Web-SEO Content & Consulting For Pet Industry Marketers
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Wildly Profitable Marketing for the Pet Industry
Finally — a how-to Marketing Success Guide for all pet and veterinary businesses. Co-written by PetCopywriter.com's Pam Foster.
PetCopywriter.com owner
Pam Foster is a SuccessWorks
Certified SEO Copywriter
Pet Internet Marketing: It’s a Dog Eat Blog world
February 22, 2012
A few blog posts ago, I talked about the incredible power and value of using a blog to market your pet business website. It really is true that blogs can move your web pages up in search results while also positioning you as a helpful guide in your business category.
That’s why I call it a “Dog Eat Blog” world. The pet businesses and veterinary practices that blog get more attention online (if they follow a few simple guidelines). And those who don’t… well… sell themselves short.
But don’t take my word for it.
Here are three strong reasons to look at blogging as a fantastic strategy for your pet business. (more…)
Quality Content Defined for Pet Internet Marketing
February 13, 2012
With the mission of helping you keep up with the challenging world of search engine optimization (SEO) and how pet web content works best today, I try to follow the latest guidelines, trends and events that make a big difference in search results.
Finding quality websites for searchers has always been the goal of Google and other search engines. But just what does “quality” mean?
Last year, several strides were taken to clamp down on “thin” pages that offered very little information, keyword-stuffed articles that offered nothing of value, and duplicate content you can find on dozens if not hundreds of websites. So one definition of quality has been “original, useful and highly relevant content,” which I talk about a lot.
Today I read this new definition of quality, and it helps clarify things for us further, to a point.
According to Google, “High quality content is content you can send to your child to learn something.”
Hmmm.
Here’s how I interpret that for pet-industry marketers, whether you’re marketing pet products, pet services, veterinary care, pet business consulting or anything else related to this industry. (more…)
Original content ideas for marketing to pet owners
October 20, 2011
Today I was on a conference call with Heather Lloyd Martin, SEO Copywriting pioneer, mentor and friend of mine. She was talking about some of the things that are critical to web success today and I immediately thought of how these tips can be applied to your pet marketing strategies or pet SEO success (of course!). So I’ll address each one in my upcoming blog posts, starting with this one:
First of all, original web content is an absolute MUST these days for marketing to pet owners –whether you’re marketing pet products, pet services or both.
Here are a couple of examples of what I mean.
1. If you manage a pet ecommerce website and you’re using the manufacturer’s content for each product you carry… I’m afraid your online store’s content might be invisible to search engines. You’re missing out on oodles of traffic from potential customers.
That’s because Google’s Panda update has clamped down on “copycat” websites that have the same content as others. Their latest search algorithms are focused on finding original, fresh content for people searching online for answers… and Google rewards websites that offer something unique and highly relevant.
What you can do right now.
Find ways to offer original content on your website so you can attract more pet-friendly customers via SEO. This means revising each of the manufacturers’ product descriptions with your own spin.
For example, if your online store includes a particular line of pet products because they’re eco-friendly and they reflect your commitment to green products – say so! Tell your visitors why the products are favored by you and treasured by your customers. Make a point to add your own brand voice to the copy. No-one has the same brand voice as you, so this will help make your content unique. Customer reviews can also help, but if you’re just starting to offer those, start revising the product descriptions ASAP.
2. You need to find a way to add fresh, original and highly relevant content to your site each week.
You’ll be delighted and amazed at the search-engine traffic power of writing helpful blog posts, for example. I just started helping a client add blog posts each week, and suddenly after 6 posts or so, the client’s site is turning up on top of Google’s page one for the keywords we targeted. These blog posts are getting attention and driving site visits — all with just a few posts for starters. Great stuff, right?
What you can do right now.
Map out an Editorial Calendar for blog posts or new articles that you commit to adding at least once a week. You could start with a “how-to,” “best-of” or “seasonal tips” blog series that drives people to check out the products on your site.
This can work in the following way. Let’s say you write a blog post about Daylight Savings Time and the importance of pet safety. You could mention that the arrival of shorter days/darker commutes can spell trouble for pets being walked at dinnertime. You might list the top 5 reflective dog products that can help pet owners solve this problem… and link to the reflective leashes, collars and vests you offer in your store. See how cool that could be? And then, when someone types “reflective dog collars” in Google – voila! Your blog post could be smiling right at them on page one of Google. It’s certainly worth a shot.
