– the myths and the truths
Asking people why they want to increase their search engine rankings often throws up some confused answers. What exactly are the benefits of search engine optimisation and what does it really achieve?
The main goal has to be increased sales – and increased awareness of your company. Effective SEO can help you accomplish these goals, but it’s important to remember that achieving high search rankings – whilst an admirable strategy – is just one part of a much bigger picture. If your site is generating strong levels of traffic through the use of targeted keywords, that’s great. But if your sales are still disappointing, it’s time to look deeper into the untapped marketing opportunities your website gives you.
Conversion rates
First, let’s clarify what we mean by the term ‘conversion’. It’s means getting your site visitors to take the appropriate action to do what you want them to do – whether it be purchasing your product online, signing up for your newsletter, or reading your latest article. If your site doesn’t offer visitors a clear call to action, or if any aspect of the site is confusing or difficult to navigate, you are missing out on potential business. Increasing your search engine rankings may increase your traffic, but if the basic site structure is flawed, there will be little advantage gained.
Articles or white papers
An oft-overlooked but hugely effective way to promote your business is to write articles on your specialist field and submit them to leading online publications. The effect is twofold: firstly, it generates interest in you and your business, raising your profile and positioning you as an ‘expert’ in your field. Secondly, it will help generate traffic to your own site. Consider this - anyone that reads your article and is interested enough to follow a link to your website is extremely well targeted. What’s more, your expertise has established a level of credibility which adds to the overall positive impression. There’s also a hidden bonus – the increased number of inbound links to your site will help your search engine rankings too.
Press releases
Following a similar theme, press releases – optimised through the use of targeted keywords – are another good way of establishing credibility and recognition for your company. Remember too, most journalists (as many as 92% according to a recent study) use the internet DAILY for research purposes. Positioning your company press releases high in the search rankings can only be a positive move.
Newsletters
Email newsletters, although a relatively ‘new’ innovation, are proving to be an extremely effective marketing tool. Low cost, easy to implement, and most importantly every recipient has already expressed interest in receiving your material. Your targeted audience can receive a regular update from you, keeping you at the forefront of their minds should they have a need to purchase your product or service. The message is clear – make it easy for your site visitors to sign up for your newsletter.
These are just a handful of examples which illustrate the marketing opportunities you can utilise via your website. By initiating an SEO campaign without considering the above you run the frustrating risk of increasing traffic without generating any real results.
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