In the good old days of brick and mortar shops, the three most important factors in determining the success of a business were “Location, location, location”. Well in today’s digital online world it is still “location, location, location”, but that location ought to be on the first page of a Google search. Any other location, even be it in your grandma’s living room, really doesn’t matter. When a user types in words to do a search related to your industry, your company needs to come up on that first page, otherwise you’re effectively out of the picture.
This may seem harsh, but think about your own Google browsing habits, do you ever search for a service by clicking beyond the first page? Studies have shown that 91% of searchers do not go beyond page 1 of the search results. Even more ruthless than that, over 50% of searchers do not go past the first three results of page one. Amongst SEO experts there is a well-worn joke, “where is the best place to hide a dead body? – On the 10th page of google”. But, as difficult as it can be to reach prime property position of page one in a search, the reality is the results truly pay off with some important benefits.
- The buying decision is almost always made online, with experts predicting a figure of around 90%. A website that ranks highly on a relevant google search, puts your business into that decision making process.
- Just as the early bird gets the worm, the top positioned sites get the traffic. This is the world of Search Engine Optimization, better known as SEO and it can make all the difference to your company’s visibility and bottom line performance.
- A high ranking will not only bring your business more traffic, it will also have the effect of building your brand’s familiarity with the potential consumer which enhances the perception of trust and authenticity.
- The focus on Search Engine Ranking Position (SERP) means that your company can transfer their marketing efforts away from more expensive methods such as advertising, and at the same time maximise more cost efficient avenues such as social media marketing.
So how do you claim that prime position on Google? The answer to that is Content. Content truly is king. Marketers all around the world, in every industry and in every language have embraced content as a means to enhance their branding, web traffic and lead generation. Good quality and strictly relevant content can really do wonders for your brand, below are just a number of ways;
SEO – Already mentioned, this is the most pertinent reason, of why any company chooses to invest in good content. If and once you’ve managed to hold prime page one location on Google, don’t think you can rest on your laurels, you need to maintain this position with a continual flow of relevant content. The search engine is an intelligent beast as it works hard to deliver users with exactly the information that they are looking for. Content that is original, clear, engaging, well shared and creates a buzz is a winning recipe for those search engines to put you up front.
Build Trust – Content Marketing, particularly reviews and blogs, are considered to be a form of “word of mouth” marketing. By presenting your brand to an audience, in a similar fashion to how a person would mention your brand to a friend, presents your brand in a light that your potential client can appreciate. A study by Nielson found that 90% of consumers trust brand recommendations from friends, but also online users.
Branding – The more good quality content that you put out in the world, the more recognition your brand will get. By producing unique, original and quality content, your business can position itself as a category leader as it promotes its brand.
Increase Web Traffic – Content is a critical tool to gain organic traffic to your website. The content that you produce is indexed by search engines, where the higher quality content gets a top ranking to attract more organic traffic. Organic traffic is earned, not paid, which means people are clicking on your website because they are authentically interested in what you have to offer.
Social Media – Good content becomes the perfect material to distribute across your social media platforms. Like your web site, your social media platforms also have to receive a continual flow of good content that can be shared with your audience of followers and with any luck and talent become viral.
Top ROI – Pairing content with a relevant CTA, or ‘Call to Action’ allows your content to be pitched towards converting website visitors into customers. Good content has proved to be so successful that some markers believe it to be three times more effective in producing leads for every dollar spent than SEM. Even if that is an exaggeration, the point is it’s certainly a driving force within the marketing world.
Influence – As customers research a product that they’re interested in purchasing, they’ll ask friends for recommendations, read reviews, maybe visit forums and read conversations on social media. Putting out good content gives you the opportunity to let potential customers view your brand and see value in your product or service. So that by the time they contact your company, they’ll be ready to make a purchase.ok