August, 2020 - Mason Interactive

Mason Interactive’s digital marketing webinar series continued with a webinar titled: The Secrets of SEO for eCommerce. Webinar hosts Jenna Vaccaro, Director of SEO, and Brook Shepard, Founder & CEO of Mason Interactive, explored how search engine optimization can be used to attract more shoppers to an online store, and gave tips on SEO best practices.

In short, the webinar covered the SEO fundamentals every eCommerce business owner and marketing professional can learn from. Watch the webinar replay or continue reading for the key highlights.

What is SEO and Why it Matters

Search Engine Optimization is the scientific art of optimizing a website around specific keywords in order to rank higher in search results, such as Google. The science behind SEO is to understand Google’s algorithm and to use those indicators for optimization. This is combined with creativity (art) that goes into content, images, and messaging.

When talking about digital marketing, businesses are more inclined to invest in advertising because of the immediate results. SEO is often underestimated as a marketing channel, however, looking at analytics of any eCommerce store, organic traffic is usually the best converting channel.

“What we see with our clients in general is that people are willing to spend money on advertising but not so much on SEO”, says Brook. “Our recommendation is to make SEO a priority – it converts better and is cost-efficient-, alongside media buying. With the Holiday season coming up, there is still time to get ready and double down on SEO”, he continues.

Search Engine Results Pages (SERP) have evolved over time, and while the user experience has improved, SEO professionals are faced with more complexity and increased competition over the highest ranking positions.

Getting on top of the SERP is important because the higher a website ranks, the more searchers will click on the website, and the more sales the website will generate. Jenna used recent statistics to speak to the importance of SERP and shockingly, only 4.8% of searchers make it to the second page of search results, and only 1.1% to the third. This may make you wonder where does all the traffic go? 32.5% of traffic goes to the top result, 17.6% to the second result, and less than 5% goes to the sixth result.

How is SEO Different for eCommerce

eCommerce SEO has a similar idea than any traditional website; show up on search results and provide relevant content to the user searching for a keyword. For example, a business that sells black shoes should have their pages optimized for black shoes because a user is searching for that and they intend to buy black shoes.

“You want to say to the user that you have the product they are searching for, and you have optimized this page accordingly because you knew they wanted to buy this product.”
Jenna Vaccaro

Furthermore, businesses can help visitors make purchase decisions through vivid product descriptions and beautiful, eye-catching photography, and plenty of reviews. When done right eCommerce SEO is a free source of high converting organic traffic.

Most Common SEO Myths Uncovered

On the next section, Jenna shed light on a few common SEO misconceptions and explained why they are fiction.

Myth 1: “I did a lot of upfront SEO work on my site when it launched, so I never have to do anything again.”

You are certainly off to a good start if you invested on SEO when your site was first launched. However, SEO is ever-changing and should be treated as a marathon, not as a sprint. Focus on keeping your site healthy and aligned with the best possible optimization at all times. You may decide to scale back on SEO because it is a low season for you, and as a result, your competitors take over your position on SERP. Keep up with your competitors and the latest algorithm changes to maintain your rankings.

“Many clients come to us to take the next step. They have already done a fair amount of optimization, and they want to focus on a specific area such as conversion rate optimization or local SEO. After all, SEO provides various opportunities with hundreds of thousands keywords”, Jenna shared.

Myth 2: “I need to post long-form content every day in order to rank high.”

Content length can contribute to SEO ranking, as does the quality of content. However, a multitude of other factors contribute to consistently maintaining a high rank, including:

Topic relevance. It’s important to produce useful content that speaks directly to your product, is fresh, and provides value to the reader. A good starting point is to look at aspirational brands, what they do and what content they produce.
Natural backlinks. Creating shareable content should be the main objective. If your content is compelling, readers will want to share it naturally, and link back to your content.
Page speed and user experience. Ensure that your site is easy to navigate and your pages load fast. A frustrated user will leave your site and go to your competitor.
Mobile friendliness. The browsing experience should be the same on mobile as it is on desktop. Make sure that buttons and links are spaced out and easy to click with a thumb (especially add to cart button!).

