In a world where Google is as much a verb as it is a noun, having a great online presence is vital for your business success. You may have heard the term “seo” floating around the internet. This is the most cutting edge way of achieving the online presence your business needs.
Today, 75% of online consumers will only review page one search results. There is no question, businesses securing a position on “page one” have a distinct advantage.
After all, there is a limit for the amount of businesses that can rank on “Page one”.
For those that do, it is great! They have the opportunity to get their messaging out to 75% of the very customers looking for goods and services that they provide.
For businesses that do not get to page one, they are left to fight for the chance to be seen by the remaining 25% of online consumers.
The bleak reality for businesses that fail to rank on page one, is they lock themselves out from the chance of being seen by 75% of the most motivated customers looking to do business with a company just like theirs.
The majority of businesses are left to compete for the smallest piece of the pie.
The real question is, can you afford NOT to rank your business page one?
So what does it take to position your business so that you will have access to the 75%?
The answer is a well thought out digital marketing strategy that positions your business more favorably than competitors. Of course a great looking website that offers a great customer experience is needed.
How Search Engines View Your Content
You are probably aware that content is very important for conveying your message. Like Goldilocks, your content needs to be just right. You need the right amount of keywords, (you can’t overuse or underuse keywords), they need to be used just right.
Search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo share a primary goal. To deliver an exceptional user experience and to provide the most relevant content that their users are searching for.
Put another way, when someone is looking for a pizza delivery near them, they should get the most appropriate results for their search. If they were to get search results for a plumber in a neighboring state they would be unlikely to ever use that search engine again.
The way Search engines determine the most relevant search returns is by scrubbing websites with crawlers. The sites deemed to be amongst the most appropriate candidates for the search terms will be in the running to rank higher than those who do not.
Be careful when posting content to your site and resist plagiarizing. Google especially will analyze and compare your content to see if it matches anything already on the web. Algorithms will penalize you if your content appears elsewhere on the web.
In order to rank, your site also needs to be optimized technically. Not all websites are built equally. Having the capabilities that fit a performance matrix appropriate for your business is necessary to make the grade. Inexpensive do it yourself websites come with limitations and do not have the capability for the search engine optimization you will need to rank well.
So How Do You Rank With SEO?
SEO is one of the single most important aspects to ranking. You need a great SEO Team. One that will fight relentlessly to get you into position, and continue fighting the algorithm changes and competitors who will come along to knock you off the perch.
Social media presence is very helpful, as well as backlinks. Gone are the days where backlinks and keywords alone will rank your site. The one thing you can count on in the SEO world, is that change is coming.
Your online reputation is a major key to your success, especially in local markets for multiple reasons. They do factor into search results, but also offer a significant benefit for converting traffic into sales.
Reputation management has three distinct components. Think of it this way, reputations need to be built, managed and then marketed. You can drive all the traffic you like by buying expensive pay per click ads, but when consumers see that your competitors have a better reputation then you do, say goodbye to that expensive fee you just paid for that click to your site.
The better way is to rank organically. A good agency knows how to build, manage and market your reputation.
92% of users say that a higher star ranking is more important to them than the amount of reviews, but when you have a lot of reviews AND a near perfect rating you are on your way to conversions.
Choosing The Right SEO Agency For YOU
If you’re thinking this sounds expensive and you are wondering if you can afford it I would tell you that the costs vary. The real question you should be asking is can you afford not to.
Affordability depends on what assets you currently have that will serve your needs and achieve your objective. Some niches and markets are more competitive than others so there are different costs associated.
There are certainly similarities common to all businesses, as we discussed earlier a functional web site that is technically sound. Great content, great branding, great messaging and having your reputation in order and great SEO are key.
But there are no two businesses that are exactly the same. So what you need is a strategy that takes your unique needs into account and that maximizes results within your budget.
Old school one size approaches are unlikely to bring the results you are seeking. Agencies promoting a one size fits all platform often churn and burn clients. Unfortunately sometimes business owners who have been burned once or twice begin to think that digital marketing doesn’t work. However when you speak to the businesses that are ranking you soon find out, not only does a great digital marketing program work it will change your life.
So what works? How do you get started?
You need to choose an SEO Team that understands your needs. You need results, and a return on investment. When you work with the right team they will custom tailor a strategy as unique as your business. They will get the big picture, to do this they must take the time to get to know your business.
To get to know your business, they must conduct a survey. You will have to make yourself available or have a trusted employee available to provide the insight necessary for success.
Each business will have different strengths and weaknesses. A proper survey will identify what your best options are. It will take your goals, and objectives into account and it will work within a realistic budget.
To be successful, a thorough comparison of your assets, strengths and weaknesses will be compared to that of your competitors to determine exactly what strategy is needed and how to meet your goals.
You need a digital marketing strategy that is result driven. You need solutions with an emphasis on key performance indicators that will achieve a return investment so that you can do what you do best, and grow your business as you see fit.
The most user-friendly agencies view your success as their success.
The agency you choose to work should approach your journey to “page one” as your strategic partner. They will grow your business and in turn when you are ready to take it to the next level, their business will grow as yours does.
What Should You expect?
With a comprehensive digital marketing program you can gain the perception that your business is a market leader.
Market leaders gain instant respect and authority. When you have the reputation of being an authority and a market leader it makes doing business so much easier.
Market leaders do not compete solely on price. They often enjoy higher margins.
Your investment is subject to your niche and the markets served. Some niches and markets are more competitive than others, but I promise you the money you do not spend on a solid digital marketing strategy costs more than the money you do spend.
The key is spending that money wisely. You need to get the most bang for your buck.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is every one’s success is dependent on outperforming the competition. Getting to the top is not going to happen by accident.
The truth is that SEO is one part art and one part science. To get to the top and stay there takes know-how, and a cutting edge team. Online marketing is getting more competitive as more businesses realize and fight for the advantages.
The real question regarding affordability is what will cost you more, the money you spend to rank page one, or the money you do not spend to rank?
