21st Century businesses don’t have to exist in the brick-and-mortar marketplace anymore. All a business needs now is a powerful online presence. To achieve this, digital marketers have turned to SEO, the first and most effective step in building a solid presence on the web. SEO is called integrated digital marketing for good reason.
Digital Marketing & SEO
Integrated digital marketing is a necessity for any business wanting to succeed in today’s online market. And while this integrated approach does involve many important factors like web development and design, social media presence, and paid advertising; SEO is still the foundation of any digital marketing strategy.
Digital marketing is concerned about getting people’s attention enough to get them through the door and, hopefully, get them to buy. SEO pretty much does the same. SEO helps a website rank higher in SERP (Search Engine Results Pages); therefore, getting people’s attention. Getting them through the “door”, and, hopefully straight through checkout.
Digital Marketing & SEO are so intertwined that they complement each other and one cannot work without the other.
SEO is called Integrated Digital Marketing, because:
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Location, Location, Location
Marketing works best if the business is in a prime location. Pre-internet businesses owners fought for the best spot to sell. Now, online businesses are fighting over prime digital real estate. SEO makes this happen; ensuring the highest possible ranking in SERP.
Location is key. After all, potential customers don’t search for something online and go to Page 7 of the results. That would the equivalent of a sane person wandering into a strange, unmarked, and dark alley; and hoping for the best.
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Street Cred
Appearing on the first page of search results has been shown to increase a brand’s credibility and profile. Users have a tendency to trust websites on the first page of search results and be wary of those appearing in later pages.
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Increased Conversion
Increased traffic means more chances of sales. Additionally, people love to buy but hate being sold. With SEO, potential customers come to a business’ website because they are interested. The business is not coming to the customer’s home or bothering them with coupons, ads, and offers.
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Brand Recognition
The higher a website’s position is on the results page, the more views and clicks it gets. Even if the views don’t convert to sales; the brand still gets seen and over time, gets recognized.
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Valuable Insight
SEO allows business to track their visitor’s browsing habits which can help them with adapt and adjust advertising strategies. SEO is called integrated digital marketing precisely because it informs a business’ marketing strategy from preparation to execution to evaluation; and so on.
Creating a Digital Marketing & SEO Strategy
An effective SEO strategy is crucial to a business’ success. Here are factors that businesses need to look at to come up with a winning SEO Strategy.
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The Target Market – It’s not just about getting as many people into the business’ virtual doors; it’s about attracting “high-value potential customers who are interested in what the business offers.”
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Go Mobile – A mobile-optimized website is necessary for a brand to have to rank well in SERP because people use smartphones and mobile devices more than traditional computers.
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Go Places – Google is not the only search engine available. Ensure the website also ranks well on other search engine platforms like Yahoo, Bing, etc.
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Shift Focus – Searcher habits, including keywords they search, have changed drastically in recent years. So, instead of focusing on keywords that get viewers, use keywords and phrases that target the right people.
Nowadays, traditional marketing strategies rarely work. The 21st Century marketplace is all about ensuring users get a comprehensive online experience. SEO has proven and continues to be one of the best most cost-effective marketing strategies for businesses that operate online. So much so, that SEO is called integrated digital marketing.