Audience, Relevance, and Search: Targeting Web Audiences with Relevant Content

Use Search and Social Media to Better Engage with Your Target Audiences

How much more effective would you be if all your Web content reached its precise target audiencesùand they engaged with it? In Audience, Relevance, and Search, three pioneering IBM content and search experts help you get closer to this goal than ever before.

Drawing on more than forty-five years of experience in Web publishing and search effectiveness, the authors introduce powerful new techniques for using search and social media to deliver the right message to more of the right people, at the right time. Success involves systematically attracting targeted search traffic, instantly demonstrating relevance, and consistently engaging the target audiences.

Audience, Relevance, and Search offers indispensable insights for Web marketers, copywriters, editors, content strategists, and information architects alike.

Coverage includes

How relevance, determination, and audience analysis differ on the Web as opposed to print

Search-first writing: choosing keywords and long-tail phrases that your targeted audiences actually use

Getting to the point faster than ever

Developing personally relevant content for widely diverse audiences

Improving satisfaction by steering users to content that's relevant to themùand away from content that isn't

Aligning content to users' roles and to where they stand in the purchasing cycle

Encouraging customers to rate, share, and comment on your content through social media

Using analytical tools and dashboards to measure site effectiveness

Adapting intelligently to changing audiences

James Mathewson has followed the Web since 1994, first as a contributing editor specializing in Web publishing and search for ComputerUser magazine, and later as the editor in chief of the magazine and its Web site. As the ComputerUser.com editor, he published more than 1000 articles, mostly related to Web technologies. He has also published in several other magazines and periodicals, including IBM Systems magazine.

     Since leaving ComputerUser in 2004, James has worked for IBM as a Web developer and Web content editor. In his current role as editor-in-chief of ibm.com, James sets standards, and creates and delivers education to improve the effectiveness of IBM’s Web content. James has trained more than 1000 writers, editors, and content strategists on Web content quality and search engine optimization (SEO) within IBM. James leads all search effectiveness efforts for IBM’s Smarter Planet Web presence (ibm.com/smarterplanet). He is also the search strategy lead for IBM Marketing and Communications, a role that gives him influence over future Web and social media content efforts at IBM.

Frank Donatone is an Internet professional with over 20 years’ experience in the IT industry. His experience includes people management, project management, Web site design, usability, accessibility, search engine marketing with a SEMPO certification in advanced SEO, and social media optimization. Using his previous experience in addition to customer satisfaction survey analysis he provides tactical and strategic recommendations to IBM for Web site improvement. His position as a IBM Worldwide Web Effectiveness Lead has a strong focus on SEO and social media to improve IBM’s ranking on the Web for key terms, managing the brand’s reputation, identifying sales opportunities, and improving share of voice. Frank has also co-developed and taught several search engine optimization courses at IBM with his coauthors. Recently, he has participated in the design and presentation of education related to using social media for sales inclusive of Twitter, LinkedIn, and event promotion. In addition to his Web Effectiveness role Frank also serves as a social media lead for ibm.com.

     Prior to joining IBM, Frank was an IT consultant to IBM as well as a second-line manager for Keane Inc. accounts at three IBM sites, Reader’s Digest, and VSI Communications. His second-line management position encompassed the management of 4 first-line account managers and 50 consultants. His dual role as a consultant at IBM during this tenure was Lotus Notes help desk management, and Lotus Notes and Web application deployment quality assurance. He also holds a professional certification in Lotus Notes administration and development.

Cynthia Fishel is a Senior Interactive Marketing and Brand Specialist with over 24 years of global agency and corporate Fortune 500 experience in the IT Industry. She has a proven track record of building teams that build successful Web sites. She was among the original team that launched ibm.com back in the early 90s and has continued to work on IBM’s Web site for the past 15 years. She produced the ibm.com interactive and visual design standards in support of all ibm.com worldwide Web development for consistent customer experiences across IBM Web sites. She drove IBM’s strategy for Web collaboration and developed the first Collaborative Branding Standards for co-marketed and co-branded Web sites.

    Cynthia has always been part of the IBM team that sets standards, and creates and delivers education to improve the effectiveness of IBM’s Web content. As a Search and Social Media Evangelist for IBM, Cynthia led the development of five Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) education modules for IBM internal use, IBM Business Partners, and interactive agencies, used to train over thousands of associates worldwide.

    Cynthia has spearheaded ibm.com initiatives and education in Corporate Identity & Design, Digital Branding, Rich Media, Accessibility and Privacy. Her recent position as the IT Consultant Specialist/Web Customer Satisfaction Team Lead for ibm.com focused on Web content effectiveness and gave her the opportunity to be the single point of contact for IBM business units, helping them to more effectively attract, convert, and retain business through the Web.