Move the Needle with SEO

What does it take to get your brand noticed amongst the millions of websites fighting for your customers’ attention? Hint: it’s more than just great content. In today’s digital-first economy, startups and new businesses must not only establish their online presence, but dominate it. What does it take for marketers to move the needle with SEO? Read on…

Create content that speaks to people first and search engines second

Meticulously optimized content may improve its visibility, but it certainly won’t have a positive impact on conversion if it’s not user-friendly. It’s 2018, and it’s no longer enough for new businesses to only serve product/service-focused content. Brands must deliver thoughtful content that answers questions, provides advice and builds authentic relationships earlier in the buyer’s journey. If you don’t, your competitors will.

Work smarter by using data to inform your content marketing strategy

While content marketing budgets have continued to rise YOY, marketers have had to significantly adjust their strategy to be successful. Brands (and especially those just starting out) can’t afford to take a scattered, volume-based approach but rather must use real data to inform their content strategy.

Leveraging search data, topical trends and customer insights can help brands position content more effectively and get in front of customers earlier in the buyer’s journey. It’s also worth noting that mobile devices have made consumers maniacal about research, greatly expanding top-of-funnel related searches. Data can help to build a stronger understanding of your prospective customer’s tendencies and ultimately assist in positioning content to satisfy their wide variety of search intents.

Don’t be afraid to invest: search has gone from a “nice to have” to a “need to survive”

You have enough to worry about with the launch of your new business. Don’t try to be a technical expert and/or rely on light plugins and tools to earn the organic search positioning you’ll need to win. Build sustainable results by hiring an expert to perform regular audits of your site and implement any necessary changes.

SEO as a channel is incredibly conversion-friendly — use it to your advantage by surpassing the sometimes stagnant and complacent legacy brands who are slow to adopt these digital strategies.

Matt Raven
Vice President, Marketing Technology

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