If you’re a business owner, there’s a good chance you receive lots of emails and phone calls promising you a spot on Google’s 1st page of search results. While it would be great to rank every time someone in your market searches for what you do, getting to a top ranking can be complicated and takes time.
- Focus on the questions your prospects are asking – Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a rapidly-changing art. The way people search has changed and Google’s ranking factors have changed with it. Now people are asking their phones questions in an organic fashion. Instead of typing “pizza restaurant Cleveland” people are asking their iPhone, “Siri, what’s the best pizza place near me?”
Knowing and understanding the questions your prospects are asking is important to developing website content that acts like a magnet to draw in new leads. Create articles and blogs that answers your prospects’ questions; address their pain; provide a solution and display your subject matter expertise at solving their problems. - Make your website easy to use – Website users don’t like to have to hunt for information on your website. Studies suggest that you have less than 8 seconds to convince website visitors that your site is worth staying on. Most sites lose more than half their visitors in 5 seconds or less. Your site should make clear what your website pages are about. Make sure your site spells out how website visitors can take the “next step” towards doing business with you. For example, your company’s phone number should be prevalently displayed on every page. Every page should have a clear compelling call to take a specific next step.
- Make your website reflect your brand – Your website should be a 24/7/365 salesperson, on duty selling your company’s value. You wouldn’t send a salesperson out to speak with prospects in ripped jeans and a faded, beer-stained t-shirt would you? Your website should look professional and reflect your brand. It should load quickly and should be highly mobile friendly, since the majority of users view websites on mobile devices and Google puts the highest weight on mobile optimization.
- Create a calendar – A website isn’t a “set it and forget it” thing. If you want to rank, you have to be constantly creating new, interesting, informative and educational content. Creating a content calendar is one of the most important moves you can make to ensure that your site stays up-to-date with relevant content. Maintaining a content calendar instills discipline to regularly contribute and update your website.
How often should you post new content? That depends on how much you have to say and how dedicated you want to be to your site. All things being equal; the more you post, the better you will rank in search. But I would give you this caution: If you are going to start, be dedicated to continue. Inconsistent marketing can be worse than no marketing. If you say you’ll have a weekly blog, you should make it a priority to post weekly. If you don’t do what you say you will do, you will leave an unfavorable impression with prospects. - Promote your content – In order to get established and develop your site’s following, it’s important to promote your content. You can do this by:
- Social media – Share your website’s content on your company and personal pages on social sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- Email your article – Send articles and blogs to current clients, prospects and friends; and ask them to do likewise.
- Other websites – Some websites have opportunities to guest post and blog. You can also share your content to industry groups and other forums. Be sure not to post too often or you may come across as spam and get banned.
Don’t ignore your website. It can be one of your greatest selling assets if you invest in keeping it current and relevant. Have questions about how to turn your website into a lead generation machine? Contact us.
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