How Broad is Your Footprint on the Web?

Create a Broad Footprint on the Web to be Found the way Buyers Search

The first decade of the new millennium is almost over. As I look at the history of marketing on the web over the past two decades I make these big picture observations, which I discuss in my book, Marketing 2.0.

1990 to 2000 – Most businesses developed their first website. Websites were a one way communication medium from the seller to the buyer. Most businesses had little understanding of organic search engine optimization or pay-per-click advertising to “be found” by buyers.  Websites served mostly as an online company brochure. The strategic value of corporate websites was generally low for most businesses.

2000 to 2010 – Most businesses evolved through their second or third generation websites. Strategic value of corporate websites skyrocketed as 24/7 marketing/selling was recognized. Marketing efforts to be found through SEO and paid search marketing have become prominent among businesses of all sizes. Job descriptions and job titles in some marketing organizations include words like “Internet,” “digital,” “online,” “community.”

The Broad Web Footprint

But, there is one aspect of marketing that is not yet mainstream save a few hundred (maybe a few thousand) companies around the world. To be found by buyers, you must create a broad footprint on the web with diverse content. Since there is still one more year and a half left in the decade, there is still time for sellers to jump on this band wagon.

I want to be found by anyone, anywhere in the world, even though I primarily market in U.S. and Canada. And, I certainly DONT’ want to limit where I’m found to Google or Bing or Yahoo (or any search engine).

Sure, being found in Google through organic SEO is very important to me and most businesses. And, pay-per-click advertising (aka SEM), is a terrific way to be found, as long as you’re using best practices.

But, most marketers still think being found on the web means being found in a search engine either in an organic listing, or in a paid (sponsored) listing (PPC). This is a limited view of effective inbound marketing on the web.

Buyers Buy Differently Than They Did Last Decade

I was contacted by a prospective buyer recently. When I asked him how he “found” us his answer was music to my ears. He didn’t remember exactly where he found me. He told me that during the previous week he visited my website, my blog and listened to one of my podcasts. By the time he contacted me, he already had considerable insight into me and my inbound marketing agency. He was ready to speak with me. He was ready to make a buying decision. He had consumed my content long before he called me.

Search Engine Results are Evoloving

The way search engines deliver search results is changing. Google is providing multiple forms of content through “options”.

Bing’s search results are still pretty traditional with links at the top for other content search results:

Kosmix delivers diverse search results. It’s my prediction that before the close of this decade, Kosmix’ search results model will be the norm. Note the prominent display of search result options: Media; News & Blogs; Reviews & Guides; Shopping; Web Search.

The social web has created a conglomeration of platforms where marketers can be found. Buyers are searching for information and finding diverse options of content across many social media platforms. Along the way buyers get influenced by  what others say about sellers.  Sellers who want to compete in the second decade of new millennium must be prepared to have a strong presence with great content across many relevant web platforms. Sellers must build trust and engage relevant communities there with a broad footprint.

Will SEO and PPC become less prominent as methods for being found in the near future? Probably not. I submit the definition of SEO and PPC is evolving. The influence is shifting to buyers. They are the ones who decide whether to contact you based on how effectively you create a broad footprint on the web.

How broad is your footprint on the web?

@berniebay

Internet Marketing Myths

Internet marketing is comprised of organic search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising and social media marketing.  Many marketers don’t use pay-per-click (also called SEM).  Other than for some of the most competitive keyword phrases in your market niche, you are best served driving traffic from organic search engine rankings.

I argue that marketers should be actively working on their Internet marketing plan on an ongoing basis.  This isn’t a self serving comment as much as it is just reality.  It’s true that a new SEO plan for a website which has not previously gone through the conventional SEO process requires some heavy lifting that usually takes months to complete.  But, once it’s complete, it’s NOT done. 

To think you do SEO as a one time activity is the biggest Internet marketing myth on the planet.  I’ve actually read that and I’m amazed that people can actually think that. 

Search engines crawl your website regularly and ongoing. Imagine if search engines just crawled your website once then never again.  You wouldn’t like that would you?  You want credit for your great new content and for the new incoming links you’ve received over the past weeks, months and even years. 

Search engines crawl websites because they are in the business of providing search results to you and me based on the most relevant content and incoming links.  A website that was less relevant last week may be more relevant this week due to new content and links.  What if your top competitors have made their websites more relevant to your favorite keywords in the past week?  They will probably move up in search engine rankings.

