This article assumes that you are familiar with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and that you’re unsure if it will work for your business.
The common problem is that you always hear of large corporations, big businesses using all the different marketing techniques and don’t know if they are right for your business, particularly as your business is much smaller or in a particular niche.
The good news, is that SEO will work for any business, not just the big boys. Not only that, but when done correctly can make a disproportionally big difference to a smaller business. Like with everything, the very first thing is to know what your goals are.
So, let’s get straight into the Why Bother question.
I imagine that you do it to improve the sales of your products or services. Or perhaps to increase the visibility of your brand. I doubt you do it just to spend some money. Although, of course, some will.
Perhaps because you have something on your website that they’d be interested in seeing? Or perhaps buying?
Well the long and short of it, is that to get visitors, you need to be found. There are different ways to be found, such as a link on a flyer, or business card. However, if you want to be found by the people searching online day and night, you need to be where they are looking. That is with the search engines.
Probably not. For most businesses there are other people selling the same product, or at least the same kind of product. How do you show a potential client that your product is the one they should buy? It is so much easier if they actually visit your site. So tell them. Be found.
This is a serious question, because if it is, and you’re not Amazon, why are people coming to your website in the first place? Is it for the unique products? The cheapest on the web? Your service? Or are they not coming?
Is your website entertaining? I don’t mean lots of animation zooming all over the place. I mean engaging! Do you give people a reason to linger? Is there something more than just a product? Have you used graphics, images, fonts and colours in a professional and attractive way? Make sure you have.
What about the actual content, the text, do the images work well? Is the text easy to follow, easy to skim? Does it answer the question the visitor had when they came to your website? Do you know what question your web page answers?
How easy is it for someone to move around your website? When they arrive at the landing page, can they then find something else to do? Perhaps more information on the same topic? Perhaps a product or a service they can buy?
Perhaps the next step is a newsletter. Do you have one? Should someone signup to yet another newsletter? Should I? What will you put in the newsletter and how often will you send it out
I don’t mean in person, I mean on social media? Are there links that made that easy? Do you have something worth listening to on social media? Is it important to you and just as importantly to your visitors?
As you can see SEO isn’t only one thing, it works in conjunction with the rest of your website, media and social media. The more cohesive you can make the message and the more relevant content you have, the more SEO will work for you.
It is not a magic bullet, it won’t give you top ranking in Google or Bing. What it can do, is give potential visitors, which might well be the exact people you’re looking for, a better chance of finding what they are looking for. Which hopefully is you and your website. From there, the sky’s the limit.
There are many different ways that SEO can help your online presence. If you are careful and choose an organic growth in your outlook and marketing, then SEO can be an invaluable tool in your toolbox.
There are many different online tools which can help you with SEO, some free, some paid for. There are many companies which will help you.
Remember, it is a trade of between your time learning and money to have someone do it for you. Everyone has their own priorities and needs. Choose the one that makes most sense now. You can always change your mind.
SEO is a fun and facinating field, if you would like some help, courses, tools etc, then we’re more than happy to help. Give us a call and see how!