Internet Marketing - Matt Bailey [103]
Headline Structure
Ideally, the main heading on the page is different from the page title. Many content management systems will simply duplicate the page title and the page headline (heading). Although some may be locked into this option, I always recommend utilizing separate text for the headline and the page heading.
Utilizing a separate heading structure allows for a broader keyword reach, utilizing long-tail keywords (if you need a refresher on the keyword long-tail, go back to Chapter 6: Tuesday), and it can be used to broaden or restrict the focus of the content on the website. Properly used headings in relation to the page title can direct users to understanding whether this is a broad categorization of content, directing them to deeper pages, or it can provide comprehensive information about a specific subject, showing the visitor that they have reached the specific page for that information.
Readers may read only the first two to three words in the headline, so develop the information accordingly. Use action verbs and keywords to make the best use of a reader’s scanning time. Making the headline too long will also distract from the reader’s time. A shorter headline, usually a single line with a single purpose, can be digested very quickly and set the tone for the flow of content through the rest of the page.
Friday: Connect Human Factors to Search Factors
Here is where things get really interesting. Search engines use all the information you’ve learned this week about human factors as a means of determining relevance. The search engine’s primary goal is to satisfy the human searcher and ensure them that they have found the most relevant results for their search. The only way that a search engine can satisfy a human search is to build the algorithm on human factors.
This is where building attention-grabbing headlines (from yesterday) assists in developing both great rankings and the visitor’s attention. Searchers have questions, and they are searching for answers. The amazing thing about answers is that those answers are usually benefits. Saving money is a benefit; saving money by switching service providers is both an action point and an attention-grabbing benefit.
This is where understanding the needs of the searcher and the needs of your audience are critical to your success in marketing online. What exactly do you offer? What benefit is there to the visitor to take action and use your service or purchase a product from you and not a competitor?
Offering the lowest price is always a tangible benefit. However, competing on price will only net you as much loyalty as long as your price is low. Competing on service can bring you a little more loyalty, and you need to have a lot of established credibility to be able to sell and position that on a website. Competing on benefits is a method of providing that “need beyond the need”: the need to make a safe decision that won’t backfire, the need to feel confident, and the need to show competence and aggressiveness. These are benefits that can be communicated in content and are full of the additional search terms that searchers utilize. Searchers are searching for answers, and the best answers meet a need.
For example, to use some examples from earlier in the week, Nimlok makes trade show booths, but it also offers consulting for developing a campaign around the trade show and maximizing the marketing investment. Similarly, Nomadic Display offers free PDF trade show marketing guides. These benefit statements within the site speak to a primary benefit of doing more with the trade show budget than having a nice booth; they speak to the overall marketing of the event and how companies can make more from their investment. Clear benefits provide better sales solutions (see Figure 9-5).
Figure 9-5: Clear benefit statements add more than just the answer; they provide additional credibility and impact to a company.
When developing a benefit