There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). For many business owners and managers, the solution is to hire some SEO “guru” to go behind the curtains of their websites and sprinkle magic SEO “dust” on everything. But the surprising reality is, successful SEO doesn’t have to be mysterious or even complicated – if you have these two simple ingredients.
Content Marketing Drives Successful SEO
Yes, your website needs metadata. But Google is not going to be as impressed with it as you might think. The secret to successful SEO is in regular updates to your website in the form of quality content. In other words, if you are giving people valuable information on a regular basis, Google will rank your website accordingly. Let’s break it down.
Your ideal customer has various needs in his life, some of which are related to your business. So when you create blog posts, how-to videos, and relevant quote graphics and post them on your website incorporating SEO search terms your ideal customer might use, that customer is more likely to find your content and come to your site.
I know that’s not quite as complicated as you were hoping for, but it really is that simple. If you try “hacking” SEO and cramming a bunch of search terms in or paying someone to post your links all over the web, Google will penalize you. Big time. Resist the urge to follow these schemes, and opt for a more holistic, long-term strategy of quality content creation. Marketing good content drives inquisitive traffic to your site, thus marketing your site and solutions.
Social Media Enhances Successful SEO
You cannot afford to ignore this vital SEO ingredient. Search engines consider social activity in SEO rankings. Think of social media as word-of-mouth marketing. Invest in a quality social-media team, manager, or consultant, who can find your target audience, engage them on what they find interesting, and then steer the conversation towards your site and solutions.
Here are just a few ways to do this:
- Broadcast inbound links: Remember that content we discussed? Social media is the place to share links to that valuable information, which in turn drives traffic via these external links.
- Encourage shares and interactions: Google considers interactions with your content by third parties as validation of your site’s worth. Show the search engines that your site matters by getting others to share your links and comment on your content.
- Grow your number of followers: This may seem obvious, but the more followers and connections you have on social media, the larger your tribe is of loyal brand ambassadors. And their interactions and sheer number signal Google to increase your SEO value, thus contributing to your climb in search rankings.
If you found this post informative, please share it with your friends and tell us in the comments which tips you are already implementing!
