SEO Demystified: Tips to Maximize Your Digital Presence
Getting my arms around the latest in SEO strategies has been an area of focus for me lately. It frequently comes up in conversations with clients and is an important part of the planning process when we start to explore our digital strategy and surrounding investments. So, here is a rundown of the key SEO insights I have assembled from reading and listening to experts in this area:
Strategic SEO Considerations:
High-involvement purchases (e.g., professional services) benefit more from SEO than low-involvement ones (e.g., junk removal). For high-involvement purchases, customers typically conduct more research online before making a decision. SEO can help your business appear at the top of search results when potential customers are searching for relevant keywords.
Keyword competition matters. Ranking organically might be difficult if top results are directories or reviews. Use keyword research tools to understand the competition for your target keywords. If the top search results are dominated by large directories or review sites, ranking for those keywords organically might be an uphill battle. Consider alternative keywords with lower competition that still target your ideal customer.
SEO is not just about getting a lot of clicks or ranking high in search engine results pages (SERPs) – the goal is really to get people to take action on your website.
SEO is not a one-time thing. It is an ongoing process that takes time and effort to see results.
Advantages of SEO:
Long-term visibility: Rankings can last for years with minimal maintenance. Once you achieve a high ranking for relevant keywords, you can continue to enjoy website traffic and leads without needing to constantly pay for ads.
Cost-effective: Lower variable cost per lead compared to PPC ads. SEO requires an investment of time and resources upfront, but the cost per lead tends to be lower than pay-per-click (PPC) advertising in the long run.
Stable costs: SEO costs tend to be more stable than rising PPC costs. Unlike PPC costs, which can fluctuate depending on competition and keyword bids, SEO costs are more predictable.
Disadvantages of SEO:
Slower results: It takes 3-6 months, or even longer for new websites, to see significant results. SEO is a long-term strategy. It typically takes several months to see significant improvements in organic traffic and rankings. Be patient and focus on creating high-quality content that will attract backlinks over time.
Finding good vendors: Finding qualified SEO agencies for small and medium businesses can be challenging. When considering SEO vendors, look for agencies with a proven track record of success and experience in your industry. Be wary of agencies that make unrealistic promises or guarantees.
The Future of SEO:
AI's role is growing: AI is increasingly important in search algorithms. Search engines are using AI to better understand user intent and deliver more relevant results. This means that your content needs to be informative, engaging, and address the specific needs of your target audience.
Focus on user experience: Google prioritizes user satisfaction with search results. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and loads quickly. Provide a positive user experience to keep visitors engaged on your site and signal to search engines that your content is valuable.
Informative & Engaging Content: Content that engages and informs is likely to perform better. Don't just create generic content. Focus on creating informative and engaging content that educates your target audience and establishes you as a thought leader in your industry.
Social media integration: Capture leads who aren't ready to convert initially through social media. Promote your SEO content on social media platforms to reach a wider audience and nurture leads who might not be ready to convert on the initial website visit.
Content Strategy:
Target the buyer's journey: People go through different stages in the buying process, from awareness to consideration to decision. Create content that addresses each stage of the buyer's journey. For example, create blog posts that answer common questions potential customers might have in the awareness stage, and create white papers or case studies that target customers who are closer to making a decision.
Create linkable content: Search engines consider backlinks a sign of trustworthiness and authority. Create content that is so informative or valuable that other websites will want to link to it. This could include industry data, original research, infographics, or even interactive tools.
Pursue newsworthy content: If you can create content that is newsworthy or gets picked up by major media outlets, you can gain valuable backlinks and brand awareness. This could involve conducting original research, publishing industry surveys, or creating content around current events in your industry.
Additional Tips:
Start with a site audit: The first step to getting started with on-page SEO is to do an SEO audit. This will help you to identify any potential problems on your website that could be hurting your digital presence. There are several tools to help with this process, such as: HubSpot Website Grader, Seobility, Ahrefs, SEMrush, SEOptimer, Google Search Console.
Optimize videos for search: Video is a powerful way to engage your audience and improve your SEO. When creating videos, be sure to include relevant keywords in the title, description, and tags. You can also create transcripts of your videos to improve accessibility and help search engines understand the content.
Leverage social media: Promote your content on social media platforms to reach a wider audience and drive traffic back to your website.
Consider AI-generated content: While AI-generated content might not be suitable for everything, it can be a helpful starting point for creating informative articles. Just remember to edit and revise it for accuracy and readability.
Remember, building a strong SEO strategy takes time and effort, but the long-term benefits are substantial. By focusing on high-quality content, user experience, and adapting to evolving search algorithms, businesses can establish a strong online presence and attract qualified leads.
Search experience is changing > Google is constantly updating its search algorithms and features. This can impact businesses that rely heavily on organic search traffic. It's important to be prepared for these changes and remember that a temporary traffic dip might not be as big a deal as it seems. Rather than focusing solely on volume…
Focus on conversions > Organic search traffic is valuable, but it's even better when it converts to paying customers. Businesses should leverage their social media channels to nurture website visitors and convert them into leads or sales. And get the most of out your content efforts by…
Repurposing content > Content creation can be time-consuming. The example highlights how a single video can be repurposed for different social media platforms, maximizing reach without a significant time investment.
As a Fractional CMO, my goal is to help business leaders unlock their vision and reclaim their time by taking accountability for the marketing function. So, if you want to learn more about how to elevate your digital presence and drive growth, don't hesitate to reach out for a discovery call.
