MediaVision Blog : Search Engine Marketing

Some businessmen make impressive transactions with the currency of body language. They hold your gaze, keep their shoulders and hands open to you, and in the case of Lyndon B Johnson (thirty-sixth US president) invade your personal bubble. The power of body language lies in its proximity to our normal reception of stimuli. We see, hear, perhaps smell, that a product is superior, and we’re sold. Now that the majority of commercial sales has entered the realm of cyberspace, we need to translate the power of natural, honest persuasion to the net. You see, a website that appeals to the human senses has more dimension than one that promises outrageous giveaways using the same old, flashy banners.

You may think it’s a tall order to convert flesh and blood charm to web marketing. But look closely at the devices you use to establish your online persona. Is your linkbait only content based, appealing to a small population of people who have time to read it? Are your calls to action the same colour as the rest of your text, appealing only to those who are searching for them? Do you promise top ratings for a single keyword, and then let your traffic flounder on your doorstep? As some media moguls will tell you, the medium is often the message. Change your medium, and you will change the way your clients process your pitch.

In SEO terms, this means constantly tweaking, re-adapting and re-evaluating a given approach, in order to shunt traffic to the pages that hold the greatest charm. How? As Maki would say, through “interactive content” that embraces multimedia with both arms. Viral videos, audio clips, graphic art, forums and advice columns. Tape your best testimonials via webcam and post them up. Create an interface so dynamic that your brand speaks through its medium, rather than through cheap promotional tricks. Don’t promise “number one rankings” – promise a dependable and flexible infrastructure to support new traffic.

Once you’ve compacted your site with SEO goodness, smother it in chocolate. By that I mean, make the channels that run through it irresistible by giving away free stuff, for example, applications or screensavers. Do as this savvy 17-year-old chick did, and build a multi-million dollar website in two years. What did she do? Designed MySpace layouts on her site, and gave them away. For free.

By enhancing the two-way interaction between seller and buyer, you can get your audience to do more. As human beings, we’re seduced by the tease of success and trend, so why not present your content so that it is perceived in the guise of authority? Even if you’re competing in the most saturated corner of the market (”weight loss”, for instance) you can still count on a user’s senses to react to your play. And if you have ensured that your site is navigable, and that your user can reach you easily, they’re sold.