Do you want to talk to someone about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) but you’d feel more confident if you had a handle on SEO basics first? Good plan. SEO consultants can be invaluable to your SEO strategy, and they’ll be able to light the path for you whatever your knowledge level. However, the more you know when talking to a consultant, the better you’ll understand the benefits you’re getting. Maybe you’ll even be ready to do it on your own. Let’s talk about SEO.
What Is Search Engine Optimization?
Search engine optimization or SEO is a technique you can use as part of your content plan. When you write web pages and blogs or create video and social media messages your goal is to get seen online. What search engine optimization does is make sure your content reaches the people most likely to become customers or clients. Using SEO keywords within your content tells search engines, such as Google, what you’re offering. When someone searches online, search engines crawl sites looking for the keywords in content that would provide the best results for that particular search term. Your SEO goal is to appear in search results of people looking for the products and services you provide. Ideally, you’ll rank on page one of the search engine results pages (SERP). If you’re on page two, fewer people are going to see you. That’s why you aim to rank higher.
What’s an SEO keyword and how do I know which ones to use in my content?
SEO keywords are the words that describe your product or service. These words will be commonly used as search terms by consumers looking for your type of business.
You can add keywords into your web pages, blogs (especially headings, meta descriptions and image alt text), emails and social media messages. The key for successful SEO is to not only use the right words but use them strategically to build a solid reputation across multiple platforms. There’s also some etiquette around how many SEO keywords to use, too, to ensure your content is seen as authentic.
Authenticity is important because your reputation plays a big role in where you rank. Here’s why:
Search engine optimization is a computer-generated process and the algorithms used to define ranking evolve all the time. It used to be easy to just stuff your content with relevant keywords to get higher ranking (this is not good practice and won’t get you very far now). Now the data that’s collected and analyzed uses the actions of users to help rate your business, meaning that things like backlinks from other reputable businesses help your ranking (a backlink is when another organization adds a link to your content within theirs.) Also, if you have fresh, quality content that is frequently read, it shows your expertise — again, user activity that helps you rank higher (this is part of what’s called your authority score). User engagement through your social media channels also affects your ranking. The more people engage with your content, the better you’re recognized.
Yes, it’s a lot of information to process! Here’s where you can read more about building your online reputation.
5 Tips to Add an SEO Boost to Your Content & Improve Your Ranking
Simply put, all you need to do is be authentic. Know your audience. Market your content to them honestly. You do what you do well, so say that and show it in your content. Plus, do these things:
- Start with keywords that reflect your business on a broader scale to get your business noticed, even though you might not be highly ranked yet.
- Add longer terms (keyword phrases) that provide more specific information about your business to give better search results to your ideal consumers.
- Try to write your content in a way that reflects natural language patterns. People use voice activated searches a lot, so content that mimics that style will be recognized.
- Add your location so you reach those who are in your region and ready to buy. This is especially important for small businesses serving a local audience.
- Make sure your website is mobile friendly because people search with their phones more frequently than with a computer. Make sure your site loads quickly and your content is easily readable and navigable.
SEO Consultants Can Analyze Your Content Quickly to Get You Ranking Better Sooner
In a highly competitive business world, an SEO strategy helps keep you relevant to consumers. When consumers are being presented with endless information, you need to make it easy for them to find the helpful resources you, in particular, offer.
If you’ve done some SEO planning in-house and have optimized your current content, great. You’ve got a solid foundation. The thing is, SEO strategies need to evolve as the nature of consumers and technology evolves. This is where an SEO consultant can help you stay on track and move forward with confidence that your SEO work is benefitting your business.
When you have a good SEO strategy, you’re reaching consumers more apt to become sales-qualified leads because you’ve shown them, in their research, that you can give them what they need.
So How Does SEO & an SEO Consultant Help Your Bottom Line?
Here’s three ways:
- Your marketers spend less time creating content that’s not attracting attention and spend more time creating profit-generating material.
- Your salespeople are working with the leads more likely to buy. Leads have been given most of the information they need to make their buying decision before your sales team even makes contact. Faster deal turnaround means more time to find new business.
- Hiring an SEO consultant gives you the expertise you need without committing to full time staff. Plus:
- An SEO strategy, designed by an expert, makes sure you're doing all the right things based on current practices. SEO consultants keep on top of the latest trends, so you’re not left behind.
- SEO consultants can confidently navigate comprehensive analytic software such as Semrush so your team isn't struggling to use it while juggling daily tasks.
For your marketing and sales crew, this means less time wasted on time consuming, unprofitable tasks and more time closing deals.
Here’s some more issues your SEO consultant can help you navigate so you can improve your sales growth:
- When/if you should use organic or paid SEO.
- How to keep track of your and your competitors’ success online, so you’ll know:
- Which words your competitors are using and how well they're ranking with those words so you can use them too.
- What phrases aren’t being widely used by you or your competitors but which you could rank for and get ahead of them.
- Which words rank in different areas of your target region.
- How to use a CRM software, such as HubSpot, to keep your content consistently search engine optimized to reach and nurture more quality leads.
There’s a lot to know about SEO, and it can be stressful when you’ve got pressing tasks daily. You can get help to get started on your SEO process. It’ll relieve some stress and you’ll see gains sooner.
Want to Know How Well Your SEO Is Working Right Now?
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