SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a process that enables the growth of visibility in non-paid results of search engines. Composed of both technical and creative elements, SEO companies aim to drive traffic on websites, to improve rankings, and to build greater awareness in search engines. Aside from making your website more search-engine friendly, SEO also enables your website to be better structured for your audience.
Search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo make up for a high percentage of web traffic. They remain the primary source of information for most web users, whether it be for location, products, services, or other information. Search engines use keywords and work hand-in-hand with social media, blogging, and link building to generate traffic to websites. Failing to implement proper SEO tactics will result in missed traffic opportunities for your website.
SEO is complicated to implement because technology is constantly evolving. However, strategy will undoubtedly create an edge for your business. That is why it is important to know the strategies on how to effectively build and maximize SEO for your business.
Ensure an Excellent Product or Service
First, be sure to have a product that will benefit from SEO implementation. Your SEO technical know-how cannot compensate for a bad product or service. People are most likely to talk about a great brand or service that can generate attention both online and offline. As such, it will easily lead to site visits, positive reviews, and increased sales. For existing products, focus on features that customers find the most beneficial, based from their feedback, requests, or even complaints regarding your competitors. On the other hand, promotion for new products should focus on their main benefits so that your prospective audience know what they will get.
Deliver Great Content
Content must be relevant, useful, and appealing in order to be attractive to search engines, and for them to rank you high in their results. Thorough and relevant content must address the needs of your searchers and cater to the information they are looking for. Videos and images are considered low investment/high potential vehicles for driving traffic and generating awareness. At the same time, they can also enhance your website’s off page reputation, because they can increase conversions or generate social shares. A well-made video can generate a large number of links for a website. Meanwhile, images that can be shared on photo-sharing sites generate attention and are a good enhancement for other off-page SEO tactics, such as article submission and forum & blog marketing.
To further optimize videos and images, you can use social media to post how-to videos, share recent events and updates, and deliver other relevant content. Blog posts and pages can also be submitted to bookmarking sites such as Reddit, StumbleUpon, Digg, etc., to broadcast news and images over a wider network.
Get to Know the Intentions Behind Your Audience
Knowing your audience can boost your SEO both on- and off-page. Increasing interaction and sharing with your audience can definitely provide more growth opportunities for any brand, product or service. Focus on their intent — match up your offers to what the audience needs. Be aware of the keywords your prospective audience might be using. It is important to match up descriptions, titles, and keyword phrases in order to be out in front of your audience, ready to catch the objectives of their searches. Search intent is the key focus in any consumer’s journey because it tells Google who you are and what what you like, enabling advertisers to shape your online experience. It is also beneficial to know how content is shared or discussed, and what is impacting your services or product.
Increase Social Media Presence
A more responsive social media presence translates to better customer service, adds value, and generates traffic, all of which lead to better SEO. Searching for a product, a brand, or a specific piece of information can start with Google Autosuggest. Afterwards, people will then visit social media to verify, analyze, and ask more questions regarding their search. From reviews to online comments, it is best to utilize social media in such a way that encourages genuine brand interaction. It is a good way to get to know your audience’s’ wants, as well as be able to respond to their queries and give your brand more credibility. Be responsive to comments, and monitor your audience activity. Just be sure to steer away from excessive brand promotions or robotic, standard responses. Reaching out to people in an authentic way is the key here.
Connect with Social Media/Online Influencers
Influencers are popular individuals with a huge audience reach and important connections with high-ranking websites. They typically have a big online following, and thus the products or services they promote tend to be high on the radar and big on social trends, presenting more opportunities to generate awareness and to create web traffic. Consider creating a partnership with these influencers to boost off page SEO and attract more prospective customers.
There are certainly no shortcuts to better brand recognition or an improved ranking on search engines, but learning the complexities of SEO is always an asset to any business, especially in today’s technology-driven society. The strategies mentioned above provide guidance and basic knowledge to maximize the opportunities provided by SEO. For more information and other tips on digital marketing, please visit Arcalea’s blog.
