If you’re a business owner, then you’ve probably already figured out just how vital SEO strategy can be to your overall success rate. Online exposure is the most effective way to get the word out about your products and services. Just about every form of business out there has information available about them online, describing what they do and how they can be reached.
However, that does not necessarily mean that the information is accurate, up to date, or even easy to find. If you’re not managing a well-maintained SEO marketing strategy for your business or website, then you could be missing out on more lead conversions than you even realize. But as a successful entrepreneur, you may already know more about SEO than you thought.
It’s easy to hear phrases like “SEO,” “Panda algorithm update,” and “Google quality rater guidelines” and get lost in a sea of confusion. But trust me when I say that internet marketing is not as difficult as people make it out to be. I started my internet marketing company in my basement, knowing almost nothing about the industry. Fast forward 14 years, and I’m one of marketing’s top influencers. Get a head start on your internet marketing efforts with my three-step approach to building an online authority.
Research the Need for Your Services
When you came up with the idea for your business, you probably noticed a lack of availability for something that you were looking for, or had difficulty finding it. In turn, you also may have asked around to see if people would pay for that kind of service if it were more available to them. Hence, you were able to do some research and find the value or demand for that service. It probably helped you to better understand your target audience as well.
With an effective internet marketing strategy, you want to do the same. Make sure you are not attracting just any customers, but rather the right customers. Let’s say someone is looking for a car engine, and you own an auto body store that mainly provides parts for foreign vehicles. If that potential customer is specific with their search and you’re specific with your keywords, then they are more likely to find you right off the bat. Let’s say they type “Subaru Outback engines” into their search. If you use this keyword effectively, then they’ll be able to find you right away. Effective keyword research and application is a big step in the right direction of targeting potential customers and closing a sale.
Attract New Customers
Without customers or the need for a service, there really is no possible way for a business to thrive. If consumers are not investing in your product, then you won’t have income. So naturally, you want to get the word out about what you have to offer.
Before the internet, people found out about services through the Yellow Pages, television and radio ads, magazines, newspapers and word of mouth. Now, people are searching for products and services on their mobile devices and having hundreds — even thousands — of results available to them within seconds.
You want to attract as many new leads as possible, including both people who have never heard of you and are searching for your product, as well as people who have heard of you and are becoming more curious about your services.
So, how do you place your brand front-and-center for your audience to see? It all starts with highly-targeted content creation with the user in mind. Without question, content should be the heart of your brand. From blog posts and original landing page copy to downloadable white papers, the content on your site is ultimately what drives new audiences to your brand. Make sure your brand is in a position to succeed by creating user-oriented content that provides your audience with trustworthy information. Keep in mind that it should be content that they actually want to read.
Publish on Social Media Channels
Most new businesses start out small and begin by offering services to family and friends. The results are then talked about and shared with other family and friends, thus perpetuating word-of-mouth marketing.
Today, practically everyone we know has at least one social media account. Most people like to share their experiences with businesses and services on social media because it’s a quick and easy way to tell others about their experience. If you are not advertising your business on any social media websites, you could be missing out on a lot of potential customers due to a lack of exposure. If someone receives a wonderful service from you, encourage them to share it with everyone they know online. Something as simple as a quick review on your Facebook profile could do a lot for your business’s exposure to new customers and clients.
When preparing to effectively optimize your online SEO marketing strategies, there’s quite a bit of research to analyze. Just like when you’re starting out in a new business, doing your due diligence and considering all your options will lead you to higher quality clientele and ROI.
