Most digital marketing consultants will tell you, SEO is getting harder every year and because t takes longer to get good results, the cost is higher. Even so, simply waiting for ranks to happen is just not logistical. Ignore it and watch the competition race ahead.
SEO is not just about getting good ranks on as many keywords as possible. Good SEO is about targeting the right customers and so getting the relevant traffic says leading digital company Cheeky Green Monkey: That means people who are specifically looking for your product or services. However, unless you have a substantial budget it is best not to compete for the top keywords in the beginning. However, here are two very important “out of the box” steps you can take that will help you break into this massively competitive environment.
1 – Aim for Customers Researching – Not Buying
Keywords and phrases used by those ready to buy are extremely competitive, which means they are expensive to buy (Adwords – PPC) and extremely hard to gain top ranks for. That is not to say do not even try: But rather wait for these to come in time. Initially, it is best to target keywords that are used by those researching a product or service. Google Correlate is the tool needed to discover what phrases are being used to do this.
For example, your company is selling Persian rugs in the UK, which are highly competitive keywords. Google Correlate can help you pinpoint what other similar phrases are being used for the same.
From the example above Google are suggesting that those searching for the above key phrases are also the kind of customer interested in Persian Rugs (note, you can also specify country which can notably reduce competition). Therefore, writing content (or creating a specific landing page) using these correlated keywords can increase your chances of a sale without trying to navigate highly competitive keywords. In short, you are triggering their interest for your product through the content, although it is relative keywords bringing them to the page initially.
2 – Build Your Brand
Google’s new algorithms are able to pick up on brands as well as key words, and Google is placing a good amount of significance on whether a brand is strong. Therefore, the more presence your brand has the better your ranks will be. Indeed this is how Google sorts out the smooth from the rough so to speak. Building your brand therefore is a good SEO strategy.
To know where your company brand is right now go to Google Trends. Enter your brand name, for example Kalusto Furniture, as well as a few competitors, and a graph will show how your brand is faring on a search scale. How to get ahead of the competition? Do not copy them. Concentrate on your brand originality – Be bold and be different!
Interact
For example, when people post on your blog, Youtube channel or FB page answer them. Less than 1% of companies actually interact with their customers n this way. Therefore, simply by doing this you can gain ground on 99% of the competition.
Create Useful Content
Make your blog content different: Guides and tips that actually help the customer. Not just a few words that leave them none the wiser – Stand out from the blog blurb!
Video Content
While everyone else is spending their time lost in the crowds at large conferences you can create video content that literally speaks forever. In addition, it is easier for customers to access as well as free.
Offer More than Most
Amazon trampled the competition with their Prime Program. Think about what you can offer than makes your brand stand out from the competition.
Summary
Traditional approaches such as building backlinks and creating lots of relevant content remains a very important part of any SEO strategy. However, with the competition building every year you need to start thinking out of the box if you want your company showing up on Google’s SERP’s and ahead of your competition – Getting ranked is getting harder so the quicker you start the better: And remember, patience is necessary because ultimately SEO is a long term goal.