SEO does not need to be a four-letter word for CMOs. Shutterstock
As a CMO, you more than likely cringe when you hear the term “SEO” (search engine optimization), because let’s face it — it’s not the most pleasant marketing tactic to plan, strategize and execute.
What SEO is though, is a crucial component of the overall digital marketing strategy, and one that needs to be done properly for maximum effectiveness. The individual in charge of your search engine optimization campaign can make or break your entire digital effort.
In order to help guide your SEO efforts in the correct direction, here are five tips that will help enhance your SEO impact when fully understood.
1. SEO is a long-term commitment.
Far too many companies assume that SEO is something that can just be kicked up a notch with the flip of a switch. Even with an extremely healthy budget allocated for organic search, making adequate gains that stick takes time.
You have to be willing to invest not only money, but time as well, if you intend to build a successful SEO effort. You never want to put all of your eggs in one basket anyway, so organic search should just be one of many components of your overall digital effort.
Paid strategies that are easily scalable, like Facebook ads or a Google AdWords pay-per-click campaign can help to drive revenue while you spend the time required to reap the benefits of SEO.
2. SEO needs to be built into all digital marketing components.
It’s important that you think of your SEO strategy and goals when you map out all of your other online marketing plans, as they can help amplify your search engine optimization with little to no extra effort, aside from some creative thinking.
Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to get in front of your target customers, and most businesses are actively sending out email campaigns multiple times a week. “Something as simple as including a link to a piece of valuable content on your website at the end of your message and encouraging social shares is something that can help you generate social signals and even earn links every time you mail, especially if you have a large list,” explains Shawn Burst, CEO of DirectMail.io.
The same logic applies to social media marketing, paid content promotion, etc. Brands that figure out how to positively impact their SEO through all other digital marketing components will end up building a much stronger foundation to build on.
3. Focus on the SEO metrics that actually matter.
One of the biggest mistakes brands make when it comes to their SEO is focusing on metrics that misrepresent the overall success, such as keyword ranking and keyword search volume.
For example, a keyword might have a search volume of 120,000 per month, but only contributes to 10 conversions a month, while a keyword with a search volume of just 600 a month contributes to 20 conversions.
It’s important to have your entire digital strategy mapped out so you can reverse engineer where every dollar and conversion comes from. When you have this data, it allows you to focus on the metrics that actually contribute to revenue, and not useless vanity SEO metrics.
As Danny Sullivan, cofounder of Search Engine Land, put it: “SEO isn’t about ‘how do I get keywords into Google,’ it’s about understanding how many people search for information and finding a way to get in front of them.”
4. Don’t try to game the system — it can and will backfire.
There are no shortcuts when it comes to SEO, regardless of what some unethical search engine optimization providers will tell you. Blackhat techniques might shoot your website to the top of the SERPs (search engine results pages) initially, but they can and will result in penalties that will knock you down and even prevent you from resurfacing.
While fast results are enticing, understand that you need to play by the rules if you want to experience results that stick. “SEO is such an investment, both in terms of time and monetary investment,” says Robert Tsigler founding partner at Tsigler Law. “Attempting to game the system might let you experience a short spike in organic traffic, but the risk-reward isn’t worth it. Take your time to do it right.”
Google’s updates to its algorithm are unpredictable, so it’s important that you understand what SEO practices will keep your website safe.
5. Realize that SEO has the potential to 10X your digital marketing results.
The biggest draw to SEO is its ability to have a large-scale effect on your digital marketing results. When you look at huge brands like Amazon and Walmart, you see how powerful SEO can be. When you search for almost any consumer product on Google, Amazon and Walmart are more than likely to show up on top. They key is to duplicate that type of dominance on a local or niche-level.
“We are heavily invested in SEO, as we understand the growth potential organic traffic can bring. Our SEO strategy from the beginning has revolved around long-term results and piggybacking off all other online marketing efforts to amplify our organic results,” explains Matthew Van Niekerk, cofounder and CEO of DataBroker DAO.
When you truly understand the growth potential SEO can provide it, you will spend the time to map out a well-thought-out strategy with long-term results in mind. While SEO is constantly changing, these five tips will always remain relevant.