Over the last four years alone, Google’s head of web spam has deemed numerous popular linking strategies as no longer valuable and possibly dangerous to attempt.

From infographics to social sharing, some of the most rewarding tactics for driving online authority and visibility are becoming concepts of the past as Google continues to move toward providing a complete digital environment that is shaped by social proof (tweets, likes, Google+1, comments, views, engagement behavior).

While these declarations from Cutts always draw a certain amount of controversy and criticism from the search marketing world as to the actual extent that Google will penalize such strategies; the fact remains that the form of a particular strategy does not carry as much consequence as the intention and tactic involved during implementation.

For SEOs and social media marketers who are looking for safe ways to gain credible links to drive online authority, visibility and traffic then check out Product-Focused Linking (PFL).

What is Product Focused Linking?

PFL campaigns act as exchanged partnerships where a host offers a receiver a particular item or reward in exchange for a link that directs back to the host’s online property.

While this definition lends itself to manipulation, the concept can be extremely rewarding and positive when used as an effort to support or bring about positive change in some tangible form.

Whether this positive form appears as video content that offers online consumers in-depth insight on the validity of a particular product or sees an established brand offer support to disaster relief organizations to drive positive PR; the intentions of the linking campaign always outweigh the vessel that is used to execute.

How To Execute A Phenomenal Product-Focused Linking Campaign From Experience

Step 1: Research Relevant Social Platforms To Connect With

I was working with a large retail brand at a time when contractually, their monthly deliverables and services had basically switched to autopilot.

At the same time discussions were taking place on where we could provide additional support to their digital marketing campaign, the strongest topical cyclone ever-recorded Typhoon Haiyan had just struck the Central Philippines, killing thousands and leaving almost four million people homeless.

Because of this, it was evident that we had an opportunity to provide support to people in need, while also being able to execute a positive linking strategy that could act as a catalyst for advancing the client’s visibility, authority and search listings.

So we decided to kick-off a PFL campaign that focused on offering the client’s durable, warm work clothes to various organizations and support groups that provide aide to those in need, specifically in Central Philippines. In exchange, we were looking to have pictures taken with each person who received the client’s clothing items and have those images posted online and linked to various relevant landing pages within the client’s site.

Using tools like GroupHigh and Open Site Explorer, I was able to research hundreds of blog categories and hosts that aligned with the client’s target audience, as well as concepts related to humanitarianism, community and volunteerism.

If you have not used GroupHigh yet, it is excellent for understanding the validity of a particular blogger or host as it allows you to understand a multitude of metrics that illustrate quality and reach.

The platform’s filtering options allow users to easily find sites that meet particular qualifications that include:

• Domain score
• Volume of backlinks
• Social followers per platform
• Social engagement and reaction
• Content development frequency
• Likeliness of responding to outreach requests
• Contact information

I recommend compiling a list of at least a few hundred sources to try and connect with, as you are not going to be able to connect with every Webmaster or blogger you reach out to.

In my particular case, I compiled a list of sites and blogs that focused their content development efforts and subjects of discussion largely on topics that included terms: “American Red Cross,” “disaster relief,” “Philippines Support” Philippines Aide” and “Donating to the Philippines relief effort.”

Step 2: Outreach and Communication

Once you have your list of relevant third-party social hosts you want to connect with, it is critical that you draft a well-thought out letter of request. Your letter should include 101 e-mail marketing principles such as:

• Direct the attention of the letter to a specific person or party
• Be clear and concise in your message
• Offer specific language and examples that illustrate relevance in relationship and understanding of their brand
• Offer an incentive for following through on your request

Once you have made contact with what you feel is enough properties to connect with, make sure that your client and all receiving hosts understand the details and parameters surrounding the shipment of goods and the responsibilities each party is committed to for bringing the entire project to fruition.

You can make the process much easier for your contacts and conducive for gaining ideal results by providing them with specific copy, meta data and instructions for publishing.

Step 3: Monitor and Track Results

Just before you ship your products out to your third-party hosts, make sure you take note of your client’s backlink portfolio so you can understand the value of the campaign’s results.

Tools like Open Site Explorer are great for understanding any website’s interactions considering inbound links, percentage of anchor texts and total links acquired.

Once all goods have been sent out and your third-party hosts have replied by publishing content that links back to your client’s target landing pages, then begin tracking your results by reviewing Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools and other platforms like Open Site Explorer.

