This article was originally published online by the Orlando Business Journal.
The market is evolving at a fast pace, so having a strong digital presence on the web is crucial for any business today. That’s because many people think if you’re not on the web, your business isn’t trustworthy.
Often, business owners feel overwhelmed when they think about how to get the right traffic to their site. Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital if you want people to find your business online. It will generate leads, set you apart from your competition and, ultimately, improve sales.
Chris Romero, webmaster and SEO expert, shared these insights about SEO and how to drive free organic traffic to a company website: “Most SEO is simple common sense. The more your site is being talked about online from social media posts, forums and press releases, the more traffic you will get. What also helps is how much content your site has that is being shared by others and that readers find truly informative.”
To create a strong SEO strategy, you have to answer the following questions:
1. Who is your target audience?
Define the age, location, gender, income bracket, spending habits, primary language, immediate needs, favorite sites, etc. There’s a good chance you won’t know every aspect of your target audience, but the closer you get to understanding them, the more focused your efforts will become, according to Romero. And that leads to better results.
2. What type of words does your target audience use to find your product or service online?
For example: When someone is looking for a mechanic in Chicago, they may type “auto repair Wicker Park” into Google or the search engine of their choice. If you offer such a service in the Wicker Park section of Chicago, then you would want your webmaster or web marketer to optimize a page on your site for such a term.
This page should include text, images and even an embedded video incorporating the term “auto repair Wicker Park.” There also should be a good call to action to get site visitors to take action such as, “For a mechanic you can trust, call us today.” Choose one or two keyword terms for each page of your site, but remember to start with no more than four pages at once. To assure a successful outcome, it is crucial to be very specific and focused on SEO.
3. What is your competition doing?
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Unless you’re offering a brand new product in a brand new category, there will, more than likely, be someone already killing it online offering the same thing as you.
So, simply type in the keywords you would use to find your product or service. Remember, if it is a local service, type in the area along with the service. You can also try surrounding areas or nicknames. For instance, another name for Wicker Park in Chicago is “Bucktown.” After typing in those towns and the service or product you’re offering, you then can see which companies are listed on the search engine results pages.
Try to ignore the paid ads on the page (usually in light yellow on the top and side of the page). Investigate your competitor sites by looking at the content on their sites. What is their social media presence? How have they set up their sales funnel? You even can use tools such as Open Site Explorer on MOZ.com to find out what pages are linking to their sites. Perhaps you can get your website link on some of those sites and other similar ones, as well.
4. How steep is the competition in your industry?
The following industries have incredibly high levels of competition throughout the U.S. on Google: medical, law, real estate, automotive and travel. To rank against sites that have thousands of pages, links and a lot of engaged traffic (meaning the user is on the site for more than two minutes and clicks through to more than three pages) is extremely hard when you’re a small- to mid-size business with little to no market share yet.
So, if you’re in a niche with heavy competition, you need to work on creating a solid brand and a unique selling proposition. Don’t try and rank against solid, well-established websites right away, unless you want to waste a lot of time, money and effort. Instead, focus on building your brand. That’s what separates you from the pack and will build a strong community of eager customers and prospects for you.
5. Can you create a buzz around your brand?
Buzz can be generated on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin, as well as in forums, social media bookmarking sites (Reddit, Digg, Stumble Upon), and local review sites like Yelp and Trip Advisor.
Create a press release announcing the opening of your business or a revamped website. Start an email marketing campaign. Ask family, friends and satisfied customers to help spread the word. Word-of-mouth marketing is still the best type of marketing. There’s nothing like having people who are excited to work with you. Asking questions or offering advice on social media is always a win-win. It’s even better if you have a blog and can share your content weekly via social media and RSS feeds.
It’s clear that digital is changing marketing and business. There’s a big opportunity for marketers who get this right. The future of your business depends on how fast you’re willing to respond to market challenges and embrace the trends. The future is in your hands.
