INCREASE SEO & WEBSITE TRAFFIC

Now that your site is up and running – here’s how to increase SEO.

Sometimes we get the feeling that some business owners may have watched “Field of Dreams” one too many times. They seem convinced that once their web site is up and running, potential online customers will automatically flock to it and be riveted by its content. Alas! That may work for mythical baseball diamonds in Iowa cornfields, but not so much in the real world of digital marketing. Increasing SEO (search engine optimization) to drive traffic to your site requires something more. A lot more.

A weekly blog is a start.
Most of our clients want a blog as part of their site design. Even if they don’t ask for it, we always recommend that they include a blog and write a new post for it weekly.  For one thing, a blog significantly increases SEO. It also lets you communicate directly with your target market to attract new prospects and to increase your value to current customers. Moreover, since it won’t cost you anything to publish and distribute, you’re assured a high ROI for your efforts!

But remember, a blog is NOT an ad.
Think of it as an ongoing correspondence to a friend who just happens to be a customer. It’s a vehicle for helping that friend solve problems, learn something new about a topic of interest or to get insightful updates on your industry, your company and your culture. And because you’re willing to take the time and trouble to share this information, that friend/customer will be more likely to trust, value and like you. It’s this feeling of connection that will make you their go-to resource for whatever business you’re in.

There are, of course dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to make your blog more likely to come up in a google search. Here are two great articles that’ll give you some useful ideas. One is from Forbes, “50 Content Marketing Ideas for Your Website or Blog” and the other is “13 Ethical Ways to Increase Your Site’s Search Traffic” from mashable.com.

Social media is another “freebie” that can pay off in several ways.
Recently, because of a change in Google’s algorithms, some experts claim that postings on Facebook pages, tweets, etc. are less likely to raise your SEO. Other experts disagree. But increasing SEO is only one way you can benefit from a strong social media presence. Like your blog, maintaining an active social media strategy helps build stronger relationships with current and potential customers. You can send your network a link to a recent news article or industry announcement you want to share. And then, to increase the positive impact, include a link to a page or blog on your own site connected to the topic.

Social media is also a terrific way to recruit new employees. Not only can you reach a wider and more targeted audience than you might do on a job board, but you’ll also be sending a message that your business is growing.  Perhaps it’s greatest value is the way it enables you to get the word out about new customer opportunities like a sale. And, just as importantly, it allows people to give you honest feedback about what they like – and don’t like about your company, products, and service. Furthermore, responding to complaints on social media is the best possible demonstration that you take customer service seriously.  All of these activities build awareness of your brand and a sense of loyalty among your customers. 

So – what should you post about?
Lots of things. Projects you’ve accomplished, trade shows you’ve attended, books, articles, movies, and blogs you think your contacts would like to know about. Obviously, on a company Facebook or LinkedIn page the orientation is about business. But the goal is the same as it is on a personal page – to post news that your readers will be interested in, enjoy and perhaps want to share with others. Here’s a link to a ClickZ article to give you some more ideas on how social media can help your SEO – “7 Legitimate Ways that Social Media Impacts SEO.”

Emails are another way to build sales – and trust.
In his excellent article, “How to Get Your eMails Opened – Increase Open Rates, Increase Sales,” Steve Farber lists four reasons business emails are read by a targeted audience:

• a subject line and content targeted toward their interests
• a history of value offered by your company
• a compelling subject line
• sending the email at a time when it’s most likely to be seen and read

He also gives some suggestions to avoid your email being classified as spam. But even if your message makes it into a customer’s regular inbox, if someone THINKS of it as spam, they’ll delete it without opening it anyway. To prevent this fate, use email the same way you use your blog and social media postings – as a way to inform and serve your customers rather than “sell” to them. Farber suggests that you put your company name in the message line because if your customers trust and like you, they should want to see what you have to say. Make sure when they do so that the message is something they’ll regard as worthwhile.  Consider too, what you’re saying about your company if your email is too wordy, badly written and full of misspellings and typos.

Finally, people may visit your site, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay.
The average length of a visit is between five and 15 seconds. The expectation of most visitors is that your site will offer well-researched, original copy content, attractive visuals, correctly embedded keywords, and no typos. They’ll also want to see who is offering this information, what their credentials are and what their product looks like. If the site is too hard to navigate or too light in content, they can click off as quickly (maybe quicker) than they clicked on. In such a case, the likelihood of a return visit is slim to nil. Make sure that your site can meet these expectations and, ideally, exceed them, putting you at the top of a visitor’s preferred providers list.

Get more from your digital communications. Call us for a FREE consultation.
Feel free to email or call us anytime to set up a FREE consultation – onsite or on the phone – on how to get more traffic to your site. Contact us HERE or call 414.289.7180.  We look forward to hearing from you.