There has been a lot of conversation on the web regarding social media and search engine optimization – but what does this union really mean? With people actually interacting online, rather than just going online to seek information – the web as a whole is moving in a more social direction. As the shift to social is showing no signs of slowing down, the search engines are continuing to focus their algorithms on how people share content with their online communities via social media. Facebook, Twitter, +1, blogging, YouTube and Quora – are just a few of the social networks that now greatly affect the way search results are calculated in the major search engines.

A few of the many trends associated with “social search” include: personalized search results, social media feed integration, side-wikis and search engines recognizing sites with Twitter feeds and other forms of social ratings. While search engines are now including social functionality, social networking sites are also enhancing their search functionality. Searches are now taking place on destinations other than search engines. According to comScore, Facebook is among the top ten destinations in terms of total search volume. Facebook and Bing have created a relationship to show Bing’s search results within the Facebook’s internal search results. These search trends that have evolved as a result of the marriage of social and search are changing how people use the Internet and why.

What does this mean for your business? This means your company website, social media sites, blogs and your online press releases have to attract a target audience that wants to comment, share and suggest your content to others in their online communities. The core of search engine marketing is to make online content more visible, shareable, and engaging for users – and the more your content is shared via social media, the better it does in organic search results. In other words, the more effective a company’s social media presence, the greater the listening power of the search engines.

The union of social and search is in harmony with the latest Google algorithm update – the Panda Update. Google’s Panda Update zeroes in on unique and engaging content, and as a result, awards better search rankings to higher quality content. What this means is that each press release, tweet or other form of content can help your organization reach more viewers, convert more leads, appeal to search engines and even trigger additional content creation.

Aside from the integration of social media content into search engine results, social networking sites have the power to affect search engine rankings in other ways. Any good search strategy is focused on relevance, and social media is becoming one of the major indicators of relevance. Keyword-rich content and inbound links have always been two of the strongest components of effective search engine optimization strategies and the social promotion of content has the power to generate natural links. The effect of social media initiatives on inbound links cannot be underestimated. Blogging, engagement via Facebook/Twitter, and other social media activities have a direct impact on the quantity, and more importantly, the quality, of editorially awarded links that your site can benefit from. For example around 25% of all Tweets contain a URL, which makes Twitter a great platform to share quality content with the masses.

When it comes to social and search – “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Your potential and current customers are using both, and the existing web infrastructure involves interplay between the two. It is a vital part of your Internet marketing strategy to take a holistic approach to both search and social. Using search and social media to find what they’re looking for online – give them the tools to do this. A new study from GroupM Search developed with comScore sheds light on the causal relationship between social and search, and how they influence the conversion path.

A few main points to take away from this study include:

• In 58% of all consumer journeys that end in purchase, the starting point is a search
• Consumers who convert are equally likely to use a combination of search and social (48%) as opposed to just search (51%)
• When it comes to aiding the purchase decision, the top social option is user reviews (30%)
• 45% use search throughout the purchase process versus 26% only at the beginning and 18% only at the end

As the line between search and social continues to blur – you will want your brand to be prominent in search and on social media. When one goes up, the other goes up, as search and social rely on the appropriate implementation of the other, illustrating an inversely proportional relationship.

In the end, social media increases your online presence as well as your search engine optimization, in turn calling great attention to this unique relationship. If your company is producing ground-breaking, informative and useful content, you will naturally turn up on the top of the SERPs because people will share it via social networks. If not, enhance your online marketing strategy and improve the quality of your content to compete with other companies who have embraced the convergence of search and social.

Looking to increase awareness and funding for your charity or non-profit organization? Look no further than search engine optimization. In 2010 charity organizations in the United States alone collected near $300 billion in donations. Studies have shown a large majority of this funding was done online.

With the advancement of technology and the explosion of social media marketing, non-profits now have the ability to create a strong online presence, and reach audiences that would have otherwise never known about their cause. Whether a non-profit organization is looking to reach a target audience, attract sponsors or donors, or provide educational information, there is no better way to communicate in today’s busy world than through a website. But is your non-profit’s website getting found online?  If you are not getting found in the search engines, then you are not getting found by people who have not yet been introduced to your brand.

