Reading Time: 7 minutesIHS Cera must have felt a lot like Rockwell when I was at Drillinginfo.
Lest you forget, Rockwell captivated the world in the mid-80’s with his paranoid fear, electro synths, and a back-up vocal from Michael Jackson.
(click here if you can’t see the video)
IHS Cera is considered Drillinginfo’s top competitor, though I think that’s a misnomer. Between the products Drillinginfo is releasing and the ones on their roadmap no one is really competing with them anymore.
They are redefining the industry. And they’re not even paying me to say that.
Nevertheless, the reality on the ground and perception in the industry said that’s who I was up against. Therefore, I did my duty – ruthlessly and without regard for the people or careers I set out to destroy.
OK, I’m not really a cold-blooded killer. I’m not some kind of creepy Sochi Olympics official either.
But I am a serious competitor who loves to win. And I had quite a quite a few ways to keep tabs on them. Don’t worry if you don’t live and breath digital marketing like me. As long as you can use the internet, you can execute these tactics because:
You don’t have to be a total internet geek like @JamesHahnII to dominate your oilfield niche online. (Click to Tweet)
You could own an oilfield services company that plays a roll in drilling or completing wells. You might be an operator exploring for new opportunities. Or you could work in one of the many verticals that specializes in oil and gas, but isn’t always directly associated with the industry, like attorneys, accountants, trucking companies, etc.
The fact of the matter is our industry is in its digital marketing infancy. And that’s great news for you because it means:
It’s really easy to run laps around your oil bidness competitors online. Here are 4 power moves! (Click to Tweet)
#1 Google Keyword Tool
We just looked at this tool as a way to discover keywords for your niche, but this is another way to snag some of your competitor’s digital turf. I gave the step-by-step on how to use the tool in that post, but this screenshot tells the story:
That’s right! If you put your competitor’s homepage address in the place where it says “Your landing page”, Google serves up a bunch of boss keywords you can go after to outrank those fools.
I recently learned this shorthand method. But lest you think I founded Tribe Rocket before thinking to rank for competitor keywords, I present Exhibit A:
One back in early October my boy Nathan Randazzo hit me up about a guest post for TAP Management. Mr. Randazzo is an uber SEO geek, so I told him I needed his help.
We did everything right targeting the content – keyword in the title, first sentence, h2 tag, appropriate density, internal links, etc. – and now the good guys win!
#2 Google News
When most people hear “Google News” they think of Google News Alerts. Those are all fine and dandy, but that’s not the one I use. I’m determined to take the competition to the woodshed, but I’m not trying to get an email every time they’re mentioned on the internet.
Unlike Google News Alerts, the Google News App lets you basically create your own digital newspaper. The streams are filled and refreshed around whatever keywords you enter.
To get there, go to Google and click the small squares icon toward the top right of the page. Then click the “News” button from the Apps dropdown.
This brings up the Top Stories for the day as chosen by Google’s algorithmic robots. Click the gear icon toward the right of the screen.
Type your keyword into the blank space and press the “+” button. Enter your reliable news sources in the “Adjust Sources” space and crank those babies all the way to the right. Enter the not-so-reliable news sources and shut them down all the way to the left. (Hey, I never noticed that feature – well played, Google!)
Here’s a look at my sources with a little commentary.
I can’t tell you why I have Press Releases twice. But I can tell you I have them turned off because they don’t perform well when I share them on social media. If it’s worth reading, Simone Sebastian, Jennifer Hiller, Ed Crooks, Jonathan Fahey, Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Ben Casselman, Jay F. Marks, or Kate Galbraith will write about it.
But, if you’re an analyst or an operator that wants to know your competitor’s every move, press releases can be gold. You’ve just got to have the patience to wade through the bad ones. I do not.
Before we move onto number three, I would be remiss to not show you how IHS Cera looks in my Google news links. I may have taken a little creative license.
#3 Drillinginfo Areas of Interest (AOIs)
Drillinginfo recently released a great graphic demonstrating how they are the Swiss Army Knife of the industry. That’s a perfect metaphor because it can do practically anything.
But the AOI tool is probably one of the best kept secrets in the industry.
After you set it up, the system alerts you via email when your company of choice files a permit, completion, or plugging report.
If you’ve got a gut feeling one of your nefarious competitors is trying to move into your territory, setup an AOI. Once you get the daily email you can take a hatchet and smash their dreams to pieces!
#4 Versus Posts
Man, oh man, I loves me some versus posts.
This is some Seal Team 6 content marketing stuff, y’all!
Versus posts are really fun because you get to name names. And if you do it right, you can outrank your competitors when people search THEIR company name.
This strategy comes to us by way of my man Marcus Sheridan over at The Sales Lion. Do yourself a favor and subscribe to his site. Marcus sells fiberglass swimming pools in Richmond, Virginia. He dominates local search in the area. If you search for pools in Virginia, you are sure to see his face.
Notice the blog title, “Who Are The Best Pool Builders in Richmond Virginia?(Reviews/Ratings).” Prospects kept asking the question, so he decided to answer it. But here is the key point – he doesn’t bash his competition.
He mentions why people like working with each of them, then closes with a couple pieces of advice about what to look for when you’re considering a pool purchase. This seems insane, right? Mention your competitors and then don’t drag them through the mud?
But look what happens if you search for his top competitor, “Pla More Pools.”
Even though he doesn’t come up first, he used Google authorship to put his picture next to the link. Your eye is naturally drawn to it and even though this post was written almost two years ago it is still a top article driving traffic to his site.
And now it’s time for a confession. This entire blog has been one big versus post!
My goal is to get TribeRocket.com to outrank IHS Cera. With your help, I think we can make it happen. So help a brother out and click one (or all!) of the share buttons on the left!
I think we can win because I was doing my keyword research and saw this.
1,000 unique searches per month and Low Competition?! Oh IHS, y’all just make it too easy. I must express my gratitude, get over here!
But this is not just about laughing at IHS – though you have to admit, it’s pretty fun!
Study this post and the tactics I have used. See if you can pick out the tactics in action. I want you to be able to put these strategies to work in your own businesses, and I want to hear about your results!
Who is Your IHS Cera?
Who are your top competitors? Who do you need to overtake in the marketplace? If you have already overtaken them in revenue but not perception, what can you do today to start changing that?
And don’t panic, you don’t have to do it all at once. (though I can help you do that!)
Even if you pick only one of these tactics and execute like your life depended on it for 12 months, you will be amazed at what can happen. Your competitors will eventually start copying you as they try to play catch up.
Like that time IHS Cera launched a blog after Drillinginfo launched theirs. That was adorable.
In conclusion, as a good friend of mine often says, “Winners win!” Now is the time for you to win the internet before your competition finds this post and leaves you in the dust!
Your Turn
Google Analytics shows hundreds of people read each of our blog posts, but we still have yet to get a lot of lively discussion going. Therefore, I’m not even going to ask a question this time. Just leave a comment already!
Pro Tip: Leaving blog comments creates quality backlinks to your site, which helps boost SEO – Let’s GO!!!
**Disclaimer**
No one at Drillinginfo asked me to write this post, and it was not cleared by their staff. These views are entirely my own. My use of IHS Cera and my over the top (not the movie, though it’s a classic!) comedic stylings are meant to be just that – comedy. These are not disparaging indictments. I love going all-in against my competition, but never harbor bad feelings. Think of it like playoff hockey. You might beat each other to a bloody pulp for 7 games, but you line up and shake hands at the end. So, let’s all be good sports oout there, eh?!
