In today’s world, people rely on Google for everything, from local weather to fashion trends to how-to tips. So to get noticed, a company needs to be at the top of people’s search results. And the way to do that is with good Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Here are some tips for using SEO effectively.
The first step is to identify the target market. Who is this content intended to reach? Knowing who its target audience is will help an agency create more relevant content that the audience will be more likely to click on.
The next thing is to find out what search terms the target audience is using. What are the keywords that come up most often? Are they asking specific questions? Trying to solve particular problems? There are a number of analytics applications and software programs that can keep track of that information for a particular industry. This provides clues not only as to what people are interested in, but how best to reach out to them.
Once a content marketer knows the keywords that people are using, they can build blogs and other content around those terms. Say the company that needs online content is an auto repair shop called “Otto’s Autos.” Some research reveals that Otto’s target audience is Googling, “How to tell if your carburetor is running rich.” Otto’s marketing team would write a blog post with that title, discussing carburetors and their importance, what it means to be “running rich,” how to tell and what to do about it. The post would also incorporate the words “carburetor” and “running rich” two or three times each. An enterprising blogger might even include a couple of extra instances of the exact phrase, “How to tell if your carburetor is running rich” in the text, though overuse of a specific phrase like this can make the content sound clunky and forced.
That leads in to the next step in SEO. It’s not enough simply to repeat the keywords as often as possible. In order to make an impression with target audiences, it has to be high quality. Probably half of Otto’s competitors have blogs as well. How can he distinguish his blog from the dozens of others? It needs to be clear, well-written, informative and engaging. That way, not only will people be more inclined to read it, but they’ll keep coming back to seek advice from future posts.
Over time, with a variety of helpful content, built around a generous cross-section of popular search terms, Otto’s blog will begin to climb higher in the search results. When someone Googles “carburetors” or “running rich” or “auto repair,” Otto’s site will be front and center. His site will become more popular as people start looking for expert auto advice. And over time, they’ll come to trust his brand and associate it with the expertise in the blog. So then, when they’re looking for a reputable place to buy auto parts, Otto’s Autos will be the first thing they think of.
