The internet can be a noisy, chaotic place. You need a marketing solution that makes your voice rise above the chatter and helps your web pages rank higher in search results.
Better rankings on a search engine results page increase the chances users will visit your web pages to learn more about you and your brand.
What is this magical solution to send you soaring in rankings? It is called search engine optimization, or SEO, and there is nothing mysterious about it.
A successful SEO strategy is organized, precise, and measurable. SEO is one element in the broader field of digital marketing, a collection of activities designed to enhance your online presence to make your company grow.
Marketing in the Digital Age
There are two ways you can increase your company’s revenue—sell more to your current customers and increase the size of your customer base.
All marketing is designed to ultimately help you create more income. Today’s digital marketing is designed to do this by raising brand awareness to increase traffic to your web pages and ultimately generate sales.
Search engines like to direct users to relevant, helpful content. When your web site ranks higher or appears among the top results in search engines through skillful SEO best practices, you have a better chance of catching users’ attention and enticing them to your web site.
Some busy marketers turn to SEO consultants to help them build effective campaigns. Because the importance of SEO has dramatically risen in the ever-evolving world of the internet, the overall role of digital marketing tactics has begun to increasingly focus on improving SEO.
Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing, or SEM, is similar to SEO. However, it should not be used interchangeably, as it is a broader term.
While SEO gives you good organic search rankings, SEM involves using search engines’ technology to good advantage.
SEM includes researching to position your site within search rankings and involves SEO as well as pay-per-click and various other search engine strategies to advertise your web site and company to internet users.
Keyword Research
Contextually relevant keywords and phrases are integral to successful SEO, according to digital marketing expert Neil Patel.
You can use powerful keywords to create valuable backlinks to your site, which could raise your search engine rankings organically.
According to Patel, keywords are at the heart of every bit of your online content. They even influence what you call your website and name your online company or product.
Pay attention to internet search parameters as well as to how your competitors are using keywords.
You may also want to use online keyword generators. Google offers a keyword volume tool called Keyword Planner. Paid tools include services such as this service from SEMrush.
Going Mobile
A study from Statista showed 64 percent of Google’s paid search clicks were made on mobile devices. Mobile phones made up more than half of total clicks.
Many of these mobile searches are made while people are on the move. Successful content strategies will take this factor into consideration.
Mobile users often want quick answers to search queries. They may not want to take the time and make an effort to click through to your web site to read a longer article or blog post.
Providing users with useful short answers gives them a valuable service. Busy users may remember this favorably and bookmark your web site so they can return to it later.
Quality Content
You will not achieve much success with your carefully planned digital marketing strategy without high-quality content.
Today’s internet users are savvy. They recognize useless fluff and outdated information and quickly move on.
Make sure everything you publish offers readers meaning.
- Do the research and become a source of useful and unique information.
- Respond to the readers’ questions and comments to develop a personal relationship.
- Update old content at least once each year.
These strategies set you up as a reputable brand authority and keep people coming back.
Nothing in the world of the internet stays still for long. However, one constant in the ever-changing world of digital marketing is the need for powerful SEO strategies.
Multiple aspects of digital marketing help boost this essential factor in determining business growth and ultimately success.
You may not have a brick-and-mortar shop, but quality SEO methods can give you real value in terms of success, and you can take that to the bank.