If you’re marketing pet services such as dog walking, you could have the same type of blog post about Daylight Savings Time except discuss the ways you pledge to keep dogs safe during their walks. Then link to your services page where you feature your dog-walking options. Be sure to include a mention of the towns you serve so your local prospects find you.
Are you stumped about adding original content to your pet website? Or do you have a tip to share? Please let us know. I promise to respond.
Until next time,
Here’s to a profitable website!
Cheers,
Pam Foster
PetCopywriter.com
For pet internet marketing success, write content for 1.
January 7, 2011
In part 3 of with my series of tips related to timeless marketing principles that worked 90 years ago, and still work today online…
here’s one of the simplest yet most powerful concepts from copywriting legend Claude Hopkins, from his book Scientific Advertising.
It may not be the first time you’ve heard of this web-content principle:
Focus your pet website content on 1 individual at a time. Speak to that person as if he or she is the only one looking at your website.
Back in 1923, Claude Hopkins offered this advice to marketers: “Don’t think of people in the mass. This gives you a blurred view.”
Based on his research, it’s better to focus on a single individual in your copywriting.
He said exactly, “Think of a typical individual who is likely to want what you sell. In everything, be guided by what you would do if you met the buyer face-to-face.”
I especially love that last part, because if you follow Claude’s advice, you’ll write web content that’s conversational, natural and personally inviting. This will help you grow your online business, one individual at a time.
Let me show you what I mean.
Without slamming any website in particular, we’ve all seen those horrendous headlines such as: “Dog bed buyers! We know what you like! Stop here for the latest trends at huge discounts! Save today!”
Now, if you owned a bricks-and-mortar shoe store and someone walked into your store, would you yell at the person like that? Would you speak to that individual as a group? (The correct answer is absolutely not.)
Instead, you’d probably say something like, “Great to see you again. Just wanted to let you know that all our dog beds are 60% off today. Let me know if you need help locating a size or style. I’ll be right here.”
This pet business website was written (by me) to speak to one individual at a time… the pet business owner who’s looking to grow their traffic and sales.
See the difference? So here’s your mission if you choose to accept it. Take a look at your website content and think about how it’s written.
Are the messages geared to one individual and how you can solve his or her needs? If not, it may be time for some editing to boost response (and sales) from your visitors.
Or, ask a professional web content writer (like me) to help you adjust your content for greater success in search engines and sales. 
Until next time,
Here’s to a clear and prosperous site!
Pam
PetCopywriter.com
Marketing your pet business with content in 2011
December 2, 2010
Today I’m featuring part of an important article from eMarketer Digital Intelligence. It’s only “open” to non-subscribers for a short time at this link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008070. That’s why I’m passing some of it along in my blog.
I especially like the questions because they reflect my content-writing focus as a pet copywriter: how can your pet business use content to solve your prospect’s needs in a unique and engaging way?
“2011 Trends: Content Marketing Is Critical
Next year, marketers will need to rethink their approach to advertising and marketing and intensify their focus on creating magnetic content that will naturally attract consumers, rather than relying solely on the interruption model of advertising, which consumers are responding to less and less.
Magnetic content can include anything created on behalf of a brand—be it an ad, YouTube video, online game, Facebook page, Twitter promo or mobile app—that consumers genuinely want to engage with and pass along to others. This content entertains, amuses, informs, serves a function or satisfies a consumer need.
Marketers should ask themselves five questions about the magnetic content they are seeking to create to determine whether it will be truly attractive to their audience:
- Is the content unique?
- Is the content useful?
- Is the content well executed?
- Is the content fun?
- Does the content make good use of the channel in which it appears (e.g., social, mobile, video)?”
It’s amazing how content marketing has become THE ongoing strategy for pet business success… whether you’re marketing to pet owners, veterinarians, retailers or another group.
What do you think about this? I’d love to hear what you think as it relates to your website and social media efforts.
Until next time, here’s to a prosperous site!
Cheers,
Pam
www.PetCopywriter.com
Make sure everyone can see your pet website content!
