The world of digital marketing is continuously evolving as new technologies and consumer preferences force companies and digital ad firms to rethink the way they connect with audiences. Just a few years ago, many wouldn’t even think that things like voice search and personalized videos would become vital and effective tools to promote a product or service.
However, it is also worth studying the things that have not and are not going to change. Ultimately, search engine optimization (SEO) is one of those things that is not going away anytime soon. In fact, it is still one of the most powerful ways that can direct your customers as they interact with your company. Not only does it allow your potential customers to achieve that first interaction and discover your company, but it can also be a guide throughout a customer’s entire journey with your brand, allowing them to connect with you at all the ideal points along the way. Recognizing this fact and taking active steps to make this journey as easy as possible for your customers can lead to increased profits down the road.
The Power Of SEO In Directing And Guiding Customers
Whether a prospect is just hearing about your business or is ready to click the "buy" button, strong SEO can be a powerful asset that is available 24/7. By landing one of the top slots for your chosen keywords, you are in an excellent position to turn intrigued prospects into customers.
Because of these reasons, SEO is extremely powerful in shaping future interactions with your company. That said, it doesn’t happen automatically. It requires a good amount of thought and hard work to design and execute an effective, strong SEO strategy.
Through this process, one of the most important things to consider is matching SEO keywords with customer intent throughout the purchasing process. This requires you to get inside the heads of your prospects or customers and design a keyword strategy that can seamlessly guide them through your marketing funnel — from first discovery to long after the purchase.
For example, let’s say that you work in the marketing department of an online mattress startup. You are operating in a saturated market, yet your research indicates that prospects are intrigued by your mattress’s proprietary cooling feature. Because of this, you would likely want to create an SEO-driven landing page that leverages certain keywords related to overheated sleepers. That content should explain not only the problem, but also how your company’s mattresses can cool off overheated sleepers. Minding your budget and what keywords your prospects will likely use, you should experiment and iterate as necessary.
SEO can not only be helpful the moment that a prospect is first hearing about your company. It can also be powerful for prospects that are further down your marketing funnel. There are a variety of strategies here. One of the most powerful is continuously creating video or text content that provides even more education about the customer’s problem and your business’s value proposition.
Of course, you will want to be strategic with your keywords and search for backlinks to your content. At the top of mind should be creating high-quality content that caters to your audience’s wants and needs. For instance, if a prospect is at the stage of comparing your company with others, you may want to create a text or video post that provides an objective explainer of those differences. This sort of content can go a long way, so long as it is valuable and caters to your prospects’ wants and needs.
Separately, it is helpful to focus on other websites and aggregators that provide information about your product or service. Digital platforms like Google My Business, Yelp and more are visited by millions of potential customers every day. They also rank highly in search engines, so you’ll want to obtain as much social proof as possible on these platforms. For instance, think about asking your customers to leave reviews on websites like Yelp or other directory sites within your niche. Even though you’re not directly building SEO for your website, this work can go a long way in taking your prospects on your company’s journey.
Becoming A Trusted Guide
SEO remains an integral part of any digital marketing strategy. It can be used to bring in as well as guide prospects and customers on your company journey. No matter how powerful this may be, however, the process is not automatic. Your entire team needs to take this work seriously and develop a plan to create strong SEO throughout the customer journey.
Ultimately, by doing this, you are investing in your company’s future. You are creating a well-defined customer journey that is almost entirely passive. It is an extremely powerful strategy, and one that all businesses should strongly consider.