Search engine optimization (SEO)  refers to designing and structuring your website content, so the search engines are likely to find your site and know what it is about. SEO includes the strategic placement of keywords in your content and using other methods, such as linking and social media, to get your site on that first page of Google for your selected keywords. An increasing number of non-profits and advocacy groups are beginning to leverage search engine opitimization best practices to help promote their cause, and to connect with more potential supports and donors. Below are a six tips for non-profit’s to follow to reap the benefits of search engine optimization and help promote their mission online.

1.) Get in the mind of the search engine users. You can best answer this question by using a keyword research tool, such as Google AdWords to find the words your audience is using to find information on your specific non-profit sector. Type a couple of phrases you would use to describe your core services, and the program will return additional search terms that searchers are using to find information. Choose about five keywords and create a consistent keyword strategy. This includes incorporating these specific words into your website content, blog posts and other online communications.

• Google has launched a nonprofit website program- with free domains, hosting and Adwords money for any companies that qualify. The Google site set up for this wants to help nonprofits “reach and engage supporters, improve you operations and raise awareness for your cause.”

2.) Get listed. Online directories, specifically local directories and industry-related directories, are an excellent way to attract the attention on the search engines. Search engines place heavy interest on these directories because they are a place where one can go to gather a lot of useful information (how can you find a company or organization if you don’t know where they are and how to reach them?). Since the goal of search engines is to report websites with the most relevant results, directories often receive high rankings. The search engines like to see your website associated with your phone, number address, etc. If you are not already listed in directories, Guide Star, – Guide Star is the most complete source of information about U.S. nonprofits, and is an excellent place to list your business.

3.) Link up. Your supporters love you, but do they “link love” you? One of the most crucial factors for boosting your search engine rankings is having incoming links from relevant, credible websites. This is where non-profits have the leg up. Your organization likely has a lot of companies that support your cause, have them show this on their website. Many organizations will be glad to do this to boost their public image, and don’t be afraid to take advantage of this. Also, encourage people in your community to link to your site, this includes: vendors, volunteers, similar non-profit organization, and local government sites. Another way to gain more links is to be a guest blogger or article writer on related blogs or websites, just be sure to include a link back to your website.

Don’t forget to make linking easy for other websites – make sure your content is easily shareable. Do this by provide logos, badges, or widgets that your supporters can easily plug into their own web sites.  You can find an excellent example of this at: http://www.karlasmithfoundation.org/. Since 2005, The Karla Smith Foundation has worked to combat the stigma of mental illness, and in 2009, partnered with the BringChange2Mind campaign, co-founded by actress Glenn Close. Each of these two organizations has each other’s logo on their website to increase each organization’s visibility and awareness. Reaching out to other sites, can do more than just help your non-profits search engine results, it can also expands your community of  donors, volunteers and supporters.

4.) Write.Share.Repeat. Generating online content for SEO purposes is an excellent approach that also gives you the chance to tell your stories, share your accomplishments and generate buzz, which in turn gives your brand a personality – an important things for non-profits.  Search engines love new content; make sure your website, blogs and other online assets are updated frequently with original content, unique metadata and internal linking.Whether its blogging to tell a specific story of how your non-profit made a difference in someone’s life, looking to get donors or volunteers, giving advice, or increasing awareness about a fundraising event—nonprofits have the opportunity to create original, unique and meaningful content – which is exactly what the search engines are looking for. Another benefit of blogging is that it increases the likelihood of other sites linking to your content.

5.) Get social. I’m sure seen Microsoft’s Bing commercials– but just in case you haven’t, the search engines are now taking your Facebook friends’ opinions into consideration when it comes to search results. Search engines have become increasingly social, as Google and Bing have begun incorporating social content and activity into their ranking factors. This fastening of hands between search and social is a good thing for those looking for a way to boost SEO.  The partnership between SEO and social is constantly evolving  in an effort to keep results fresh, relevant and personal. The continued integration of social media in their marketing efforts can only help non-profit organizations, a great candidate for social media marketing, meet and exceed many different goals. Social media is a platform that allows people to participate in a conversation about what they think, feel and care about, making social media and excellent space for the non-profit sector to continue to explore.