So how can anyone actually believe that once you set up your SEO plan you are done?  That’s like saying once you roll out a marketing campaign, you’re done.  Or, like saying once you go to the gym and exercise, you’re done.  Or, once you …………ok, you get my point by now.

Earlier I stated that Internet marketing includes social media.  If you have not yet acknowledged the importance of social media in your marketing strategy, I urge you to.  Social media has allowed your prospects to learn more about you and your competitors than ever before.  The good news is you are less dependent on outside media to deliver good content to your prospects and customers.  And, the good news (there is no bad news here) is you get to do it as often as you want without needing a Fortune 100 marketing budget. 

The second Internet marketing myth point I’m making is that any business of any size (down to the sole proprietor) can deliver a great message using social media.  If you don’t have your own blog (which you should consider) visit popular blogs in your industry and post comments with your insights and thoughts.  Visit the websites of the main publications in your industry.  They probably have a blog where you can also post comments and see what people are talking about.

These Internet marketing myths can be summed by saying that working on organic SEO in part through active social media marketing can take time and effort, but the choice is do on an ongoing basis or not.  If you don’t you run the risk of being out-marketed by those competitors of yours who are.

If you have an experience to share pertaining to ongoing Internet marketing strategy success, please post it in the comment below.  Share it with us!  The world awaits your input…

 

SEO Tips from Matt Cutts (Mr. Google)

Matt Cutts is considered the face of Google which I think is brilliant because he is such a regular, unassuming guy and gives Google the persona of an approachable person.  Just brilliant!

In the video interview below with Jefferson Graham from USA Today, Matt Cutts answers questions about the “common sense” things you can do to have your website found in Google.

Below is a summary of Matt’s responses to Jefferson’s questions and my commentary:

Matt Cutts: In response to what is the #1 thing you can do to be found in Google: Use keywords in your website content which are actually being searched by people.

Bernie Borges: Duh…Absolutely!  But, this is a bit oversimplified.  First you must research keywords.  You shouldn’t assume your keywords are good.  You may be too close to your business to know which keywords are searched most frequently.  Additionally, some keywords are very competitive.  Keyword research will tell you which keywords are more and less competitive.  Often, the Long Tail keywords are the most effective.

Matt Cutts: Title Tags Matter.  Users see the Title tags first in the search results.  But, the description tag actually describes your web page listing in Google.  The description tag should be short but very well written about your web page.

Bernie Borges: Absolutely! But, many marketers make the mistake of using the same Title tags on each page.  Each page should have a unique Title tag and a unique description tag.  Optimizing many web pages will increase your chances of being found by Google. 

Matt Cutts: Links are Important: There are many ways to get legitimate links.  One of the best is to start a blog and participate in the conversations on the web.  A blog doesn’t have to be fancy.  You can talk about your customers, why you started your business, things about your business.  People will learn more about your business.  Give people compelling ideas from your blog and you will get links. Also, participate in other social media sites. 

Bernie Borges: I generally agree, but Matt makes this sound easy and it’s not.  Starting a blog requires development of a strategy, which requires research and planning.  Once you start a blog, you must be committed to it, or you’ll lose credibility for starting and stopping a blog.  Matt didn’t mention other link building strategies such as syndicating content, or SEO optimizing press releases.  Social media marketing can be very effective in link building, but it requires strategy, commitment and resources.  Not all businesses are able to make and follow through with this committment.

Matt Cutts: The most common misconception is that you have to pay Google to get listed in the organic listings.  Not true.  Google crawls web sites for free.  Another misconception is that the PPC (pay per click) listings will help your organic search engine rankings.  Not true.  PPC has no affect on your “editorial search results.”

Bernie Borges: This is aka “separation of church and state.”  Matt’s referall to organic listings as “editorial search results” is terrific.  Media firms have always maintained separation between advertising and editorial.  This is exactly the same principle.  This is 100%, indisputably accurate!

Matt Cutts: In response to: Does it take 3 to 6 months to get your website crawled?  No.  Google updates their index monthly and crawls all websites it can find for free.  Google also provides a free tool called Google Webmaster which allows you to list all your URLs to be found there in days, not months.

Bernie Borges: Absolutely!  We use Google Webmaster with our SEO clients.  It is a valuable tool which gives a lot of insight into how Google sees your website, including identifying broken links which you may not even know you had.

 

Bernie Borges Final Commentary:

While everything Matt Cutts said in this interview is 100% accurate, it is a bit oversimplified.  It’s a little like saying if you want to compete in a marathon, all you have to do is train 5 miles a day for 3 months, then 11 miles a day for 1 month prior to the marathon event.  The execution of such recommendations takes discipline, coaching and just plain hard work.

