In the previous posts, we discussed Search Marketing Planning if you are in the beginning or stages of your SEM program. This post will be discussing search marketing project ideas for companies in the intermediary stages of the search programs.

Intermediate Programs: What to Include in Your Search Marketing Plan

1. Participate in content marketing: 90% of B2C marketers and 86% of B2B marketers are participating in content marketing according to a 2014 Content Marketing Institute study. Most of your competitors are likely participating in content marketing and it is advised that you participate to stay ahead of your competition and improve your organic rankings and paid media results.
2. Create engaging content: You can create engaging content by creating emotional connections with your audience or by delivering content that your audience is searching for.  During one of my previous webinars, I outlined keyword trends gaining momentum. People are searching in more complete sentences with longer queries, typically looking for educational content.
3. Conduct holiday promotions: We have seen high search volume for queries such as “black friday deals” or “ofertas de black friday.” If you are an ecommerce site, it is important to take advantage of the opportunity. Keep in mind what the holidays are in different countries, the languages people use, and note that some holidays such as Black Friday may also be popular in other countries besides just the U.S.
4. Be present within local searches: 78% of local-mobile searches result in an offline purchase, according to a 2014 ComScore study. Leverage local ad extensions such as Get Directions or Click-to-Call. For SEO, make sure you gather high quality reviews, link to your local profiles from your main website, and create local profiles on Yelp, Google Places, etc.
   
5. Conduct tests and experiments for paid media: How will you know what works best for your company? Conduct A/B testing for your paid media campaigns. Have an experimental budget in order to see which avenues work best.
6. Localize content for international search: With some of my international clients, I analyze how to correctly target their audience in different countries. Setup a good technical foundation for international search engines including Google, Naver, Yandex, Baidu, etc. Don’t just translate your content, localize it. Make sure you are optimizing for the correct terms (e.g. “smartphones” vs. “mobile phones”). Be present on the correct social platforms and local online properties.

Summary

If this list seems a little too advanced for you, please see my previous blog for companies in the beginning stages of their search marketing programs. If this list seems too easy, I will be creating a post for more advanced programs. Otherwise, try to include some of these projects in your search marketing plans for 2015. If you can only complete a few, make sure those few are done completely and perfectly.

If you have any questions about the project ideas above, feel free to reach out to me or comment below.