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Two reasons to use structured markup

April 26, 2013 by MarketLive Commerce Strategy Team Leave a Comment

Merchants looking for new ways to optimize their sites for better placement in organic search results listings are accustomed to focusing on content, and specifically on the substance of the text and images on their sites’ pages. But another aspect of that content is increasingly important — the structure of the information, as presented in the back-end code of the page.

As presenter Richard Chavez of PM Digital outlined in his SEO presentation at the recent MarketLive Summit, merchants can now tag discrete pieces of content within a given page, making those snippets easier for search engines to parse, recognize and display within search results listings. Elements such as videos, the average rating for a product, the price, and search-engine friendly descriptions can all be called out by these specialized tags.

This structured data isn’t exactly new; its widespread adoption began in the spring of 2011, when Google, Microsoft and Yahoo announced a joint effort called Schema.org to standardize tagging of page elements. But structured data took on especially heightened significance for merchants as of November of 2012, when Google integrated a set of specialized eCommerce vocabulary called GoodRelations into Schema.org — radically expanding the number of potential attributes merchants could tag. The number of product-specific properties grew from eight to 25, and the number of offer-specific properties allowing merchants to tag price and discount information grew from 10 to 27, according to Search Engine Land.

While the prospect of retagging their sites may give merchants pause, adopting structured data should be a top SEO priority. Two of the many reasons why:

Enhanced search results listings have higher click-through rates. Sites implementing structured markup can see a 30% increase in traffic from organic search engine results, according to content management system provider Webnodes, while GoodRelations claims search result listings using structured markup achieve 30% higher click-through rates than unmodified listings. Among the unsponsored listings for “Cole Haan ballet flats”, the video from Zappos and the rating summary from Bloomingdales are more eye-catching than the top two results from the manufacturer and Amazon. The listings for Bloomingdales and Nordstrom incorporate custom descriptions that are both concise enough to be displayed in their entirety and catchy enough to encourage further engagement. “How could a chic, flexible ballet flat get any more comfortable?” asks the Bloomingdales copy, while the Nordstrom description calls attention to details such as “Diminutive drops of gold” and “comfy Nike Air.”

Markup helps physical locations stand out. By calling out individual store details with specialized tags, merchants can achieve greater visibility for their physical outlets, with the address, phone number, events and even hours listed in the search results listing — an advantage that’s especially crucial for mobile search results, streamlining access to information for on-the-go shoppers. On a smartphone, REI’s individual store location listing, which is tagged with structured location markup, consumes most of the screen, with not only a map, but store hours and a click-to-call icon integrated into the display.

To learn more about structured markup, read the “Getting Started” guide on Schema.org. And check out Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool, which displays what structured markup is detected on pages, and Data Highlighter, which enables tagging of page content without recoding.

Are you now using structured markup, or do you plan to do so? Why or why not?

Filed under Search Engine Marketing

Should you implement responsive design?

February 22, 2013 by MarketLive Commerce Strategy Team Leave a Comment

As merchants strive to serve shoppers on a growing array of devices, the concept of responsive design has definite allure. And with over a quarter of merchants planning a site redesign this year and more than 40% saying mobile and tablet development are a priority, according to industry researcher Forrester, responsive design may become one of 2013’s top buzzwords.

The premise is that a single base of code can serve multiple touchpoints by detecting the device and browser used and changing the layout and functionality on display accordingly — promising merchants a streamlined process for updates and maintenance. But is responsive design really the right choice when it comes to building a seamless brand experience? There are a number of pros and cons to weigh, among them:

Ease of maintenance vs. ease of use. It’s true that responsive design makes site maintenance easier for merchants — but it’s even more important to consider the site experience for shoppers. While sophisticated use of code can resize, rearrange and even add or omit elements on the page, it can be difficult to create a truly device-specific experience that meets or exceeds shoppers’ expectations. For example, the footer on the desktop browser version of the responsive site for Perry Ellis brand Original Penguin includes an 800 number and a badge indicating shoppers can pay with Paypal, both of which are dropped from the mobile version of the same page. But arguably, the phone number — with click-to-call functionality built in — is more important than ever on the mobile site, where merchants should use every means at their disposal to build trust and ease communication with consumers wary of making purchases on their phones. Similarly, the Paypal badge should be even more prominent than on the desktop site, given that more than two-thirds of transactions on mobile phones are completed using alternative payments rather than entering credit card data.

