FEATURE: 10 Engaging Ways to Incorporate Engagement Objects™

by Katie Wertz, March 16, 2009

Engagement Objects are applications like video, audio files, pictures, maps, charts, macros or polls that you can stick on your Web site in order to actively "engage" your user. For a quick way to get an idea of ways to engage your users, take any Google vertical search and determine what they're indexing. That content is an Engagement Object. It's something you put on your page in addition to the rest of your content. Like a tasty garnish to your main course. They're important not just because of the advent of blended search which brings more visitors to you because of the images or videos on your site, but also because they enhance the user experience, and thus ups your chances of a conversion. So Engagement Objects are definitely something you should look into for your own site as a way to spruce things up a bit. But how would you go about doing that? There's a myriad of different ways to use Engagement Objects, so how do you know what the right one is for you?

Some people call Engagement Objects "link bait," and in a way that's true but it's putting the cart before the horse. The primary goal of an Engagement Object is to interact with your user. It's a simple fact that people like to be entertained (look at prime time television if you need any proof of that) and Engagement Objects can be link bait if they are outrageous or entertaining enough. Clever marketers know how to capitalize on that. Matt Inman, of 0at.org, is very good at using Engagement Objects as link bait through his clever images.

So what does this mean for you? Engagement Objects is a large pool to jump into, and getting started could be a little overwhelming. What should you use? And how? Should you do something that's pure link bait or should it be something that's there on your site for the long haul? We've put together a list of ten types of Engagement Objects that you can use in order to entertain your visitors and score some points in the vertical search engines.

1. Videos

With the advent of YouTube, anyone with a video camera, some editing software and a little bit of free time can create a video of just about anything. And because of the YouTube's partnership with Google, it's a great way to be found as well. Some examples of people using videos effectively are the guys from Blendtec. They've created a series of videos using their blenders to demolish everything from brooms, skis, golf balls and in one memorable instance, an iPhone. They've placed these videos on their site as an effective means of drawing in the viewer and demonstrating their product. The effect is undeniable. Before the "Will It Blend" campaign, very few people had ever heard of Blendtec. Now, they're world famous and their sales have increased 700 percent.

You don't have to destroy something to build engaging content, however. Something as simple as a song can bring in eyes. Bruce Clay, Inc.'s own Christopher Hart turned the camera on himself for a candid video about his upcoming travel dates. He even provided lyrics to sing along.

2. Podcasts/Audio files

Podcasts are like radio shows that you can stream online. They're a good supplement for journalists, columnists, radio personalities and media personnel to bring their content online. Especially if online is the only place where the podcast is available. A good example of someone using a podcast effectively is Anderson Cooper. The CNN journalist has a daily podcast available on iTunes and on the CNN Web site discussing the hot topics in the day's news. Other media personalities like Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and the Today show make use of podcasts. Even popular advice columnists like Dan Savage have a podcast that adds additional material to their weekly columns.

3. Images

Images are another big Engagement Object. They enhance text and increase their user experience. When used the right way they can also become link bait. A blog called This is why you're fat is a good example of using images as Engagement Objects. This blog features images of some of the most disgusting, fattening concoctions known to mankind, like fried guacamole or a meat cake with mashed potatoes used as "icing." This site, due to the imagery it provides, became incredibly popular within days of its launch.

4. Macros

5. Graphs or Charts

6. Webcomics

Webcomics are also very popular on the Web, and they can range from a gag-a-day strip like you would find in a newspaper to longer, more complicated storylines. They're also an effective means of enhancing your site, drawing users to you (especially if they're GOOD webcomics) and advertisement if you provide a good or service. Ficional SEO company Ranked Hard starts off every blog post with a fun comic that relates to the entry, a clever trick that keeps industry people coming back. Big Oak SEO is the company behind this devious bit of engagement. Artist Chris Yates uses his webcomic Reprographics as a way of selling his artwork (and entertaining himself).

