SEO can be an powerful part of your online marketing engine. Over the past 3 years, I’ve worked on 189+ projects testing various levers and measuring results on each project. Here are 5 things I learned during this time.
1. SEO Is Not Dead.
People still search for things.
Although it’s become increasingly cooler to have a lot of “followers” on social media, there’s still massive traffic being directed to websites via Google and other search engines.
These are two sites that I’ve worked on over the past 2 years that have implemented a relatively simple SEO strategy and are driving massive traffic.
Imagine having a product to sell and having the ability to drive this amount of relevant traffic to your site. Nobody sees your “following”, but you’re going to grow your business.
Obviously all sites are different. These are consumer product companies in reasonably sized markets. The key take away is that Search is not dead.
As a result of what I’ve learned, I’ve broken SEO strategy down into two parts.
2. Simplicity Wins
Two questions that can take your SEO to the next level.
- Who is my target customer?
- What are they typing into Google?
Standing in your customers shoes for a few minutes will help you build a better content calendar than any SEO tool you can pay for.
What questions is your target trying to answer?
3. How Long Does SEO Take?
SEO is an investment in the future. People get paid next year for content they create and promote now.
How long should it take?
It’s possible to move up the rankings in as little as a couple of months. It depends on a few factors, such as how long you’ve owned your website, the content that’s on your site and installing best practices across the board.
4. How to measure progress?
Google Search Console vs. Google Analytics and Search Rankings
A common question is, “How do I rank in Google?”
While this is important as some level, it’s not the only question or metric when thinking about SEO. Ranking on a single term is certainly possible. The goal should be to get a steady flow of targeted traffic to your site so that you can build trust with them and move them forward in their customer journey with your brand.
- What if the words you’re ranking on have lower volume?
- What if there are dozens of variations of those words and you only show up in a couple?
Better Metrics: What’s Actually Happening On Your Site?
Are impressions rising over time?
Looking at the impressions over time can be a great way to see if you’re trending up. If you only look at clicks, it can sometimes be more challenging to see the trend.
Impressions and clicks are probably better metrics because they are real. Google has a wonderful tool called Google Search Console (that’s free) and shows you exactly how often your site shows up in search and how many times people click through.
If these two numbers continue to rise, and you’re working within relevant terms, then it’s going to be good for your business.
5. Search Gets The Assist
In basketball, when someone passes the ball and their teammate makes the basket, the passer gets the assist. SEO is a wonderful passer.
In order to grow a business online, two parts need to be in place.
- A solid offer
- Get that offer in front of people.
SEO is a strategy to get your offer in front of more people, but SEO alone doesn’t make the sale. Your business also needs a conversion strategy.
- When someone shows up on your website, what happens next?
- How do you build trust?
- What actions can they take to further their relationship with you?
If you’re looking for help with your SEO or simply want to talk through your own strategy, set up a call with my and I’d be happy to chat about your business goals.
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