training > publications > benchmark-report > 2012-search-marketing-seo-edition

Benchmark: Search Marketing - SEO Edition

Summary of Contents:

  • Chapter 1: SEO Objectives and Challenges (pg.7-22)
    • Informal processes still define SEO marketing maturity
    • Challenges hampering SEO effectiveness over last 12 months
    • Objectives for SEO programs in next 12 months
    • Marketer insights on developing SEO marketing strategies
  • Chapter 2: SEO Tactics (pg.23-46)
    • Majority of organizations run SEO campaigns in-house
    • Keyword-focused tactics are the most popular
    • Good content is great link bait…but difficult to create
    • Content creation may be difficult, but it is effective
    • Marketer insights on success with SEO tactics
  • Chapter 3: Monitoring and Tracking Metrics (pg.47-74)
    • Web conversion often defined as multiple-field form completion
    • Median conversion rate on organic traffic is 4%
    • Page 1 of SERPs not out of reach for most marketers
    • Organic search plays minor role in total lead volume
    • Organic search yields mixed results for lead quality, with some standouts
    • Free analytics solutions are the most widely used
    • Marketer insights on using analytics to optimize SEO performance
  • Chapter 4: Planning and Tracking Budgets (pg.75-100)
    • Biggest budget increases expected in inbound marketing
    • Half of marketing budgets go to online marketing, on average
    • PPC, SEO and website take big share of online marketing budget
    • Staff salaries comprise the largest portion of total SEO budgets
    • Budgets earmarked for SEO programs
    • SEO budgets expected to stay the same or grow
    • Marketer insights on the value returned from SEO budget invested
  • Chapter 5: Integrating Social Media and SEO (pg.100-118)
    • Rankings and links are top goals for social integration
    • Blogs considered most effective social media platform
    • Inbound marketing lead sources are growing in importance
    • Inbound leads cost 66% less than outbound leads, on average
    • Marketer insights on achieving results from social media and SEO integration
  • Chapter 6: The Importance of Content in a Search Marketing Strategy (pg.119-132)
    • Web pages and social media are the most used content products
    • Many content products require high level of time, effort, expense
    • Customer reviews considered the most effective content product
  • Chapter 7: Capitalizing on Local Search (p.133-162)
    • Local search viewed as having positive impact on objectives
    • Many still have no local business listing on search engines
    • Many local business listing tactics are not being put into play
    • Optimizing for local terms is not commonly practiced by most
    • Developing local content is top local optimization tactic
    • Marketer insights on the challenges of optimizing for local search
    • Marketer insights on successfully optimizing for local search
  • Chapter 8: Making Sense of Mobile Search (pg.163-176)
    • Mobile search is considered the least critical
    • Ad campaigns enabled more often than actually optimized for mobile
    • Marketer insights on their challenges with mobile search
    • Marketer insights on their successes with mobile search
  • Chapter 9: Search Marketing Success Stories (pg.177-182)
    • Case Briefing: Optimizing early to capture future seasonal traffic lifts
    • Case Briefing: Finding and testing niche content increases organic traffic 40%
    • Case Briefing: Content marketing campaign generates surge in traffic
    • Case Briefing: Turning a YouTube channel into a powerful inbound marketing hub
    • Case Briefing: Revamped and optimized web content doubles lead conversions
    • Case Briefing: Using social media boosts leads 30% and revenue 114%
  • Chapter 10: Agency Perspectives (pg.183-196)
    • Client investment in SEO is driven by measurable ROI
    • Agencies expect 72% of clients to increase SEO budgets up to 50%
    • Majority of client organizations get Page 1 organic rankings
    • Agencies and clients agree on Top 3 most effective SEO tactics
    • Agency insights on their successes with SEO campaigns
    • Agency insights on most effective tactics for improving rankings
    • Search and Display networks voted most effective by agencies
    • Despite variety of ad formats, text ads still reign supreme
    • Social media part of search marketing mix for over 50% of clients
    • Clients expected to increase usage of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
  • Appendix (pg.197-202)
    • Benchmark survey demographics
    • Search Engine marketing glossary
    • An A-to-Z glossary of common search marketing terms