See how many new links your client acquires and what terms and landing pages each link supports. You should begin to see significant results after about three months considering the increase of visibility, traffic and volume of search listings for your client’s online environment.

Try It Out Yourself Before Jumping To Conclusions:

Before you go ahead and think that Matt Cutts is killing every popular solution for earning great links and before you regurgitate a million rehashed blogs you read online, try out some of these tactics for yourself.

It is the only way to truly understand how effective a particular social linking strategy is and at the end of the day, results are going to vary for each person who executes any strategy regardless of whether it is Product Focused Linking or a series of video testimonials.

This particular strategy has worked for me when I managed P&G’s Oral Care line and continues to provide substantial results in increasing visibility and search listings.

The consideration for whether Matt Cutts is going to penalize you or your clients for networking with relevant third-party hosts is never going to be an issue as long as you are working with quality partners and the results of your actions lead to a greater online experience for consumers.

The post Use Product-Focused Linking Campaigns To Earn Great Links and Increase Visibility appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

The issue that businesses constantly face is the fact that all of these guys rarely work in a cohesive way that allows brands to truly maximize their exposure, conversion and sales opportunities.

Search engines continue to evolve into platforms that demand high-quality, rich content that is supported with various metrics that calculate consumer value (reviews, comments, social shares). As this evolution continues to take place, SEO’s and offline marketers need to work together and combine their efforts so that brands can effectively drive offline consumers to their digital platforms.

In order for brands to maximize their search interest, traffic and sales opportunities, SEO’s need to look at the entire marketing wheel in order to understand how each media outlet interacts with each other.

Here are two ways that you can maximize your brand’s exposure and conversion opportunities by developing a coherent system where your offline marketing channels positively influence and support your digital campaign.

1. Set Up Your TV Advertising To Drive Offline Consumers To Your Branded Site

At the end of the day, offline marketing channels like TV are always going to harness a greater opportunity for conversion than anything that can be done through digital platforms.

The fact is, that while people are spending more time watching YouTube than TV, the vast majority of U.S. citizens’ own more television sets than tablet devices.  According to a 2012 report by Nielsen, consumers view approximately 145 hours of television each month compared to desktop and mobile usage at 34 hours.

That’s six whole days of consumption compared to a little over one!

Brands that invest in television advertising can maximize their traffic levels and increase immediate conversions by including Call-To-Actions in their commercials that drive offline viewers to their branded sites.

The online insurance provider, Esurance, is a phenomenal example to base your TV advertising off of, as they constantly develop content that shows offline consumers how to find their website and what to do when they arrive.

Let’s take a look…

Whenever an Esurance commercial appears on TV, the viewer is immediately introduced to the brand’s online domain and their telephone number. This allows the viewer to choose from two different options for how to contact the company.

After about 10 seconds into the commercial, the viewer is exposed to the brand’s main character who demonstrates how to sign onto a computer to search for insurance rates.

The commercial then quickly pans out to what the main character sees, which is the brand’s exact URL domain.

The next segment continues to drive home the fact that the main character is going to Esurance’s domain, as a side panel is offered to show that her eyes are glued to the brand’s website and exact URL.

The commercial then shows the audience how the main character is at her computer and how she has successfully landed on the brand’s website. It then directs viewers to what Esurance wants them to do once they arrive on their website, which is to click on the “Free Quote” call-to-action.

At the end of the 30 second commercial, the brand pushes their icon and domain to the viewer to establish user retention and top-of-mind awareness.

By creating television commercials that show offline viewers how they can successfully reach your brand’s website and what they should do once they arrive, you are able to push your name and offerings to a larger net of consumers who can be converted into new customers.

Not good enough?

Well, here are a number of other benefits for driving offline consumers to your online properties:

• Increase traffic
• Propel online search interest
• Excellent link acquisition
• Enhance keyword authority

2. Create Radio Ads To Drive Brand Awareness and Immediate Action

Radio is still a viable medium to solicit consumer response. According to Radio Ad Lab, 57% of radio use is derived from online consumers who listen to local stations while browsing or working.

These listeners are known to react immediately to what they hear on the radio including going to a website or making a direct purchase.

Even more exciting is the fact that 67% of all radio listeners say that radio ads help remind them to search online for specific forms of content.

With this, you can leverage your radio advertising in a way that consumers are exposed to your brand’s messaging and are pushed to your online properties.

