The SEM 2.0 Pyramid (SEO + SMO + PPC)

By Brian Carter on May 25, 2008 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

SMM, SMO, and ORM hath heaved up my SEM department.

As I wrote elsewhere, web 2.0 messed up my job title. The crazy thing is how much SEO (search engine optimization) and SMO (social media optimization) and ORM (online reputation management) overlap. Throw into the mix the PR department at our sister traditional agency, and you've got a logistical juggernaut.

So I went to the cocktail napkin, actually the back of a printout of my previous best visual representation of our services, and started sketching out something new.

The more I thought about it, the more I saw that SEO, SMO, and PPC form an interdependent triangle, or pyramid, since pyramids are generally cooler (see Matt McGee's SEO pyramid). I thought, hey, that was a really successful concept, so I created...

The SEM 2.0 Pyramid:

(I threw in an Egyptian, which Matt somehow forgot, because I thought it was funny- well, at least Yul Brenner as an Egyptian is funny.)

I left out ORM, because I don't see ORM as marketing exactly, and it's a more occasional service- or you could look at SMM as the proactive part of ORM, so that takes care of it- and while you're doing SMM, you may notice ORM issues.

Besides, the SEM 2.0 Square wouldn't be as cool as the SEM 2.0 Pyramid.

The serious explanation of the SEM 2.0 Pyramid:

It's all about relationships, and what each strategy/channel contributes to the others:

Search engine optimization is foundational, because the keyword approach you learn there penetrates everything;

PPC uses keywords, and usage of keywords in SMO leads to SEO benefits.
Understanding of inbound links, keywords, and anchor text also helps SMO create more SEO value.
SEO also can help determine which audiences, keywords, and messages lead to business results
Analytics associating keywords with conversions gives you converting keywords to retarget, and
Copywriting tests of meta descriptions also provide intel about which messages resonate with warm prospects.
These converting keywords and messages can then be tested in SMO and PPC.

Social media optimization is an educational process; conversing with your prospects and interested parties in various audiences leads to

Discovery of placements you can target in PPC, and
Alerts you to ORM issues.
SMO may also tip you off about why various keywords and messages do and do not work in PPC and SEO.
Good SMO inevitably leads to more backlinks for the sites you SEO.

Pay per click advertising:

Placement targeting research may alert you of important domains to do SMO on- that is, blogs to have conversations on.
And PPC provides a powerful test laboratory in which to try out messages, keywords, and audiences, which can then be tested in SMO and SEO.

Together these three strategies almost form Voltron, but not really. They do create an incredible synergy in this new SEM 2.0 paradigm.

Haha, I had to say synergy, didn't I? Couldn't help it :-)

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6 Comments

Marios Alexandrou said:

This is a good attempt at applying a diagram to various related activities, but this sort of triangle has been used with a different meaning in the software development world for many years.

In the software world, the three points are quality, speed, and low cost. As you move towards one point, you move away from the other two. For example, you can increase the quality of the product, but when you do the costs increase and the effort takes longer.

I think instead something like partially overlapping circles would better describe the connections between PPC, SEO, and SMO.

May 30, 2008 7:21 AM

Bill Sebald said:

Very cool post. This hits close to home...

May 31, 2008 11:04 PM

Jeff James said:

PPC is the king and needs to be in the center of any "SEM 2.0" pyramid. 90% of businesses that benefit from PPC (and to a different degree, SEO) won't be able to even approach (not by a long shot) the level of success they're currently enjoying with paid search by using Facebook Pages and digging articles and twittering about their Quickbooks upgrade or how their department is laying off xyz because of abc.

Why, because no one (consumers) cares about about how many articles you've had "go hot" or how many blog posts a company has. Consumers just want a quality product at a good price or because some celeb just grabbed a quick half mil to wear it.

Is it nice to have a video message on a site? Sure. That's not SMO, it's a video. Video has been around for decades and that's a common sense move if you have a video camera and YouTube account.

Gotta have Blogs? How long have people been writing? Nothing really new.

Half the reason people even submit to SB sites is to get links. All the quarreling and illogical political argumentation that can be regularly seen on these sites is not fertile ground for new customers and hot leads that translate into revenue.

And regarding reputation management. This is a peripheral concern at best for most companies. Brands have been under fire since there have been consumers. That's why companies have PR and marketing departments. The net hasn't changed that much and the unsolicited opinion of strangers (online) should it be encountered won't cause brand abandonment. Maybe you can cite some case studies but at large this isn't the case.

Nice pic though.

best,

Jeff

June 1, 2008 9:59 PM

Marc said:

Marios makes a good point.

The increasing complexity of SEM makes it hard to hit all three major aspects hard unless you have dedicated team or agency.

I could spend all month just trying to hit one of these aspects well. Balance comes into play here, just like it does with regular things.

June 3, 2008 1:53 PM

Search Engine Optimization Services said:

Very interesting topic, i have had some thoughts around this same thing but with a different approach. I should probably start a new thread. Keep up the good work.

June 6, 2008 7:49 PM

seema said:

Your blog is very informative n helpful .. thanks.....keep it up.

www.seostep.net

July 23, 2008 5:52 AM