The simple SEO of yesterday is gone. It’s no longer possible for unsophisticated strategies such as stuffing keywords or overloading useless backlinks to yield results. Even the definition of successful “results” has changed. It’s not enough to show up in top Google rankings if those rankings don’t add up to increased qualified traffic, genuine leads, and eventually, bonafide sales. It is a complex topic so much so that this post is part one of a three part series. So here is one Howard County MD SEO company’s take on the current state of search engine optimization.
Developing a Holistic Search Engine Optimization Strategy
If you’re not presenting relevant, valuable content to searchers, your SEO plan will not find or move your target audience to action. Although developing a holistic SEO strategy requires the proper website code and correct information architecture, content marketing must be done consistently. Even more important than quantity or consistency, quality is the key to finding success with your content strategy.
High-Quality Content for the Win!
When you’re trying to step up your SEO game, it’s not the time for amateur hour. Many businesses make the mistake of asking a neighbor’s daughter to write their content because she’s an English Lit major and should do a good job. And she might, but the odds weigh highly against it. On the other hand, content that answers the questions that your target audience has can make all the difference in results. It’s the old adage that if you appear to know more about their problem than they do, they will trust you have the answer to that problem.
Write your own content, or hire a copywriter, content strategist, or content creator to help. Sometimes it takes all of the above! Keywords should be a part of your content strategy, but quality takes the prize every time!
Location, Location, Location – Local SEO
Are you trying to win global clients, or to be the “go-to” in your hometown? It makes a big difference to your SEO strategy. Strategic local SEO can work wonders if you are looking for clients locally.
Companies like the highly ranked ReachLocal has used their local SEO expertise to generate over 200 million local leads for almost 20,000 clients across the globe. That’s effective local SEO at work! They commonly enjoy 4.5 and 5.0 ratings from clients who are delighted with their results. That is the difference between a mediocre SEO strategy and one that works with pinpoint precision.
A Word About Backlinks in Your SEO Strategy
Backlinks will help your site to appear to be authoritative, but they must be quality backlinks. Quality and quantity are both critical in this strategy, as a higher number of quality backlinks will boost your website and the web pages in it. It will give you the edge over competitors, especially if you are trying to gain rankings for competitive keywords.
Let’s Talk About YOUR SEO Strategy
So, it’s clear to see that SEO is not one focused effort; it relies on several factors, all of which must be fine-tuned to your company, your messaging, your target audience. If you are overwhelmed by this proposition, reach out to us at Buckingham Digital, and get the strategic SEO partner you need! Contact us today!
* Did you know that our Howard County MD SEO team was just ranked by Neil Patel as one of the top 5 SEO companies in the country for small businesses?