For example, a lot of Facebook Pages have sprouted up to help residents find loved ones and help in the recovery process, such as the Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery Page . With a lot of people looking for a way to help Joplin recover for this disaster, these pages are likely to show up in search results if the searcher has friends in their social media networks that ‘like’ the page.

6.) Make it easy for your website user. Someone came to your website, they read your content, they are interested in your cause and want to help. What do they do now? Be sure each page of your website has a clear call to action. These actions can include: Donate now, Volunteer, Sign up for our Newsletter, and other calls to action. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to gain another supporter, make your website user-friendly and let your visitors know how they can help.

In conclusion, when non-profits implement search engine optimization best practices, the results will follow. While seeing results from search engines optimization may take some time, it is worth the wait.  The higher your website is ranked in search results, the more opportunities you have to create a lasting impression in the hearts, minds (and pockets) of sponsors, volunteers, other non-profits and donors.

Want to learn more about non-profit online marketing for your St. Louis Non-Profit? Join The Net Impact, The Karla Smith Foundation and other Non-Profit organizations on on Tuesday June 21st to hear Non-Profit success stories and valuable tactics for a variety of budgets from professionals in the non-profit sector. Find more information and register for the FREE nonprofit seminar.

Branding your personal Facebook page:
If you mention the company you work for anywhere on your Facebook page, you must commit to treating it like a business account.

To maintain consistency throughout your branding campaign use the same photo that you will use for your Twitter avatar, your blog avatar, YouTube avatar, etc.  The objective in branding yourself is much the same as advertising a product; you want it to be easily recognizable.

Search Engine Optimize your Facebook page.
Another key aspect of a branding campaign includes search engine optimization.  Social networks give users the opportunity to optimize their page through places like the Vanity URL, “About” box, and the “Info” tab.

Vanity URL
Upon creating a Facebook page, users are given the opportunity to choose a “Vanity URL.”  What name will people use to search for you online?  Create a Vanity URL (if available) that is in direct correlation to the brand you are creating whether it be your name or the name you are most known by in business.  Creating a vanity URL will allow search engines to find you through yet another avenue, Facebook.

About Me
The “About Me” box on a profile page also gets indexed by search engines.  Take advantage of this opportunity to include your website and a phrase (including keywords) about yourself.

Info
The “Info” section is often overlooked because it isn’t immediately noticed when landing on a Facebook page.  It should, however, still be taken full advantage of because search engine crawlers need food and they will bite at an opportunity to index any page.  Include your website, your twitter handle, all of the social networks you maintain a presence on, and also include keywords that correlate with your industry.

Branding your personal Twitter account:

Select an SEO-Friendly Twitter Handle
Just as choosing an SEO-friendly URL is important, a Twitter handle (username) should be as well.
Why?  Twitter handles have their own customized URL which creates a static address for future indexing; Twitter URLs are indexed by search engines the same as any other URL.

Select an SEO-Friendly Account Name
Yes, this matters as well.
Choosing the proper account name helps brand companies – it can also be a great resource for search engines.  Determine which variation of your brand’s name is searched the most each month.
Google Adwords is an excellent tool for determining the most effective keywords.

Don’t Forget the “Bio” Section
The biography section is yet another avenue to include keywords.  Twitter bios are consistently indexed; crucial keywords should be used in the [160 character] description of the company.

How Effective is the Tweet’s Lead?
The first few words (42 characters) of every tweet will appear in search engine results next the account name and username.  These first 42 characters of the tweet will impact SEO as well.

The body of tweets is also likely to be indexed by search engine rankings
Utilize relevant keywords relating to the brand to increase search results on those terms.

Is the Message Re-Tweetable?
Twitter allows companies to share their information with others, and hope others will find it useful and share it as well.  A tweet’s length must be less than 140 characters if the intention is to have others re-tweet it; if the tweet is too long, the last few characters of the tweet will be dropped.
Re-tweets are indexed on search engines as well and will have a positive effect on a company’s search engine ranking.