Responsive design example from Original Penguin

Desktop footer

Mobile footer

It’s important, too, to consider the content of shared elements and whether they truly scale to fit different formats. U.K. electronics giant Curry’s uses responsive design to deliver different sites to mobile and desktop browser users. The main rotating promotions on the home page, however, don’t exactly fit the designated space when viewed on the mobile browser — and some of the images containing multiple products are just too tiny to be effective.

Desktop home page promo

Mobile home page promo

SEO boost vs. performance drag. Another potential benefit to responsive design is that all inbound links from any device or browser point to a single URL — giving that flagship site maximum potential relevance when being ranked for natural search engine results. It’s a worthwhile consideration, since the number of inbound links originating from mobile is significant; for example, fully 40% of mobile phone users visit social networking sites on their phones — and potentially share product links, “likes” and reviews there.

At the same time, the complexity of the code required to build a truly responsive site can add to page weight, affecting site performance and frustrating the potential customers who clicked on that page-one search results link. As of 2010, Google’s search algorithm factors in site speed, penalizing slower sites as potentially less credible — thereby potentially canceling out some of the positive SEO impact of having a single URL. And on mobile devices, the expectation for speed is more acute than ever; performance monitoring firm Gomez found that 59% of mobile users expect sites to load in 3 seconds or less, while 46% of mobile users would be unlikely to return to a site that had experienced load time problems.

Of course, using separate sites for different devices can cause problems of its own — namely, the loss of speed associated with redirecting shoppers to the right URL. And as with usability and functionality problems, there are ways to avoid performance problems associated with responsive design, such as starting with the mobile version and adding enhancements for tablets and desktops, rather than trying to go from large to small. But the majority of responsive design sites currently don’t employ these techniques, according to performance firm Akamai, which found that 86% of responsive sites’ mobile pages were at least 90% as big as the desktop browser versions.

The upshot? Merchants undertaking a redesign should consider using responsive design, as it has great potential. But they should weigh the costs of doing it right versus the costs of maintaining separate sites for different devices — and recognize that responsive design isn’t a cheap silver bullet for solving all their multi-touchpoint needs.

Filed under Connected Commerce, Mobile Commerce, Search Engine Marketing

Getting fresh to boost SEO relevance

January 9, 2013 by MarketLive Commerce Strategy Team Leave a Comment

While most merchants are now well-schooled in the mantra “content is king” when it comes to search engine optimization, another catchphrase is becoming equally as important: “it’s all about timing.”

In particular, “freshness” or recency is a key consideration for relevance. Google released a “freshness update” in 2011, rewarding content likely to be more recent, based on factors such as when a page was first indexed, how old it is relative to the other potential search results, and how much of a document has been updated.

A stream of frequently-updated content on a merchant site can not only contribute outright to higher rankings, but more content means more fodder for social media, which is growing in importance as a ranking factor. In 2011, page-level social media mentions were thought to make up 7.22% of the search algorithm, compared with 5.30% in 2009, according to SEOMoz’s survey of ranking factors. And the majority of SEO experts polled for the survey said social media signals would grow to be a top ranking factor in the future.

While not many merchants can modify the selection of actual products on offer on a weekly or even monthly basis, there’s a range of related content that can be continually modified to not only boost freshness for SEO, but keep shoppers engaged. Consider:

Spotlighting the latest user-generated content. Recent product reviews or posts to a question-and-answer support forum demonstrate that the site is an active hub for existing and potential customers.Beauty merchant Sephora features its “Beauty Talk” section prominently, linking to its thousands of bulletin board posts from the global navigation via the “advice” link. Posts are displayed with the most recent at the top, and are simultaneously displayed on the eCommerce site and the merchant’s Facebook page.

Showcasing expert content. Blog posts, seasonal buying guides, FAQs and educational articles all give merchants the opportunity to provide fresh content that’s not only keyword-rich for search engines, but a potent reason for shoppers to engage repeatedly with the site. Beauty manufacturer Perricone MD’s blog, “The Daily Perricone,” features brief beauty, fitness and nutrition tips along with guests posts by other beauty bloggers – a steady stream of engaging content that gives searchers another entry point into the Perricone MD product line.

Be the first to post what content is available. Just as it rewards freshness, Google penalizes duplicate content that has already appeared elsewhere. Merchants can win the race by posting what original content they produce first, before sharing it with affiliates or other retailers. And it behooves merchants who rely on manufacturer content to tailor the information to their audience – not only creating original material for search engines, but a better experience for shoppers. Bedding manufacturer Cuddledown’s product descriptions are partially replicated on Amazon.com — but the original listing is more extensive and includes a certification logo and the ability to select firmness levels not offered by the mass merchant. Further product details are available on a second tab, in addition to videos and a “how to choose” guide.

