Paul Bruemmer
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Paul Bruemmer

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About Paul Bruemmer

Paul Bruemmer is Managing Partner at PB Communications LLC. Specializing in SaaS solutions for Enterprise Store Locator/Finders, Semantic/Organic/Local/Mobile and SEO Diagnostic Audits for increasing online and in-store foot traffic.

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Paul Bruemmer's latest articles

Bing

Can Bing Be More Competitive In Search?

Recently, Nathan Safran wrote a piece titled, “The Bing Dilemma: What To Do With The Little Search Engine That Can’t.” In it, he posits that everything Bing has done in the past to grab market share is not working, partly because people are so used to using Google that any hope of capturing market share […]

Content

Three Steps for Crushing Multi-Location Local Search

Research firm BIA/Kelsey reports that 97% of consumers use online media to shop locally. If you’re a multi-location business, this means it’s more important than ever to be visible to Web users in all your business locations. This column tells you how to crush it. Based on my own daily searches, it’s clear to me that […]

SEO

Future SEO: Linked Open Data (LOD)

As mentioned in my column on string entity optimization, the use of structured data allows search engines like Google to understand your page content so it can display better search results, or answers, to user queries. This month, I’ll focus on Linked Open Data (LOD), which will allow you to publish structured data so it can be interlinked to establish relationships. […]

Apple

Future SEO: Understanding Entity Search

Last month, I asked you to imagine the future of SEO with a focus on Entity Optimization as I interviewed veteran semantic strategist Barbara Starr. We discussed an “answer engine” that uses relevant, machine-recognizable “entities” on Web pages to answer specific, well-refined queries. The Hummingbird Update On September 26, Google took another step toward becoming […]

SEO

Future SEO: String Entity Optimization

Imagine the future of SEO — a future in which you forget about using keywords or their synonyms multiple times on a page. In the future, this will be obsolete. Search engines of the future will provide users with answers to their queries by internally verifying validated data that link to trusted documents. To optimize […]

Apple

Crush The Competition With Hyper Local Listing Management!

In May 2012, Google partnered with Ipsos OTX Media CT to get a better understanding of U.S. smartphone usage. Their study revealed that 94% of smartphone users have looked for local information, and 90% took action as a result (called the business, walked into a store, redeemed a coupon, etc). Also, 96% have researched a product or […]

Content

Building An Enterprise-Level Search Marketing Team: Part 2

In July, I began my two-part series on building an enterprise-level search marketing team. We left off with a review of the essentials for SEO, including all the technical and editorial factors that can hinder your website’s rankings in the search engines. If you’ve followed my recommendations thus far, you’ll have hired a reputable search guru, […]

Content

Building An Enterprise-Level Search Marketing Team: Part 1

Several years ago, I was tasked with building an enterprise-level search marketing team for a top online retailer. Because of the lessons learned and results achieved, I want to pass this intel on to those tasked with creating a search marketing team from scratch. Your Foundation: The Search Guru My first recommendation is to start […]

Apple

Optimizing Your Digital Assets To Boost Rankings & Branding

Let’s say you’re responsible for developing revenues from both traditional and non-traditional advertising. You work with a digital staff of talented people to create lead-generating Web-based content, or perhaps you are in e-commerce and sell products. Maybe you’re a brick and mortar with a website, or perhaps a pure-play Internet business with no physical storefronts. […]

Enterprise

The Keyword Discovery Process For Enterprise Sites

The keyword discovery process is critical for managing enterprise projects, as it forms the bedrock of brand messaging in search and social for large-scale websites or multiple brand sites under one corporate umbrella. This process is similar to keyword discovery for smaller sites; however, the difference in scale makes the process more complex. There are […]

Enterprise

Top 10 Tool Features For Successful Enterprise SEO

In 2007, I had the unique opportunity of building an in-house SEO team for an enterprise-level e-commerce retailer. From an SEO perspective, the website had been the accouterment of hacks, built over a six-year period with absolutely no consideration for search engines. The founder CEO was persuaded by a very bright 26-year-old VP to rebuild […]

Apple

Why Local Retailers Should Be Using Open Graph Markup

Last November, Chris Sherman highlighted the findings of Forrester research in his  article, Forrester Rates The Top Large Search Marketing Agencies. As Chris noted, the Forrester report asked and answered this question: “What are the biggest search marketing challenges you expect to face in the next two years?” Today, I’m convinced the findings were not […]

SEO

Which Top SEO Tactics Will You Focus On In 2013?