Call to Action
Twitter pages should have a call to action.  Just as companies encourage people to look at their website, visitors can also be invited to visit a Twitter page.  Because a Twitter page’s URL is indexed as a website, companies have yet another opportunity to increase their search engine rankings and another avenue on which to promote their brand.

Branding all of your social channels requires each to be cohesive with one another.  The same “voice” should be used in each post/tweet/update; the same photo should be used on profiles across all channels to build brand recognition.

Optimizing Your YouTube Account
Posting videos of yourself sharing education information about your industry can help build credibility amongst other professionals, future employers, and prospects.

Title
Create a keyword rich title; make it as long and descriptive as you can. Every word counts.

Video Description
Begin your video description with your personal website address. Then include your name and the video description.  Again, include as many keywords as you can that correlate to your industry.

Tags
It is imperative to include keyword tags for your video – preferably the same ones used throughout the video description.

Date and Location
In order for your video have a higher likelihood of appearing in local search results, include the date you created the video and the location when prompted to do so on YouTube’s map.

Personal social networks can also include presentation sharing sites such as SlideShare, DocStoc, etc.  Whatever platform you use to distribute information, be sure your profile is filled out in its entirety and that the profile picture you choose matches the avatars from each social network utilized for your personal branding campaign.

How will you translate your website?
Technical Translation

Technical translation means translating the information from your company’s website into the target language, by native speakers in your company’s country.
Example: If you are a company in the United States and you want your website translated into German, be sure than the translator is someone from the U.S. who speaks German to ensure your message is delivered correctly.  Neglecting to do this may result in a mistranslation.

How will you translate your marketing materials?
Marketing Translation

Marketing materials generally grab a reader’s attention when they speak to the soul of the reader.  By doing this, the company lures in a potential client then turns them into paying customers. Technical translation does not always convey the same “emotional” marketing message as was in the original language, and this is where, many times, the message gets lost in translation.

To do this, companies must take the content from the “technical translation”, and have it re-written by a marketing copywriter to make it less technical and more relatable.

Are you considering your global audience?
Only 7 countries, and 30% of Internet users, have English as their first language.

If you have an E-Commerce website, remember: Research has shown that buyers are 10 times more likely to buy from a website that is in their own language. (www.markettheglobe.com)

Each version of your website needs to be localized down to the graphics, colors, and text.  It is imperative that companies take the time to tailor each version of their website to the specific target market.

Are you researching popular search engines from other countries?
Google isn’t the go-to search engine across the globe.

Read more on multilingual websites.

Below you will find the AdAge statistics and the influence Facebook has gained across the globe.

1.      Even relatively poor populations now consider TV a necessity.

2.      Despite the Internet, we’re watching more television- not less.

3.      The world is watching Football and American Idol-like contests relative to the particular country.

4.      Though the United States and Europe are losing newspaper circulation, the rest of the world is experiencing a “boom” in newspapers.

5.      Global Facebook Usage:

a.       6 hours per day per user.

b.      517 million users.

c.      70% of users live outside of the United States.

d.      Average “fan” is 31 years old.

e.      Average “fan” follows 9 brands.

f.        95% will advocate for the brand if necessary.

6.      Cyber cafes are the entry for emerging market populations to get online.

7.      Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Indonesia lead the world in online video consumption.

8.      Internet usage rates are determined by access costs.  Mobile is not.

9.      Netbooks, e-readers, and tablets will drive growth of Internet use.

10.   The forecast for the world’s future media habits: More.

AdAge reports that time spent on computers has tripled over the past decade among youths 8 years old to 18 with the bulk of time spent on social media.  Is your company prepared for the future of advertising?

To view the report, visit the Advertising Age website.

Utilizing Hotpot for Cities
Step by Step:

1)      Create a Google Places nickname.

• Ratings of places are public on the web – even to those who aren’t in your network.

2)      Choose a photo.

• Your photo should be consistent with your city/organization’s logo.

3)      Click “Start rating.”

4)      Google will ask you to enter a category and establish your location to start rating places.