September 28, 2010
I rarely use exclamation points in my tips, but this topic is becoming a biggie because of changing technologies.
First, a little story. Last week, I was meeting with a pet Internet marketing client and I saw the Apple iPad up close for the first time. It was swell and I thought, how cool is this?
Until the client showed me how her doggie day care website appeared on it. Ouch.
A big portion of the text was invisible because the website was originally designed in Flash. So instead of seeing company information, there was a lovely orange box with nothing in it. No headline, no inviting messages, no nothing.
The iPad hasn’t been supporting Flash technology. And even though a September 10 Wall Street Journal article reported that Apple has “loosened its control over” mobile phone and iPad software development, millions of iPhone and iPad users will still not see sites using Flash.
I’ve seen this happen with search engines, too. If the text is all within a graphic block or in Flash, it can’t be “seen” very well by search engines. All the content that could potentially help with search rankings is invisible.
Yikes! This could become a huge problem if your competition’s web content is visible and yours isn’t.
What’s a web marketer to do? Here are 3 tips that may help: (more…)
Pet websites need an ongoing content strategy for search engines
September 1, 2010
What the heck is going on with search engines these days? You may not have heard, but dramatic recent trends could be giving your web page results a search smack-down.
For example, it used to be that pet-related website owners could expect a Google algorithm change every year or so. But in 2010, three major changes have already happened, with another 4 months to go. Plus Bing is now in charge of Yahoo search results.
People responsible for pet internet marketing success (perhaps even you) are suddenly seeing a recent slide in their page rankings and traffic as a result of these major developments:
- Google May Day: If your web pages use “boilerplate” text from manufacturers and others, they’re no longer considered quality pages. You need original content to stay in the rankings and attract prospects.
- Google Caffeine: This update brings new content into rankings much faster than before. If your competitors frequently use Twitter, blogs and other fresh updates, they may bump your position.
- Bing now powers Yahoo organic search results. If some of your best website customers come from Bing or Yahoo, you’ll need to watch how this shift changes your traffic patterns.
- Google Single Site Results: In August 2010, Google reported… “we’ve launched a change to our ranking algorithm that will make it much easier for users to find a large number of results from a single site.” Suddenly your competition can dominate the first 7 search results and bump you down.
- Competitive SEO (search engine optimization) and Other Updates: Your competition may be getting smarter about SEO and adding fresh or updated content to move up in Google and other search engine rankings.
- Video Marketing: Youtube is now the second largest search engine. If your competitors are using video to market their sites, their improved search rankings can bump you down.
So, what’s a marketer to do about these events — plus local tags, social media, personalization, and many other search engine changes?
It’s still possible to attract more prospects via Google, Bing and other search engines. You just need the right keyword search strategy and regular content updates.
The key to success now is fresh, original content updated regularly; at least once a month.
Without this type of ongoing strategy, your Google and other search engine rankings are certain to fade, opening the door for competitors to lure away your precious visitors.
Therefore… here are my three tips for marketing pet products online:
- Establish a keyword search strategy and check your keywords to see if anything has shifted over time. You may discover that your primary keywords are no longer as relevant or competitive as they were when you last researched them.
- Regularly post original or updated content to reflect what your primary audience is looking for. A useful strategy is to post a new article, press release, special promotion, product page, blog or other content as often as possible. Make sure it’s content your audience will appreciate! If you sell products on your site that are also sold elsewhere, make sure your product descriptions are unique from the other sites’ descriptions… in time for the upcoming power-shopping season.
- Measure your search results each month, at least for your top “money-pages”. You can use your web host traffic logs and/or Google Analytics to find out who’s coming to your site via search engines, and which keywords they’re using. Also check your web page results when typing certain relevant phrases into Google, Bing, Ask, etc.
Of course, if you’re not sure how to do these things effectively, contact me for assistance.
Until next time,
Here’s to a clear and prosperous site!
Pam Foster
PetCopywriter.com
P.S. Introducing an exciting new program from PetCopywriter.com, a division of ContentClear Marketing: If you’re too busy to stay on top of your web content updates, or you’re not sure how to take control of your search destiny, let me do it for you! Ask me about my monthly Strategic Search Content Update Packages.
Posted in Pet Business,pet business blog,Pet internet marketing,Pet Website by PetCopywriter