In 2003, search engine optimisation, better known as SEO, was a fairly new idea. Myspace had just hatched, Facebook was still a few years away, and inbound marketing was a foreign idea almost a decade from fruition.
Today, ten years later, things are very different. While SEO was once the strategy to get ahead, now it’s a necessity. On average, SEO and social media marketing strategies account for 23% of all inbound budget allocations. However, no matter how many companies are using SEO effectively, some are still missing the mark with backhanded trickery and scams. As a marketing manager or business owner, don’t be fooled: SEO is important, but not as important as SEO done the right way.
What Is SEO and Why Does it Matter?
Search engine optimisation is the process of designing websites and page content to attract visibility in a search engine’s web results. Virtually any company operating a website and employing any sort of content marketing strategy is concerned with SEO; after all, and 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.
Inbound marketing is primarily centred around creating leads, generating sales and monitoring data. Too often, however, companies find themselves preoccupied with reaching out to customers and promoting sales without fully considering the steps required to create active leads. No matter how you choose to contact potential customers to generate interest, your company web page will play a sizable role in converting leads to sales.
Common SEO Mistakes
For every company employing a strong SEO strategy designed to generate leads and engage site visitors, another is trying to keep costs down by resorting to baseless gimmicks. An alarming number of SEO companies are still convinced they can trick Google despite the massive algorithm changes that closed many loopholes in shady SEO tactics.
Some companies are simply stuck in the past, back when approaches like keyword saturation, duplicate content and low-quality writing didn’t make a difference. Others, unfortunately, are trying to cut corners deliberately, allowing poor quality content and design to ruin a site’s merit.
These days, Google plays internet sheriff more than many companies realise. Tactics like keyword stuffing, hidden text, portal pages, mirror websites and link farms will not only be easily identified but can boot you from the rankings entirely. Jamming your page full of keyword-saturated hidden text might be cheaper than the tried and true SEO strategies but be warned: it won’t work out in your favour.
How to Get the Most Out of SEO
SEO is not a one size fits all approach to marketing. What works for one company will not necessarily work for another. In order draw conclusions about what works best for you and what will generate the most active leads, consider things like your target audience, what you want to accomplish with your SEO strategy and the time line you have in mind.
By targeting the central goal of your marketing campaigns, you can visualise what you want to achieve.
Understanding the consequences of ineffective SEO is also important. Will an lack luster strategy cause you to fail to meet revenue goals? Will you be able to pay what you owe?
In order to best meet your needs, you must look all sides of what SEO means to your company. In business, an inbound marketing strategy is about more than simply drawing in new customers.
In devising a strategy, it is crucial to understand that proper SEO must be handled without tricks, workarounds or backdoor devices. The only way to truly succeed is to present a professional page with clear, high-quality content that uses proper keyword saturation and is accomplished in a technical and professional way.
If you can show your leads a clean, clear site with a wide reach and a deep breadth of information, the battle is half won.
SEO is incredibly important to marketing success. In fact, SEO takes up an average of 9% of a marketing department’s overall time. However, too many SEO companies miss the mark by using antiquated techniques or avoiding real strategies to cut costs.
When it comes down to it, many companies are doing a great job. However, some still believe that cheaper and easier is the better route when in reality, a good approach to SEO can make or break your inbound marketing efforts.
When it comes to SEO, is your company doing it right?