Your ability to drive consumer engagement directly and indirectly provides an excellent opportunity to drive immediate online conversions for the “ready-to-buy” consumer.

Geico car insurance is an excellent example to base your brand’s radio advertising off of, as they continue to create effective ads that drive offline consumers to act on their digital properties.

One of their commercials outlines a family that is trying to save money by acting as if their bathroom is a water amusement park. The 30-second commercial ends with the narrator telling the listeners the brand’s singular message that they can save money by going to Geico.com to obtain a free insurance quote.

Making It All Work Together

If your brand develops offline advertising, you can effectively leverage these channels to support your online campaigns while positioning your business in a way that maximizes your reach and conversion opportunity.

By understanding the fact that offline consumers offer a much larger opportunity for online growth, you can develop in-depth strategies that target your audience in their homes, their cars, at work or in passing.

This type of opportunity allows you to successfully connect with consumers wherever they are and creates a revolving cycle of attracting new customers and converting them into returning visitors.

The post Set Up Your Offline Media To Maximize Your Online Exposure appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

With a proactive and agile approach, however, UGC is a powerful asset in any SEO arsenal. By making a deliberate effort, you can improve the user experience while concurrently improving your SEO results.

The UGC Basics

The purpose of UGC is to allow for the expression and sharing of:

• Problem Processing
• News
• Research
• Social Chatter
• Social Engagement
• Consumer Relationship Development

Content forms that can be turned into UGC include, but are not limited to:

• Q&A Databases
• Digital Video
• Blogging
• Podcasting
• Open Forums
• Review Sites
• Social Networking
• Social Media Environments (Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.)
• Mobile Photography/Video
• Wikis

The Role of UGC and Its Relationship with Social SEO

Social SEO is about optimizing social signals in order to increase search visibility. Therefore, UGC is the perfect complement to any social SEO campaign. The reason for this is that UGC platforms literally speak to, attract, and entice action from social audiences, in a way that maximizes overall search visibility for a particular digital campaign. Optimization takes place when audiences actually interact within a given environment, and create content through dialogue, interaction, and other reactive behaviors.

The number of individuals that engage in some form of UGC action at least once per month was projected to have grown by 32 million new users between 2008-2013. Consumers’ increased use of UGC environments has significantly reshaped the way brands develop their digital marketing and search strategies, as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has replaced the former marketing model of Top of Mind Advertising (TOMA).

Motivation for Consumers to Utilize UGC

User-Generated Content can be created on non-branded third-party digital environments like WebMD or Wikipedia, or live within a branded domain, either directly or indirectly in areas that are monitored and managed by administrators.

Users participating and developing messaging within UGC environments are motivated to create content by:

• Connecting with Peers:  Users collaborate with other like-minded members to develop and edit content in ways that allow for new advances to take place and be expressed. A great example of this is with the website/community message board, iVillage. This domain allows like-minded users to discuss their personal opinions on various themes that range from entertainment to issues regarding pregnancy and parenting. Users are not given any credit and do not receive any type of reward in exchange for offering their opinions.

• Self -Expression: Users create content that speaks to and promotes their personal views, opinions, likes, and dislikes. The e-commerce giant Amazon is a great example of this as users are able to discuss and present their personal beliefs on a variety of products that they interact with and purchase. The point of their interaction is to connect and inform other like-minded users who are interested in the same or similar products. They are offered no rewards in return, but are able to boost their own personal profile with Amazon.
• Fame or Prestige: Content is created by users who are not necessarily of a particular background or of a specific discipline. Content is developed by users without the expectation of profit or remuneration, but increasing personal equity and reach. Motivating factors include: connecting with like-minded peers, gaining personal notoriety, expanding personal reach and recognition, or self-expression. AMC held a contest where the viewers of their popular television show “The Walking Dead” were able to enter for the chance to become an extra in one episode. This particular contest drove offline users to their site, by offering a specific type of reward in exchange for users registering for the contest.
• Monetary/Rewards: Users either create new forms of content based on expectations set by the brand, or expand upon existing content through personal contact in order to receive something in return. This example is exemplified by a contest held by Peugeot Panama and reflects the desire for users to interact with a social contest that motivates users to engage with it, based on the exchange of prizes for the top winners.

Incentives for Consumers to Engage with UGC Opportunities

The value of UGC to the consumer is:

Implicit:

Opportunities for the individual user to describe and express their personal thoughts, feelings, views, and expertise allow them to feel good being a part of the online community.
Additional common social incentives are status, access to levels within a site, or something a user earns when they reach a certain level of participation, which may or may not come with additional privileges.