SEO is hard work!  I’m sure this sounds a little self serving, given that we provide SEO services.  My argument is that the details associated with these valid suggestions are plentiful.  A successful Internet marketing strategy requires planning, execution and measurement by resources with the know how and availability to get the job done.  Matt Cutts’ suggestions, while accurate, are also just a portion of an overall SEO strategy, for example, he made no mention of the importance of the technical architecture of your website, along with other important factors. 

Oh, one more thing.  I take exception with people who say that SEO is a one time process and once you’ve completed it you are done (Matt Cutts did not say this).  Whoa!  That is so far from the truth.  That’s like saying today is sunny and therefore I assume everyday going forward will be sunny…Others are doing SEO in your keyword space and you will lose ground if you stop working at it.  I will agree there is more effort required on the front end, but you should not just walk away from an SEO plan or you will see declining results, unless perhaps if you are a in very unique niche with little competition for your keywords.  

Your thoughts?

Google Improves Flash Indexing

Google has done it again.  If there is one thing Google has proved they can do is develop sophisticated algorithms.  Now, in cooperation with Adobe, Google has announced a new algorithm that can read the text content of Flash files.  This is a big deal for SEO results.

For years, those of us in the SEO industry have known that Flash content was not able to be indexed by search engines.  So, we’ve always recommended against heavy use of Flash in websites, at least in part for good SEO rankings.  Of course, there are other reasons for caution against the use of Flash in a website.

For the record, our website uses Flash files.  We think our use of Flash is not excessive in terms of the user experience.  Of course, that is our opinion.  If you feel differently, please drop us a comment in this blog.

Besides the user experience, our use of Flash is balanced by keyword-rich, text content on the topics important to Find and Convert, namely SEO, PPC and Social Media strategies.

This announcement is indeed a significant one both for Google and for Adobe.  But, most notably it’s a big deal for marketers who have Flash websites, or who like to use Flash in their websites.

I offer a caution on this announcement.  First, note that Google makes the statement: “we’ve greatly improved our ability to index Flash.”  I wouldn’t bet on this until some evidence is in and I wouldn’t be surprised if this achievement will evolve in its effectiveness. 

Secondly, I especially caution against over use of Flash in a website.  Remember that in addition to the SEO impact of Flash, your user experience is where the rubber really meets the road.  After all, if you work hard to drive traffic to your website through blogging, other social media strategies, organic SEO or paid search strategies, the last thing you want to do is distract your visitors with excessive Flash content. 

Allow your Flash content to work for you.  Complement your text content with Flash.  Don’t put all your messaging into Flash content.  If you don’t get it right (from your visitor’s perspective) you could be betting it all on your Flash content and you could lose that bet.

So, while this announcement from Google and Adobe is good news, I advise marketers to proceed with caution.  I’ve always been a fan of doing things incrementally so we can test, measure and react.

What do you think about this announcement?

Landing Page Design Podcast

Landing page design strategies are all about achieving your objective, either to generate a lead or create a sale.  In this podcast, we’re talking mostly about lead generation.

This podcast is a summary of a blog post on landing page design strategies.

Landing page design strategies apply for both SEO and PPC strategies.

When someone finds you in a search engine, the page they land on is the “landing page.”

Landing pages should be clear, uncluttered, to the point with a strong headline and some easy to understand call to action.

Landing page design significantly impacts results.  Search engine rankings alone don’t produce results. 

The landing page should have a strong headline with a call to action.

The call to action should be compelling.  Offer them something.

People on B2B landing pages are not there to make a decision.  They are doing research.  Help them out in their evaluation.  Give them “bite size chunks” of information.

Call to action ideas may include an invitation to sign up for a webinar, white paper or something FREE. If offering a webinar, make it as strong as possible with interesting topics and speakers. Guest speakers with name recognition can be a good draw and works well.

Getting people to fill out a form on a landing page can be challenging.  It often makes sense to offer the form on the click through from the landing page, in other words a second level landing page.  Often, people will not fill out a form on the initial landing page.   The call to action which takes people to the next page is often the most effective way to capture the lead in a form fill.

Pay careful attention to designing landing pages which will achieve your goals pertaining to your target audience, whether you drive the traffic to the landing page from pay per click advertising or SEO. 

