Increasing Brand Visibility through SEO
S.E.O. Who knew that three letters could be so intimidating?
It would blow your mind how many businesses out there are not using SEO as part of their marketing strategy because it seems too complex. I’ve done a lot of web designing over the past decade and have analyzed their competitors’ sites for their SEO strategy. Let’s just say I have only encountered a few that even “KINDA” had one! So here are some simple tips and tricks that can put you light years ahead of your competition in terms of digital marketing. And, as a result, you will boost your brand’s visibility, elevate your brand image, and increase your credibility.
Most people know SEO for increasing searchability and visibility, but there is SO much more value than that. In this post, you’ll learn:
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What is SEO?
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5 Reasons Why You Need SEO to Take Your Business to the Next Level
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How to Optimize Your Website for SEO – You NEED this Checklist!
WHAT IS SEO?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is defined by Rand Fishkin, the founder of Moz, as “the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of the traffic that you earn through the organic results in search engines.”
There are so many search engines out there, but let’s face it, Google is the clear winner. When talking about SEO, it’s important to analyze Google’s goals.
GOOGLE’S TOP THREE GOALS:
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Connect searchers with the best content online that satisfies their query
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Send searchers to sites that load quickly, are easy to navigate, and that keep visitors hanging around
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Connect mobile searchers with sites that are optimized for mobile
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So, in order for Google to like your site, you need to make sure that you are helping it achieve its goals. You do that by implementing a strong SEO marketing strategy. The result is:
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Elevated brand image
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Credibility and authority
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Brand visibility and awareness
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Longevity
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Many of these same principles apply to sites like Pinterest too, but that’s a story for another day!
5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED SEO TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
#1 The best, and cheapest way to drive organic website traffic.
Organic searches are often the primary source of website traffic and are undoubtedly a critical component of getting new prospects into your marketing funnel. Being at the top of a Google search is considered by many to be an endorsement from Google. And who wouldn’t want that, right? I can guarantee you this: being visible as a trusted source by Google is KEY to increasing your credibility, authority, and trust.
#2 Boosting your SEO improves your user experience.
Google knows a good website from a bad one. By utilizing some of the tips in my Ultimate SEO Checklist, you’re not only increasing your chances of being on the first page of a Google search, but you are also improving the functionality of your website. This includes things like: reducing loading times, building a strategic map for your audience to follow while on your site, providing relevant, consistent content, and much more. Your audience knows what they want, and if they land on your site and it takes too long to load, or if they can’t find the information they were looking for within 5 seconds, you have a major problem. They’ll bounce off of your site, you’ll lose the potential for a conversion, and Google will bump down your ranking.
#3 SEO is a key part of the buying cycle.
Think of how many times you go on Google in a day. Your ideal clients are no different from you. They do their research and they know what they want. YOUR job is to be in front of their face when they want the service or product that you offer. Marketing is all about being in the right place, at the right time. Trust me. Using SEO tactics to relay your messaging, authority, and amazing product or service will be a game-changer for your sales!
#4 SEO builds longevity for your brand.
To build longevity for your brand, you have to differentiate your marketing strategy. Instagram isn’t going to be around forever. Neither are all of the other social media outlets we are currently using. Investing your time and efforts into strategies like SEO ensures that, as social media changes, your brand will still remain relevant online. I’m not seeing websites and search engines going away any time soon. The social media “players” may change, but the game will stay the same.
#5 If you’re not on Page One, you’re not getting the sale.
A recent study shows that the first three organic search ranking positions result in nearly 40% of all click-throughs, while up to 30% of all results on Page 1 and 2 aren’t getting clicked on at all! You’re probably already ranking in the top three positions for your BRAND NAME, but real growth happens when you are ranking in the top three positions for your NICHE! It’s hard, and it takes time, but you can get there.
HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE FOR SEO
BLOGGING
I work really hard with my clients to narrow their niche for positioning purposes, but also to boost their SEO. When you’re producing high-quality, niche content, your chances of ranking higher on Google increase.
Choose to demonstrate authority on 1-3 TOPICS ONLY and make sure to use your keywords heavily throughout the post. Google loves long-form content with 1,500+ words that fully answer questions. Include links to your other blog posts to keep people bouncing around your site.
KEYWORDS
Keywords are KEY (no pun intended). It’s important to ensure that you are drawing in the right audience, because if you are drawing the wrong group of people to your site, they’re likely to bounce off quickly, which decreases your rankings as far as Google is concerned. Plus, perhaps even more importantly, they won’t be giving you any sales! So choose your keywords wisely.
SITE SETTINGS
Most website platforms these days offer tools to help with SEO, but there are a lot of things that you can do without an external tool, that will organically increase your rank on Google. This, again, takes time, but over the course of a few months, you’ll start to see your strategy paying off.
