If you’ve been researching the best ways to market your organization, you’ve probably encountered the term “SEO.” Anyone looking to get the word out about their company and what it has to offer can benefit from SEO, or search engine optimization.
Search engine optimization is the process of increasing traffic to an organization’s website organically, meaning it doesn’t require purchasing ads or spending any money. The practice of SEO involves improving web presence so that when potential customers plug in their needs on a search engine, your company comes up first as the place to go for answers.
When you look at the top results on a search engine, you may think Google would rank the biggest businesses first, since they’re likely paying for that position, right? That couldn’t be further from the truth—the key is to have clear and up-to-date content on your website, and any size business has the potential to rank first for search engine users. So, now that you know about SEO, what can your organization do to ensure you can reach your desired audience and make a sale? Let’s look at what the biggest companies do to increase traffic, and in turn, revenue.
How SEO Works for Business and Biggest Companies?
Brand Awareness
When it comes to marketing your business, there are two terms to become familiar with—outbound and inbound marketing. Outbound marketing involves reaching out to customers to make a sale. This covers a variety of channels, some common examples being commercials and print ads. An outbound marketing strategy is important to have, but considering how many ads we ingest due to technology, it’s not the piece of the puzzle that will take you over the edge.
Inbound marketing is a more long-term approach that helps build brand recognition. An inbound strategy involves positioning your organization as a thought leader in the community, a place to go for answers to any question. Your website may have content that consumers can look to for advice, so when they ask Google, “what are the best hiking tips” or “how to pick the right lawyer,” your website provides quality information they can use. Down the line, when they’re ready to purchase hiking boots or hire a personal injury lawyer, they’ll know what retail establishments or legal teams to trust.
Lead Generation
So now your brand is known as a leader in the industry, but what’s the next step? What about when the customer is ready to purchase a product or service? Just because I know a Subaru is a reliable car brand, doesn’t mean I go to subaru.com when I’m ready to buy a vehicle. I’m still going to make a Google search about cars near me, and some features I might want in a vehicle. This is where the lead generation piece of the puzzle comes into play.
With a good SEO strategy, you’ll work toward becoming the first organization that appears in any search engine when customers are searching for what you offer. Studies show that these inbound strategies are the most successful for building leads in today’s market. If you can get customers to visit your website and share their contact information, you can continue your marketing efforts and, down the line, make a sale. But, without that high ranking on every search engine, you’re missing out on valuable leads.
Paid Ad Strategy
Just because you’re working hard on your SEO doesn’t mean you should stop your paid marketing efforts altogether. In fact, SEO can be that extra kick you’re looking for to make the most of those efforts. All large, successful companies use these strategies in tandem to create the ultimate marketing plan, and now that smaller businesses have become privy to these practices, the playing field has been leveled.
Here’s a true story. When I was shopping recently for a new set of pots and pans, I began seeing social media PPC (pay-per-click) advertisements. I liked what they had to offer, and eventually I was ready to make the purchase, but could not recall the brand’s name offhand. I took my search to Google—”best non-stick non-toxic pans”—and hoped I’d find a good option. If not the one from the ad, then one just as good.
Wouldn’t you know it, there they were, not only in the PPC ads at the top of Google, but as the first Google search hit, too. I would have never heard of them had I not seen them on my social media feed, and had they not worked on their SEO, another company would have come up first, and I may have made the sale with them instead. With these efforts in tandem, you’ll be able to achieve the best results.
The Next Steps
So, how does one get started working on their SEO strategy? SEO consulting services are an affordable way to take your digital marketing to the next level, and the investment will pay off in the long run. A qualified company can do an extensive audit of your website and establish a long-term plan to put you on the map.
If you’re not ready to seek out a qualified agency to assist, here are some tips to keep in mind: keep your content fresh, use relevant keywords, and make sure your website is user friendly. A little effort can go a long way when it comes to SEO.
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