Myth 3: “It’s 2020. SEO is dead.”

While the digital marketing space grows through paid media, many marketers believe SEO has reached the end of its lifespan. Search engine optimization may have changed and evolved, but it certainly is not dead nor dying. In 2019, 65% of eCommerce sessions were generated through search traffic and 33% were generated through organic search. As long as the search engines exist, consumers will continue looking for products online, and if an ad is not there, the first thing the searcher will click is the top organic result.

Top Areas of Focus for eCommerce SEO

Jenna broke down the content into key takeaways starting with the very first step of every successful SEO campaign; keyword research. Every website owner should compile a list of keywords that fit their brand, optimize their website based on those keywords, and consider how to rank above competitors.

Moreover, businesses that focus on creating good quality content generate more natural backlinks and rank higher. Building a strong internal link structure is equally important to boost authority of singular pages. For example, if you write a blog article that mentions a tote bag, link that back to the page where you sell tote bags.

Ongoing technical updates and regular audits, Jenna emphasized, are needed to ensure the website is running smooth and fast. An audit will uncover broken links and orphan pages (pages that don’t link anywhere), among other areas that have an impact on the SEO ranking and user experience. Not sure how to conduct an audit? Contact us for a free SEO audit.

Finally, it’s essential to continuously analyze the data and measure success. Use the data to evaluate what you can do to get more users to click and to buy. Be aware of what page people are dropping off of, why the conversion rate is low, do you have unnecessary content or problems with the user experience. At Mason Interactive we know that performance drives the strategy and we look at the data weekly, biweekly, and monthly.

“Yes, you want to know how many keywords you rank for and how many users come to your site. But you also want to know what to do with that.”
Jenna Vaccaro

If you are interested in learning more about your website’s SEO performance, sign up for a free consultation with our SEO experts.

At Mason Interactive, we pride ourselves on our company culture, and on our close-knit team of digital marketing specialists who collaborate together seamlessly to deliver best-in-class digital marketing solutions. Since we began working remotely in March, we have maintained the same level of collaboration through daily all-hands Zoom meetings, weekly team challenges, virtual team building exercises, and well, Slack of course.

As we are all embarking on this new way of working virtually together, we want to give you an opportunity to meet the digital experts of Mason Interactive. This month on spotlight is SEO Account Manager Molly From who shares what her days are like at Mason Interactive, and what she thinks of working from home.

Who is Molly From?

Where do you live and how long have you been at Mason?

I live in Westwood, NJ and I have been at Mason about 3.5 years now. I started as an intern and after I graduated I started working full-time.

What do you do at Mason?

I am an SEO Account Manager for Team Rocket and I also help out the sales and marketing team (Team Killer). I graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a Bachelors of Arts in Communication. Working at Mason has really taught me so much about the advertising industry and everything I do today as an Account Manager, I have learned at Mason.

What is your favorite thing about Mason?

My coworkers 100%. It has been a shame not being able to see everyone in person but I am glad everyone is safe and healthy. I miss going for drinks after work and having our bullpen debates! It is also great being able to work with clients. At bigger agencies, not everyone gets to do work on accounts AND talk to their clients. At Mason, since we are a boutique agency, I love being able to work on the accounts and speak to our clients directly. The diversity of our client range definitely keeps everything interesting and fun!

Do you have any hobbies, pets, etc?

I do! I love fragrance, photography, cooking, working out, and hanging out with my dog Jarvis. I just recently adopted Jarvis from a rescue organization. He is about 6 months old, and he is a Labradane (half Labrador, half Great Dane). Growing up with small dogs, it definitely is a change to now have such a big dog, but he is such a sweetheart! And if you are wondering, yes – he was named after J.A.R.V.I.S. from Iron Man.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Wake up, have a cup of coffee (a repeating theme throughout my day), get a workout and shower in, and start my day with our all-hands zoom meeting! Depending on the day, there will definitely be a few meetings, sometimes client facing or just internal meetings. I usually take a few small breaks throughout the day, sometimes to grab lunch (or coffee), walk my dog, or just move my body a little bit! A typical day on the SEO team consists of LOTS of content writing, keyword research, and technical audits. When I am on Team Killer there is also more content, social media management, and more meetings!