7. RSS feeds

Skittles recently used an RSS feed as an effective Engagement Object. Using an RSS feed from Twitter, Skittles.com posted the tweets of all users who said the word "skittles" on their Web site. Not surprisingly, "skittles" was a very popular word that day on Twitter and probably drew more people to the Skittles corporate site than had ever been there before. However, this is a dangerous example. Remember that you're adding Engagement Objects to increase your site's relevance and worth. Cheap stunts that just draw eyeballs are only good if eyeballs are the only thing you're looking for. If you have a larger goal (like link building, newsletter sign ups or sales), you have to do more than just make a stir.

8. Maps

Maps are also useful Engagement Objects. Many brick and mortar businesses use them on their Web sites to give directions to their locations, and these maps will pop up in local search engines. Google Sightseeing is a site that uses Google Maps as a way of exploring new places and sights as suggested by the readers.

9. Polls

Polls are literally engaging with your audience, asking their opinion on a variety of subjects. Plus, not only does it engage your users, it can also provide you with some very valuable data or feedback into the hearts and minds of your audience. The Bruce Clay blog used a poll to ask our readers what they felt about Guy Kawasaki's controversial advice on how to use Twitter. While many in the comments felt that Guy was missing the point when it came to building a conversation, the poll results revealed an otherwise silent majority who supported Guy's philosophy.

10. Live Streaming

This past fall, one of the biggest Internet phenomenona was the Shiba Inu puppycam from Ustream. Ustream is a site that allows users to stream live video to their site. A couple in San Francisco used the site as a means of keeping tabs on a litter of newborn Shiba Inu puppies, and wound up becoming Internet superstars. Other sites use the technology to stream music concerts or live events. Using live streaming video is like uploading a video with all the pitfalls of live television.

The best thing to remember when creating your own Engagement Objects is to be creative and clever. They are there to enhance the content of your Web site and effectively communicate your point to your visitors, from blenders that can blend just about anything to polls that strive to find out the user's point of view. One of the most effective ways to draw visitors to your site, and to keep them there, is to give them a reason to come to you, and a reason to explore the rest of the site. Engagement Objects are one of the best ways to do so.

For permission to reprint or reuse any materials, please contact us. To learn more about our authors, please visit the Bruce Clay Authors page. Copyright © 2009 Bruce Clay, Inc.

BACK TO BASICS: Press Release Basics for SEO Success

By Paula Allen, March 16, 2009

Press releases are an important tool in any marketer's belt. With a press release you can proactively manage your own news -- generate buzz, squelch rumors, set the record straight and just generally increase public awareness about your company. For a Web site, press releases can do all that plus attract new visitors, increase traffic and even generate backlinks to the site. You may be surprised, though, by how important SEO know-how is to creating an effective press release.

Never done it before? Don't worry. Distributing a press release is not only effective, but also it's pretty easy and not too costly these days, thanks to the Internet.

The Press Release Big Picture

Putting out a press release is fairly painless. You write up a brief article, upload it to a third-party distribution company, and voilá -- it's news! The third-party company takes care of publishing and distributing it for you. Even if you do nothing more to draw attention to the article yourself, the benefits will start to roll in.

Once it's an official press release, it's ripe for any number of other Web sites and news outlets to pick up. They may republish all or part of your article, and may even use the links, logos or pictures you included in the article. Social media sites should also be part of the distribution network.

If you're lucky, a power Twitterer or two (think Lisa Barone or Guy Kawasaki) will notice your article and tweet it to all their followers -- and so forth and so on. Your news can very quickly circulate through the Internet and bring attention and traffic to your site. It'll only be short-term attention, granted, but some long-term benefit may result as well. You may get a few backlinks from complementary Web sites. Your news might attract people who decide to become regular visitors, RSS subscribers, etc. And because the distribution company archives your story on their site, it can continue to be found by searchers looking for related information. You should also archive your press releases in a News or Press section on your site.

How Much?

What does it cost to distribute a press release, you ask? To give you an idea, we generally pay between $400 and $500 for U.S. national distribution of a 400-word press release. You can customize your target area either geographically or even by vertical industry. And there are other a la carte options that will increase or decrease your final bill.

