Google’s search algorithm has become cyberspace’s secret sauce, having completely revolutionized the way businesses write for the Web, all while remaining a mystery to everyone except for a handful of the company’s programming wizards.
As marketing and communications executives shift their focuses from traditional media to digital ones, cracking the code of what will get their messages in front of target audiences most effectively has become a top priority.
Search engine optimization and search engine marketing (SEO and SEM, respectively) were borne out of this quest to achieve top billing in search results. The former is a strategy that relies on keywords to make online content appear higher up in search results organically, while the latter is an advertising paradigm driven by small text ads that can be purchased and, in turn, will appear in results alongside relevant search terms.
But, as social media has continued to evolve, search engine optimization and search engine marketing have given way to more complex search iterations, such as reputational search and social search. Steve Rubel, senior vice president and director of Edelman’s Digital Insights, defines them in the following way:
• Reputational Search: Applying a search mind-set to tried-and-true communications tactics and, in the process, influence the search results around certain keywords.
• Social Search: Building out “embassies” in all relevant networks as Google and its competitors increasingly prioritize social content from Flickr, blogs, Twitter and other platforms in result pages. This helps to ensure optimum visibility and helps organizations prepare for the next great revolution: the convergence of search and social networking.
In this context, according to Rubel, “While SEM and SEO continue to be strong disciplines, what’s different now is that people are starting to see that search engine visibility also happens elsewhere. Success, while not guaranteed, can be influenced with a hub-and-spoke strategy that focuses on quality content and networked relationships.”
With that, communications executives should prepare for yet another online revolution by adjusting their search strategies around these new iterative functions.
REPUTATIONAL SEARCH
“Reputational search is the blending of basic SEO tactics with classic PR approaches. The objective is to not only generation media and/or social media coverage, but also to do so in a way that can influence search results,” Rubel writes in “Search Engine Visibility,” a white paper released through Edelman in May 2009. “Specific tactics are not new to PR professionals—they include press releases, corporate newsrooms, media relations and blogger engagement. What is different is the messaging and the prioritization of targets.”
To adapt accordingly, then, Rubel identifies the three core building blocks of a reputational search strategy:
â–¶ Research/Planning: Find natural language keywords people use and then size up the competition that could make success less likely. Google Insights, for example, provides rich data about queried search terms alongside competitive keywords. This is just one of many free, easy-to-use keyword optimization tools available only (for more on keyword optimization strategies, see “Keyed Up: SEO Success Requires Decoding the Keyword Puzzle,” PRN, 10-20-2008).
For reputational search, Rubel recommends using a set of very targeted keywords—for example, “Prius alternatives” or “ Starbucks recipes.”
Then, tap into keyword insights via conversational research—what Rubel calls “chatter on blogs, social networks, micro-blogs, video sharing sites and more.”
“Using tools like T witter Search, Technorati and Facebook Lexicon, a PR professional can get a sense for the natural words and phrases people use when talking about a particular topic,” he says. “Media research and analysis can also provide a more robust picture.”
â–¶ Content Development: This part of the strategy is about integrating target keywords and phrases chosen during the research phase into content, including media pitches and press releases.
Rubel reminds communicators that the position of keywords is far more important than the frequency. Headline placement is crucial.
It’s also wise to “build the entire media outreach campaign around chosen keywords so they become integrated into the editorial coverage,” Rubel says.
â–¶ Measurement: On the back end of a reputational search campaign, execs should revisit research tools like Google Insights to demonstrate an increase in searches around given search terms.
SOCIAL SEARCH
Think of social search as the dynamic, real-time version of basic search. Twitter’s built-in search function, for example, returns relevant conversations as they are happening, making Google’s functionality seem static by comparison.
To successfully navigate the modern search terrain, Rubel points to the currency in which individuals exchange information: links. He writes, “Links are the social currency people share with each other. As a result, those who establish a meaningful presence in social networks not only will generate conversation and build relationships but also establish ‘link equity’ that makes them more visible on search engines.”
As for the secret to social search, Rubel reduces it to two words—embassy strategy. “Companies that set up meaningful, engaging and permanent outposts inside all of the relevant social networks will be more discoverable than those who don’t.”
In short, regardless of the organization’s industry or target audience, SEO and SEM strategies are no longer enough to ensure its content will been seen by target audiences. As for the future, perhaps Rubel sums it up best when he says:
“Today the benefits of visibility are measured via Google results. Tomorrow, it will be within search engines that are embedded into the social networks themselves.” PRN
CONTACT:
Steve Rubel, [email protected]