If you’re reading this, I assume you’re already aware that Google is the dominant player in the search marketplace, but that doesn’t mean you should limit your digital marketing efforts to SEO and PPC. In this article, I’ll give you 10 tips to boost your gears online marketing strategy, utilizing the vast array of products and technologies that Google makes available to marketers.
1. Master SEO
SEO (search engine optimization) is a form of marketing that helps your website show up in the organic search results of a search engine, like Google. If you want to grow your business online, you should definitely be focusing on SEO. There are several reasons why.
- SEO is free
- It’s one of the most effective ways to generate organic traffic
- The competition is usually pretty low, which makes it easier to outrank your competition
- You can use third-party tools to make your life easier
If you’re just starting out, I recommend downloading the free SEO tool from Google, which can help you identify the key words and phrases people are using to find what you offer.
2. Build Backlinks To Your Site
Do you have lots of valuable content on your website that people are searching for? If so, you can use that content to build backlinks to your site. When someone links to your site, this is known as a backlink. You can use free tools like Google’s own PageRank checker to find out how many backlinks you have.
There are two ways to get more backlinks:
- Create more content relating to what people are searching for
- Use the valuable content you already have to establish brand authority
If you’re launching a new product or offering, make sure you consider building backlinks to your site from key business websites.
3. Use Long-Tail Keywords
If you want to capture the attention of customers who are searching for your product or service, you should be using keywords that are relevant to what they’re looking for. For example, someone who is searching for a travel agent in London should be served content that relates to travel agents in London.
Include long-tail keywords in your content to maximize the targeting of your content and catch the attention of the right audience.
4. Create Great Headlines
Headlines are more important than you might think. Just take a look at the sponsored listings on any popular search engine like Google. You’ll see lots of sponsored ads with sensational headlines designed to encourage clicks. Well-headlined articles tend to get more engagement and attract more qualified leads than long form articles with weak headlines. It’s a numbers game: the more clicks an article gets, the more valuable it is to the brand that paid for the ad. So, make sure you’re using appealing and actionable headlines when you write your content.
5. Build A Media List
The headlines above were all chosen to grab your attention. But just as important as the headline is the lead paragraph. The lead paragraph is essentially the hook that will persuade the reader to continue reading your article. It’s the first part of your article, and it’s often the most important part. Your lead paragraph should include the following elements:
- An interesting or unusual assertion that will make the reader curious about the content that follows
- A statement of what the author knows about the topic (and why it’s worth knowing)
- A call to action (optional)
Once the reader is curious, they’ll want to know more. So, include links to resources, articles, or tools related to the subject matter.
To quickly find a list of media outlets that you should be aware of, I recommend using tools like Google’s own Content Explorer to search for articles published by top tier media websites. You can also use BuzzStream to discover the key influencers in your industry and create a list of journalists that you should be reaching out to.
6. Use Keywords In The Title
The title is one of the most important elements of your article because it appears in boldface or large type in the search engine results page. So, take some time to choose a catchy and attention-grabbing title that will encourage potential customers to click on your content.
Your chosen keywords should appear in the article’s title and throughout the body of the text. Use your keywords in the article’s title, first paragraph, and throughout the body of the text. Make sure you choose the right keywords for your content. If you want to target a specific audience, you can use the SEO tool to find the keyword most suitable for use in your article.
7. Create An Outstanding Blog
A blog can be more than just a place to post your thoughts and ideas. A well-executed blog can be an integral part of your marketing strategy. When someone finds your blog, they’ll probably be curious about what you have to say. So, make sure you provide them with a good and informative reading experience that will encourage them to visit your blog frequently.
There are several tips and tricks to creating an outstanding blog, many of which can be found in our blog SEO guide. Make sure you read the entire guide because there are several key points covered in it. Following these tips will definitely help you create a blog that will attract and retain interested readers.
8. Use Social Media To Build A Following
If you want to grow your business online, you should be using social media to connect with, engage, and amplify audiences. The best online marketing strategy will integrate social media into every aspect of your plan.
Post regularly on your social media channels, and make sure you engage with your followers, sharing valuable content that is likely to help them (and, hopefully, your business). Your posts should always relate to something useful or interesting that will encourage your audience to engage with you.
To quickly find relevant and inspiring content to share, you can use topic influencers, who have large audiences across platforms, to discover the topics that your audience is interested in learning more about. You can then find blogs, forums, and other platforms that cover those topics and engage with the influencers on your chosen platforms. You can also use your social media to directly reach the decision makers that you want to engage with.
9. Measure The Success Of Your Strategy
Now that you have a solid foundation of content on your site, it’s time to measure the success of your strategy. To do this, you can use several online tools that are freely available to measure the performance of your content. First, you should check out Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a free tool that you can use to measure the traffic to your site and identify any performance issues. With Analytics, you can:
- Create custom dashboards to get a clear view of the performance of your content across different platforms
- Gauge the success of various content marketing efforts, like paid ads, blog posts, or social media campaigns
- Track the performance of individual products or offers (e.g. a software product)
Once you’ve used Google Analytics to analyze the performance of your content, you can compare this to similar content that you’ve published in the past. This will help you identify the performance characteristics that lead to success.
How To Create A Media Playlist For Your Blog
Just like with a song, you can create a playlist of media files (like photos or videos) that you want to use in your blog article. You can use a service like YouTube to quickly and easily upload your media files and then use a service like Playlist24 to build and organize your playlist. Once your playlist is finished, you can share it with your audience via social media channels, email, or CD.
The advantage of this technique is that your audience can passively click through your playlist while you tell them about your product. This means they won’t have to focus on what you’re saying while they’re listening. Instead, they can focus on your music.
Takeaway
If you want to grow your business online, you should be using SEO, content creation, and social media to attract, engage, and amplify audiences. With these tools, you can establish your expertise and build a brand for yourself.