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Online Search: The SEO “3 x 5 Search Matrix” Rule

Online Search: The SEO “3 x 5 Search Matrix” Rule
Jeffrey Dobkin

The toughest part of online marketing is driving people to your website. No online search strategy = no visitors = no payoff. No money, no new really attractive secretary. And it’s a movie and a diner on Saturday night – not the theatre and The Capital Grille. See how important search engine optimization (SEO) can be?

You can change all that. Pay per click advertising can be counted on… to be expensive. Results can be great; results can be spotty. Either way, it’s sure to be… expensive.

Enter the world of search engine optimization, or SEO. Results can be lousy here, too – but at least it’s free. Results can also be great: driving online search visitors to your site day after day, year after year. For Free.

Search engine optimization for your website can have an awesome payoff if you do it correctly. Here are search engine optimization instructions that are simple, clear and easy to implement without being a, you know, geek.

This is the same online search marketing strategy I’ve used to push my direct marketing article site Danielle Adams Publishing to the top of the search engines. Just because the first few pages are hard to get in doesn’t mean it’s impossible – even for us small firms.

The SEO “3 x 5 Search Matrix”

First, think of three phrases that people will use to search for your products, services and what you have to offer. You’ll use these phrases on your landing page or a articles posted on your site. This is the first number in the “3 x 5 Search Matrix”. The 3 phrases.

Unless you have tons of money, don’t select the highest sought-after terms. You’re not going to beat out the online marketing team of Apple for the term “computer operating systems.” Be realistic.

Pick key terms people will search for if they’re ready to buy your products or services. For example, key buying words in a search term may include “prices,” “colors” or “delivery” – which signal someone is ready to purchase. Why would someone want to know delivery dates, the cost or what colors it comes in if they aren’t ready to buy?

Your phrases should use three, four or five words in each. These phrases, called “search strings,” are the search terms you’d like to be ranked-for on search engine sites. The longer strings are called “Long tail search strings.” The three phrases for this article are “Online search,” “Search engine optimization” and the “3 x 5 Search Matrix”. I selected this last term because it’s a term I coined: I can always type it into Google and find where this article appears. Nice trick?

If you were a direct mail copywriter like myself, while the 2-word phrase “Direct Mail” might sound good and attract lots of searches, you’d be on page 421 in the search. “Direct mail articles” would narrow the search to people searching for copywriters who are writing articles. So for me, instead of competing for the 159,000 people searching “direct mail,” I’m competing for the eyes of 18,000 people searching for “direct mail articles.” Whew – that really narrowed the competition. In theory. Oh well, at least I’m on page two for this search… Go on, check it out. I’ll wait.

“Direct mail article writers” narrows the field even further, and qualifies more targeted searchers. Searching this 4-word search string, I’m on page one.

The other part of the Matrix: The “5 times!”
Write your search phrases 5 times your landing page or an article.

Use it
1. in the URL if you can,
2. in the main headline (H1 header tag). Use it again
3. in the first sentence,
4 & 5. a few times early in the first few copywriting blocks. If you can use it a few more times throughout, all the better.

Now just give Google some time to scan your site and presto – higher SEO search ranking. And yes, I’m definitely available to go to the Capital Grill with you and your new secretary…

Jeffrey Dobkin is a copywriter and a fun motivational speaker on sales and direct marketing.  His advertising and marketing agency specializes in creating highly responsive letters, booklets and direct mail. 610-642-1000 rings on his desk.