When you’re executing a digital marketing strategy, there’s so much you need to keep track of.
Social media campaigns, email marketing campaigns, paid social — it can all overshadow the importance of having an effective SEO strategy. But make no mistake: Your relationship with Google (and your audience) depends on how well you’ve followed this SEO checklist.
To put it in simple terms, SEO is the foundation of your marketing efforts. If you put the time in now, you’ll notice that it’s significantly easier for audiences to find your content and brand. Remember, you’re not the only business in town. If you want to attract and convert consumers like no one else can, you must outshine your competitors in every aspect of marketing.
In my last piece, I shared six keys to a successful SEO strategy. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the SEO principles that your competitors aren’t paying enough attention to today.
1. Conduct competitor analysis properly.
When I talk about “researching” and “setting goals” while establishing an SEO strategy, it’s important to note that these things don’t exist in a vacuum. You’re not just researching keywords and figuring out what kinds of blog posts to write based on Google Analytics data. You’re not setting arbitrary, vague goals (even if this is your first business).
Your strategy needs to have a basis in something. And if you’re looking for a great starting point, look no further than your industry competitors. Let’s be honest: You’ve probably already looked at some of their content. It’s natural to wonder what your competitors have to offer. I’m talking about going a step beyond that.
Don’t just scan headlines. The goal is to take an in-depth look at what makes their websites tick. Should you be analyzing their writing and determining how their content falls short? Yes, of course. But you should also make observations about their websites and UI. How long do certain pages take to load? Does it feel intuitive when you navigate their websites? Are there too many images? Not enough?
Start to paint a picture of their SEO shortcomings, and determine how your website can outshine theirs.
2. Understand the power of reviews.
I believe that this is by far one of the most criminally underrated SEO principles in the digital marketing landscape. Let’s ignore the fact that online reviews are a fantastic way to show potential consumers how serious you are about providing the best customer experience possible. In fact, we’re not going to discuss how important online reviews are when you’re trying to become an online authority.
For now, let’s just focus on the value that reviews offer if you’re looking to be acknowledged by Google. While there are plenty of factors that impact search rankings, online customer reviews are typically a strong signal to search engines that communicate authenticity and authority.
Reviews matter, plain and simple. If it matters to Google and it matters to consumers, it should matter to you. So, reach out to customers and ask them to leave reviews and testimonials after they buy your product. – Read more
