Nick Yorchak Of Big Footprint Featured In BMA Buzz

Big Footprint founder Nick Yorchak shared his insights and thoughts surrounding B2B SEO and the next generation of search in the BMA Buzz “Thought Leadership” series. Click the link above to read the article at BMA, or read a transcript of the article below.

B2B SEO AND THE NEXT GENERATION OF SEARCH

The SEO landscape continues to evolve, as search engines update their algorithms and more and more users search for information on their mobile devices. In order to expand and manage their digital presence, it’s critical for B2B marketers to understand the monumental shift in search.

The companies leading in B2B SEO are generating the best content they can, and their rankings reflect their perceived digital influence thanks to valuable assets such as whitepapers, webinars, quarterly industry reports and expert blogs.

Even FAQ pages and archives of your company’s press releases can add valuable content. However, when investing the time to create valuable content assets that will impact SEO it’s crucial to put yourself in the user’s shoes.

When it comes to best practices of link building, B2B companies see success through two main principles.

The first is having a content distribution strategy. Let your content build links by distributing it through your social channels; this will expand your digital footprint and illustrate influence and voice, which helps to drive rankings and traffic. Second, you need to leverage real-world relationships to create valuable inbound linking opportunities.

Yet having an effective search marketing strategy is about more than just keeping up with search engines. It’s about reaching prospects where they are seeking information about you via whichever channel you can best engage them. And while decision makers and B2B buyers are increasingly searching on mobile devices, most companies are unprepared in this realm.

Indeed, search volume from mobile devices is up five-times greater than in the past two years, according to Google Mobile World Congress Barcelona and ThinkWithGoogle. In the U.S. alone, mobile’s overall share of Web traffic has increased to roughly 9%, per comScore’s 2012 Mobile Future in Focus.

So, how can you ensure your digital presence is “mobile ready?”

The first step is developing mobile friendly communication. Mobile search encompasses more than just one result type. Users will receive different results and presentation formats — and even disparate search results — depending on the device. Use so-called “responsive design” to cater the layout of the page to the viewing environment. If you can’t, know the trade-offs and pitfalls.

Integrate SEO into your web and mobile development process or involve an SEO expert to ensure your website follows best practices and is “search-engine friendly.” If not, consider implementing a mobile landing page.

Next, turn your attention to optimization. Incorporate best practices of traditional SEO. Optimize all of your digital assets, including YouTube videos, images, news feeds and map listings for increased visibility in mobile search results.

In the next few years SEO and display industry standards will evolve, as platforms emerge that make mobile campaigns easier to manage. And “mobile driven spending” will catapult to the top of the consideration list, both in terms of budget and marketing priority.

President :: Big Footprint

Nick is the President and Founder of Big Footprint, a search and content marketing consultancy. A seasoned organic search expert, Nick has attained top organic rankings for a variety of B2B and B2C companies ranging from Fortune 500 industry leaders to local startups and non-profits. As a member of SEMPO and BMA, Nick has spoken at industry events and panels on the topic of search engine optimization, and his unique career story was featured in the New York Times.