Want to get started today? Here are 5 SEO and online marketing hacks you can dive right into to – and start seeing results. We’re sharing the secrets here.
It was not quite a year ago when BuzzHive Marketing shared a statistic from FleishmanHillard.com indicating that 89% of consumers use internet searches to make purchasing decisions. For businesses everywhere, this means that if you aren’t online, nearly 90% of your potential customers may never find you. Having a website is an essential part of marketing your business.
But having a website alone may not be enough for your customers to find you either.
The Move to Digital is Happening Now
As 2016’s statistics and 2017’s predictions roll in, there can be no doubt that a major shift from traditional to digital advertising is underway. If marketing spending trends continue at their current pace, internet advertising spending will exceed TV advertising expenditures in 2017. Your competitors are out there, online and advertising.
What can you do to make your online presences known in this increasingly crowded marketplace?
Customers buy from companies they like and trust. An effective internet marketing strategy is a key to building a positive relationship with your customers.
Paid Advertising vs Organic SEO
You can reach your customers through paid advertisements or organic search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Many businesses use a combination of methods to make sure their name is at the top of consumers’ minds when the time comes to make a purchase.
Paid internet advertising such as Google Ads and other pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns is a growing part of many businesses’ marketing efforts. Paid advertisement offers the benefits of guaranteed placement and easily trackable performance metrics. But paid advertising is only one part of maintaining a successful online presence.
In addition to buying text or banner ads to draw users to your website, you can use SEO content and customer engagement to tell your customers that you are out there and ready to serve their needs. Search Engine Land’s informative and entertaining Periodic Table of SEO Success Factors provides a list of many top SEO techniques.
While the name “search engine optimization” implies that you are trying to draw the notice of a search engine’s algorithm, in reality by using these techniques you are creating content that reaches your consumers. However, unlike paid advertisements, SEO efforts can sometimes take weeks or months to develop traffic to your website.
Improve Your Online Marketing Today
So, we’ve created a list of quick and easy marketing hacks that you can use to get the ball rolling. With these tools, you can start building your brand’s following and form relationships with your customer base today.
Here’s our list of easy-to-implement fast online marketing hacks:
Spread the Word (of Mouth) Marketing—Yes! It still exists in the digital age. Except now, it’s word-of-keypad. Satisfied customers who like and use your product have always been your best brand ambassadors. In the digital age, you can harness the power of these ambassadors through the use of Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit and other social media sites.
Create custom branded hashtags, tell-a-friend promotions or shareable content. Then, encourage your customers to share their satisfaction with your brand. You can also leverage the power of review sights such as Yelp or Angie’s List to get the word out. As an added bonus, mentions on sites like Yelp also have an impact on your search engine rankings.
Write for Free—That’s right. Give your work away free. Odds are that if you have been in business very long, you have knowledge and expertise in your field that you can share with others. By sharing that information via a guest blog, you establish yourself as a thought leader and get the name of your brand in front of a new customer base. Share well-written pieces and ask nothing but a link to your website in return. You’ll build credibility and an SEO-boosting backlink.
Odds are you have knowledge and expertise in your field that you can share with others. By sharing that information via a guest blog, you establish yourself as a thought leader and get the name of your brand in front of a new customer base. Share well-written pieces and ask nothing but a link to your website in return. You’ll build credibility and an SEO-boosting backlink.
You can also build your rankings and credibility by blogging regularly on your own website. No one knows your business better than you. A blog is a perfect platform for you to communicate directly with your customers. Share what you know, as well as why your product or service is the right choice.
Snippet Your Way to Success—Use the power of attraction on every page of your website through snippets. A snippet is that little blurb that appears under your website’s link in search engine results. Snippets tell consumers why your website should be the one they choose to click through and visit. Snippets are limited in length, so make every word count by writing a compelling summary of what your website has to offer. You can increase your visibility even more by combining well-written snippets with a great blog about your business.
Mobilize Your Website—Google has spoken, and mobile matters. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile users, it should be. More users now search the internet from a mobile device than from their home or office computer.
Not only does your site’s mobile-friendliness affect how it is judged by search engine algorithms, but it also affects consumer usage. Increasingly, consumers make purchasing decisions while away from home. A website with a slow page load or other features that make it unattractive for mobile users will lose traffic to competitors.
Get on the Map—Local SEO has taken off this year! Shoppers now search for and choose where they will shop using their mobile phone. In fact, 92% of consumers who have looked for a product or service online have then purchased that product or service from a local business.
In the new digital economy, businesses become winners or losers depending on whether they are on the map. If you haven’t performed a local SEO audit, you should. Make sure your business name, address and phone number (NAP) is listed consistently in each directory and that you have claimed your business listing on Google Places and other search engine specific locators.
It’s Time to Make Your Marketing Move (Traffic)
By investing in market research, search engine optimization, and localized marketing you can significantly reduce your business’s reliance on paid ads and improve consumer engagement rates. Through consistent customer interaction and performance tracking, you’ll also gain valuable insights into your customers’ preferences and buying behaviors.
A comprehensive online marketing plan can position you for increased traffic and sales and future growth. BuzzHive Marketing can assist you in implementing the SEO methods to get your business noticed by consumers and search engines alike. Let’s get started—today