Why You Need A Solid SEO Strategy And A Way To Measure Results

Trying to get traffic to your website without a solid plan is a bit like driving around with a vague destination in mind, but no directions on how to get there. You may eventually make your way to where you want to be, but it will take a lot longer and require more effort than if you had your route mapped out. 

The same holds true with website traffic in general, and search engine optimization in particular. With a solid strategy, you will have a goal in mind, and a plan for what to do to get there. Even if you’re new to SEO and you don’t quite understand what it will take to get a certain keyword ranking, or even what a realistic keyword goal is for you, it's good to have a plan. You can always tweak and adjust both your plan and your strategy as you go along. 

When you have a workable strategy with defined goals, and a way to track the results you are getting over time, it becomes easy to determine if your strategy is working. Without either of those, you're guessing at best, and that's not a good business practice. Search engine optimization takes time and effort. And if you're hiring someone to help you, it can involve quite a bit of money. 

So where do you start? Learn the basics of how SEO works. Set up a good Website Analytics program so you can start to measure what traffic you’re getting now and where new traffic is coming from. Google Analytics is a great program that will grow with you. Install it, look through the reports, start to learn to use it and expand your knowledge as you go along. 

Your next step will be to formulate a strategy. This should be a five-step process that includes: 

  1. Determine your ideal target audience. 
  2. Figure out what they are looking for and what keywords and key phrases they use. 
  3. Generate high-value content around those terms.  Content can include things like EBooks, Blog posts, Checklists, Industry reports, articles, or videos.
  4. Implement on page and on site optimization.  Hire a professional if you are unsure how to do this yourself!
  5. Track results and adjust as needed. 

A note about keywords: The question is, of course, where you find those keywords. How can you find out what your target audience is typing into their favorite search engine? 

It starts with a guess. You already know enough about your topic and niche of choice to come up with a list of several words and phrases that you think your readers may be using. From there you have options. One of your best and free tools is Google. Start to enter one of your keywords and see what the autofill options are. Play with different terms and start making a list. Once you have that list, search each term and scroll down to the bottom of the first search results page. You will see a list of related searches. Add those to your list of keywords and key phrases and choose several that make sense for you and the type of content you want to create. 

Another option is to use a keyword tool. If you use Google AdWords, or have at least an AdWords account, you can use Google’s free tool which gives you quite a bit of information on search volume and the likes. Other paid keyword tools are also available. 

Once you have completed the five steps above, you can expand on what’s working, identify more audiences, more terms, and create more content, and slow down on what isn’t working. One important thing to keep in mind is that search engine optimization takes time and that you’re building your site’s reputation with the big search engines over time. Don’t give up on your strategy too soon and whatever you do, don’t throw in the towel.

To your success!

Laura

5 Powerful Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website - Without Breaking The Bank!

"If you build it, they will come". This may have been true for Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, but it is far from true when it comes to your website. You can build the most beautiful website in the world, but if no one visits your site, it really isn't doing you any good.

It's critical to create a strategy to get more traffic to your website - you need tools, tactics, and even hacks for getting people to visit with your site - to engage with you and to buy from you! Here are 6 proven strategies for increasing your website traffic without breaking the bank!

Create Amazing, Share-Worthy Content

If you want people to come to your website, you need to give them a reason to come. You need to create awesome content that attracts people and that they feel compelled to share with others. Take some time to consider how you're going to stand out from the crowd and remember that content which answers people's questions and speaks to their pain points will get more engagement. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Would I want to read this?
  • Does this add value to my readers?
  • Is this share-worthy?
  • Does this content answer my reader's questions?
  • Does it speak to their pain points?

The most common form of content is a blog, but can also include product demonstration videos, checklists, EBooks, or other types of reports.

If you create great content, the rest of your promotional tactics become that much easier. People want to share content that is valuable - if you create that valuable content, others will promote it for you.

Share Your Content on Social Media

Share your content multiple times across all of your social media profiles. Why? Because not every one of your followers will see every one of your posts. Sharing multiple times maximizes the chances of your followers seeing your content through social media.

Don't be afraid to experiment with different content formats to see what works best on different social media platforms. Try using links, images, video, or polls to see what drives more people to your website.

Use Your Email List

Having an email list is like having your own website traffic source. Each time you publish something new on your website, send a link out to your email list and watch the visitors come in!

