In 2014, there will be no excuses for not being online. What was once deemed to be murky waters is now textbook marketing 101. But there’s a couple of “middle men’’ you need to be aware of when planning your new digital marketing campaigns. Once your website is launched, the journey between your brand and your customer is now mediated by the rules of search engines, algorithms and social networks. And it’s an increasingly competitive space. Being online opens a whole new set of customer and client relations: instant contact, 24-hour shopping, creative communication, cheap content marketing, and much more. But it also means learning how to play by the rules of good search engine optimisation (SEO).
Here’s a few tips from us on surviving the search engine wilderness in the New Year, and mastering branding through SEO in 2014.
- Learn from the best
Doing your SEO in-house is a cost-saving option, but like most endeavours, the more education the better. It’s also an extremely competitive space. This is why we suggest doing your research first. Search engine optimisation is like any other advertising space, it’s a platform on which brands can compete for an audience’s attention. This competition, however, is now manned by Google and other search engines. To achieve the best results online, your website must be targeted and findable. To make matters a little more complicated, the rules are constantly changing. But don’t let that put you off. We suggest you start by mastering basic SEO tactics. It is also wise to subscribe to a few SEO or online business blogs, such as: The Moz Blog, Daily SEO Blog or Search Enginge Land. But, don’t get lost in the techno-babble. Simple and beginner-friendly tips can be found on blogs as such Kate Toon Copywriter and Bianca Board of Web123. In addition, our herBusiness blog has regular new content and ideas on digital marketing from industry leaders and successful online business women.
- Learn from the best
- Utilise a blog
While you are subscribing to all of your new blogs; take note. One of the best ways to increase your SEO is by utilising a blog. It pays, however, for this blog to be used as part of a creative strategy. Keep in mind your audience, try sharing posts, bring in new authors and engage with a community.
- Utilise a blog
- Don’t forget to share
Once you have reams of exciting new online content, it pays to start getting social. Not all social media platforms will suit your brand, but it’s an essential part of building an online community and increasing your organic rankings.
If you are looking to expand your skills online, learning SEO is a valuable process. You can start with one of our webinars, Simple SEO Strategies for Small Business, with guest Kate Toon.
