Searching for Utopia
SEO
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is finally poised to go primetime. With the saturation of traditional online marketing channels such as paid search and display advertising, enterprises are looking for new ways to attract customers. While social media is getting all the rage, organic search, having a presence in natural search results pages is where the real revenue opportunities lie.
In both B2B and B2C, companies are increasingly taking SEO seriously and making investments in their SEO operations. For most companies, now is the time to take a harder look at SEO. There is a significant first mover advantage in SEO. If you can take a position at the top of the natural search rankings, the search engines will give you higher authority, more exposure and you become very difficult to dislodge.
While SEO best practices for websites have been around for several years, marketers are only now beginning to understand what makes a best-in-class enterprise SEO operation. One that can consistently deliver results with a positive ROI.
Dedicate resources to SEO
SEO is not a part-time activity. It is naturally competitive and requires constant attention from specialists who really understand SEO. Typically, the best performers among organisations have dedicated SEO specialists either working internally or outsourced externally.
Build a comprehensive keyword portfolio
If your SEO activities focus on only 10 or 20 keywords, you are missing the boat. You should think of each keyword as a micro-marketing channel – every keyword missed is a channel that you are not benefiting from.
Even a modest SEO operation should consist of 50 to 100 keywords. The most advanced programs are supporting several thousand keywords, in effect targeting an equivalent number of micro-channels. To grow into what is known in the industry as “the long tail,” you need to think through all the possible word combinations that your customers could possibly use as they search for your products and services.
Use competitive intelligence
When it comes to SEO, knowledge is power. If you are the first in your market to move aggressively toward optimisation, then you can be assured your competitors will follow your lead. You need to have competitive intelligence so you can respond quickly and effectively to your competition’s actions. If you are challenging an incumbent that is dominating the natural search rankings, then the best strategy is to first start by analysing what works for that entity and use that intelligence to focus your game plan of keywords, back-links, and content.
Content is King
The majority of companies envision what their site will look like when it is finished. This is a problem. A website should never be “finished.” It should be thought of as an investment in the growth of the business. There is always new content you can add to a site to increase revenue and bolster SEO performance. In layman’s terms, revamped content is like a fresh coat of paint applied to your home’s exterior surface. It enhances the overall look, feel and value of your brand.
A recent major update to Google Caffeine, an innovative new search algorithm, has placed more emphasis on fresh content. The days of a website remaining static for years at a time are quickly coming to an end. Fresher content ranks better, but fresher won’t stay that way for long. A steady stream of new content is needed to maintain consistent results in search.
A website should never be “finished.” It should be thought of as an investment in the growth of the business.
Adding new content to a site also increases reach and builds authority. As you publish more content relevant to your area of expertise, you will become a valuable market resource. Resources tend to gain natural links faster and with a sound link-building strategy in place, you will strengthen your site’s authority in your specific market. This authority will increase your organic search results.
Fresh content to your site will enable search engines and their users to locate your site using a wider variety of search terms, thus, increasing your market reach through SEO. If your site is currently made up of 20 pages and each page targets two to three keywords, then there are about 60 terms you can target for search. Why stop there? By adding another 20 pages of content, depending on your target phrases, you might end up doubling your organic search results.
Just as a website is never finished, your SEO initiatives must always grow and continuously improve. They must become more efficient, more effective, and should adapt to the ever-changing search space. Utilising targeted, relevant keywords will optimise your campaign, increase profitability and drive results.
Just as a website is never finished, your SEO initiatives must always grow and continuously improve.
Business Intelligence
Most people call it Analytics, but continually studying and analysing performance of your campaigns is a must. There are a number of tools available that can provide the intelligence to continually enhance the effectiveness of your campaign. Remember the only rule is there are no rules. Use available data to try new keywords, keyphrases, vary combinations until you experience success.