How are you freshening up content for the New Year?

Filed under Client Innovations, Search Engine Marketing Tagged with Content

Webinar recap: mobile’s influence on search marketing

November 2, 2012 by MarketLive Commerce Strategy Team Leave a Comment

Tuesday’s webinar on search engine marketing was full of useful strategic advice for helping merchants maximize their investments, both for optimizing to boost natural search results rankings and for paid search advertising. One key takeaway: both types of search marketing have been revolutionized by the advent of mobile.

When it comes to natural SEO, search engines are increasingly allocating real estate on the first page of results to local listings tied to mapping services — a shift that caters to mobile shoppers on the go. Fully 94% of smartphone owners have looked for local information, according to Google – and more than one in five of all U.S. consumers have sought local recommendations and directions on mobile devices, according to The Pew Internet & American Life Project

And paid search ads are receiving more and more traffic from mobile devices. The share of clicks to search ads grew 132% in the course of 2011 alone, and is estimated to total 25% of all clicks by the end of this year, according to Marin Software.

To adapt search marketing strategies to accommodate the growing importance of mobile, merchants should:

Enhance on-site store locator information with a unique page for each outlet, and optimize off-site listings to match. As discussed in a prior post, most local directories offer the opportunity for business owners to “claim” their pages and add information such as store hours and the types of products and services offered. In addition to local listings tied to search engines, merchants should be sure to optimize their information on other business directory sites, such as CitySearch, Yellow Pages, and SuperPages, as well as review sites like Yelp!.

A search for outdoor retailer REI produces a series of local results in the second position in organic search results. The Google Plus Local page includes store-specific information, such as specialty services offered, and links directly to a page on the main REI site specific to that location, which lists still more localized information, such as a schedule of in-store events and classes.

Target mobile phone search ads by region. Mobile paid search remains cost-effective, with costs per click lower than on desktop browsers: in 2011, the average cost per click for desktop search was $0.83, while on smartphones it was $0.53 and on tablets it was $0.63, according to Marin Software. Merchants should capitalize on this cost-effectiveness by crafting separate mobile campaigns, which perform 11.5% better than mobile-desktop hybrid campaigns, according to Google. Not only should the ad copy be mobile-specific; it should also take into account local physical locations and offer. Merchants should also consider enhancements such as click-to-call and integrated location mapping to further enable shoppers on the go. Such enhancements have the added benefit of giving merchants more real estate on small mobile phone screens, increasing the likelihood for top bidders to dominate the page.

Banana Republic tailors its mobile search ad to include click-to-call functionality as well as a link for directions. Additionally, whereas the desktop ad puts the emphasis on a free shipping offer likely to appeal only to online shoppers, the mobile ad mentions a general $35 discount available in stores as well as online.

Devise mobile-friendly landing pages. Paid and natural search links alike should point shoppers to pages that fit the format of the intended device. Not only do optimized landing pages serve users better, leading to more engagement and conversions, but Google also factors landing page usability into its algorithm for serving mobile ads, favoring those listings that link to mobile-optimized content. Merchants should:

Tailor technology. Eliminate elements that use incompatible technology, such as Flash, or that may not render well on touchscreens, such as Javascript flyouts or popups.
Streamline content. On small screens, the connection between the link text and the landing page should be more clear than ever, and the call to action should be prominent.

1-800-Flowers calls out its gift finder as a sitelink in its mobile search ad, which highlights that the brand has a mobile-friendly site. Shoppers who click the “Find a Gift” link can use a streamlined form to specify the delivery region , occasion and date – thereby fulfilling the ad’s promise of mobile ease-of-use – or browse gift products with the ability to sort by a number of criteria. The label “find a gift fast” underscores the speed and simplicity of the process.

The webinar covered many more aspects of search marketing, from social media’s impact on SEO to retargeting campaigns — so download the replay or the related whitepaper today. And tell us: what are your top search marketing priorities?