 

Landing Page Testing

In a recent post on landing page design, I discussed the importance of beginning with the end in mind for an effective design of landing pages for your SEO or PPC campaigns.

In this post, let’s review the importance of testing landing pages for maximum results. In short, we’re talking about landing page optimization. In the course of implementing search marketing campaigns for Find and Convert clients we regularly implement best practices. Then, we test them.

In landing page testing, there are several variables you can test. The simplest test is the conventional A/B split test. In A/B split testing, we test two landing pages which are markedly different. The objective is to reduce the possibility of subtle changes making the difference in test results. If landing page A performs better than B, it should be for obvious differences between the two, e.g., a different layout or different graphics.

As discussed previously, understanding your audience is critical to successful landing page testing and optimization.

Document your current state of results as a baseline before you start testing. Keep good records as your testing progresses.

Test landing pages which have the potential to drive significant results to your business. But, it’s also a good idea to run your first test on a not-so-critical landing page just to learn something about the testing process.

Decide how many variables or elements of a page you are going to test. For example, you can test graphic images, their location, the navigation layout, a form or not, the location of the form, the buttons used on the page, colors, etc.

One very effective variable to test is the call-to-action on the landing page. As previously discussed, in some industries marketers ask for a conversion on the initial landing page with limited success. In those cases, try testing a link to another page of detail. The call-to-action to that other page is also worth testing. One call-to-action may prove more effective to the next level of detail, which may end up producing more conversions (your objective).

If you’re going to test multiple variables (known as multi-variate testing), you’ll probably need to use third party software to track the impact of each of the variables. Vendors such as Optimost and Omniture offer robust multi-variate testing tools. A cost free approach is Google’s Website Optimizer, if their feature set meets your testing needs.

As your testing experience advances, you can test the most profitable paths or funnel of pages which lead to your desired conversion. Varying the path you direct visitors may result in big changes in your conversion results.

Whether you are using third party software or not, consider these best practices in your testing:
Offer top left to lower right flow of information.
Keep the headline focused on the “main thing.”
Personalize the message as much as possible to your visitor.
Keep the landing page clean and focused. Remember the “less is more” principle.
Allow at least one month to measure test results.
Revise landing pages based on results and keep testing.
Test as many variables as possible.
Keep accurate tracking records.
Remember that what worked 6 months ago may not work as well today. Keep testing.

As with all aspects of search marketing, landing page testing and optimization requires planning, attention to detail and a fair amount of analytical scrutiny, not to mention time and patience to measure results. When it’s done effectively, landing page testing and optimization can provide good ROI (return on Internet).

Landing Page Design Tips

Over the course of writing tips and best practices in this blog, I have often written about SEO and PPC tips. It’s time to focus on a topic that can really make a difference in results: landing pages.

A landing page is a page someone clicks through to from search engine listing, whether it is a paid listing (a PPC ad) or an organic listing. In the age of long tail keyword marketing, it is important that we drive people to a landing page which is relevant, meaningful and (for heaven’s sake) simple, uncluttered and clearly communicates what the user wants!

Too many landing pages are too busy and confusing. What do you want me to do when I land there? Which section do you want to me read? And, how does it relate to the listing I just clicked through?

There are several factors that should be considered in landing page design and testing. In this post, we’ll focus on the landing page design. I’ll cover testing in a future post.

First, it’s important to understand that landing page design impacts your results. And, after all, results are what we’re after in search marketing, right?

The better your search marketing results, the more you can reinvest in search marketing because you can measure ROI (return on Internet). For those who have number’s oriented bosses, take note of these guidelines.

Begin with the end in mind. If your objective is a “conversion” have a clear definition of conversion. Let’s assume for this post that a conversion is when someone fills out a form to request information. In today’s web information overload, that’s not an easy task.

Once you have identified your objective, define your target audience. As in all marketing tactics, it’s important to understand your audience behaviours, likes and dislikes. For example, if you are marketing a technical product to a technical audience, you can’t give them a lot of fluff. That audience wants the facts and they want them quickly.

The layout of the landing page is very important. As stated above it should be uncluttered and clear. Use a headline which represents the main theme of the page content. So, if you are marketing a laptop carrying case, spell it out in the headline.
The opening paragraph should describe the product in short and clear detail. Don’t waste space and valuable time describing how handsome the user will look with the carrying case. Describe the attributes of the carrying case and how it is different than others. Use pictures to illustrate the carrying case.

Allow the landing page to have some empty space. Studies have proven that people read landing pages from the top left and down. If possible, have a picture or headline in the top left to immediately capture the attention of the visitor.

