Optimizing Google Search Results: Findings in Jeep Wrangler / Call of Duty Campaign

Our Jeep Creative team at SapientNitro was tasked with creating a buzz model page for the 2012 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty. The Jeep brand created a special Call of Duty: MW3 Edition to support the $10 million ad campaign. I wrote the copy for this Buzz Model Page to support the campaign. 

I met previously with Michael Allen, our Search expert in the SapientNitro Toronto office, about optimizing key words for the features and specs section of jeep.com. He mentioned that headlines are a an important ingredient in the processing that is often overlooked. So a lightbulb goes off in my head.  In order to get higher Google search ratings, I researched key terminology used in past Call of Duty campaigns. This "test" of sorts was would help me on future projects of a similar nature.

Now writing clever headlines for a page is one thing - especially when you're trying to be true to your core values and branding. Trying to weave in key phrases from a co-branding partner is a whole new challenge. First the search for phrases. Then trying to incorporate them without being to forced. Getting our great clients to buy into the idea. It required extra work, but it ended up working on many different levels. In all I incorporated over 20 achievement/trophy phrases into the headlines and body copy (started out with 28, but client review took that down a bit). Titles such as "Back in the Saddle", "The French Connection", "The Dragon Within", "Locked and Loaded", and "Ground Control" were all trophy phrases that gamers would tag with "Call of Duty" to find cheats, or ways to get through difficult levels, in game play. 

Google search results were dramatically increased by associating this Jeep Call of Duty page with key phrases. (Note: I'm basing this in comparison to other projects that didn't incorporate similar techniques). Type in "Call of Duty" in a Google search and the Jeep Call of Duty page comes up 8th on the list - first page - that's without using Jeep in the search cue. Type in "Locked and Loaded" and "Call of Duty" in a Google search (without any reference to Jeep) and the page comes up first in the search.

Type in "The Dragon Within" and "Call of Duty" in a Google search (without any reference to Jeep) and we are come up second in the ranking.

Another example is "Call of Duty" and "Prevent Collateral Damage" - ranks number one in the search again. 

The key phrases goes on and on with first to third rankings on a Google search. But does it work for words that are buried in copy? Seems to help there too. Consider "Raining Pain" and "Call of Duty" - comes up as the third result in a Google search.

Best search results are also had with "The French Connection", "Back in the Saddle", "Elevate Your Senses", and "End Justify the Means". We didn't use any of the key phrases in the Meta Data/Key Words - only traditional Jeep and Call of Duty tags: 

title>2012 Wrangler | Call of Duty&reg;: MW3 Edition | Jeep</title><meta name="description" content="2012 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition; the only vehicle tough enough to play in this world." /> <meta name="keywords" content="Call of Duty,Call of Duty black ops,Call of Duty black,black ops jeep,jeep wrangler Call of Duty black ops edition,Call of Duty black ops jeep,Call of Duty jeep wrangler,jeep wrangler Call of Duty" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/en/includes/css/min.css" />

So where does that leave us? My low-tech test seems to show that using unique terminology, catch phrases, slogans, and key words from co-marketing / co-branding partners in headlines can be very effective in cross-linking the two brands and elevating rankings in Google searches. 

Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Edition Word Search

Can you find the twenty plus Call of Duty achievements references in my Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Edition copy on jeep.com? Hint - check out my last post. Here's a word search to help you find key words associated with this special edition model. Not for the faint of heart - there are 111 words and acronyms (including the achievements copy) in this wicked word search.

ABS, ACE, A CLOSER ANALYSIS, ANY WORLD, AUTHENTIC, AXLES, BACK IN THE SADDLE, BADGE, BLACK, BODY ARMOR, CALL OF DUTY, CAPABILITY, CLAN, CODE, CRAWLER, CRAWL RATIO, CUSTOM INTERIOR, ELEVATE YOUR SENSES, ELITE LOGO, ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS, EPIC, ERM, ESC, ESC OFF, FANS, FIRST TERMER, FOG LAMPS, FOR THE RECORD, FREEDOM, FUN, GAME, GENUINE, GRIZZLED VETERAN, GROUND CONTROL, HEAVY DUTY AXLES, HERO, HOOD, HORSEPOWER, IN A JAM, IRON FIST, ITS ALL ABOUT PRESTIGE, JEEP, JEEP BRAND, JEEP WAVE, LEVEL, LIGHTFOOT, LIVE, LOCKERS, METALLIC, MOD, MOPAR, MUD TERRAIN TIRES, NEW PENTASTAR ENGINE, OFF ROAD, ORIGINAL, OWN, POWER DOME HOOD, PREVENT COLLATERAL DAMAGE, PROFESSIONAL, PURPLE HEART, RAINING PAIN, READY FOR DEPLOYMENT, REAR BUMPER, REMOVABLE DOORS, ROAD TO VICTORY, ROCK RAILS, ROCK TRAC, ROUND HEADLAMPS, RUBICON, SEARCH, SEMI GLOSS BLACK WHEELS, SEVEN SLOT GRILLE, SHOCKS, SILVER, SKIP PLATES, SLUSH MATS, SNOW, SOFT TOP, STYLE, SUN, SWAY BAR DISCONNECT, SPECIAL ELITE LOGO, SPECIAL OPS, SQUAD, STEALTH, SUNRIDER SOFT TOP, SURVIVOR, SUSPENSION, SYMBOL, TEAM, TERRAIN, TIRES, TIRE COVER (2x), THE DRAGON WITHIN, THE SETTING OF THE SUN, TORQUE, TOUGH, TOWING, TRACTION, TRAIL RATED, TROPHY, TRUE, TRU LOK ELECTRONIC LOCKERS, UNLIMITED, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, VETERAN, WAVE, WINCH READY, WRANGLER, WRANGLER RUBICON

Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Edition

Recently wrote copy for the new 2012 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Edition on jeep.com (note: "toughest vehicle in the world" headline was supplied). Keeping with the Call of Duty game-theme, I incorporated over 20 achievement/trophy phrases into the headlines and body copy. This helped raise key word and search awareness as well as give an authentic tone to this hard-core special edition Wrangler.