Filed under Mobile Commerce, Search Engine Marketing Tagged with Business Optimization

Webinar preview: meeting the search marketing challenge

October 29, 2012 by MarketLive Commerce Strategy Team Leave a Comment

Most merchants know that search engines are a top driver of shopping traffic. Search engine marketing topped the list of acquisition tactics in 2011, according to industry researcher Forrester, with 90% of online merchants saying it was effective, while 44% said organic search optimization specifically was a driver of new business. The Search Engine Marketing Professionals’ Organization estimates that the search industry as a whole will reach a value of $23 billion by year’s end – up 19% from 2011.

With popularity come challenges, however. The maturity of search engine marketing means that competition for page-one status in “natural” search results is steep, and prices for top paid search terms are soaring: more than a third of companies reported spending at least 20% more for keywords in 2011 than in the prior year, according to SEMPO.

In addition, the migration of search onto mobile devices and the influence of social media on search visibility add new levels of complexity to search engine marketing. Merchants operating with tight marketing budgets and limited staff resources can be hard pressed to prioritize their search engine marketing spend.

How to negotiate this challenging landscape will be the focus of tomorrow’s Webinar, the sixth in our series on business optimization. The Webinar will outline how merchants can focus on “quality, not quantity” — maximizing visibility to the right audience and boosting effectiveness of their efforts. Topics include:

The series of algorithm updates affecting “natural” or organic search results to reward deep, authentic content — and penalize “webspam”

The importance of quality inbound links, and how merchants can build a network that boost their rankings

How social media factors into natural search rankings

Mobile paid search, and whether it’s worth a separate investment

How to deploy retargeting to effectively recapture shopper interest

Register now for the Webinar, which is slated for tomorrow, Tuesday, October 30 at 10 a.m. Pacific. We look forward to hearing your questions!

Filed under Search Engine Marketing Tagged with Business Optimization

Social media watch: Why Google+ is worth the effort

August 31, 2012 by MarketLive Commerce Strategy Team Leave a Comment

Last November, we recommended taking a wait and see approach when it came to establishing a brand presence on the social networking site Google+, which at the time had just launched business profile capabilities. Now, almost 10 months later, statistics show that Google+ still lags behind other social networks when it comes to active users. Although it boasts 150 million active users, Google+ trails not only Facebook, but also upstart Pinterest, which launched in May of 2011 but which is already the third-largest U.S. social media site by some counts.

But Google+’s slow start doesn’t mean merchants can ignore it. In fact, there’s a significant reason for all merchants to at least consider launching on Google+: the potential impact on search visibility. Google+ is intrinsically linked to Google’s dominant search engine, giving merchants with a Google+ presence a leg up. Factors include:

“+1”s impact natural and paid results. Similar to the “like” button on Facebook, the “+1” icon is for endorsing content or products via Google+. Shoppers can “+1” items on a merchants’ Web site, or can “+1” links directly from search results or paid search listings. Google’s search engine factors in those “+1”s in several ways:

For Google+ users who search via the Google+ interface, the Google Plus My World algorithm displays related business pages and posts and endorsements from individuals in their circles. For example, this search for “jeans” displays not only recent posts from individuals, but related business pages in the right-hand column.

Google+ users who search via the main Google engine receive both paid and natural search results that factor in “+1”s from people in their circles, with annotations showing who endorsed which content. In this example from Google, a resort has been endorsed by one of the searcher’s Google+ connections.

Google uses +1 endorsements as part of its general algorithm to determine relevance for all searchers, as stated on the Google+ Webmaster FAQ (“Does +1 affect my site’s performance in search?”).

Google+ Direct Connect makes pages easy to find. Any user of Google’s search engine can simply type a brand name preceded by a “+” to be linked to that brand’s page on Google+ instantly. By comparison, users searching for Facebook and Twitter pages for brands must hunt through search results for the correct listing.

While the exact impact on natural and paid search has yet to be well-documented, the marketing firm eConsultancy found that brands with a strong social media presence, including a page on Google, saw 42% more traffic from organic search than those without, and British fashion merchant Asos saw a 100% increase in visibility in natural search results in the past 12 months, during which time the brand launched a Google+ presence.

Neither finding proves a causal relationship, of course — and merchants should study their own analytics and user data to determine how much weight +1 endorsements are likely to carry with their target audience. But for merchants looking to step up their social activity and reap search benefits to boot, Google+ merits serious consideration.

Are you on Google+? If so, how is it helping your brand?

