If you have been reading (and re-reading) Direct Marketing Update diligently, you’ll know that I often emphasize the importance of being specific.  

Rather than say “save hundreds,” it is better to say “save $522.25 on average every month.”

When you use specifics, you make your copy more believable and credible and it differentiates you from your competition. When it comes to pay-per-click search terms, you maximize your ability to target qualified prospects and avoid wasted costs on words that don’t deliver.

Here’s why…

Pay-per-click (PPC) keywords or search terms are important in attracting the right customer who might use your product or service.

So it is vital you find every possible related term your prospect might be searching for.

That’s why you must use highly targeted search terms.

For instance, if you are marketing a chiropractic service and use the term “back pain,” you will get people who are interested in the topic. But hundreds more who are not interested in a chiropractor will also click through, which will cost you money.

A more highly targeted search term would be “drug-free back pain relief” or “new back pain recovery.”

So don’t make the mistake of using just a handful of keywords.

The more keywords you use, the bigger the response. A pay-per-click campaign using only single or double keywords is unlikely to capture those prospects searching for something more specific.

The long-tail keyword-phrase (3 or more very specific words) searches bring in fewer responses than the general ones, but you don’t waste your money when your ads are clicked by the wrong prospect.

Creating a list of highly targeted, long-tail search terms your prospects might use will ensure low costs and high ROI.

And one last thing. Some marketers leave some very important web copywriting responsibilities to their web developers. Don’t make this mistake. Your metatags…image tags…and search terms…should all be handled by a professional web copywriter.

Looking to get bigger and better results from your next PPC campaign? Contact me today at craig@cdmginc.com.

No tags

When creating a landing page, microsite or website, I’ll often want to include some strategic download options.

If you are including direct downloads on your site, what you do with the names of your downloadable files is important to your SEO.

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Direct Marketing · Search engine optimization · SEO · Web strategy

You may remember in your last issue, I told you about embedding links in copy, the first of three key Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies that often get overlooked when developing websites and landing pages.

In this issue, we are going to talk about a second of these key strategies…

Commonly overlooked SEO strategy #2: Formatting your key words

Whenever possible, consider making your keywords and keyword phrases bold or italic.

By adding this extra formatting, you will help search engines like Google understand that the word in bold or italic is one of your key words.

However, be careful to do this while at the same time keeping your content editorially sound. In other words, don’t make it blatantly obvious to your readers that you are highlighting keywords or they may be turned off to it.

Formatting your key words may seem like a pretty simple idea, but it can make a major difference in where your site gets placed in the listings.

In your next full issue, I’ll share another highly successful but regularly unused SEO strategy.

My team and I have extensive experience creating SEO strategies that garner the maximum results. If you want to boost your response, email me at craig@cdmginc.com or give me a call at 310-212-5727.

Direct Marketing · key word · Search engine optimization · SEO · Web strategy

To make it easy for web searchers to find your site, you have to play by the SEO rules. The concept of SEO is designed to separate the spammers from the true content creators. Over the next few issues, we’ll take a look at simple but important tips to help improve your SEO.

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3 Commonly overlooked SEO strategies · Search engine optimization · SEO · web · Web strategy · websites

I’ve written extensively on the potential conversion increase you can get by adding a floater to your website or landing pages. (Read past Direct Marketing Update articles: Little-known ways to double or triple your online leads and Do floaters really work?)

Here’s more proof that the floater increases sign-ups…

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Direct Marketing · floater · Lead generation · online marketing · pop-up · Testing corner · Web strategy · websites

A full 71% of Internet users watch videos, and a large chunk of that is taking place on YouTube. After all, YouTube is the second-largest search engine and the third most-visited site on the web—behind Google and Facebook.

24 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every single minute, and the site attracts hundreds of millions of viewers every month.

So how can you get your video in front of these viewers? Here are 5 tips to improve your video’s ranking on YouTube:

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Internet · SEO · Social Media · Social Networking

I frequently get emails from readers who feel overwhelmed by all the changes they need to make to improve their e-commerce sites. If you feel that way from time to time, this week’s Web Strategy is for you.

There’s one quick and easy thing you can do to increase sales: Make your “Add to cart” and “Buy now” buttons bigger and bolder.

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landing page · web · Web strategy · websites

The appeal of paid search has grown as the economy falters. But it’s not the clicks that count—it’s conversions. In the next few issues of Direct Marketing Update, I’ll share the secrets to landing page success that will help you turn your site visitors into customers.

Landing Page Success Secret #1: A one-size-fits-all landing page is not going to cut it.

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Direct Marketing · landing page · Web strategy

Want to generate new leads? Start with your websites and landing pages.

One of the lead-generating tactics I use for my clients is known as a “floater.” True to its name, it’s a separate box that floats on top of your web page. It’s similar to a pop-up, but it can’t be filtered out by pop-up blockers. It appears a few seconds after the reader arrives at your site.

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landing page · web · Web strategy · websites

When is an email-capture page a rapid conversion landing page? The answer is…all the time! We call an email-capture page…or “squeeze page,” a rapid conversion landing page (RCLP).

And what is the RCLP for? Your RCLP is there to capture an email address in exchange for a complimentary gift (like a report or other product).

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html buttons · rapid conversion landing page