• Example: City

5)      Once you have entered Hotpot, you can begin rating local places related to the keyword you typed in such as libraries, city museums, even the mayor’s office.

• Ratings range from “Hated It” to “Best Ever”

6)      Places to rate can be filtered by:

• Places you’ve previously visited on the web.

• Places you have saved while logged into Google Places on your mobile phone.

• Places you have previously rated on Google Places.

• Places your Hotpot network has rated.

7)      After you rate the individual venues, Hotpot will ask you to explain why you chose that rating.

• Google will also provide you with specifics about the venue to be rated with either a happy or sad face.

8)      Once you have rated at least 3 places in the category you are searching in, Google’s Hotpot will provide you with recommendations based on what you’ve liked and disliked in your reviews.

Once users have established a solid network of “friends” on Hotpot, Google will use their reviews to recommend places to you in the event that you are out of town and are looking for a particular type of establishment.   This is an excellent resource for visitors not wishing to write a review but to find out what people like themselves enjoy.

Hotpot’s one downfall is that it is not as infused with social networks as many of its competitors such as Bing and Yelp – Hotpot is its own social network.  Hotpot is solely an extension of Google applications such as Google Places and Google Maps but its mobile integration may make up for the lack of social integration and the fact that nearly everyone with access to the web uses Google.  Google Hotpot can be accessed through Google Maps and Places both on a PC and mobile devices, and the Hotpot mobile application can be used with any Android (1.6 and above) and the iPhone.

To ensure your city, government or any establishment with a physical address appears in Hotpot’s search results, you must register with Google Places.  Be sure to include as much keyword-rich information about your business as possible, and include pictures.

To try Google Hotpot for yourself and review your city/government establishment, visit http://www.google.com/hotpot.

Select an SEO-Friendly Account Name
Yes, this matters as well.
Choosing the proper account name helps brand companies – it can also be a great resource for search engines.  Determine which variation of your brand’s name is searched the most each month.
Google Adwords is an excellent tool for determining the most effective keywords.

Don’t Forget the “Bio” Section
The biography section is yet another avenue to include keywords.  Twitter bio’s are consistently indexed; crucial keywords should be used in the [160 character] description of the company.

How Effective is the Tweet’s Lead?
The first few words (42 characters) of every tweet will appear in search engine results next the account name and username.  These first 42 characters of the tweet will impact SEO as well.

The body of tweets are also likely to be indexed by search engine rankings
Utilize relevant keywords relating to the brand to increase search results on those terms.

Is the Message Re-Tweetable?
Twitter allows companies to share their information with others, and hope others will find it useful and share it as well.  A tweet’s length must be less than 140 characters if the intention is to have others re-tweet it; if the tweet is too long, the last few characters of the tweet will be dropped.
Re-tweets are indexed on search engines as well and will have a positive effect on a company’s search engine ranking.

Call to Action
Twitter pages should have a call to action.  Just as companies encourage people to look at their website, visitors can also be invited people to visit a Twitter page.  Because a Twitter page’s URL is indexed as a website, companies have yet another opportunity to increase their search engine rankings and another avenue on which to promote their brand.  Companies can use their Twitter page to share links that will direct readers back to the company’s website.

Making the most of social media networks will increase online presence, attract attention to a business, and increase traffic web traffic.  A successful website can be defined as a site which receives as much traffic from social media sites as it does from search engines.

Read the full set of promotional guidelines

Along with the launch of Bing and its joining with Yahoo for search, the social media websites are starting to assert their presense. All of these present challenges to Google and the status quo. My feeling is that Google is staffed by a lot of very sharp people and like other successful companies will adapt and most likely succeed quite well.

It seemed that the Bing team was very excited about their future. I can only guess how they felt in years past where there product really wasn’t that competitive. They don’t feel that anymore. Bing is focusing on the entertainment, travel and shopping spaces initially. From the data we are seeing with our customers, it seems they are doing quite well in this area. We even have one customer where Bing is driving a higher number of visitors to a site.  Last year, nobody but Google was really even on the radar for search referals.

I’ll put together a number of posts on this show. As a team, we attended over 35 presentations, panel discussions and lectures.