November 18, 2004
Integrating SEO with Marketing Science for Results
by Dwight Stickler
SEO and Marketing have one very important thing in common, they are based on the scientific method. If
you have never studied science formally, you may be surprised at how simple the scientific method is.
As a primer, the scientific method entails four steps.
- Hypothesis-essentially educated guessing
- Testing-creating an environment to test the hypothesis
- Observation and Interpretation-this is seeing the results of your testing in an objective manner and interpreting how well you guessed.
- Re-hypothesizing-or guessing again based on what you have observed from the initial testing.
SEO is the science of lining up all the elements of your website with a targeted set of keywords or key phrases to prove relevance to the Search Engine Spiders and Bots as well as the human editors of the ODP (Open Directory Project).
If you have never heard of SEO or view it as some sort of magical bullet designed to get the highest possible
ratings on a website, then let me assure you; it is nothing more then applied computer science. Applied to the coding and design structure of web pages.
Likewise, marketing is also based on the scientific method. At least professional marketing is. Marketing
involves the guessing of what a targeted set of consumers want and need. The testing of what will convince them to buy your own products or services. The observation and interpretation of what actually convinces your targeted market to buy. And then of course guessing or hypothesizing what will work better.
When the website owner or publisher integrates these two disciplines based on this scientific method, he or
she can make informed decisions about both of them. Here's how:
Define a communications goal first. If that goal is to earn a subscription to an E-Zine or newsletter or if it is to actually sell a product or service. The idea is to define as specifically as possible the communications goal.
Once you have defined your communications goal or goals, you need to map out a communicational flow chart. This flow chart will detail each and every step that your targeted market must take for your goal to be accomplished. From finding your website to actually signing up and/or buying from you.
This communicational flow chart then becomes the basis for much of your SEO and Marketing decision making
regarding the content of your website. Within your communicational flow chart you will find some of the keywords and keyphrases you need to target your SEO efforts at as well as marketing efforts.
Likewise, your flow chart will produce an outline for your marketing or sales copy. You will want to lead your prospect to performing the certain action you are looking for. Whether it is buying from you or simply signing up for your list.
The important aspect of this integration is to remember that embedded within the scientific method of SEO and Marketing is the aspect of retesting. Understand that you are embarking on a journey of continual performance improvement. And don't get discouraged if your initial hypothesis is proven to be inaccurate or just plain wrong. That will give you a basis for making a better guess next time. So you will find yourself in a cycle of ever improving results.
Dwight Stickler has over 20 years of experience in business with a focus on sales and marketing. He is also a Honors Graduate from Barry University with a BA in Communications Theory and Practices. For more free resources on SEO and Website Content Management, please visit http://optimization.bravehost.com '
Posted by Darren at November 18, 2004 11:07 PM