SEO tactics have morphed again over the past year, including the many Google updates we’ve seen. For nearly any type of business, keeping up with these changes can be a challenge, but if you prioritize the tasks necessary for success in search and social media marketing, the efforts can pay large dividends. Below are my […]

Apple

How Web Retailers Can Profit With Semantic SEO

Semantic SEO is a fairly new Web marketing tactic that combines search engine optimization and semantic Web technology. Semantic SEO includes a focus on artificial intelligence to understand a user’s intent (i.e., the meaning of the query) in addition to the reliance on text, keywords and links in search algorithms. I wrote before about using […]

Apple

Closing The Loop From Mobile Search To Mobile Payment Systems

As the adoption of smartphones increases, consumers are becoming comfortable using their smartphones and tablets to buy goods, transfer money and perform many different kinds of financial transactions. A new study by comScore reports 80% of U.S. smartphone owners accessed mobile commerce sites and apps in July (85.9 million total). According to Google’s Our Mobile […]

Ecommerce

What Retailers Need To Know About The Local-Mobile Marketing Landscape

Retailers have an array of digital marketing tactics at their disposal: email, SEO, local search, PPC, display ads, social media, etc. These are frequently combined with traditional marketing tactics such as print, direct mail and trade shows. It’s important to select the right media mix to drive profits, and that’s why I want to review […]

Ecommerce

What Brick & Mortar Stores Can Do About Showrooming

You’ve all heard about showrooming, where customers go to a local store to check out products they’d like to buy, then purchase the product for less online. It’s been going on for several years and is becoming more popular as technology enables instant comparison shopping. Millions of consumers do it, scouting out everything from computers […]

Ecommerce

Don’t Just Pin Images, Optimize For Pinterest Search With Purpose

If you’re a retailer and want to boost traffic and conversions, an image SEO strategy using Pinterest can provide great results fairly quickly. Pinterest activity will not only increase your referral traffic, it can help you connect with your customers and prospects in a mutually beneficial way. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s the age […]

Ecommerce

3 Search Opportunities Retailers Can’t Afford To Miss

As competition intensifies, it becomes increasingly more difficult for retailers to thrive, with big retailers like Sears, JC Penney and Macy’s resorting to Every Day Value Pricing. To succeed, retailers must avoid missed opportunities. This article identifies three opportunities retailers can take advantage of: (1) use every available local search tactic, (2) have your site […]

Ecommerce

How To Get A 10x Lift In Monthly Unique Visitors

Retailers have used signage, billboards, newspapers, magazines, vehicles, buildings, radio, TV – just about every means imaginable to market their products and services. But never have we seen retail marketing spread exponentially in different directions since the advent of the Internet and the proliferation of computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. In fact, the Internet and […]

Ecommerce

Increase Retail Sales From Mobile Devices In 2012

2011 was the year that shopping on mobile devices moved into the mainstream. It won’t be long before the majority of retail sales are made from tablets and mobile devices rather than laptops and desktops. With mobile usage increasing dramatically in 2012, it’s important for retailers to start accommodating mobile shoppers. This article will review […]

SEO

How To Get A 30% Increase In CTR With Structured Markup

As documented by case studies in the U.S. and abroad, retail firms can get up to a 30 percent increase in organic traffic by using structured markup like Schema Microdata, GoodRelations and Google Rich Snippets, etc. This begs the question: why aren’t more retailers using structured markup? Implementing structured data requires the skill of adding […]

Ecommerce

Social-Local-Mobile Tactics Drive Retail Success

The convergence of social networking, local search and mobile shopping provides consumers with convenience while saving them time, a real winner in the digital world. Because the Social-Local-Mobile trend makes certain marketing channels more important for retail brands, we want to review how e-retailers can get more social while providing mobile functionality and local search […]

Ecommerce

Two Ways To Drive More Holiday Traffic & Conversions

Two ways brick ‘n mortar retailers can increase consumer engagement and conversions in time for the holidays are: (1) build a simple and robust mobile store locator, and (2) provide maximum coverage of the brand’s digital storefront in all the cities and neighborhoods for each location. Research by Brand Anywhere and Luth Research found retailers […]

Ecommerce

How To Boost In-Store Traffic & Sales By Optimizing Your Digital Storefront For Local SEO

