Google guidelines to make sure your site isn’t penalized, hidden from searchers, or creating a negative searcher experience.
Cater Your Content & Site to Mobile Users: There are several things that mobile users are going to expect from your mobile site in terms of usability and findability. Catering to those things can help enhance user experience and improve your mobile ranking. When it comes to your site make sure:
Use Effective & Search Engine Friendly Design Site design and layout will change based on your content–if you have huge images it will distort the rest of the page, the same thing if you have no images. However there are a few designs that are better than the rest:
Labeling Systems These will strongly impact your search engine rankings. They can help tell a search engine and users that your information is consistent. There are 3 kinds of labels that are important to your site content, navigation, and document. Content labels are things like your heading that tell a searcher “this page is about x”, the navigation labels & URLs also point out “this page is about x” (they both usually have a keyword in there somewhere), and document labels, like a title tag, also indicate “this page is about x”. That consistency is extremely important to website rankings. Remember: don’t assume that responsive design is search engine friendly. Just because someone else uses it, or because there are a lot of benefits, doesn’t mean that it’s best for your site. A key take away from this session is that design isn’t universal, you really need to think about your content, your users and your graphics and design it based on those things. Stay tuned for more from SES Chicago! We'll be live-blogging sessions throughout the next three days. Can’t wait? Follow the action live on Twitter @elizalynnsteely and@bslarsonmn.
© Online Marketing Blog, 2013. | Maximizing Usability & Findability Among Multiscreen Users #SESCHI | http://www.toprankblog.com   7 Tips and Tools to Craft a Killer Content Marketing Strategy #SESCHI
Despite the fact that content marketing has becoming increasingly popular among B2B companies this year, only 44% of them have a documented content strategy. This creates marketing silos that limit the benefits of creative and shareable content, which basically results in crappy content. A diverse, creative, and strategic content plan can break down silos and help create content that resonates with your target audience while increasing social shares, network size and engagement. During today’s SES Chicago conference, TopRank's Brian Larson and Walmart's Alok Jain shared several tips & tools to help marketers take their content marketing strategies to the next level. Lucky attendee Andrew Webb even tweeted his way to win a copy of Optimize, authored by TopRank Online Marketing CEO, Lee Odden. 1. Know What to Create & When to Post: Regardless of why you’re doing it, there’s something you hope to achieve with your content marketing efforts. To be successful, align your overall sales strategy with understanding the objective of your content marketing. What you’re hoping to help your prospective customers do will impact what and when you post:
2. Collect Lots & Lots of Data: It is important to integrate your keywords into your entire content marketing effort. Start researching keywords that fit well with your brand and that your customers are using. Make sure the words you choose are being used in search and are things you can (and plan to) generate content for. Grouping those keywords together can help make it easier to integrate them throughout your marketing mix. 3. Keep Your Content Fresh with an Editorial Calendar An editorial calendar can house your keywords, your content plans, and your social messaging while helping you plan when to post it all. However, constantly producing brand new content can be expensive–especially when technology updates faster than we can keep up with. Include a content refreshment plan in your editorial calendar to make sure you stay up-to-date with technology while reducing the burden on your content creators. 4. Leverage the Information Around You There is so much data available that it is impossible to wrap your mind around all of it. But there are a few things that you can, and should, leverage in your content strategy to help take it to the next level:
5. Find Your Engaged Influencers An engaged influencer is someone who your content resonates with, so much so that they’re motivated to share. A few traits of engaged influencers (aka how to find them) are link backs, social shares and comments. Now, that being said, you can break influencers down into several categories: thought leaders, colleagues/coworkers, family, celebrities and even more. Regardless of what category they fall into, those influencers have the ability to help your brand reach it’s audience. 6. Amplify with Influencers, The Right Away Influence marketing is not an afterthought it is an ongoing effort and requires a few steps.
