As a small business, being competitive in today’s digital age is all about getting found online. Your prospects are turning to the internet when they need information about the products or services you sell, and if you’re not on the list of results, you’re going to miss out on countless opportunities. But being found online takes more than just setting up a website. In fact, there are five key components to establishing a successful internet presence for your business. Let’s take a look.
Using the right keywords.
When prospective customers go to Google to find your products or services, what words do they use to search? Keywords are the first important element to increased online visibility, but you have to be strategic. If the words you’ve chosen are too broad, you risk getting lost in the shuffle. If they’re too specific, you could be inadvertently excluding a good portion of your leads. If you’re not sure where to begin, Google’s keyword planning tool is a good place to start.
Producing quality content consistently.
Several years ago, Google made a change to its ranking algorithm that shifted emphasis to the quality of content it was analyzing. Today, the sites that rank highest in the search engine results are those that contain content that is both relevant to the site’s purpose and valuable to its audience. This is why blogging is so important. Focus on creating a content strategy that involves producing regular blog posts about the topics that matter most to your target audience. Then develop a schedule and stick to it.
Establishing partnerships online.
There is strength in numbers, and that fact holds true when it comes to being successful online. When you can partner up with other complementary businesses, you gain access to a much larger audience. And since backlinks to your site also play a role in SEO, you’ll have a better chance of climbing the search engine ranks if you’re working with other professionals. Consider exchanging guest blog posts or cross-recommending one another to your respective audiences.
Speaking your clients’ language.
You’ve probably done all the legwork in developing buyer personas for your business. But have you dug deep enough to really understand what’s going on in the minds of your prospects? If you want to kill it online, you have to get in touch with your audience’s needs, preferences and pain points. You have to speak the same language that they do. Put yourself in their shoes and create content that offers solutions and resonates with them. This will increase the chances of your content being shared.
Stepping beyond the website.
We’ve covered the importance of creating great, keyword optimized content for your website, but the next step involves moving outside that comfort zone and sharing that content elsewhere. The material you share on social media may not have a direct impact on SEO, but it will have an impact in another pivotal area, and that’s brand exposure. And as you create, curate and share great content, you’ll naturally begin to build a solid social following. This, in turn, helps others – including Google – to recognize you as an authority in your field, which will lead to better online performance overall.
Are you lacking in any of the five key areas above? If so, the time to take action and start turning things around is now. We’d love to help you with this important step. Contact us today and let’s see how we can work together to bring your business to the next level.