Filed under Connected Commerce, Search Engine Marketing, Social Commerce Tagged with Google+

2 Key SEO Practices to Adopt in Penguin’s Wake

May 16, 2012 by MarketLive Commerce Strategy Team Leave a Comment

It’s been just over three weeks now since Google’s latest algorithm change took effect. Dubbed Penguin, the change took aim at what the search engine giant terms “webspam.” The intent was to penalize sites that employ such questionable on-site tactics as keyword stuffing and also to discount inbound links from sites with low-quality content, such as paid link networks that contain mostly junk articles.

The update has generated buzz in the search engine community, with “recovery tips” abounding for coping with a Penguin-induced drop in traffic. But the actual impact of the update appears to be mild — Google estimated it would affect roughly results for 3% of U.S. searches.

For ecommerce merchants, the change underscores the importance of adopting a sound SEO strategy. With Google continually fine-tuning its pursuit of relevance with updates like this one, it’s more important than ever to build strong, authentic content and employ legitimate link-building techniques. Specifically:

Employ deep links into content. Although Google doesn’t list precise specifics about what the algorithm changes target, the Penguin update seems to penalize sizes whose inbound links always point to the home page or to any one particular URL — so devise a linking strategy that showcases a variety of content deep within your site. For maximum exposure, use deep links both internally and off-site, such as on social media outposts.

MarketLive merchant Sport Chalet uses its Facebook page to expose a variety of shopping content, such as an expert guide to SCUBA gear with links to SCUBA products. The SCUBA category earns the top listing on Google for “scuba sports gear.”

Build inbound links organically and legitimately. The Penguin update signals more definitively than ever that random submissions to directories and paid link networks that use junk content are outdated methods for building inbound links. According to research by Microsites.com, more than half of the inbound links to sites that were penalized by the Penguin update were from sites outside their subject-matter niche.

Instead, merchants should build link networks based on brand affinity with lifestyle sites, expert bloggers and niche shopping sites — in short, the sites that authentically align with your target audience and product offerings.

And if you have a product category or topic area that genuinely warrants it, consider building a free-standing microsite and cross-link it with your flagship eCommerce site to boost exposure and SEO relevance. For MarketLive merchant Title Nine, sports and specialty bras were a top purchase driver on the flagship eCommerce site — so expanding offerings on a microsite devoted to helping shoppers find the right fit was a natural next step. The microsite is accessible from the Title Nine site via a tab, and the two sites share a shopping cart for ease of purchasing — driving high conversion rates in both locations. The Title Nine site offers its own rich content for sports bras, including expert reviews and recommendations — earning it a page 1 search ranking for “sports bras”.

Of course, setting up a microsite and building an extensive network of authentic inbound links both require an ongoing investment of resources. For us, that’s really the main takeaway from the Penguin update — there are no shortcuts to effective SEO.

How as the Penguin update affected your site? What SEO techniques are you using to increase relevance and ranking?

Filed under Client Innovations, Search Engine Marketing

Winning customer trust on shopping’s technology frontier

May 9, 2012 by MarketLive Commerce Strategy Team Leave a Comment

There are more sophisticated tools than ever available for tracking shoppers’ behavior, both onsite and across the Internet. While that’s good news for merchants, the data shows that consumers disapprove.

For example, in a recent study of search engine use by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 65% of consumers reported they disapproved of personalized search results — the practice of tailoring the lineup of natural and paid results based on online browsing behavior — with only 29% agreeing with the statement “It’s a GOOD thing because it gives you results that are more relevant to you.” And more than two thirds of consumers said they don’t like targeted advertising — such as remarketing ad banners — because they don’t want their online behavior tracked.

And this wariness extends to social media. Fully one in four Facebook users has falsified personal information in their profiles to protect their privacy — a 10% increase from two years ago, according to a new study from Consumer Reports. And while Facebook’s ever-changing privacy settings have grabbed plenty of headlines over the years, it’s not the only social site to experience a backlash over how personal information is used and shared. Earlier this year, nascent site Pinterest acknowledged it makes money from users’ pins through a service that adds affiliate links to products, and recently released a notice to users and new terms of service to deal with copyright and privacy concerns.

With such controversy swirling, merchants using these platforms should make an extra effort to maintain and build their own credibility. By signaling to users that even on the technology frontier of commerce, their brands are trustworthy, merchants stand to gain loyal followers — and new customers. A few ideas for messaging trust:

Bring tried-and-true techniques to the frontier. Just because brands are delving into highly experimental social media sites or developing new formats for mobile users doesn’t mean they should abandon their eCommerce best practices. When it comes to earning trust, there are a number of proven methods that help shoppers complete purchases online — and they should be implemented on new customer touchpoints as well as the flagship eCommerce site. Consider how to incorporate privacy and security badges, product guarantees, and access to customer service help wherever your brand has an outpost — as MarketLive merchant Armani Exchange does on its mobile site, where a customer service link is anchored in a contrasting color in the global footer and prominently accessible through checkout.