Content creation incentive programs can include point systems and Q&A platforms that reward users for creating and offering the “best” answer, as with Yahoo Answers.
Social incentives connect like-minded online consumers with each other, to create a system of epistemic closure where users are surrounded with other agreeing users and thus, the conversion process is easier to support and follow.

Explicit:

Offering rewards that are tangible in nature and offer direct results for the consumer and the host alike. Forms of financial rewards, contests, sweepstakes, coupons, and even offerings of frequent flyer miles are all examples of offerings that entice user comments, testimonials, frequent visitation and engagement.

Offering tangible rewards draws significant influx of traffic from relevant consumers who are often hooked into the branded environment for the duration of a particular campaign/contest. This allows for an increase of new consumers, an increase in return consumers, and strengthens the relationship between the brand and their audience.

When hosted within a social platform, the ability to extend one’s follower list increases significantly. As followers participate in such events and contests and share their actions with their list of friends and followers, they are essentially exposing thousands of new consumers to the brand and its current campaign.

Incentives for Brands to Incorporate UGC into Their Social SEO Campaigns

Brands should include forms of UGC in their social SEO strategies to enhance consumer relationships and increase search visibility. Creating opportunities for consumers to express themselves and their thoughts on a given subject or product typically increases the amount of time they spend within a branded environment. 

                                                         Fixodent Community Message Board

Setting up conversation threads, blogs, and other environments that allow for user comments and dialogue to take place encourages conversation and keeps consumers returning to see what others think about their comments. The accompanying Fixodent Community Message Board and corresponding search results page are examples of UGC driving not only increased consumer time with the brand, but also increased search results.

Increase Consumer Confidence: A report published by Search Engine Land in 2012 found that 72% of online consumers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. This is significant for brands who offer products directly on their website, as the ability to entice additional conversions increases with the amount of positive reviews that a user is exposed to.

Creating UGC opportunities that encourage personal comments, reviews, and testimonials will increase overall conversions and online sales, as like-minded individuals read and trust each other’s views and comments regarding a particular product.

Improve SEO and Search Visibility: UGC leads to a site that constantly generates new forms of content that you can submit to search engines. Doing so is an excellent way to increase one’s search visibility and associated metrics.

For brands and companies who are limited by budget or various legal considerations, UGC platforms allow brands to still develop new forms of content on a daily basis, at minimal cost (monitoring, technology, support costs, etc.).

Strategies such as creating open forums or community message boards allow consumers to populate one’s environment, and discuss anything that has to do with the brand. The conversation within these environments can be structured in ways that allow for:

• Filtering of inappropriate/illegal/competitive material to protect the host/brand
• Indexation of branded and non-branded target key phrases
• Link growth and generation
• Social development
• Growth of online authority – increased depth of online properties

In order to generate greater SEO benefits, your brand should join the conversation. Do not sell, though. Never sell. Instead, provide answers to questions, point to solutions to users’ problems, and just be helpful. By making the online interaction as valuable to your audience as possible, you’ll drive higher engagement, higher frequency of visits and more sharing.

And on the topic of sharing, try offering links to helpful guides, eBooks or videos to those conversing online, when your offer can truly help them towards achieving their objectives.  The greater the perceived value of the offering, the more likely these actively engaged online users will share your offering with others online, strengthening the social signals of your brand.

To take this approach to a deeper level, actively monitor the discussions and then develop new offerings that meet the stated and implicit needs of your audience. Get creative. You don’t necessarily need to limit your offerings to documents or videos. Offer a quick and easy contest to win products or a free consultation with a “celebrity expert” in the industry, etc. There are countless ways to engage to fuel greater online sharing. In this way, you’re in complete alignment with your audience’s interests and are continually generating highly shareable fresh content ahead of the competition.

Including UGC into Social SEO Makes Your Brand More Agile

User-Generated Content allows brands to increase their search visibility and enhance their CRM without having to allocate tens of thousands of dollars to building new content. In addition, UGC platforms allow brands to focus the majority of their time, energy and resources on other efforts within their social SEO campaigns while still benefiting from the constant stream of UGC content. User engagement takes place without (or with minimum) active moderation so online growth naturally continues in the forms of indexation, link earning, and follower development.

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