Time to Put Your Destination’s Search Strategy Out of Its Misery?

So I’ve been involved with “Search” in some form or another since 1993. Back then, ranking #1 meant just showing up to the party and Google was still a decade away from a verb.

Since those digital dino days I have helped to architect some of the most effective SEO strategies on the web (if I do say so myself, and, since it’s my blog, I just did!). :-P

But, everything has changed for the permanent for SEO execs and most are none too happy. I have a “share with the world” attitude, so let me share these nuggets of SEO wisdom with you in hopes that you start implementing immediately. :)

1) Keywords Suck.

Once the lifeblood of my marketing strategy, it’s now the last on my SEO super-strategy. Why is this? Because they mean nothing and have zero chance of ranking in current algorithms without significant brand journalism to back them up. See, Search Engines got hip to keyword tricks circa 2000. Since then it’s always been about content. I know, I know. You’re overrun with “content advice”. Well I’m no different because the truth is, it IS EVERYTHING. Here’s the thing: Your “keywords” follow your content. Not vice-versa. You want me to predict your rankings? Show me what you’re talking about. I’ll find your web-match. If you aren’t talking about anything but your “online brochure” then I’ll show you how you’ve wasted your money and sell you some oceanfront property right outside of Santa Fe.

I’ll show you my hand and tell you that one of the sales closes I’d tout for SEO circa ’08, is, ” We do about 65 things to each page for SEO”. The sheer volume of that task overwhelmed the average buyer and they would happily give me the business. Now, in 2014 I can share with you that today I only need to do about three things on your page for SEO. But, I need to do them really, really well. They are:

1. Tell Your Story – I need to break through that tough DMO exterior and sing your siren song in a way that is interesting to consumers. This is 2/3 of the task. This is Brand Journalism.
2. Throw Some Glitter On It – What can be gleaned from Brand Journalism needs to be highlighted in pic alts, headers, tags, etc. This is deep diving to mine the most important content tags and make them search-friendly.
3. Run and Tell That - You’re dressed and ready for the ball. Now it’s time to slip down those steps, Cinderella! Submitting to Engines and Directories like a PR professional is more effective than waiting for them to show up. Put some effort into being listed properly and don’t leave your footwork up to the bots.

Also, SEO is not just your website. It’s the totality of your online assets. A Meeting Planner found you on Facebook? Yippee. But the “key word” is found. How’s your social search strategy? See above three steps. Rinse, repeat.

Any three of these above steps can be f’d up by a junior SEO “consultant” who wouldn’t know a marketing strategy from her proverbial ass. If there’s no business sense in your digi strategy, then you’re really just playing around online.

To give you further advice, #1 should take the longest to perform, then #2 and #3 — in that order. All-in-all, it should take about 90 days to re-engineer your SEO and then a constant journalism plan to keep it up. And stakeholder keywords. So-and-so wants you to rank #1 when Sea Otter Attractions is searched? Unless you’re a marine biologist, don’t waste time on that mess.

You get most of your traffic from SEM (ppc) you say? That’s changed too, my friend.

PPC vs POA.

PPC (Pay-per-Click) is super popular because “you can count everything”.

• (warning, media rant about to ensue) A wise man once said, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” This is never more true than with digital buys. The numbers lie. For real. They lie less than their outdated classical media counterparts, though. You have to see through the numbers to the path you really want. The numbers have some support to your theories, but that’s where it stops. Media is art. Advertising is emotion. And sales show up in your tax base. That’s the only number that should matter. If everyone is doing their part in media and advertising, it will show up in the bottom line and nowhere else matters.
• Back to PPC. Use this for campaigns, not long term strategy. PPC is part of a larger “campaign” that drives consumers to take a specific action. Promoting an event? PPC, display, mobile and maybe RON is my formula.

POA (Paid Organic Amplification) is the new terminology for media supporting long-term marketing strategies.

• POA is an ongoing tactic that supports SEO efforts. I like to see “engine saturation” with my clients. Any ol’ schmo can get you on the first page — along with a whole host of other choices. I want you to be the only choice, the #1 trusted choice. With POA forecasting, you can easily tell a client how much paid assistance it takes to dominate certain niche markets, derail competition and even revive a dead market. Here’s where the counting doesn’t count: how can you put a price on trust, on market domination? The “clicks” you measure do not measure the emotional impact you’ve made on that traveler in the areas of trust and desire.

So, if you’re getting a keyword list as an “SEO Strategy” from a vendor or staff member, tear it up and call me.

BONUS ADVICE: Search Re-Marketing.

Ever have that one traveler you wish you could clone? The one that stays three days mid-week, eats out every meal and returns every chance he gets? You can find his clones all over the web with search re-marketing. This is sophisticated Goog Certified stuff though, so proceed with lots of caution and experience.

I know, I know, I didn’t tell you everything. But,if I did, then you’d never buy the cow, and Mamma taught me better than that. (^^,) Jenn