Now, here is a strange concept I want to get across….The main purpose of the landing page is to get them to click to another page. If you think the main purpose of a landing page is to fill out a form or to buy, then unless you are selling a commodity, low cost item you are in for big disappointments. When someone visits your landing page, they decide in less than 10 seconds if they are going to leave (bounce) or stay.

So your objective is to give the visitor just enough content, supported with a picture or two, a testimonial or two, maybe some pricing info (if that’s appropriate) and a hyperlink to click to another level of detail.

The click through should take them to another page which is designed to keep the visitor engaged and drive toward the desired action (the conversion).

Back to the laptop carrying case example (which is not focused on a lead but rather a sale), I Googled “laptop carrying case” and found no less than a dozen organic and paid results. I clicked on 10 of them, many of them from brand name e-tailers and the only one I found that didn’t distract me with too much detail and kept my attention was http://www.ebags.com/landings/index.cfm?fuseaction=laptop&sourceid=ADWEX19571&couponid=57983602&keyword=%5Blaptop+carrying+case%5D&gclid=CKezouLHv5MCFQ3_sgod9VjHCw” rel=”nofollow”.

Notice how this landing page has “Laptop Cases” in the headline. I just searched on “laptop carrying cases” so this headline speaks to me. Hint: a headline that matches the search query gets the best results. The rest of this landing page uses product photos and not too much other detail which can distract me.

For those marketers selling non tangible goods like software or services the same principles apply. Marketing a “contact us for more info” is very “me too.” It’s simply not compelling. Consider marketing a white paper or a webinar. The same headline principle always applies. Use a well designed graphic of the white paper or webinar event, or whatever you’re using as the hook to get people to click through to the next level of detail.

And, to those marketers with long sell cycles, remember that people who find your landing page are not there to make a buying decision. They are conducting research. Help them out! Don’t send the message “fill out this form so our sales team can hound you to death.” Feed them information in bite size chunks. You must know your target audience. Feed them the right amount of information. If it’s good information, they’ll eventually contact you, whether online or offline.

It’s okay to invite them to register for your white paper or webinar, just don’t be overbearing about it. One way is not to ask them to do it on the main landing page. Just feed them good content and invite them to click through to another page where they can register.

Of course, inviting people to sign up for a “free demo” is one of the favorites among software marketers. Depending on the industry, the product’s price point and the buying cycle, this can be effective on the first level landing page, or not. You must consider all the variables discussed here.

Tracking conversions is very doable depending on the tools you use which range from Google Adwords Conversion Tracker, Website Optimizer (Google), Google Analytics as well as tools such as Omniture and various other testing and optimization tools. The pricing on these tools varies from free to big bucks. Assess your needs and your budget to select the tools that best fit your landing page optimization needs.

In the next post on this topic, we’ll examine testing optimization tips for landing pages.

Sweat the PPC Details!

Pay per Click Advertising, aka, SEM, PPC. 

PPC results are displayed along the top and right side.  The results are paid results.  

Target audience for this podcast is for marketers who are spending $1,000 to $10,000 per month in paid search advertising.

Measuring for conversions, not clicks.
Paid search is not the answer to all Internet marketing goals.
Paid search not good for Brand promotion unless you have a big budget.
Paid search is all about lead generation or direct sales on the Internet.
Know the difference between Search and Content networks.

Search network is primary Google and select other search engines fed by Google, e.g., Business.com.

Content networks are comprised of any website which chooses to display Google ads.
Results can vary greatly between Search and Content networks.
Be selective in the use of keywords.
Mix it up between competitive keywords and long tail keywords.
Do your research to identify long tail keywords.
Long tail keywords increase your probability of winning in paid search marketing.

Use Campaigns to distinguish themes.
E.g., product families
Break down campaigns by using ad groups to distinguish products within a campaign.
E.g., individual products
Set up a limited number of ads in each ad group.
3 to 5 ads per group.

Set up a reasonable number of keywords per ad.
Make sure they are relevant to the ad group or you’ll compete with other ad groups.
Test keyword variations: broad, phrase and exact.
Don’t display all your keywords as broad keyword variation.
You can use broad version, phrase version and exact version of keywords.  Test each version to see which variation can produce the lowest cost conversions.

