SEO = Search Engine Optimization. When someone says “I SEO’d this website, it will take you 3 months to see results.” Look the other way, because that’s the lazy and careless version of the correct answer, giving you instant gratification. A better answer would be “I set up the foundation for best SEO practices and you should be set up to manage your SEO more effortlessly in the future,” because SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. To see results doesn’t take 3 months (if done correctly).
One-third of all traffic to B2B websites on average is attributed to organic traffic, according to HubSpot. That number increases by 60% for industrial and manufacturing companies, making it a priority for any and all web presence in our space.
Google and Bing continue to update their algorithms and a lot of people are now posing the question of the decade, “Do I even need to focus on SEO anymore?” The short answer is YES. However, going about it is not the same as it was even 5 years ago. The game has changed and it’s time to get to work.
Yes, focusing on SEO is still a priority and you should be spending a good amount of your marketing time and money on this initiative. It means creating original content consistently and making sure you understand the basics of SEO; because they still count but it’s about the quality and frequency of your content that is the key. If you’ve missed out on the fact that keywords don’t have as much importance as they once did, they are only a portion of what counts in your Search Engine Ranking.
Keywords STILL matter, but as Google’s algorithm has gotten much better with semantic search (basing search results on searcher intent, context, and synonyms) keywords used in phrases (short snippets of sentences and thought snippets) are what is the most important, not the keywords themselves actually.
You want your keyword phrases appearing in your URL, page titles, meta descriptions, etc. So as mentioned above, it’s more about how keywords are applied, not the keywords themselves.
So what does this mean? You need to create content as the expert and you need to do it…. A lot.
Be The Expert
You need to be the subject matter expert. Instead of trying to prove how you compare to the competition, show them. The ones who thrive on originality and can always have an answer to common questions are the ones who will win organic listings and rightfully so.
Speak The Language
Every industry has a language and it’s important to relate to your audience/industry by “speaking the language.” A well seasoned subject matter expert will both speak the language and provide clarity in the delivery of their messages. A good reason why you should utilize internal resources that can contribute to your content development needs. Always work with an expert. SEO content should reflect the way people will search for that topic.
Backlinks
Do not buy backlinks, you will get blacklisted and if you do… it will be warranted. People are sick of getting tricked into clicking to your site and why would you want that anyway? All bad backlinks do is make it look like you have a lot of traffic but that conversion rate goes right down the toilet.
Your content should include guest blog appearances from trusted business partners who share a mutually beneficial interest with you.
Let’s talk SEO and site optimization! Visit us online at www.spinstak.com or call 866.270.0810
By: Natalie Lane, Vice President of Spinstak