What are your must-have WFH essentials?

A DESK! Trying to work from the couch or bed is so difficult. When you live with others, you may try to sit in the kitchen or at the dining room table, but there is constant foot-traffic and noise. I chose to get myself a desk and it literally changed my workflow. ALSO a yoga ball because I have horrible posture.

Do you have a specific WFH “vibe?”

My work from home vibe consists of a constantly burning candle, ample coffee and water, lo-fi music playing, and a clean room. I find that my vibe (and productivity level) is off when my room is a little cluttered, so making sure I stay on top of it is key.

What are your top 3 tips for WFH that have helped you?

Have a dedicated work space. I started the pandemic moving to different areas around my house which was nice, but once I realized we would be here for a while I knew I had to have one space. I finally got a desk in my room and having the dedicated work space where I have privacy and quiet has worked wonders for my productivity levels.
Stay active! I love to work out and stay active, but sometimes it is not as motivating when you cannot go to a gym or a group fitness class. Going for a walk during your lunch break or before work is a great way to stay active. I am very lucky to have gotten a Peloton at the beginning of the pandemic, and I love it so much.
Remaining social is so important during this time. Some people may still be wary of leaving their houses, but that is what Zoom and FaceTime are for! Humans need interaction, and it is just as important to remain mentally healthy as it is to remain physically healthy.

What do you think the biggest change has been since quarantine?

Just one? Well, I did get a dog, so that’s a big responsibility. I guess the biggest change I have noticed is how often we have to go to the grocery store now that we are having three meals a day at home. I always meal prep on Sundays, but it does not last as long as it used to!

What has been your cocktail of choice during quarantine?

I am a big wine drinker and I love red wine, but I came across a recipe for something called a “Red Moon Over Manhattan”. It has red wine, bourbon, and simple syrup and it is so delicious!

Nice to Meet You, Molly!

The recent pandemic has changed a multitude of things in what seems like most facets of our life. Routines that had previously seemed essential have all but disappeared. Parts of our home that were previously overlooked have suddenly become valuable work from home spaces.

Within the past months we have had to reimagine the concept of a workplace and adopt new ways of working, communicating, and embracing company culture. We took a moment to list five everyday work routines we look differently today than we did in the pre-pandemic world.

Slack and Zoom: The New Essentials

The days of casual conversion over the water cooler are over (for now). With the majority of companies electing to have employees work from home; many people have been tasked with becoming masters of channel-based messaging and video communication platforms, such as Slack and Zoom. For the most part, however, this can largely benefit the business world as a whole. Those that had previously been uncomfortable setting up video meetings or interacting with clients via channel-based messaging will now have the confidence to navigate these platforms.

Of course, there are some obvious drawbacks when you eliminate face-to-face communication from the equation. Answers that could previously be obtained by strolling over to your co-worker’s desk now takes longer to get a response; among other things. However, as we keep adjusting to the new remote workplace, we become more accustomed to the virtual communication.

Are We Still Taking Breaks?

It can be very easy to find yourself head down in your laptop, not knowing what day it is, because you were “trying to finish something.” Taking breaks is ok. Back in 2019, it was routine to get up and refill your water, make a coffee, or just go on a quick walk to get some fresh air. It is obvious that COVID has made more work more challenging for everyone (shout out health care workers). Between the increase in workload and the reduced amount of social interaction; people working from home are taking fewer breaks because they have less of a reason to.

The bottom line, taking time to clear your head throughout the workday is important. Not just for productivity, but for mental health. It’s easy for stress to build-up, especially during times like these. You may be able to get away with forgetting your pants, but definitely, don’t forget to take breaks.

Coffee For Lunch

If you find yourself working from home, closer to more food, but eating less… you’re not alone. Just like your average, every day breaks, “lunch breaks” have started to seem to all but disappear. As previously mentioned, the pandemic has increased the workload for many, and so paying more attention to your work and less to your lunch is not unexpected. This combined with the convenience of having your laptop two steps from your home fridge makes it easy to work while you eat. Don’t work while you eat. Separating time from your day for a lunch break is more important than muting yourself on Zoom when blowing your nose.

