Your clients and future clients most likely use the internet on a daily basis and, good news, the internet isn’t going anywhere. Having a strong online presence is therefore essential. With new websites appearing every day, how do you make sure yours is found? How can you end up on the first page of a Google search?
The answer: SEO. Search Engine Optimization.
SEO is a marketing tool focused on growing visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results. SEO includes both the technical and creative elements required to improve rankings, drive traffic, and increase awareness and brand recognition in search engines.
In other words, it’s the work that is done behind the scenes to make sure your website pops up on Google (and other search engines) when people search for your business name or certain keywords related to the goods or services you offer. SEO contains several aspects such as keywords, multi-location, content, and digital advertisement.
The most popular form of SEO, which is also the foundation of it, is Keyword SEO. Having the right keywords on your website is essential for search engines to recognize it. If your company is called The Heart Surgeon, your website will naturally show up when people search for… a heart surgeon. But if your company is, in fact, an online course that aims at healing broken hearts, you MUST have all the right keywords so that your website shows up when people search for “how to heal a broken heart”, “recovering from heartbreak”, “grief online support”, etc. Without the right keywords, you will only show up in “heart surgeon” searches and you’ll wonder why your bounce rate is so high.
Content SEO is a marketing strategy that involves research, writing, and posting. First, you have to find out what your customers are looking for. Second, you must create content offering free information about that exact thing they are looking for, and share that content on your website. Your website then becomes an informational hub where people can find a variety of useful tools. That strategy establishes credibility and trust between these visitors and your business and makes conversion easier. Content can be in the form of blogs, interviews, vlogs, videos, tutorials, etc.
Ideal for businesses wishing to open new locations, Multi-location SEO is focused on growing a company’s reach. The idea is to grow the radius of a business so that it can reach new cities and eventually open up a new store in those already reached areas. That is done with the help of tools like Google Business/Maps, Yelp and by writing content on your website specifically catered to the city you are targeting.
Without optimizing your website and online presence, you are essentially invisible on the web.
As SEO Expert Marco Baez puts it: “Without optimizing your website and online presence, you are essentially invisible on the web. Maybe some customers find you here and there, but in order to get a real following, you need to work on making your site as “searchable” as possible with the kind of content people are readily looking for.”
When creating your SEO strategy, it’s important to go a step further and include the audience that might not know they are looking for your business yet. For example, let’s say you, as a consumer, are experiencing knee pain and decide to do a quick search on the internet to see which supplement you should take to help your joint health. If by typing “supplements for knee pain” in your search engine, you land on an acupuncture business that explains the benefits of acupuncture for joint pain, all that accompanied by positive testimonials, you might realize you want to try acupuncture, in addition to searching for supplements.
That’s a SEO job well done for this acupuncture clinic as it goes beyond the obvious keywords and targets potential clients that could use the service even if they didn’t know about it.
Where to start?
“The best-kept secret about SEO, shares Baez, is that people are readily searching for what you provide! You don’t need to twist anyone’s arm to get them to notice you! All you need to do is put yourself in their perspective. If you were searching to find the service you offer, what would you actually type? What steps would you take to find out who is a reputable and trusted company? What would you research before making a decision? If you create the content that responds to all these buyer’s needs, then guess what? They will choose you! Sure, some take a bit more time to decide than others, but at least you’ve got a connection you can begin to grow. Short answer? Become your buyer.”
Investing in making your website easy to find should be a no-brainer. As Baez recommends; “The earlier you start putting into action a strong SEO strategy, the better because it will ensure that everything you create and add will be focused and catered to attract your customers.”
SEO is a valuable investment for any business and an essential one for digital businesses. Remember, people might love your products and services, but they first need to find them! With SEO, your website becomes more visible, which means more traffic and more opportunities to convert those visitors into clients and customers.
Written by Mukta Cholette, Founder of Creative Marketing Ninja. As seen on Kivo Daily.