4 Simple Steps for Unbelievable Long-lasting Success with a SEO Strategy
It’s 9:00 am on a Monday morning and you’ve just settled into your first coffee when the phone rings. “Hi, I’m looking for some innovative marketing for a trade show coming up shortly. We found your website and think you have exactly what we are looking for. How soon can we get together?”
WOW! Make my morning or what?
Believe it! Search Engine Optimization (SEO) works for you 24 hours a day, non-stop, providing answers to people who are looking for what you sell. What could be easier? This is why SEO should be one of your highest marketing initiatives sitting at the very top of your sales funnel.
Yes, SEO can be a complex beast even for the best of us. So, let’s uncomplicate it. Here are four simple steps I recommend to any small business owner who wants to do SEO without needing an SEO expert.
Optimize Your Google My Business Listing.
GMB is the cornerstone of local SEO and can be the fastest and most effective part of your SEO strategy. It’s estimated that 56% of businesses haven’t even claimed their GMB listing, which means they’re not likely doing much else – leaving you with an almost empty playing field.
Setup Google Analytics.
Key to any lead generation strategy is to know what’s working and what’s not. Without this information you’re just shooting on the dark. Use Google Analytics to start tracking the critical metrics of goals, leads and conversion rates.
Verify That Your Website is Fast and Mobile Friendly.
Local search and mobile search go hand in hand (9 out of 10 smartphone users conduct local searches on their devices!). Some of the most common ways mobile visitors use your site is to look up reviews, find directions to your place, and search contact information. Your smartphone visitor will not stick around if your site is not mobile friendly.
This may sound crazy, but if it takes longer than 5 seconds to load your website to a desktop or mobile device, your visitor is likely long gone. Ideally it should respond within 2 seconds. Anything longer results in higher bounce rates and diminished SEO returns.
Optimize URL, Title Tags, Page Headers, Meta Description and Content.
When content and keywords are optimized – magic happens. A website is optimized for content when the URL, titles, page headers (H1 and H2 tags), meta description, and content are relevant to the keywords you have chosen for your site. Search engines reward you when you continually add content that is new, optimized, relevant, and keyword rich. Congratulations! You are now able to get your SEO off the ground delivering qualified leads 24x7. Having said that, I recognize setting up and maintaining SEO is not everyone’s most popular activity. In the time it takes you to get started, we can quick start your SEO and get quality leads flowing through your funnel.