Use dedicated landing pages!!!  Good landing pages can make a PPC campaign.
Generate dynamic landing pages with headlines that match the ad.
Design landing pages which are,
Uncluttered
Supported with a strong headline
Has a strong call to action
Use graphics sparingly (don’t distract)

Track conversions
Tracking impressions and click through rates don’t mean anything.  Track conversions.
Use conversion tracking (Adwords) to measure results.
Test, measure, revise and repeat.
Test variables which are measurable.

Geo target if appropriate.  Display your ads in the geographic regions that you want to sell to.

Stretch your budget using the ad scheduler.
Review results often, print reports, study them, get input from others.

Sweat the PPC details for improved conversions.
 

SEO: The Perfect Storm

I often talk with marketers about the difference between SEO (search engine optimization) and PPC (pay per click advertising).   I remind myself that, unlike me and my team at Find and Convert (and others in our business), most marketers don’t spend their days thinking about Internet marketing strategies as we do.

So, when we look at the difference between SEO and PPC, it goes beyond the costs.  After all, most marketers understand that PPC can cost a lot more than SEO.  But, for so many marketers PPC (also known as SEM) is the path of least resistance. 

Many marketers believe they can measure results from PPC easier than from SEO strategies.  But, let’s examine some of the facts.

We spend a lot of our time producing reports for clients.  These reports summarize (usually in painstaking detail) many statistics.  For the sake of this blog post I’ll hone in on the most telling stats which really point to the advantages of SEO over PPC. 

Time and again we see that visitors to our client’s websites which come from organic searches spend more time on the website, visit more pages and have lower bounce rates than paid search traffic.  The first two stats mentioned here should be self evident.  A bounce rate refers to someone who visits a web page on your site and does not visit another page, essentially “bouncing” off your site.

Moreover, when we provide reports on our PPC plans for clients, we track the cost of conversion (the desired action for the client).  Such conversion costs are tracked for the ads and for the keywords.  The most telling conversion cost is for the keywords we track.  This metric really tells us the cost to produce a lead for the most desirable keywords.

All too often we see marketers show the most interest in the most competitive keywords.  They wind up paying dearly for these keywords simply because they are competitive.

In SEO strategies, we are able to (with a lot of hard work) build optimization strategies for select keywords which are less competitive (long tail keywords).  For example, we work hard for a client to rank on page one for “project accounting software.”  But, the software client we represent has a product that runs only on Oracle.  So, when someone searches for “oracle project accounting software,” we hit a home run in ranking and in a qualified website visitor.

So, the message in this post is to think long term with SEO strategies.  Do the hard work which will require ongoing care and feeding, but can have long lasting and cost effective sales results through organic search traffic.  And, don’t be afraid to target lower searched, less competitive and long-tail keywords. 

I’ve always said I’d rather be found by the 10 people who are a perfect fit, than targeting 1000 people who may be a fit but are harder to reach and therefore a higher risk search strategy. 

Measuring Web 2.0 Buzz

At Find and Convert we’re all about measuring.   We provide our SEO clients detailed metrics.  You know, the usual stuff including unique visits, page-views, time on site, conversions, bounce rates, keywords, referral sources, yada, yada, yada.  I’m not trivializing it by any means.  The metrics we track for SEO and PPC are very important.

But, as more of our clients enter the brave new Web 2.0 world the question is how do we measure results?  Great question!  Not a simple answer….But, there are ways to measure results from your Web 2.0 campaigns.

If you’re blogging, you can measure RSS subscriptions.  You can measure how many others link to your blog.  Who are they?

You can measure how many social bookmarks you receive from popular sites like DIGG and StumbleUpon and how easily your social media content is found in Technorati and Del.icio.us.

You can certainly monitor and measure the comments on your blog.  You can see the tone of comments and the trends in the comments.  In fact, you may find comments to be invaluable “research.” 

Don’t overlook your web stats reports.  You can track referral sources from social media sites.  When you see social media referrals increase, that’s a trend to watch.  If you run campaigns in social media sites, track your web stats carefully to observe traffic from these sites and time spent on your site.  Make sure to have conversion strategies in place for these referral strategies so you can track them easily.

Don’t overlook tools such as Google Alerts and Yahoo Alerts.  In Google Webmaster you can track links from social sites. 

If you manage a large brand, or multiple brands there are more advance social media tracking tools.  Some of them include Andiamo, Website-Watcher, WathThatPage and Visual Sciences.

Internet Marketing strategies require planning, measuring and revising.  The methods and tools used to measure Web 2.0 results vary somewhat from measuring SEO and PPC, but not drastically.  The web analytics field is evolving.  Keep up to date and profit from the results you can measure.

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