Incorporating a lunch break into your daily routine is incredibly beneficial. Lunch breaks can be used as valuable time to organize thoughts, plan your day, and for most people at the moment; enjoy a home-cooked meal.

HR Appreciation Section

The pandemic has put the health of employees at center stage, and as a result; the role of HR has been put under a microscope. For the most part, people will be working remotely for the foreseeable future. Overseeing a multitude of employees in an office setting is one thing, but supporting teams of employees virtually is vastly different. Moving forward, HR will play a key role in the long road back to a new normal. On a long list of obstacles they will need to overcome, HR will be tasked with strategically integrating employees back into the physical work location. This decision can greatly impact employee satisfaction and overall company success.

WFH FTW (For the Win)

Hesitating to work from home out of fear of being less productive is a thing of the past. The pressure that COVID-19 has put on employees who previously worked in an office is tremendous. But, it has provided them with a valuable new skill set. Knowing how to work remotely yet efficiently is a great skill to have, and as a result of the pandemic, many will have that quality moving forward. Additionally, knowing how to be your own IT person, your own Chef, and your own Janitor are all valuable experiences that many people will benefit from.

While things may be changing by the day (or even the hour), one thing we know for sure; within the last 6 months the concept of a workplace has changed for good. We have learned a lot about staying productive and healthy, managing our workloads, and collaborating with team members even when working remotely. However, as much as we like tracksuit bottoms as an everyday work uniform, we can’t wait to reunite with our team in the office again soon.

We are happy to announce that we have recently signed up a new client in the beauty space, an innovative skincare brand Georgia Louise.

British born Georgia Louise Vassanelli has been rated as one of the world’s most sought after facialists, and her celebrity clients include Jennifer Aniston, Emma Stone, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Alexander Wang. In addition to her ateliers in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Los Angeles, Georgia has her own skincare product and device line, Georgia Louise.

Key focus of the new partnership is to build a long-term digital marketing strategy that will drive brand awareness and increased eCommerce sales. Mason’s team will be responsible for managing all advertising for Georgia Louise skincare devices and tools, with an emphasis on Georgia Louise skincare products.

We are proud to add Georgia Louise to our client portfolio. With a distinguished reputation in the beauty industry, Georgia’s skincare line has everything you need to win the direct to consumer game, says Mason Interactive CEO Brook Llewellyn Shepard. “What Mason’s team will bring to the table is an in-depth knowledge of the beauty space and best-in-class eCommerce tactics and technology.

We are committed to provide excellent service, and support brands on their digital journeys. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with our digital experts, and take the first step on your journey.

Learn more about Georgia Louise here.

Inc. magazine revealed today that Mason Interactive is included on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses. Intuit, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.

“We are proud to be named on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in the nation, and thankful to our team, our clients, and our partners for their support”, says Mason Interactive Founder and CEO Brook Llewellyn Shepard. “It’s a testament to our team’s hard work and our dedication to grow the agency by delivering the best possible digital marketing services.”

Shepard predicted further growth for the future, referring to the agency’s expanding client portfolio and partnerships with industry-leading vendors. He also hinted of more exciting growth news to come this fall. “While we grow the business and our range of services, we will continue putting our clients first, and give them the same level of attention we did when Mason Interactive first opened its doors in 2009″, he shared.

“Embracing close collaboration, and building strong client-agency relationships is what separates us from other agencies, and I believe that has had a significant impact on our rankings.”
Brook Llewellyn Shepard

Not only have the companies on the 2020 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists as well. The 2020 Inc. 5000 achieved an incredible three-year average growth of over 500 percent, and a median rate of 165 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $209 billion in 2019, accounting for over 1 million jobs over the past three years.

“The companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 come from nearly every realm of business,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “From health and software to media and hospitality, the 2020 list proves that no matter the sector, incredible growth is based on the foundations of tenacity and opportunism.”

