When it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital marketing, content really is king. Does your content compel people to invest in your products or services? Have you optimised your blogs and landing pages to be found by the search engines and displayed on the first results page?
As any honest SEO specialist will tell you, it can take months to win first-page positions for high-traffic keywords. And, if you don’t know how to maximise the effectiveness of your content strategy, all your marketing efforts may prove futile. Here are six ways in which you can start optimising your content.
Concentrate on quality rather than quantity
Some people try to improve their search engine rank for high-traffic keywords by targeting the same search term in dozens of blog articles. Often, the result is dozens of blogs that contain the same information. But if your blogs aren’t unique, what reason does a reader have to stay on your website?
If you want to maximise your engagement metrics and ensure the search engines don’t flag your website as spam, you should try to target keywords with high-quality content as appose to lots of it. Think about the topics and subtopics you can write about to boost your credibility for high-traffic keywords. Before you start writing any blogs, you might want to develop a content calendar to ensure everything you create is 100% unique.
Get your content in front of people
As you might expect, it can take a while to secure first-page positions for challenging keywords. In the meantime, however, you can make sure your landing pages appear on the first page of Google by paying for advertising. PPC, or pay-per-click advertising, is a cost-effective way to build brand awareness and get your website in front of thousands of potential customers. Plus, you only need a few hundred dollars or so to get started.
If you don’t know how to develop PPC strategies or monitor the performance of your campaigns, you might want to outsource the task to a team of experienced professionals.
Write custom meta tags and page titles
Securing first-page positions on Google is all good and well – provided your listing encourages click-throughs. People don’t always click on the first result they see, which means even if your listing appears on the first page, people may decide to visit a different website. If you want to maximise your click-through rate, you need to write custom meta tags and page titles, which are displayed to users on the search engine results pages. You might want to check out your competitors so that you know what you’re up against when writing your meta tags and titles.
Write powerful CTAs
After you’ve encouraged people to visit your website, you need to make sure your content converts them from a reader into a lead. To do this, you need to write compelling CTAs that persuade people to sign up to your newsletter, get in touch or buy a product.
Your CTAs should be concise as to avoid deterring readers, but they should also detail the benefits of your services and give people a reason to take your desired action. You might want to add a contact form to your blogs and landing pages to maximise your lead generation rate.
Keep in touch with your audience
In addition to helping you reach new customers with new content, the internet allows you to keep in touch with your existing client base and followers. For example, you can respond to queries and complaints instantly – and for free – using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The more you communicate with your prospects, the more sales you’ll generate. You’ll also bolster your customer service in the process.
When publishing social media posts, always encourage your followers to share your content and comment. If you can get people talking about your company and services, you’re doing something right.
Remember to update your website
Keyword trends, digital marketing strategies and SEO best practices evolve in leaps and bounds, which means you need to be flexible and ready to adapt your content as and when necessary. At the minimum, you should perform in-depth keyword research at least once every three months to make sure your landing pages remain relevant to your target customers.
Admittedly, SEO and digital marketing can be challenging, which is why you might consider outsourcing such tasks to a team of specialists. Often, outsourcing is much more affordable than hiring and developing an entire in-house marketing department. Moreover, by working with a team of experienced experts, you can utilise their knowledge and skills without having to familiarise yourself with the ever-changing landscape of SEO, allowing you to focus on your core business.
