Whoever even dipped his finger into the sea of digital marketing, most likely have heard of the SEO – Search Engine Optimisation. SEO isn’t something new in the world of online marketing, but it definitely is an ever changing component, so we need to adjust our actions accordingly. SEO includes a number of activities on the web page (On-Page Optimization) and off the page, as well. Wise investing in your ads and marketing is very important, and the final result is the perfect optimization.
Successful SEO means that your business is recognized by Google (or any other Search Engine), and it will offer your page as one of the first search results any time someone googles specified keywords. High-quality local SEO will position your web page in the first five, or even the first three offered results. The ultimate goal of any business is to be in the top positions when keywords are googled. It can only be achieved through quality SEO.
Local businesses are beginning to recognize that hard work and top-quality products are not enough for success. A quality assortment isn’t worth a thing if no one has heard of it. Businesses are, unfortunately, struggling – not because they did not put an effort, but because their marketing is done poorly (or nonexistent). It is necessary to think about marketing on time – to grow your marketing along with your business, and to devote a little bit of your time to it even before you start your company. It is impossible to predict the future. But if the CEO could see when and where business will go downfall, they would definitely invest in SEO.
SEO, as a process, is not simple at all. It requires research and adjustment to the changeable Search Engine rules. Nevertheless, there are a few basic steps that are very important for successful SEO.
First of all, you need to introduce your business to Google. It is recommended to use Google My Business. This step is very easy and it will take you only few minutes to do it. In the falling menus, you can choose from the offered options. It is important to remember that registering on Google My Business doesn’t mean you don’t need a web page. Investing in an quality and user-friendly web page is a priority – it gives you more online space for promoting your company, products, or services. Without having a web page, it is almost impossible to get a mailing list. Mailing lists of your present and potential clients are very important for successful marketing and management.
An important part of every Google My Business account is Reviews. It is a space where customers can leave their reviews and give an evaluation. Reality can be cruel – reviews always gravitate toward negative. Why? If a customer is satisfied with the products or services he got – he got what he paid for. If a customer is not satisfied, he will find a way to express his dissatisfaction, by leaving a negative review. People will react strongly if they think they suffered an injustice. Commendation are not so easily given. One way to conquer bad reviews is to send questionnaires throughout your mailing list. If your clients or customers are satisfied with the services they are getting, you can forward them a link to the page, where they can leave their (positive) opinion. Reviews are often shown in the form of a pop-up. You can use the Google Review Link Generator. In only few quick steps, you will get a link to the Reviews page and you can forward it to satisfied customers. If a client is not satisfied with the service or product provided, you could send them a link to your own website, where they can explain the problem directly. Our goal is not to trick Google but to restore the balance. The moto: “leave us a good Google review instead of the tip” is actually worth every penny.
One way to help Google to notice your successful business is to make your turnover visible. Ask your close friends and family to tag themselves while they are in your shop and to turn on their navigation. This way Google will recognize customer traffic.
Google is distrustful of local businesses, and rightfully so. When you google your keywords, Google will offer you options, accordingly to your current location. People came up with numerous ideas on how to trick the algorithm. One of the ideas is to put a fake business address and to pretend their business is local. You need Google to recognize you as a local business, so we strongly advise you to put all of your important information to your web page (on every page, if you have more than one). You can use an acronym NAP to remember all the important information: Name, Address, Phone number. Again, our goal isn’t to trick Google but to help it recognize us before it recognizes our competition.
One thing that is making digital marketing a little bit easier these days is Content Marketing. Blog posts are a “must have” when it comes to good advertisement and SEO. For example, if you are a wedding photographer, very talented and good at your job, your business will not strive, if search results don’t show your name in the top few results. The key is to put all of your knowledge and experience into the blog posts. You can write about the best wedding venues (from the aspect of an photographer), about the advantages and disadvantages of winter or summer weddings, about floral arrangements that will stay fresh and beautiful all day long, or about tricks to make your makeup flawless. Anything that is associated with the wedding or photography, can be a theme for your blog posts. Excited brides will likely search about “wedding stuff” and Google will take them right to your web page. Furthermore, Google will place you higher, if the link to your website is used on other websites. This way Google is convinced in the quality of your work because others are using your work as a reference. If you are writing about the bakery shop that is making amazing and photogenic wedding cakes, leave the link to the certain bakery shop’s web page. In the contra-favor, a bakery shop can write a blog post about the best photography poses with the wedding cake, and could use your photographs in the text (and also link to your web page). The bride will be happy, the cake will be eaten, and your Google score is skyrocketing. A very interesting theme for blog posts can be pricing. Most people are terrified to write about it, especially if we are talking about local businesses. For example, if you are typing keywords: wedding photographer novi sad, the search will get you to a few websites of local wedding photographers. They will advertise their services, and very roughly talk about prices. That is understandable – many factors can affect pricing (number of photographs, number of photo shooting locations, the distance of the locations…). Imagine what will happen if you write a blog post where you precisely talk about prices of wedding photo shootings in Novi Sad. That is the precise answer to the searched keywords, and Google just decided that you are his number 1 choice. You could also use FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to come up with a theme for your blog. If brides and grooms frequently ask you about the time of the day that is ideal for photo shoots, or what kind of makeup is most photogenic – there is your free inspiration for your blog creations! Take a note – SEO texts posted on your blog must not be short.
Posts on your social media are also very important. Don’t use your social media space to write only about yourself and your business. Use it wisely – show your followers how you could solve some of their problems, provide them with the best services, or entertain them. Remove the focus from your business and focus on what you can do for your customers. Your posts should educate and entertain. Interactive posts are very popular these days. Even Google My Business offers the option of content posting. You can use it to post a picture of your assortment or to promote your seasonal discounts.
In the end, we can only advise you to do the SEO before you see your company falling. Invest in SEO. If you do these first steps right, Google will do all the job for you afterward. If you started your business locally, don’t be afraid to step up and expand. Give Google all the information it needs and watch your business grow!
If you are ready to bring your business to the next level, contact us and we will take over all the SEO activities. We covered only the basic elements of SEO in this text, but there are numerous tricks and strategies that only experienced and dedicated experts know and use. We are very proud to confirm that InDigital team have all the necessary qualities and knowledge to make SEO work for you.