You’ve done everything right. You’ve researched your keywords (and those of your competitors), you’ve beefed up your meta tags, you’ve created highly optimized and compelling content, you’ve optimized for local search  . . . heck, you’ve even optimized the file names of the images you’re using! You take a deep breath, look and log in to view your analytics, and, drum roll . . . traffic is static? Or worse, it’s a little down? What could have gone wrong?

Actually, something may have gone very right. If you’ve done a thorough job with SEO, you may have met the needs of your users so well that they don’t even need to click through to your site. “Come again,” you say?

Here’s the thing: depending on the nature of your business, customers may not need to get to your site once they see you in search results. This is exactly what happened to one of our clients, a surfing company in Hawaii. We optimized its site heavily for local search, and as a result, users now see the business name, address, website and phone number near the very top of the results for "Surf lessons in Waikiki."

At that point, it's just as people to call up and ask about lessons and tours as it is to visit the site (this is doubly true if the person is searching on a smartphone).

If a lot of users bypass your website but call instead, then you won’t see a bump in traffic. But you should—like Big Wave Dave—see a bump in sales. And if sales are up, then your SEO has paid off—literally!

It's that time again. At CDG, we're beginning work on our fifth iAd. We've set the bar high for ourselves, and we're trying to out-do our extremely high metrics for user engagement and conversion rates. Let the concepting begin!

Above, the newest addition to CDG's design team, Marina Linderman, pitches ideas to Creative Director Matthew Snyder.

Matthew records the ideas provided by the design team. At this stage in our creative process, no idea is too out-there or strange. We'll edit and refine them over the next week as we hone in on a creative concept on which to base the iAd.

Perfecting search engine optimization is a bit like playing whack-a-mole. Just when you have your eye on a sure-fire SEO tactic, it becomes moot (or less effective) and another one springs up somewhere else. Anyone who tells you they have the secret to perfect SEO probably also has a very affordable bridge to sell you.

Still, there are tried and true methods to optimizing your site for search, and some are not as obvious as you might think. For the purposes of this post, I’m going to focus on the best way to optimize copy on a page-by-page basis. This is only one part of any solid SEO strategy (we’ll tackle other pieces, like link-building later), but it’s of course one of the most essential.

While you’re creating your content, pay attention to these items:

Obviously, keywords are at the heart of any well-optimized page, so before you start writing, do you research. Be thorough, and make sure to not only look at the keywords you’re currently planning to target, but also research the keywords for which your competitors are optimizing. Google trends is a great starting point, and it’s free. It will tell you the terms people are actually using, what’s becoming more popular, and much more. Paid tools like SpyFu  and SEMRush are handy in looking at your competitors.

Once you’ve got keywords, you’ve got to know what to do with them. Which leads us to .  .  .

Your page title is the first thing people will see. Think of it as the subject line for your content. Only the first 65 characters of the title will be viewable to users, so keep it short. And for best results, lead off with your key words. For example, if you’re optimizing on “car insurance quotes.”

• Good: Get Free & Fast Car Insurance Quotes from ABC Insurance
• Better: Car Insurance Quotes: Free & Fast at ABC Insurance

Example of a well-optimized page title for the search term "budget hotels in San Francisco"

Aside from the title, your description is your most important meta content, as it also shows up in search engine results and can be very effective in convincing a user to click. When you write your description, use your keywords judiciously and focus it on what the user most wants to see.  If they’re searching for the best price on a hotel room, lead with your special rates, not the fact that you’ve been open for 25 years. If you take the time to craft a descriptions that are relevant to each page, you’ll increase the odds that people will find what they expect—and that will reduce your bounce rate.  And remember: Keep those descriptions to 165 characters or less.

Images can be surprisingly effective weapons in your SEO arsenal. Make sure every contextual image has a caption and alt tag peppered with keywords. The alt tag is especially important, as the first 255 characters of it will show up in the increasing powerful Google image search. Use your keywords to intelligently label and describe.

• OK: “child on a swingset”
• Better: “child on a swingset with a nanny from ABC Agency”
• Best:  “A certified nanny from ABC agency plays on the swings with a child in New Jersey”

And that’s not all. You can even improve your results by using keywords in the file name (e.g. ABC-Agency-nanny-with-child.jpg).

A well-optimized page relies primarily on the content itself. (And really, what’s the point in driving people to a page with crappy content anyway?)  When writing your content, use—but don’t overuse—your keywords. There’s no magical formula to figure out optimal keyword density, but you definitely don’t want the page to sound like it’s been optimized. If you can read it aloud and it has a natural-sounding flow, you’re probably on the right track. Equally important is the structure of your page. Make sure to use keyword-rich headers and subheads, and make sure your code uses <h1> and <h2> tags to call those out.

Et voila! Implement these five steps and on your way to the world’s most dazzlingly optimized page. That’s only the start, though. Once you’ve dealt with your own pages, you need to look beyond your own site, with link-building, blogger outreach, social media efforts, etc. But we’ll save that for another post. Check back soon for more!

Need help understanding how to optimize your site for search? Contact CDG & let our experts work with you on a comprehensive SEO strategy.

That headline is not a rhetorical question. If you can’t answer it, you should absolutely, positively avoid any temptation to follow the herd onto Pinterest. Like any social media channel, Pinterest is just another way to reach out to a wider audience, and like all the others, it requires significant care and feeding. So let’s take a minute and figure out if it’s right for you.      

Pinterest Could Work for You If . . .

