Once again, the numbers are in and the search engine reigns supreme.
A new study out by Pew Internet Research shows that just under one-half (49%) of all Internet users report that use a search engine on a typical day. This is up from one-third of all users in 2002.
I am frankly surprised that the number isn't higher,and with search capability built into every browser, I wonder if some people use a search engine without even knowing it.
What is clear to me is that the corporate homepage has truly become the Google search page, and if you aren't in the first ten results then you don't exist for many users.
Of course the Google remains the King of search engines, commanding 59.2 percent of searches, with Yahoo's search share at 21.6 percent in February 2008 – this according to Search Engine Watch.
All this to say that communicators of all strips, public relations, marketing, public affairs and other disciplines, need to understand a lot more about how to get into these search results than ever before.
Luckily, it is pretty basic. Hire a really good SEO firm like Lee Odden at Toprank Online Marketing. If you don't have the money for all of that, create killer content that people care about.
That is the big secret. Yes, you need to make sure the technological barriers are overcome, but a really good blog can help with that. More important is having great and relevant content.
You can start working toward with four easy steps:
- Have an editorial mission and calendar for your blog
- Look for ways to tag and contribute content across social networks that tie back to your blog (think text, photos and video)
- Network with your online stakeholders, build relationships
- Provide value beyond what you are trying to get out of it – give something away be it knowledge, help or something more tangible
- Educate yourself about the search terms most often used when people are looking for the knowledge that you have to offer (start with the free WordTracker tool, but there are many other great SEO tools and resources to choose from).
Now of course there are lots of great technical tips about having landing pages, using great WordPress SEO plugins and many other tips too numerous to name here. See my Delicious SEO tag.
But as Lee Odden recently said, "It is about optimizing the right content for the right audience."
Amen.