7. Use Tools for Research & Measurement Everything from the old school industry publications to social media tools can help you find what people are talking about, see what’s resonating, and find the influencers that will be friends to your brand. Here are a few tools to help get you started
Remember: Content marketing strategies should take into account everything from keywords, search volume and customer relevancy to posting timelines, linking (internally and externally) and integration with social networks. Thanks to attendee, Andrew Webb, who proved to be the most active Twitter user. He was rewarded with his very own copy of Optimize and a little photo love to the right. Stay tuned for more from SES Chicago! We’ll be live-blogging sessions throughout the next three days. Want instant information? Follow the action live on Twitter @elizalynnsteely and @bslarsonmn.
© Online Marketing Blog, 2013. | 7 Tips and Tools to Craft a Killer Content Marketing Strategy #SESCHI | http://www.toprankblog.com   The Truth About Visual Content Marketing Tactics: Infographics
Defining what entails a good infographic is complex. For one, not all data lends itself to creative and unique visual communication. Someone who's expert in design may not understand your audience or how to map relevant data in a compelling way. Don't forget: great content isn't great until it's discovered, consumed and shared. A couple of years ago, big splashy infographics with little substance were able to attract a lot of traffic because they represented a new content marketing format. While the novelty of the format has waned, they are still a fantastic way to present ideas and data in an easily digestible way as long as you think about the story behind the numbers and readers glean actual insight. Remember, data is the foundation of every infographic, so when you have a dataset on hand, take the time to learn what it's about, where it's from, the methodology behind the estimates and what makes it interesting and unique. According to statistics gathered by Hubspot, consider that
So, the proliferation of infographics should come as no surprise. When it comes to business, big data offers unprecedented insight, improved decision-making and untapped sources of revenue. In the era of big data, where information moves faster than ever, infographics can reveal patterns in our lives and our world in fresh and surprising ways. Simply put, infographics as a content marketing tactic provide a tool to educate and inform your primary target audience using data-rich visualization through storytelling, which TopRank has advocated for years. Pros
Cons
What the Experts Are Saying"As a Google search term, 'infographic' has increased nearly twenty-fold in the last five years. Yet infographics have been popular, in one form or another, for centuries. The source of their power isn't computers or the Internet, but the brain's natural visual intelligence. Gareth Cook, The New Yorker "The very best [infographics] engender and facilitate an insight by visual means — allow us to grasp some relationship quickly and easily that otherwise would take many pages and illustrations and tables to convey. Insight seems to happen most often when data sets are crossed in the design of the piece — when we can quickly see the effects on something over time, for example, or view how factors like income, race, geography, or diet might affect other data. When that happens, there's an instant 'Aha!'…"David Byren, quoted in BrainPickings. Infographics That EngageNational Pen Company
Dell – (TopRank Client) Dell, clever as ever, utilized the old-school binary 'yes-no' format known to programmers the world over to engage their primary audience. They created a cohesive piece of 'eye candy' incorporating humor which, again, works with tech types. While there's no real data employed, by visualizing a 'Day in the Life' of a person sitting in front of a computer all day, Dell made it clear they empathize, making it easy for the reader to connect with the brand. ADT Home Security Services The creative department at ADT Home Security Services produced this infographic, depicting some of the largest diamond, cash and art-related crimes around the world in recent times.Making use of thorough research, the infographic's author establishes what are generally believed to be the top heists in all three categories, and writes up notes showcasing just why each is classified as 'extreme.' The infographic does a good job of incorporating a clean central theme, blending in the different heist scenarios into a single canvas. The recurring stylistic elements of the map background and the ‘outcome’ section tie together the separate topics into the intended focus of the need for security without hitting the reader over the head. Infographic Best Practices
For more on the optimization and marketing of infographics, see Chapter 10, pp. 142 – 144, Optimize, by Lee Odden. Remember, you're telling a story. Too much emphasis on data points (less is better) and not enough on high resolution visuals will result in a ho-hum infographic that receives a tepid response. Design isn't just about making things pretty. It's about making things work and, in the case of infographics, that means representing data accurately and clearly. It means letting the data speak. What do you envision the next generation of infographics will be? Photo credit: Shutterstock
© Online Marketing Blog, 2013. | The Truth About Visual Content Marketing Tactics: Infographics | http://www.toprankblog.com   More Recent Articles
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