You might not know who they are and that's a pity, because you should.
Because once you got past the “getting to know you” bit, it could turn into a glowing, mutually beneficial relationship that lasts for years. So why isn't this relationship happening?
They don't even know you exist!
You might just be two ships, passing in the night. But you have the ability to change this and become like a light house they'll spot from a distance. To do this doesn’t require an elaborate plan or a serious dent into your marketing budget. It’s just a case of addressing three words:
Search Engine Optimisation.
Here’s 5 ways you can boost your SEO rankings and get found- so easy you'll kick yourself for not having thought of them already!
#1. Research Your Keywords
You want to use the same keywords your target audience are using when they search for you. So if you own a real estate agency in North Lakes, you'd want your main keyword phrase to be something like ‘Real Estate North Lakes’ or even ‘Realty North Lakes’. Sure, you might have a lot of competition covered by the main keywords- but what about the secondary search terms? This is where your area of speciality comes into play. What do you provide that your competitors don’t? What sets you apart from the rest? Overall, your priority here is to understand the language your target audience uses when they go searching for a business like yours.
#2. Optimisation
You want to have a reasonable amount of quality content on your website and across your social media platforms. I’m not talking about stuffing your content full of keywords (the bad old-fashioned way), although it might help if you update your meta tagging to include terms that are reader-friendly.
I’m talking about including a page for legitimate testimonials from happy customers (get video testimonials whenever you can), a Q&A section and a page with profiles for each of your staff. Content like this is useful for your site browsers but also for online search engines like Google.
If you’re a local business, you definitely also want to include a ‘Contact’ page with a business address, primary phone number and an embedded GEO site map (which can be done easily, here: http://www.geositemapgenerator.com)
#3. Google Local
Local Google+ pages gives you more exposure, while also helping you to open up a two-way communication path with your customers by responding to reviews and creating post updates. You can find out more on Google+ here: https://searchenginewatch.com/sew/how-to/2293053/google-places-for-business-vs-google-local
#4. Consistency
Inconsistency can have a negative effect on your online presence, which is why you need to be consistent when you list your business name, contact number and address across all of your online pages. This makes search engines like Google happy, and it also makes your customers happy. Make it as easy as possible for them to know who you are and how they can get in contact with you.
#5. Get the word out there
Collecting reviews from happy customers on Google+, or via video testimonials, is one of the most traditional (and most authentic) ways to stand out online. Make it easy for your customers- let them know they only have to write a review once (if writing one) and if they don’t have a Google+ account, that's ok. Let them give you their glowing review via Facebook or even LinkedIn instead!
Whether they want to write your praises or speak them out loud, the most important thing to remember is: always be authentic. Don’t bribe them or ask for positive reviews. People can spot a fake easily. You're better than that, anyway. The best word of mouth is when it’s genuine.
I’ll leave you with these easy action items to think about (and act on) for now- but next week I’ll have a further 5 tips that'll do wonders for your SEO rankings. In the meantime? Let me know how you go covering these 5 steps! Sharing your success stories is always welcome.