If you’re running business in today’s market you’ve most likely heard the term “SEO” or Search Engine Optimization. Like many business owners you want to know two things:

  • What in the world is SEO?
  • Does my business need SEO?

If you are not asking these questions you’re behind the curve.

Keywords are what help search engines figure out what each page on your website is about and how useful it may be towards its users. SEO is about enriching your website with keywords and creating content with customer-centric language. By speaking their language or using terms they would when searching for information online, you allow the search engines to better find your website.

Keywords determine the success or failure of your SEO. Among your keyword research you’ll find short-tail and long-tail keywords.

Short-tail keywords are 3 words or less, considered “head” terms and are broad. These terms usually have high competition for search rankings and are more commonly searched. For example, a broad, short-tail keyword would be “social media” or “inbound marketing.”

Long tail keywords are not only more than 3 words, they are more specific . These terms have less traffic, but allow for a more desirable search engine ranking position and will bring the right type of potential customer to your website. A long-tail keyword could be “inbound marketing for retail small business” or “how to use social media for dentist office.”

The Purpose of Search Engines

 

It’s easier to understand SEO when you understand the the search engines that are serving up the information. Search engines like Google or Bing are a business, just like you! Their service is to provide the most accurate results to a user’s search. They aim to making searching for relevant  information as easy as possible and take the least amount of steps.

They do this by using tiny web robots to crawl through websites based on algorithms. They look for items like:

  • Is your website using similar language to what users are searching for?
  • Is your website credible (a trusted site)?
  • Are others referring back to this information (linking back to your site in blogs and other content)?

As well as many other criteria

Does Your Business Really Need SEO?

First, let me ask you this: Do you want more customers? Do you want to increase your sale? Is what you’re doing currently bringing your new customers and increasing sales?

Like many other business owners, the answers to these questions are probably “yes,” “yes,” and “no – help me!”

Implementing an on-site SEO strategy is the foundation of online marketing.  There are over 1 billion websites on the internet today. A properly executed SEO strategy makes it easier for search engines to weed through all of those websites and crawl your site, which gets your website a higher ranking in search results. That means more organic or “free” traffic to your website (and who doesn’t want that)!

Finding the Right Keywords

Before you start researching keywords, you should understand your customer’s buyer’s journey.

The purchasing process looks a lot different today than it did 10 years ago. The majority of the buying process takes place online before someone even contacts a company to inquire about products or services.

The buyer’s journey consists of three stages that show a buyer’s progression through the purchasing process. Creating quality content is key in each phase, as well as optimizing that content with the right keywords.

Awareness

The buyer’s journey starts with the Awareness stage, when a person becomes aware of a problem they have. They’re most likely “Googling” a question related to their issue in search of an answer. Keywords might include phrases like:

  • What is inbound marketing?
  • How to use inbound marketing for my small business
  • Why is inbound marketing effective.

Help them diagnose their problem by answering a question.

When your website is optimized and includes blogs and content related to the problem someone is searching for, you will appear in their search results.

Consideration

As the buyer continues to search and learn more about solutions to their issue, they enter the Consideration stage. In this part of the buyer’s journey, you’ll need keywords optimized towards solution-based content.

Since the buyer is now aware of more industry specific terms in their search, this would include content such as blogs offering different solutions to the issue at hand. Some examples of keyword phrases are:

Best inbound marketing company in Charlotte

Is content marketing the same as inbound marketing?

How do I determine which stage my buyers are in the buyer’s journey?

Look at the tone of your content, is it all about your company? If so, you need to change it. You must create client-centered content, meaning the content you publish is about the consumer and not about your company.

Decision

Once the buyer enters in the Decision stage, they are now aware of the different solutions available to them and have a few companies in mind that they could use to solve their problem.

In this phase, content like product or service comparisons help guide the buyer to pick the best solution for their needs. Key phrases may include:

  • Hubspot partners in Charlotte
  • Hubspot vs Marketo
  • Why choose a Hubspot partner agency

When your company has provided useful information, helped to identify the buyer’s problem, and provided the solution, you have already established a relationship with them.

You have built trust with them through their search efforts, and they are more likely to choose your company to provide the solution.

The Empowered Buyer

Buyers want information up front and will ask their family and friends for suggestions. Using organic search strategies allows the buyer to feel empowered and informed when making a purchase decision. Your company builds trust with the buyer by providing all of this information and guiding them through the process before a sales pitch.

When you don’t have an organic search strategy in place it’s as if your company doesn’t exist in today’s market. You must lay down a solid SEO foundation to build off of.

Your Next Steps

Gather your sales team and review your marketing strategy. Ask questions like:

  • Do you have a digital marketing plan? No is not an option. Digital marketing helps grow your business.
  • What does your digital marketing plan encompass?
  • Do you have a responsive website that is fully optimized for organic search?
  • Are you currently engaging in ongoing SEO efforts?
  • Do you have complete social profiles? Are you actively posting relevant content to your social platforms? Which platforms should your company be on?
  • How are you getting leads and nurturing them? Have you implemented an Inbound marketing strategy?

If you’re unclear of where you stand and would like to give your digital marketing plan a facelift contact Posse Social Media for a FREE 30 minute consultation.