By guest writer Kent Lewis

Universal search changes the game

Search engines are refining the type of content displayed on results pages to improve the user experience. Google’s Universal Search results has changed the game for search engine marketers: Content which used to have a top organic position for targeted search terms is now pushed down nearly below the fold by the inclusion of additional content.

Universal search results typically include maps, images, video and news content. Now these Universal Search placings are the new prime real estate, so companies need to develop a social media marketing strategy.

Social Media Influences search results

Social media opens plenty of opportunities to create additional content to influence the Universal Search results.

In Google, one domain can only generate a maximum of 2 listings per search, but social media gives you a chance to compete for the remaining 8 results: Generate a footprint on a variety of popular and relevant social media sites to get content in through Universal Search. Here’s how.

Elements of a social media marketing strategy

Before you start your social media marketing and optimization program, develop a strategic plan.

The first step is to know your current presence as on search engines and social media sites. Compare your presence to that of your competitors. Once you have an idea of where you are, develop a cheat sheet to expedite outreach to the social media sites for which you do not have a presence.

When working with social media, it is also a good idea to develop a crisis management plan in advance: Prepare to address any negative ratings, reviews or comments.

Social Media Success Factors

To succeed with a social media campaign, you need:

• Transparency
• Honesty
• Relevance
• Value
• Commitment

Without a transparency in your social media campaign, it could blow up on your face. Wal-Mart and Sony are examples of this. So you need full disclosure from your marketing team or partners. Most information can be quickly validated online, so dishonest messages can cause more damage than good.

All communications should be relevant and it’s important to add value to the conversation or community. This is obviously time consuming, so resources and commitment over time are essential factors in the success of a social marketing strategy.

Build a community

Your Web site is the foundation of your social media marketing strategy. The Web site should offer articles, press releases, tools, video and images for syndication.

Beyond optimizing site content and code, incorporate additional Web 2.0 elements like RSS/XML feeds, comments, ratings, reviews and even forums. If your site is able to create a sense of community, the chances of generating, retaining and converting site traffic increase.

Social Media Marketing Outreach

With the corporate Web site is only one part of the strategy. You also need to focus on other third party Web sites. All businesses, especially geographically-sensitive companies, should ensure all Internet Yellow Page (IYP) listings are accurate and optimized.

Go on to review all relevant industry portals and publications for link opportunities, including company and executive profiles, directory listings, news and article submissions.

Blogs and wikis

Get to know the online opinion makers in your industry and treat them with respect. Be thorough in your research and identify relevant blogs, but also newsgroups and threaded forums to monitor and engage.

Request reciprocal blogroll links, submit story ideas and comment on relevant blog posts regularly and over time.

Since Wikipedia is the most popular wiki in the world and one of the most popular (and visible) resources on the Web, develop a wiki-specific strategy, whether to achieve a company listing or enhance an existing listing. Beware that the Wikipedia community is very vigilant and strictly opposed to biased information. I you decide to try to enhance your Wikipedia listing, make sure you know and follow the guidelines.

Social media marketing how-to

1. Start by developing a set of company descriptions and links to social media content (images, videos, articles and press releases).
2. Create profiles on social media sites.
3. Identify and address issues relating to your company or products.
4. Stay active in relevant communities.
5. Monitor and engage as appropriate: Offer suggestions, provide feedback and answer specific questions.
6. It can also be a good idea to participate in expert forums like Yahoo! Answers and LinkedIn Questions & Answers.
7. Create and syndicate targeted, original content so the opinion makers and influencers can see it. Over time, you will build a valuable network you can leverage.

Some sites to consider

Social media sites can be categorized by their content or by the media focus:

• For general networking, consider profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace.
• For images, look at flickr, Picasa and WebShots.
• For Video, consider YouTube and Revver.
• For articles, submit to industry publications and general article syndication sites like ArticleCity.
• For press releases targeting news search engines, syndicate via BusinessWire or PRWeb.
• Audio files can be submitted via iTunes or a variety of other podcast directories.
• For all content, review, tag and rate with sites like Digg, StumbleUpon and Delicious.

However, not all social media marketing is about content. By creating useful applications for Facebook, Google Gadgets and Yahoo! Widgets, you get increase visibility and build a sense of community among your customers.

Integrating all of these efforts into your marketing mix will generate targeted, measurable traffic, leads or sales. With Universal Search growing in usage, it’s not a matter of if you should develop a social media marketing strategy, but when.

You migh also want to have a look at these articles:
Introduction to social search
How to make use of social media in search engine marketing

About the author

Kent Lewis is President of Anvil Media, Inc., a search engine marketing agency based in Portland, OR. He is also President of SEMpdx, a Portland-based trade organization for search engine marketing professionals.