When possible, give users the tools to take control. Not everyone wants to broadcast the products they browse or purchase on their Facebook Wall. When building social apps, merchants should allow followers to control how much information is automatically shared — and message that flexibility prominently, as J.C. Penney does when inviting followers to download its app. Followers can use a drop-down menu to select who sees app activity, with the option of “Only Me” available if they don’t want to share the information at all.

Spotlight transparency. Don’t merely feature a miniscule link to your brand’s privacy policy; instead, build extensive customer service content around services and features offered, and always spell out how shoppers’ information will be used. Zappos includes an explanatory link on its retargeting ads with the text “Why am I seeing this ad?”. The link takes shoppers to a page that describes clearly how the ads are generated, the technology company Zappos partners with to power the ads, and how shoppers can opt out.

What tactics do you use to allay shoppers’ privacy concerns on social and mobile sites and other cutting-edge brand outposts?

Filed under Client Innovations, Connected Commerce, Mobile Commerce, Search Engine Marketing, Social Commerce

Integrating content and commerce

October 20, 2011 by MarketLive Commerce Strategy Team Leave a Comment

“Content is king” has long been a mantra for eCommerce merchants. Rich subject-matter content not only lends credibility and authority to the brand, but it can also help boost a site’s rankings in natural search engine results.

But it’s not enough to create scads of relevant content and post it. In order to maximize the efficacy of content as a sales tool, it has to be integrated fluidly with products and promotional offers.

Many merchants are partway there when it comes to content integration: increasingly, there’s plenty of helpful content on eCommerce product and category pages to help guide shoppers’ purchase decisions. For its Balance Ball Chair System, lifestyle company Gaiam provides comprehensive product information – in the form of a thorough description, multiple images, a video, customer reviews, and a “question and answer” section where staff and other customers can respond to shopper inquiries. In addition, via one of the product’s content tabs shoppers can also access a selection of instructional content related to balance balls on Gaiam’s partner site, Gaiam Life.

In short, when shoppers are already browsing products, merchants are increasingly featuring relevant content alongside the merchandise. But what about when consumers begin their shopping journey by consulting the content first?

Many merchants with otherwise robust content sections fail to integrate products fully into instructional articles, how-to videos or even buying guides – as this outdoor merchant does in an article about springtime weather fronts and how they affect fishing. Although the article mentions various types of lures and baits which are on offer in the eCommerce store, there are no product images or even text links to entice readers (and potential shoppers) to purchase immediately.

A good first step toward integrating products with content is to feature related items in a side column – as Gaiam does in the top example above. Visitors to the balance ball article on the Gaiam Life site view related products in the left-hand column, and can click to purchase them on the Gaiam site. Similarly, REI’s article for beginning cyclists includes links, not only to further related articles and instructional videos, but to relevant product categories – including comfort bikes, cycling helmets, and hydration options. Browsers at both Gaiam and REI can act on article information instantly and with a minimum of clicks between content and relevant products.

But sidebars are traditionally the location for banner advertising and other promotions which readers are adept at tuning out; product links positioned there may be overlooked altogether. A better solution is to build content with merchandise in mind – that is, to integrate commerce and content completely, providing both credible information and easy access to relevant products in one package.

Party supply and costumer retailer Party City offers a series of party planning guides that include links to products throughout. These guides have more how-to content than simple theme-based shopping categories, and more product links than a plain instructional article – striking an effective balance.

Similarly, educational supplier Carolina Biological offers a visually attractive guide to raising butterflies in the classroom that includes not only instructions for hatching and breeding butterflies, but comprehensive links to the kits and other products to get the project started.

How are you maximizing the effectiveness of your content?

Filed under Acquire, Convert & Retain, Client Innovations, Search Engine Marketing Tagged with Content

MarketLive Intelligent Commerce Blog

Two reasons to use structured markup

Should you implement responsive design?

Getting fresh to boost SEO relevance

Webinar recap: mobile’s influence on search marketing

Webinar preview: meeting the search marketing challenge

2 Key SEO Practices to Adopt in Penguin’s Wake

Integrating content and commerce

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