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Many companies still approach Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid search as separate initiatives. This in-depth guide shows you how to use these programs as part of a comprehensive strategy—not just to improve your site’s search rankings, but to attract the right people and increase your conversion rate.
Learn how to measure, test, analyze, and interpret all of your search data with a wide array of analytic tools. Gain the knowledge you need to determine the strategy’s return on investment. Ideal for search specialists, webmasters, and search marketing managers, Mastering Search Analytics shows you how to gain better traffic and more revenue through your search efforts.
Focus on conversion and usability—not on driving larger volumes of traffic
Track the performance of your SEO and paid search keywords
Apply techniques to monitor what your competitors are doing
Understand the differences between mobile and desktop search
Learn how social media impacts your search rankings and results
Audit your site for problems that can affect users and search spiders
Create dashboards and expanded reports for all of your search activities
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Brent Chaters, a Senior Leader of SapientNitro’s Analytics and Search practice, currently works with many fortune 500 companies and executives to help them better understand and improve their search and marketing strategies. A former member of Hewlett Packard’s worldwide team, Brent helped to create and implement some of HP’s first SEM and SEO programs. Brent has worked in several countries to establish SEO programs based on solid metrics, and helps clients continually improve search results.
Brent, is a Senior Leader of SapientNitro's Analytics and Search practice, he currently works with many fortune 500 companies and executives to help them better understand and improve their search and marketing strategies. A former member of Hewlett Packard's worldwide team, Brent helped to create and implement some of HP's first SEM and SEO programs. Brent has worked in several countries to establish SEO programs based on solid metrics, and helps clients continually improve search results.
Brent has spoken at events such as SES, SMX, he has worked with several colleges to develop their digital programs, and sat on the Special Interest Group for WAA. He is also the Toronto Chair for SEMPO, as well as writing for his own blog www.gabmonkey.com on a number of digital topics, and SearchEngineJournal.com focusing on search related topics.
He resides in Mississauga, Canada where he enjoys coaching hockey and spending time with his friends and family.
I was disappointed in Mastering Search Analytics by Brent Chaters (O'Reilly Publishing, October 2011, 359 pages). While full of accurate information on the different sub fields of `search', organic, paid, site, etc., there is so much unneeded content, often poorly presented, that the book became burdensome to read. In retrospect I feel that the editorial staff at O'Reilly failed to do their job in helping the author produce a smaller yet higher quality book.
What could be said in a sentence took a paragraph. What should have been a link to supporting website often was pages of needless instructions on how to use interactive tools. In his chapter on Tracking and Optimizing SEO and Paid Search Traffic, Mr. Chaters takes three full paragraphs to basically convey the idea that "it is better to have smaller high quality traffic that converts well versus high volume low quality traffic that does not convert well." The book is weighed down by detailed step by step instructions on how to use free and paid online tools. This would have been much better if the author had only focused on the value and output the tool could offer while providing a link to a supporting site where anything from text instructions to screen shots to videos to updated content could be offered. Not to mention that the moment one of those tools is updated or modified the book is outdated. As of this writing MasteringSearchAnalytics.com is available for registration.
A seasoned interactive marketer even with no direct experience in the search field will find much of what is written here superfluous. Does a book whose stated target audience includes "search engine managers" really need to provide a lengthy explanation on the difference between month over month results versus year over year results?...
The layout of the book also adds to its burdensome nature. Many useful URLS to articles and white papers are provided, however, instead of being a footnote the URL is dropped right into the middle of sentence. That's fine when the URL is six, seven even maybe ten characters but a URL that take up nearly a full line or more of a page really is upsetting to the eye and train of thought when reading. The number of times this occurs makes it noteworthy. Likewise Master Search Analytics could have been more impactful when describing mathematical formulae and theory if the equations had been placed in display or call out boxes rather than imbedded in the text as if it were the transcript of lecture on the topic.
I have to conclude with that after reading it that Brent Chaters is truly an expert in the field of search marketing and its analyses. I did take away a number of new learnings and "nuggets" that I will employ in my own marketing programs. With some significant editing I think this would be a good book for a person looking to enter the field or perhaps in their first role as a search marketing associate. While I cannot recommend Mastering Search Analytics, for those who decide to purchase it my recommendation is to read the beginning of each chapter, skim the rest and use it as a reference source in your business library.
John O'Farrell is an interactive marketing expert in the metropolitan New York area. You can visit his blog: AllThingsInteractive.comRead more ›
