If the connection between “Hiding the Body” and Digital Marketing is lost on you, don’t feel bad! It is a silly (yet appropriate) inside joke within the Digital Marketing community, right up there with the chicken crossing the road.
The answer to the question of where to put something that you don’t want to see the light of day is –Put it on Page 2 of Google search results.
Said another way, having your website show-up on Page 2 of a Google search (or further back) is as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
Why Organic Search Placement Matters
The agency Chitika ran an infamous marketing campaign The Best Place to Hide a Dead Body is Page 2 of Google Search Results. Although Chitika was later acquired by a marketing technology company, the truth of their message lives on.
- Chitika found that Page 1 search results capture 95% of all search traffic.
But wait, there’s more!
- Additional research from Chitika revealed that the very first organic result on Page 1 captures 32.5% of overall search traffic in the form of clicks. The second domain gets 17.6% while the seventh sees only 3.5%.
- Databox found that 70% of marketers believe SEO is a better investment than PPC (pay per click ads like Google Ads). SEO generates higher click-through rates, dwell time, better lead generation results, and is less costly.
If you are placing organically on page 2, 3…or further back on a Google search, then you need to spend more on Google Ads to compensate for the weak organic SEO results.
Google is Not Just for Starbucks or Nike
A surprising number of B2B executives continue to believe SEO is something that only applies to consumer brands.
Some execs have told us, “No one searches on Google to find emissions reduction technology. Besides, I have a great sales team and ours is a relationship business. It’s who you know, that’s how it’s always been done.” Fair enough, we can’t knock a good sales team and the trusty ol’ network but the fact is:
- 71% of B2B researchers start their research with a generic search (Think Google)
- 78% of B2B buyers start their selection process with a Google search, dwarfing Personal Networks and LinkedIn as their initial source (Pear Analytics, Pardot)
Internet searches, particularly on Google, are the modern version of the yellow pages or industry directories. Unlike static pages of thin yellow paper, however, Google is a dynamic and exceptionally powerful tool.
Given attrition, turnover, industry consolidations, the Great Resignation and other factors, many old relationships have evaporated, giving rise to the situation where many sales teams simply don’t know who they don’t know. SEO puts you in front of the unknown buyer and builds credibility with those you do know.
The research shows that SEO is, in fact, a critical priority for B2B marketers.
Visibility Management in Action
SEO is no longer just a function of putting some keywords on your website header and calling it a day. Google now delivers organic search results based on their definition of “Legitimacy” (their word, not ours), which is a function of a variety of factors. We covered Google Legitimacy and related topics in our Spectrum #3 – How Can I Get Google to Like Me?
Suffice to say, Google serves up the domains it ranks as more Legitimate than other, similar ones. The more Legitimate your website and business from a digital perspective, then the more likely your domain and its various web pages will place high on organic search results.
Actual Results – How Prism Group Took a Client from Keyword Obscurity to Page 1 on Google
The table below represents selected Keywords/Phrases that rank on Page 1 of Google for a certain client.
RED = Prior to engaging Prism Group
GREEN = After engaging Prism Group
As you can clearly see, prior to our engagement, this client ranked on Page 1 of Google for only 3 keywords generating fewer than 20 clicks per month.
Once Prism Group was engaged:
- We identified the critical keywords and phrases that our client wanted to rank for.
- We crafted a content strategy and hierarchy to capitalize on the long chain search terms for which the client wanted to maximize organic search results.
- Prism Group got to work editing core pages and creating new content in the form of blogs, case studies, and white papers. The content targeted the selected keywords.
- Using technology-based tools, we analyzed the progress of the chosen keywords and continued to create and publish relevant content until the client moved to Page 1 on Google search.
As a result of our content generation and SEO campaign, the client’s domain was served up on Page 1 of Google for an additional 13 keywords and generated an increase in estimated traffic by as much as 200 clicks per month (a 900% increase). And, that is only for a small segment of the total keyword strategy.
In Summary, our efforts helped the client generate more inbound leads, optimize their digital advertising spend, and get placed on Page 1 organically, increasing not just their Google Legitimacy, but their visibility with buyers of H2S treating solutions.
Results
An active and effective Visibility program delivers these benefits:
- Higher organic search placement for your domain on strategically important keyword searches
- Improved inbound inquiries from higher quality leads
- Optimized digital advertising budget focused on high-volume, high-value keywords that are difficult (or impossible) to capture using only SEO and content development.
Obviously, we aren’t divulging any state secrets here and not every SEO/Visibility project is the same. Just know that there is a proven process and technology-based tools to get the job done.
Let’s Talk! If you have decided that SEO and Visibility Management is right for your business, schedule a free 30-minute Digital Marketing consultation to learn how we can help get your Story That Matters on Page 1.
About Prism Group
Prism Group is a full-spectrum, multi-talented B2B agency focused on Energy Tech, Climate Tech, Oil & Gas, Oilfield Services and Media markets. Our work is telling stories that matter, because our clients are working to change the world for the better. What makes us different is that we put into action the strategies we recommend – we get it done, so you can get results and increase the value of your business.
CONTACT
James Constas
President
Prism Group
JConstas@1PrismGroup.com
