How do people research and purchase products now that they are immune to the old marketing methods like direct mail and banner ads?
Search engines, and Google in particular, are the answer. According to comScore, Americans performed 11.5 billion searches between June 2008, and Google accounted for 61.5%.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best ways to ensure your Website is listed in unpaid, organic search results.
Organic listings generate visitors to your Website. SEO is also more cost-effective than paid listings because you do not pay the search engines a “tax” per click. If you use SEO correctly, you can gain a competitive edge instead of paid search. This is because anyone can bid more on keywords and beat you.
How can you get your Website ranked highly in search engines? It’s easy to find the answer, but it can be not easy to get there.
Search engines consider two categories of factors when deciding which Website to show first in the search results.
On-page SEO factors are all that happens on your Website. You have complete control over all of these factors. They only account for about 25% of your ranking in a particular search term.
Off-page SEO factors are a term that describes things outside of your control but which account for approximately 75% or more of the reasons you rank in a search. Your Website’s number and quality of links are the most critical factors for off-Page optimization. Search engines use links to determine how engaging your website content is. More exciting content will tend to attract more links. Search engines also give more importance to links from well-established websites than those from less trustworthy sites.
Pick good page titles
The title of a Web page is one of the most critical factors for SEO. The page title appears as the text in the top bar of your browser and is what a search engine uses to determine the page’s topic.
The page title for the MarketingProfs homepage is “MarketingProfs Marketing Resources For Marketing Professionals.” This page does a great job of telling search engines what the page is about using keywords relevant to its target audience.
Marketing Profs also does a smart thing by changing the page title on every website page. You wouldn’t bet on the same number for each drawing in a lottery. You want to enter your SEO lottery differently with every website page.
Use smart URLs
Search engines use your URL to track and manage your company’s online reputation. In the world of SEO, using a URL that belongs to someone else is not a good idea. You can’t change or forward this URL. URLs like yourcompany.blogspot.com make it possible for you to build SEO power for blogspot.com, but if you ever want to move or rename your Website, you have to leave all that power back at the old Website.
You can move your domain to another address, such as yourcompany.com. This will allow you to keep all the SEO power you have developed.
Create a blog
Blogging is a great way to help SEO.
You will update the content frequently if you’re running a blog properly. Search engines highly value fresh content. Web pages and articles published on a well-established website are given a boost in rankings. Blogs are also a magnet for linking. Bloggers and writers are the ones who link most online. They will link to a blog post that offers a unique view of an issue.
Starting a blog and posting content that appeals to your target market will significantly benefit your SEO efforts.
How to leverage your PR program
You need to take two steps for SEO if you run a Public Relations program in your company. You should first optimize your press releases. It means you should add links to your press releases that lead back to your Website. Secondly, when you receive coverage for your company online, ensure the article has a link to your Website. Surprisingly, few journalists link automatically to the companies they write about.
Use hyperlinked text, not URL, to link your press releases or media coverage. Search engines use these keywords to gain clues about your Website’s topic.
Social media can be used to create links
Social media is a source of fear for many marketers. Think of social media as an online version of all the cocktail parties you’ve attended. Like at a business cocktail party, you shouldn’t enter the conversation on social media with a pitch. Social media can be great for sharing your blog posts or other interesting content. Other bloggers and writers may write about you and link to your content. Start by listening to your audience and asking them questions.
SEO is a lot like an onion. There are always more layers to peel to go deeper. These tips will help you get started with the first, most essential levels.