Don't have much of a list? Try offering a freebie in exchange for people's email addresses. Called a "lead magnet", opt-in offers are valuable pieces of content that readers can download once they provide their email address. Examples include: Whitepapers, EBooks, Case Studies, Checklists, or Videos. Another effective way to build your list, is to add an opt-in form on your website - and give them a compelling reason to sign up by telling them what they will get in exchange.

Advertise

Advertising on Facebook, Google, or other social media platforms (like LinkedIn) is one of the most effective ways to get traffic directly to your website. Yes, it costs money - but it doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and you can get some high quality traffic for very little.

The biggest advantage to using paid advertising is that you can put your content in front of a very specific audience. For example: let's say that you are a realtor who has created a checklist for helping people prepare to sell their home. Your ideal audience is a 45 year old homeowner in a specific geographic area. With Facebook, you can target this precise audience. Instead of sharing your content across your social media feeds for free and hoping that the right people see it, you can ensure that the right audience views your content.

Create Various Forms of Content

People learn in a variety of ways. Some people are visual learners and learn best from videos. Others learn best by reading and taking notes. Still others prefer audio content. If you want to connect with the greatest number of people possible, create your content in a variety of formats.

One of the best ways to create a variety of content formats is to use the "pillar strategy". This involves first creating a lengthy, in-depth piece of content such as a video, blog post, or EBook. This "pillar" will talk about your subject from a variety of angles and viewpoints.

From there, you can take the "pillar" and break it up into smaller pieces of relevant content that can stand on their own. For example: take one point from a long blog post and turn it into a series of social media posts, all of which link back to the pillar post on your website. Take another point from that long blog and turn it into a short video or podcast.

Your website should be the cornerstone of your marketing and advertising program. Creating great content for your site and driving people to that content is a great way to take your business to the next level.

To your success!

Laura

5 Tips for a Winning Website

Your website should be the cornerstone of your marketing and advertising program. No longer just blurbs about products, the new era of web presence requires the site to actually offer something to visitors. To make your site work for you, remember that every visitor is a potential client. Here are five pointers for turning a passerby into someone who will stay to learn more. Implement these tips and you will turn prospects into customers!

Get their email addresses

Without the visitors email address, you essentially have no way of initiating any further contact. A good way to to do this is to offer a resource that can't be accessed without an email address. This could be a newsletter, a free report, checklist, subscription, or anything else, as long as it stands behind a wall where the key is contact information. Once that information is given, you can begin to build a relationship and move the prospect further in your sales funnel.

Respond to the best questions from your ideal client

Everyone has questions. Presumably, a lot of your potential clients will have the same questions, so why not address those questions (or objections) right up front. Use a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) tab on your website to respond to the questions you hear most often. This lets your site visitors know that other people have the same problems and that you have the solution.

Show your skills

Now is not the time to be bashful! When someone gets to your website, it is the perfect opportunity to show that your knowledge and expertise will solve the problem they are seeking a solution for. Use the "About Us" section of your website for more than just your address and your hours. Consider recording a video introduction, adding your special training or credentials, or introducing your team so that visitors get a good idea of who you are.

Optimize usability

The more convenient it is for people to move to the next step in the sales process, the more likely they are to take that next step. Consider adding a calendar plug-in to schedule appointments directly from your website - if they are looking at your site outside of regular business hours, you won't take the chance that they will remember to call you tomorrow! If you sell a product, make sure that your shopping cart is secure and easy to use.

Make it mobile

Over half of all websites are viewed on mobile devices, and that number is expected to rise continually over the next several years. Put your best foot forward and make sure that your site looks as good on a phone or a tablet as it does from a desktop. Not sure? Look at it yourself from mobile devices - if it doesn't look good, contact your website designer or hosting company for help in getting "mobile friendly".

If it has been awhile since you have updated your website, now is a great time to do that and implement these tips to take your website - and your business - to the next level.

To your success!

Laura

P.S. If you are a small business owner (or want to be one), whether you are just starting out, or have been in business for awhile, I hope you will become part of the Next Level family.  Visit our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/NextLevelAd) for tips, tools, and resources to help grow your business.  We now have a Facebook Group, Next Level U, for those who are interested in joining a private community of small business owners and marketers.