How SEO adds value to your digital marketing

How SEO adds value to your digital marketing

SEO or Search engine optimization is the process of affecting your website visibility in search engine results. Generally speaking this can take two forms; on page and off page SEO.

On page SEO refers to any aspect of SEO concerning the website page itself. This can include structural, hierarchical or coded elements. There are many such elements that can influence ranking factors that be incorporate into a web page itself from the basics of a page title to hidden meta data within the site code. It is important however not to be too contrived about this process and to take a step back and consider the point of your website. To reach, inform and influence those people visiting and using the website themselves. There is a current school of thought that the more your website engages with the site user and the more pages clicked through within your site as a result can also have a significant effect on page rankings. On-page SEO is a curious art; there is no one tick list to benchmark against any site however by taking a look at your local competition and in particular those that are achieving good rankings for the keywords or phrases that you are looking to target, a picture emerges of what particular ranking factors arehaving an impact on your market sector and what you could target as a result.

Off page SEO refers to any element that may have an impact on your site and brand visibility online that is ‘off the website’ page. This includes links from other websites or social media. A good analogy for this process is an old fashioned set of scales with weights. Every link has weight which helps to drive your website up the rankings yet some links or weights are worth more than others. Social media can provide a stream of steady links to your website pages however a link from a relevant quality website can be worth more to your business. Google themselves advise against contrived link building or using organisations to build low quality links to your website. This can do more harm than good. However a good digital agency can help with advising your business on an appropriate digital marketing strategy online.  Link acquisition is part and parcel of this and search engines like to see natural organic looking links that evolve steadily over time. For example, a local restaurant may naturally link to alocal hotel or taxi firm. This vote of confidence from a local business helps to support your online marketing efforts.

For more information on how your digital marketing strategy could shape your businesses or where your specific marketing opportunities lie, contact Clair at The Graphic Edge on 01722 717860.

An introduction to digital marketing for your business

An introduction to digital marketing for your business

By Clair Marr, The Graphic Edge

The only constant it seems with digital marketing is change* and it can be difficult to maintain and evolve your online presence. Businesses are bombarded daily by SEO companies promising ‘page 1 Google rankings’, querying your current search engine rankings or offering to build an external link profile quickly. Making sense of this fast paced industry and baffling techspeak provides challenges for even the most seasoned marketing professional. Whilst it is impossible to predict what will happen over the next search engine algorithm updates, by applying ethical SEO strategies recommended by the search engines themselves and a good dose of common sense, you can focus on digital strategy with a long term approach and establish industry best practices from the outset. There are no guarantees with SEO and no quick fix, but you can learn to make well-informed decisions founded on trends, historical data and analytics.

Building your brand online gives you an identity, which in turn builds familiarity with your potential clients. A prospect focused strategy concentrating on leveraging quality content and proven marketing principles will prove the most sustainable and effective long-term approach. By understanding your customer’s journey you have a better chance of converting them into a valuable lead and your website can provide opportunity for enhancing their user experience. Demonstrate consistent brand messages throughout your website, visually engage with your market and interact through opening lines of communication with your customer.

Aside from your website, consider various alternative or complimentary routes to market. Engage in your local online community whether participating in online industry discussions or debates, socially engage with your prospective clients and write blog posts or articles that answer frequently asked questions posed by your market. By sharing your sector knowledge and expertise you become a valuable resource to your potential clients and importantly create trust and value for your business.

The key to successful digital marketing lies in identifying those opportunities which connect your customer objectives with your business needs.