Google Webmaster Tools

Although my client's website is very workable and is targeted well to her clients, it could use a few improvements. I would recommend my client to utilize Google Webmaster Tools, a program that can aid in the improvement of a website by optimizing its content. It works with Google Analytics and Google Adwords, which respectively monitors performance and drives the right traffic to the website. The GWMT Guide (2014) adds, "Google Analytics tracks visitors to your site and tells you where your site visitors are from and how they navigate your site, whereas Google Webmaster Tools are a set of tools to help you maximize your website’s search visibility on Google." Because all data shown in GWMT is only organic search derived, and the impressions are solely based exact match search queries (The GWMT Guide, 2014), it is extremely important that my client's site is visible through Google search. 

An important aspect my client should consider when optimizing her site is the content, copy, and story. While my client's business works within a narrow industry, and she caters well to her local area, she has plans to expand her geographic location. With this, I feel she must be sure that her story translates will through the Internet to those who are only finding her through search. The majority of my client's business is conducted through referrals. In order to reach those outside of her area and solely online, she must make sure she is communicating as effectively as her in-person networking. J. Gordon and J. Perrey (2015) reaffirms this by saying,"Even as marketing reaches new heights with technology-enabled measurement, the importance of the story hasn’t diminished. In this world, creativity is in greater demand than ever." Because my client is the webmaster of the site and has been updating it frequently over the past months, it would behoove her in narrowing down the most successful version of her copy using content experimentation through A/B split and multivariate testing. She can create two working versions of her site with two different copies, projecting her brand from different story angles.

When viewing her Google Analytics report, I noticed that a percentage of my client's users view her site from mobile devices. Thus, I think it would help my client's visibility and bounce rate to make her site mobile-friendly. She can do this by first taking Google's Mobile-Friendly Test which will reveal which pages of the site are already mobile-friendly. She can then research information through her website platform to see the best way to optimize her site. There are other resources through Google that will also aid my client. The importance in this optimization lies in the fact that my client is conducting business in a technologically driven world, and any tech issues can deter customers. Although it make seem like a simple action, this can aid in reducing my client's bounce rate and can welcome clients to her site at any time from any place.

Gordon, J. & Perrey, J. (February 2015). The dawn of marketing's new golden age. The McKinsley Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/the_dawn_of_marketings_new_golden_age?cid=other-eml-nsl-mip-mck-oth-1503

Digital Ready Marketing. (6 September 2014). Google webmaster tools guide. Digital Ready Marketing. Retrieved from http://digitalreadymarketing.com/search-traffic-overview-google-webmaster-tools-guide/

Google. (2015). Webmaster tools. Google Webmaster Academy. Retrieved from https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6001104?hl=en&ref_topic=4631146

Google Market Research Tools

Following my previous post, I have gained a great deal of insight concerning online tools that benefit one's website. I would consider PageRank to be the one of the most important concepts I have learned, as it identifies how webpages are ranked. A website is ranked based on its popularity and relevance to its search terms. As Dr. Chung explained in class, a website's popularity can be boosted by its connection to other highly ranked websites through links. Relevance is also important as it must clearly and closely relate to the search terms. The quality of webpages was discussed in Chapter 3 of the Internet Marketing Essentials Textbook. Webpages can be more highly ranked if they have short load times, fresh content, good grammar and spelling, low bounce rate from landing pages, and original content. These attributes are invaluable to know, as my group will be working with our client to improve their webpage for the highest ranking search possibilities. A PageRank can be checked online through sites like this.

In addition to this, I learned the differences between white hat and black hat SEO practices. SEO practices are those involving search engine optimization, which is the practice of designing the content and structure of a website so that it will rank well. White hat practices are those that ethical and allowed by search engines, while black hat are designed to unethically manipulate rankings for its personal improvement. Because our client's website is newly introduced, it is important for our team to understand these differences and act under the white hat practices. Not only will black hat techniques mar the reputation of our client's website, but search engines can temporarily penalize websites that don't act accordingly, which may hurt our client's online business.

Although I feel my conceptual understanding of these topics is thorough, my next goal is to be able to actively and correctly apply these concepts to the work my group and I will accomplish with our client.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a site that allows a viewer to analyze a percentage of Google web searches to determine how many searches have been done for the terms one has entered in comparison to the total number of Google searches done during that time. This, however, only concerns popular searches. The main benefit for Google Trends, for our purposes, is that it closely relates to an AdWords account. This means that an owner of an AdWords account is able to track how successful their chosen search terms are in comparison to all of the searched terms on Google during a selected time.

As our group will be in charge of a Google AdWords account, this will aid us in choosing terms that are very popular versus those that may not yield a desired amount search. Using this tool will also allow us to track the success of our chosen search terms throughout the competition.

Think With Google

Think with Google is a dynamic website that allows professionals to have forward-looking perspectives on specific sectors of business. This site divides the global span of business into different sectors of industry. In the case of our client, I would most closely identify it as a business-to-business company. On their business-to-business page, they post articles, infographics, case studies, and data collections. The combined information will add to our groups success greatly as it will allow us to gain insight in this sector of business. Understanding the current business-to-business landscape will only give more knowledge into the intricacies of our client's company.

Google Market Finder

This is an online application that helps a professional find new markets for one's products and services. It combines Google Search, Google Translate, and AdWords to compare the cost of acquiring a new customers with one's product margins and help determine whether reaching customers in a new market is good for business.

I feel this tool, unlike the others, will not add to our client's business because it is a very localized and customizable service. Because this client is fully involved in developing and implementing each service, it would not benefit them to expand their business to the global market financially.