A few of our posts here at YaBlog have discussed what goes into the creation of a great website, from the importance of getting mobile-friendly to WordPress plug-ins. What you might be wondering now is, once you have that shiny new website, how do you get it noticed on the Web? A well-designed, mobile optimized site that reflects your company’s brand, voice and values is only half the battle. The other? Getting people to actually visit it. Social media, search engine optimization and content is a nearly-alliterative list of digital marketing tools to get your business noticed online.
Social Media
One of the most obvious ways to get noticed is to promote, promote, promote. Social networking sites, namely Facebook and Twitter, are essential to marketing your small business. Establish a consistent visual identity through profile, cover and background images that match your website, and provide prominent links to your site on your profiles – this may seem like a no brainer, but it’s easy to overlook. Foster genuine, personal discussion with users through a combination of self-promotional posts and links to industry-relevant, interesting articles. Positive Facebook and Twitter interactions lead to shares, likes and retweets, expanding your company’s reach and the likelihood of lead generation. If you’re offering a special sale or promotion, and you should be, create a Facebook event or hashtag campaign directing users to your website for more information. While spamming your followers comes across as self-absorbed, authenticity and honesty are highly valued.
Search Engine Optimization
Attracting Google’s attention via well-executed search engine optimization is another way to get your business recognized. On-page SEO involves researching a set of keywords that, ideally, have both global search volume and relatively low competition. Localization is great – for example, you have a much higher likelihood of ranking for the keyword “Toronto digital agency” than “Ontario digital agency.” Optimize each page of your website for a single relevant keyword, which should be placed in strategic places, such as within the body text and heading. When it comes to off-page SEO, aim for backlinks from authoritative, relevant websites and remember that quality trumps quantity. Appearing in the first few pages of Google’s search results means a higher likelihood of searchers choosing your website.
Google also monitors how Web users interact with your site – if you have a high bounce rate, they know (is there anything they don’t?). Your site will rank higher and gain more attention if it is optimized to provide visitors with a positive experience. User optimization involves simple, straightforward navigation – ensure that they can find the information they’re looking for quickly and easily. In turn, Internet-goers are more likely to spread the word about your small business, leading to increased exposure and more traffic.
Content
Creating and posting fresh, engaging content is a tried and true inbound marketing tactic for appealing to audiences. Genuinely valuable articles, blog posts and eBooks draw people in; if you’re posting useful stuff, they notice. Conveniently, content, SEO and social media all work together – everything’s connected! Remember how important promotion is? Promoting your content on Facebook, Twitter and other networks is a great way to get the word out about your business while still providing something of value (people love that). Content also boosts SEO and business blogging is a great example of this. Each blog post adds a brand new, indexable page to your website, and each of these pages can be optimized for a different keyword. The more indexable pages your website has, the more likely it is to rank in the search engines and get noticed.
Getting your business noticed online means utilizing some of the top digital marketing tools available. Social media, search engine optimization and content are a few of the best ways to bring your site to the attention of Web users, be it on your Facebook page, Twitter feed or as a search result on Google. Our digital experts are available to discuss devising and implementing a marketing strategy that meets your needs. Contact us here.
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