Writing a Press Release with SEO in Mind

If you've never written a press release before, the idea can sound daunting. What should it say? How should it be worded? How do you handle the headline, dateline, etc.? How does it get distributed? Is there a form to use? These and other questions may cause a first-time PR-writer to break out in hives, or at least escape for an early lunch break.

It turns out that a press release is just another written format. It's not even a long format -- no 5,000-word essays here! Think 300 to 400 words, max. Here are a few other guidelines:

• Keywords count. As with any content you write, keep in mind your site's keywords and use the ones that are applicable to the article topic. Pick a main keyword to include in the headline, since that's going to become the Title tag. Be sure to repeat it one or two times in the body text. If possible, use it within the first 160 characters of the first paragraph, since Google usually shows that part as the description of a news result.
• Links are good. Include links to your site in your article, and use good anchor text. Your PR distribution company might charge a little more for active links, but the potential link equity value is probably worth it. And make sure that each link points to the most appropriate landing page for that anchor text, not just to your home page.
• Engagement Objects™ add value. Many distribution companies allow you to include a logo graphic for free, but consider putting in additional images, video or audio if they are appropriate to your topic. They help engage readers, enticing more eyeballs to your news. And your article could show up in other vertical search engines and possibly move up in the rankings of a blended search with a snazzy Engagement Object included.

If this is beginning to sound like SEO 101, you're catching on! Basically, you can apply the same search engine optimisation best practices you use when writing Web page content to writing a press release. After all, the end result of a press release is really static Web copy.

At Bruce Clay, Inc., we have some guidelines to use on company press releases. Keyword usage is highest priority. From a list of top five keyword phrases, pick one to work into the headline, first paragraph and once more in the body. Pick and choose from a list of secondary keywords to sprinkle through the release as they apply. And try to vary the main keywords emphasized from press release to press release. That's important because varying the anchor text in inbound links looks more natural. It also spreads the wealth, so you have better off-page optimisation for several terms, not just one.

Distribution Tips

There are many options for press release distribution and they vary based on your target market. What works best for a tech company might not be suited to a bed and breakfast in Ohio. Check out the following press release distribution services, which are a few we have used first-hand. Compare their coverage, prices and options to find the one that suits you best. Different services feed different news outlets, so if there's a particular news outlet that you definitely want your news appearing in, that would be a deciding factor.

• PRWeb - This is a very reliable distribution service, and one that we often recommend to clients. Their Web site also offers some really helpful tips on how to write a press release.
• Marketwire - Marketwire news stories rise nicely to the top of Google news search results and in Google Alerts, so they're another good one to consider when looking for SEO value.
• PR Newswire - Being one of the biggest press release operations in the U.S. makes this company another good candidate.

When you upload your article, be sure to tag it for your appropriate industry categories. Generally you'll scroll through a long list of choices. Check off only the categories that your article applies to. These categories tie in to various news agencies' and companies' feeds, so this can help guide your news into the right channels.

Getting your Press Release into Social Media

The distribution companies have caught on to the importance of social media to a greater or lesser extent. Marketwire, for instance, offers chiclets below your article on their Web site for free. You can specify the tags (relevant keywords) you think apply to your press release that will help social media users find your news.

The chiclets enable anyone reading your article on the Marketwire site to post it on Digg, Delicious or Technorati. However, you have to pay more if you want the distribution company to push your news to social media sites as well as to traditional media.

To get it into social media without spending a ton, your best bet for now is to follow up with some posting of your own. Once your article is published, tweet about it. Mention it on your Facebook wall. Even resort to good old-fashioned e-mail to get the word out. Link to the article on the distribution company's site to increase its backlinks. But spread the word right away.

As effective as they can be, press releases have a very short lifespan. You should distribute press releases regularly -- at least every month or two, but more frequently if you have something newsworthy. They will help keep buzz about your company circulating, with a message you can control.

For permission to reprint or reuse any materials, please contact us. To learn more about our authors, please visit the Bruce Clay Authors page. Copyright © 2009 Bruce Clay, Inc.