We all know consumers research online before making local purchases. A 2010 survey by BIA/Kelsey and research firm ConStat revealed 97 percent of consumers research future purchases using online media: 90 percent use search engines, 48 percent use the online Yellow Pages, 24 percent use vertical sites and 42 percent use comparison shopping sites. Bricks and clicks […]

SEO

Two Ways To Justify SEO In Uncertain Times

During uncertain economic times like these, our advice is to always stick with the fundamentals to maintain business efficiency and progress. No matter what your business model, performing the fundamentals will keep you on-track and in-line for leveraging future success. If the C-level executives in your company are having any doubts about the value of […]

SEO

Enhance In-House Search Thru Offline Media

Thegood news: eMarketer projects 17.4 percent growth in US internet ad spending this year compared to last year. The bad news: the amount estimated to be spent this year was downgraded by a billion dollars ($24.9B vs. $25.9B). Should we be worried? Not really, because internet ad spending will likely continue to grow at the […]

SEO

Total Search Marketing, Part 2

In the first installment of this series, Total Search Marketing, Part 1, I wrote about the eConsultancy research showing that natural search (SEO) was the most frequently used online marketing tactic for lead generation. Yet, most marketers put the bulk of their search marketing budget into paid search. Many of these marketers felt their company […]

SEO

Total Search Marketing, Part 1

It’s been a long held concept that natural search, aka SEO, is a top internet marketing tactic for acquiring better conversions, leads, and ROI. Now, eConsultancy has collected data and documented a study in the U.K. showing that natural search is the best tactic for generating online leads, concluding it is greatly underused despite the […]

SEO

Managing In-House SEO For 17,000 Domains

All complex systems can be broken down into manageable components or modules. SEO is no different; whether you have 17,000 domains or 10,000,000 product SKUs, the system for managing this load is always the same. A complex system doesn’t necessarily mean it’s based purely in technology. Microsoft, Cisco, AOL, Oracle, and HP are all examples […]

SEO

Developing In-House SEO Functionality

My last Search Engine Land post, In-house SEO Functionality resonated with many in-house SEOs. “Eletitor” commented on the necessity of getting the entire management team on board for in-house SEO success. Kevin Cheng mentioned the need for preparations prior to hiring any in-house SEO, as well as the bureaucratic red tape that can hinder its […]

Link building

5 Steps To Develop In-House SEO Functionality

In large organizations, it takes the effort of several internal groups to accomplish top level business goals. When natural search optimization for web sites, commonly called SEO, is moved in house, it generally is the task of a combination effort from IT and Marketing. Below are five steps for moving SEO in house, as well […]

Content

Linking Prowess For In-House Teams

Linking is still de rigueur when optimizing for Google and all major engines. Linking strategies have run the gauntlet, from simple link exchange requests to buying links. For a good review of current best practices in linking tactics, I refer you to The Link Spiel by Debra Mastaler and “11 Experts on Link Development Speak […]

SEO

Lessons Learned As An In-House SEO Consultant

Jessica Bowman’s article in the Winter issue of Search Marketing Standard, “Bringing SEO In-House,” defines the In-House SEO Life Cycle as: Courtship, Honeymoon, Reality, and Synergy phases. In the courtship phase you recruit the best in-house SEO possible. When the honeymoon is over, reality sets in. That’s when you have a chance to develop synergy. […]

Content

Is The Time Ripe For Search Marketing Standards?

Over the past ten to twelve years, various SEM practitioners have brought up the need for industry standards. I started asking the question in 1998, and others have brought it up since, but the industry seems to have a laissez faire attitude. Albeit, we’ve seen some standardization steps taken by the search engines themselves. Google, […]

Link building

Why You Should Reveal SEO Secrets To Clients

When you buy search services, some agencies merely provide a general overview of their SEO methodology without revealing any details. They claim this relieves the client from being bogged down in the minutiae of implementation. In reality though, these firms are simply trying to keep their intellectual property under wraps and create a dependence for […]

Link building

Making the Most Of In-House SEO Project Delays

Natural search teams can get seriously hung up due to the bottlenecks that may exist within organizations of various sizes, preventing them from achieving outstanding organic search results. One type of bottleneck is IT delays that prevent timely implementation of SEO projects. Many times, these delays can’t be avoided. But that doesn’t mean you can’t […]

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