Just because “everyone’s” on Pinterest doesn’t mean you have to be there too. (Remember what your mom said re: jumping off bridges with friends?) Yet Pinterest is potentially an great channel for many different kinds of businesses, particularly if:

• You have something to sell—If you’re selling something—from earmuffs, to gourmet meals, to hotel reservations—Pinterest could be a fantastic marketing tool for you. Consumers like to see what they’re getting and the richness of Pinterest’s layout allows you to showcase your products and services in a visually compelling way.
• You have something to say—Non-profits and advocacy groups can use Pinterest to highlight key facts, slogans and taglines that support their mission. (CDG’s client, the Ms. Foundation for Women) does this beautifully.
• You have something to teach—Data visualization, when it’s done well, is an incredibly effective way of communicating. Take a look here for some great examples. If you have key facts or numbers that you want your audience to remember, Pinterest might be able to help spread that message.
• You have a story to tell—“Show, don’t tell,” is a tenet of good storytelling. Pinterest can aid you here. If your company or organization has a long history, an intriguing backstory, or compelling customer service stories, you may be able to tell those very effectively via images on Pinterest.

Great! Your business meets one (or more) of the criteria above. Hooray! Off to Pinterest!

. . . But Wait! There’s the Little Matter of Content

Yes, now I’m going to be a killjoy. Pinterest might be a great fit for your business in theory, but a terrible idea in practice. As with all social media channels, it boils down to one word: CONTENT.

Remember all of those Pinterest boards for your wonderful products? And your great infographics? And your snazzy quotes? They’ll need to be filled and updated with a steady flow of images. Before you get on Pinterest you’ve got to be darn sure that you have the assets to support your presence, now and into the future.

Do you have a photographer, a designer, and/or a graphic artist to produce your images? If not, think twice and three times about Pinterest. Because Pinterest is not only about images, it’s about beautiful, compelling images. The absolute worst thing you could do is to have a Pinterest account filled with sub-par imagery.

Make an Informed, Guilt-Free Choice

Using Pinterest well is a tall order for a lot of businesses. If it’s not right for you, that’s not the death knell for your social media efforts. In fact, it can be a great boost to them. Instead of wasting valuable time and resources on Pinterest, use them to make your Facebook page and Twitter account work better for you. In other words, it’s OK to walk away and say, “Hey, Pinterest, it’s not you, it’s me.”

Check out more advice on using Pinterest successfully for business. And if you need more help with your social media strategy, Contact CDG.

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks at CDG, punctuated by the launch of several high-profile international sites for Australia-based travel insurance company Cover-More. Over the past week, we’ve launched a total of four sites serving B2C markets in New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

Cover-More New Zealand: An Immersive Experience

Cover-More Travel Insurance New Zealand is a major milestone in our ongoing collaboration to rebrand and enhance the online B2C presence for Cover-More. The core of new site is a streamlined and intuitive quote process that makes it easy for users to select and purchase the best travel insurance product for their needs.

The site’s design and content frames the quote process in an immersive environment that serves up customized information about the destinations where the user intends to travel.  (In addition to providing a compelling experience for the user, this vast library of content is also optimized to draw organic search traffic.)

Built in CDG’s content management system, ZeusCMS, the site integrates with Cover-More’s purchase process for a seamless user experience.

“We intended to create a site that’s not only highly usable, but that also pushes the boundaries of what you expect from an insurance site,” says CDG President Scott Adams, “We came up with an environment that both appeals to a traveler’s sense of adventure and presents Cover-More insurance as a valuable addition to your travel experience.”

Malaysia Airlines: An Integrated Approach

In addition to offering travel insurance in a B2C environment, Cover-More also partners with travel providers who want to make travel insurance available to their customers. That’s case with Malaysia Airlines. CDG worked with Cover-More to create an experience that integrates with the airline’s existing brand and website, while providing users with all the information they need in order to make a smart decision about travel insurance coverage.

Malaysia Airlines customers can get a quote on travel insurance before or after purchasing their tickets.  The travel insurance section on the site provides a fast and easy quote and purchase process, as well as comparisons of the available policies, and quick, scannable information about the benefits of travel insurance.

Customers who don’t initially choose to get travel insurance have a second chance after they purchase their airline tickets. An ad on the confirmation page provides a fast track to the quote process.

The travel insurance section is integrated into Malaysia Airlines' Singapore, Australia, and Malaysia sites.

To find out how CDG can help you create more effective digital environments, contact us.

Score one for 51% of the population! CDG has just launched forwomen.org, the new website for the Ms Foundation for Women. The launch marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Ms. Foundation, which has been a driving force in the women’s movement since 1973.

The Ms Foundation is the premiere organization in the United States that addresses the entire spectrum of women’s issues—from reproductive health to equal pay to child sexual abuse and much more. In recent years, Ms had directed much of its energy to grant-making and grassroots activities and kept a lower profile with the general public.

Last year, the organization decided to complement its grant-making focus with increased supporter engagement. They were ready to be bold, provocative and even controversial, and they turned to CDG to execute a site and strategy that matched their vision.

The result is forwomen.org, an energetic and somewhat irreverent site that compels users to get mad, get motivated, and get involved on women’s issues. The centerpiece of the site is its “Action of the Week”; each week visitors to the site are given a new action to take on behalf of a specific women’s issue. (This week, Ms is asking you to tweet and email key members of Congress and tell them to pass the Violence Against Women Act before the end of the year.)

CDG also worked with Ms to streamline the site’s content and present it in a way that would appeal to a wider, yet targeted audience within the “general public.” Visually vibrant and arresting, the site highly integrated with social media, and is designed to encourage activism and education through sharing among an ever-expanding community of followers.

“We are thrilled to share our new website with the world,” says Kelly Parisi, vice president of communications for the Ms. Foundation for Women, “It is the perfect vehicle to raise awareness about our issues, reach a new audience, and expand our base. CDG truly integrated with our team to create an exciting and compelling digital platform to carry us into the future.”

We at CDG are extremely proud to unveil this powerful new site ForWomen!