REI Proves That Good Content Leads to Good Search Engine Results

In the days before the Internet, the only way a company could reach its target market was through what David Meerman Scott (2012) referred to as “interruption-based advertising techniques” (p. 363).  Essentially, companies would bombard us with a variety of ads, either through television and radio commercials, direct mailing pieces, magazine ads, billboards, signs, etc. in the hopes that a product or service would catch our eye and eventually lead to a purchase.  These techniques are “interruptions” because they are often strategically placed in the middle of an activity, such as watching a television show or traveling from one place to another, thus interrupting that activity.  Scott considered such techniques “annoying for customers (and harmful to the brand if overdone) but also increasingly ineffective” (p. 363).

The rise of search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, has changed the marketing dynamic.  Now customers can actively look for a product or service to satisfy a particular need by using keywords or phrases.  According to Scott (2013), search engine marketing “is remarkable because, unlike almost every other form of marketing, it does not rely on the interruption technique” (p. 363).  Many companies are now using search engine optimization (SEO) to help drive traffic to their businesses by “ensuring that words and phrases on [their] site, blog, and other online content are found by the search engines” (p. 364).  Good content designed for a specific audience in online forms that they prefer will be “indexed by the search engines” and  “given the highest possible ranking in the natural search results” (p. 364).

One such company that delivers great content that is effectively indexed by search engines is outdoor recreation retailer, REI.  REI excels in delivering branded content in a variety of forms, including articles, photographs, and videos through its blog site, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and of course, REI.com.  Content is delivered on all of these platforms daily, especially on the blog site, which not only hosts a multitude of different forms of content, but also allows users to filter that content based on their particular interests.  For instance, a user who might be interested in hiking can go to REI’s blog site, select the filter for hiking content and review blogs about hiking the Appalachian Trail, or review tips for drinking backcountry water, or even watch a video about selecting proper hiking footwear or hiking packs. 

In addition to the blog and social media, REI’s website is a repository for all kinds on information on choosing outdoor activity equipment, with whole learning pages dedicated to educating customers on selecting the right gear for certain activities.   All of this content serves to establish REI as an industry leader and expert in not only hiking, but all of the outdoor activities in which they specialize.

So how is REI using key words and phrases on their website and in their content to optimize search engine marketing?  Using the keywords “hiking gear” on Google brings up REI as the first natural search result after the advertising results.  The same results occur on Bing and Yahoo!  A search for “best climbing shoes” brings up a top ranked natural search result on Google for a page on REI’s website on how to choose climbing shoes.  A search using other key phrases that a customer might use like “choosing a snowboard” or “buying a bicycle helmet” again brings up top ranked natural search results for REI.  REI is delivering the content, and the search results speak volumes to the effectiveness of this strategy.  Companies looking to develop effective search engine marketing would do well to study the things that REI has done to drive its own search engine marketing.

References:

Scott, D.M. (2013). The new rules of marketing and PR: How to use social media, blogs, news releases, online video, & viral marketing to reach buyers directly. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons