Aloha, Nick Ponte here. I love helping Hawaii businesses thrive, especially in a challenging market. My digital marketing business has helped plenty of companies crush goals by building strong action plans for success in their online marketplaces.
Lately, I’ve shared several tips business owners can use to optimize their own online strategy. Building a strong presence online will draw in new customers, expand your business, and gain you significant revenue.
Once you’ve learned the basics of SEO, what’s next? How do you know you’ve got a winning SEO strategy that drives conversions and revenue?
Also Read: The Importance of Websites for Small Businesses in Hawaii
Moving Beyond Mediocre
Business owners often want to know how they can continue to hone their digital marketing skills. They’ve got a little traction online, but they want to see customers flooding in. A menial knowledge of SEO won’t get them there, so how do they take their strategy up a notch?
SEO takes consistent work and knowledge of technology. It requires research and effort on the back-end of your website. In a digital age of competitive online marketplaces and cutthroat search engine result pages (SERPs), you have to stay on top of the latest updates and marketing trends.
You can’t just wing it. You can’t settle for “good enough” if you want to outpace your competition. If you want to consistently get noticed and gain customers, you’ve got to know how to be the best player in the game.
How can you understand what makes the difference between “good” and “great” SEO? How can you elevate your SEO to the next level? What can you do to maintain excellence and put your business at the top? I’ve got three tips to show you the next steps you should take.
Also Read: Quality Link-Building for SEO Success
3 Ways to Take Your SEO from “Good” to “Great”:
Pay attention to these three areas as you take a serious look at your SEO strategy:
- Zone in on Proven SEO Strategies
When it comes to solving a problem, sometimes the simplest solution gives the best results. You don’t need to try to discover new, inventive answers for an established industry. The tried-and-true strategies that work best for search engine optimization will work for you – if you implement them in smart ways.
The basics include competitive analysis, keyword research, and content optimization. You’ll use link building, content, behind-the-scenes technical SEO, and analytics to improve your SERP ranking. If you don’t on these areas, you can’t make your SEO strategy work. If you do nothing else, do these.
But it takes more than a once-over setup. You’ve got to consistently maintain these areas, and quickly problem solve when an issues pop up. Your ability to anticipate potential issues will grow as you gain knowledge and experience.
Sometimes you’ll make changes that work well to improve those goals, and sometimes you’ll realize you’ve made a negative impact. Just because you try a tactic, and it doesn’t turn out the way you want, doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Take note of that old saying – Try and try again!
- Keep Up with SEO Updates and Marketing Industry Changes
If you don’t keep up, you’ll fall behind. Algorithms change. Industries morph. Technology advances. Excellent digital marketing strategies constantly adapt to reflect this transitory nature.
Think about the video rental companies that didn’t anticipate and keep up with the market’s switch to digital streaming services. Most of those companies disappeared. The few that stayed around were able to pivot their business models to the customers’ wants as the nature of the video-rental industry changed.
For your online strategy, pay attention to the algorithms. Figure out the most-searched keywords and regularly update your content to include them. The tools users look at to find products and businesses, such as Google Maps and search engines, get updated. Make sure you stay up to date on the most recent changes, so you can adjust where necessary.
Take advantage of the awesome tools readily available to you, like Google My Business. Tools like this one offer free analytics and other helps, so you can better understand the ranking you have on SERPs.
- Put Users and Customers First
Many business owners make the mistake of pursuing their own priorities above the needs of the customers. If you don’t keep the customer’s needs and wants as your foremost target, you won’t reach potential buyers.
Of course, you’re looking through a technological lens. You need to research data and examine statistics, but at the end of the day, you want to draw in real people. Remember that you seek to connect with human beings who look for real solutions to their problems.
Get to know your audience. What do they want? How do they like to interact with you? What is their biggest problem? Whatever you can find out about them will put you on a more accurate track to solving their issues and gaining their business.
On top of all these tips, your most valuable skill will be your willingness to learn and try new tactics. Sometimes, things get complicated. Don’t give up! It does take time and work, but you don’t have to do it alone. Every day, we help businesses take their SEO from mediocre to fantastic. If you want to learn more about these complicated topics or want help improving your strategies, reach out to us today!
Further Reading: Basic SEO for Hawaii Business Owners: Keyword Selection
Photos Courtesy of Vladimir Kudinov, GR Stocks, & Blake Wisz