SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)

Will your site show up in search when it needs to?

Until recently, strong performance in organic search came down to two key factors: keywords and inbound links. By using specific keywords in a piece of content, you got on Google’s search radar for those terms.

And by increasing the number of inbound links pointing to your website, you boosted your site’s authority ranking, which helped it climb higher in search results. Well, search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t so simple nowadays.

Keywords and inbound links are still important, but search engine algorithms have evolved to incorporate a number of other factors in their decision making.

A key impetus for this change is that “Black Hat” marketers had learned to game the search engines. Through unethical SEO techniques such as keyword stuffing and inbound link planting, they could obtain high search rankings for spammy sites, while your legitimate site would drop in the results. Fortunately, Google updates such as Panda and Penguin have tackled these practices head on.

The new age of search engine optimization (SEO)

But search algorithms are also changing because they’re getting smarter and because they need to keep up with new developments such as the rise in social media usage. With its Hummingbird update in late 2013, for instance, Google introduced the concepts of of “intent” and “relevance.”

​Through use of elements such as natural language recognition, location data and personal information gathered from the searcher’s social media history, Google now tries to determine what the searcher actually wants. It then returns results relevant to that want, and not simply to the meaning of the search term.

Thought leadership cuts through the clutter

Search engine optimization is getting more complex, but the path to success in organic search is more straightforward than ever. It’s about being a thought leader in your business sector and populating your website with helpful content that informs, anticipates needs and solves problems.

At Contagionist, we’ll help you establish a presence in your industry as a leading authority and a reliable information source. You’ll rank higher in organic search, and once prospects find you, choosing you will be a no-brainer decision.

Our tactics for search engine optimization include:

Establish SEO benchmarks

The first step is to identify your needs and goals and establish performance benchmarks. With this information, we can track the results that matter to you, provide meaningful reporting and focus our continual improvement efforts in the right areas.

Keyword analysis

Next, we conduct keyword analysis to determine the precise search terms your prospects use when searching for the types of products you offer and for helpful information on the path to purchase. This information assists us in targeting the exact audiences you wish to attract.

On-site optimization

We then craft original website content that integrates the identified keywords based on current best practices in keyword usage. This includes using synonyms, focusing on meaning rather than specific keywords and creating pages that address different needs and wants related to keywords.

Off-page optimization (inbound link building)

Adding a new relevant inbound link to your website produces an immediate SEO benefit because it tells the search engines you are popular and important among your target audience. As a result, you will rank higher in search. But links are also found by humans while browsing other sites and followed back to your site, resulting in even more traffic. The more relevant the link, the more likely the visitor will be an actual prospect that turns into a customer.

Blogging

Among all forms of content, blogging provides a unique opportunity to lead the conversation with prospects and attract web traffic. This is because blog posts are relatively easy to produce, provide wide latitude in terms of topics and allow you to make timely contributions to fast-moving discussions. When a company achieves the stature of being viewed as an industry authority, it also often has one of the most popular blogs in its industry.

Social media marketing

Social media is another powerful channel for spreading the word about your company. When you connect with prospects in a social media environment that suits your brand, their response is more likely to be positive. You also have the flexibility to reach out to them using a wide range of content types, so you can tell your story in multiple ways, and they can connect on their own terms.