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.

One of the most common questions we get from prospective clients is “What is the difference between Paid Media and SEO?” To answer this question simply, Paid Media is when you pay for your position on SERP (Search Engine Ranking Page) or other media channels. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of increasing the quality and quantity of traffic to your site and ranking on SERP organically.

For emerging brands, or brands who are looking to partner with a digital marketing agency for the first time, jumping into too much at once can be daunting, or sometimes even impossible due to limited budgets. In this article, we have highlighted the main benefits of each service, Paid Media and SEO, to help you decide which service (or both) is the best fit for your business.

Renting Your Apartment or Owning Your Home?

We use a special analogy when making a distinction between Paid Media and SEO. Paid Media services are very similar to renting your apartment. You are paying monthly for a great location and easy access to everything you need. However, as soon as you stop paying your rent, you get kicked out and can no longer enjoy that perfect location.

SEO services are similar to buying your home. Yes, you do have to save up for a little while, and take care of a few monthly responsibilities to keep up with, like mortgage payments and electric bills. However, you own this home, and no one can kick you out.

Paid Media is a temporary location, and you can only stay at the top of SERP if you are paying every-time someone clicks on your ad – whether they buy your products or services, or not. Once you stop paying for your top spot, you no longer show up for any searches. SEO is more of a long-term effort, however once you have secured your spot on SERP, you will maintain your position even if you stop making optimizations for a few months.

Is Paid Media What Your Business Needs?

Paid Media has a lot of positive benefits. The number one reason why most people use it is because of the instant results they get. As soon as you start paying for your ads, you will get eyeballs and clicks (learn more about Pay-Per-Click Marketing).

Paid Media gives you more control, and immediate results.

Audience targeting and control are other great benefits of using Paid Media. You can control who sees your ads and when, in what geographic area, and what keywords your ad shows up for. Having the control over when your ads are showing and who sees your ads is a major advantage.

Scalability is very important, especially in today’s world. Unexpected events arise and sometimes, you have to scale back marketing efforts to move funds to other areas. Paid Media is great for being able to scale your spending, and whether you have a sizable budget or not, you are most likely to see results.

SEO Has its Pros, Too

SEO is a great option for businesses that are looking to get more exposure. There are a few different aspects to SEO, including onsite optimization, offsite optimization, and technical SEO. All of these different aspects will help with your organic strategy and improve rankings on SERP so new customers can discover your product or service.

SEO is a great option if you are looking to get more exposure.

Many searchers know that the top three results on SERP are always going to be paid ads. If you don’t know, all paid advertisements on Google search results page have a little “Ad” icon next to the result. Knowing this, they usually scroll right past them to the first organic result. In doing so, these searchers are aware that your site is credible in the eyes of Google, and credibility goes a long way. When searching on any search engine, most people know that sites on the first page of organic search results are the most credible and trustworthy.

When it comes to budget, SEO is often more cost effective than Paid Media. You are not going to pay every-time someone clicks on your ad, you are just paying for the work that has to get done; no hidden fees or additional funds required.

The Leaky Bucket

Yet another analogy – The Leaky Bucket. This is something we use to describe lead flow. If you focus all of your marketing efforts into one specific area of marketing, it could slow or even stop the leads coming in. For example, you decide to move all of your marketing efforts to Remarketing. Now, whatever leads you have in your bucket are being remarketed to; and that is how it should be. However, when you are focusing only on remarketing and ignore customer acquisition, you now have no new leads filling up your bucket. There always needs to be a balance between acquisition and remarketing so you can fill your bucket up and remarket to them later.

What’s the Verdict?

To wrap everything up, both Paid Media and SEO have their pros and cons. Ultimately, the goal would be to use both of these strategies together and hand-in-hand, but that is not always a possibility due to budget and resource limitations.

Brands who are looking to focus on new customer discovery should focus more on SEO, whereas Paid Media works best for those who want to be able to fine-tune who they market to. If you are looking to start a marketing campaign and don’t know which strategy would be best for your business, contact us today or schedule a Free Marketing Analysis!