It’s no secret that performing well on search engines is one of the most important things a business can do to achieve success. Our world is increasingly digital (now more than ever), and having a fine-tuned strategy for search engine optimization is like having a beautiful storefront on a popular street 20 years ago: invaluable. Of course, managing a cohesive digital strategy is a full-time job’s (or, rather, several full-time jobs’) worth of work, making it difficult for business owners to dedicate the necessary time or resources to do this in-house. This is where the appeal of digital agencies comes in: an external suite of experts dedicated to optimizing your business’s search engine performance for a relatively low cost. We know why digital agencies are important, but one of the least-talked-about points is how digital marketers actually drive results for your business. Today, we’re clearing up the smoke and mirrors and diving into some of the most important ways that a digital agency helps your business show up higher in Google searches. Let’s get started.
The New Normal
If Google is a crowded, high-traffic city street, then your website is your storefront – and making it stand out is about much more than just beautiful design. One of the most important ways that a digital marketing team helps boost your search engine performance is by optimizing your website copy, making sure it includes all of the keywords that search engines look for in order to show your site to users. This is called SEO, or search engine optimization, and it’s an ongoing process: professional copywriters and digital strategists work closely to make sure your website is interesting to customers and informative to search engines. This includes several different elements.
Focus Keywords
These are key phrases, and a different one is associated with each page of your site. Focus keywords should match what your prospective customers are likely to search for on search engines.
Location Pages
Have you ever typed “[Insert Service] near me” into Google, only to see dozens of results pop up? These websites appear in your results because they have been optimized for it. By creating dozens of pages on your site for specific locations where your business operates, digital marketers help you show up in search results when and where you’re needed.
Calls to Action (CTAs)
Ultimately, search engines want to see that audiences are engaging with your website – and your viewers need to be incentivized to do this. Every page of your website needs to link to another page – and the goal is for your visitors to contact you, sign up for a trial, or schedule a service visit. Digital marketers help ensure that your site’s CTAs are both seamless and compelling, keeping visitors on your site longer because they want to be there.
Digital Content
Another valuable way digital marketers help your business show up higher in Google searches is by optimizing the content you share. Pieces like blog posts, eBooks, and infographics all do wonders to boost your search engine performance when formatted with the right keywords and strategically linked back to your website.
Images and Video
Digital content isn’t just what’s written: it’s critical for your website to include plenty of images and videos, all of which are appropriately labeled. Search engines don’t process images the way people do, of course: this is why it’s important for marketers to optimize your site’s images and videos with meta descriptions that are relevant to the keyword assigned to the page they’re on. It may sound complicated, but the principle is simple: meta descriptions help search engines see that your website is visually engaging and cohesive, from its copy to its featured images.
Helping your business show up higher in Google searches is a complex and continuous process, but its foundational principle is simple: search engines like organization, consistency, and engagement. Digital marketers work hard not only to make sure that your website has all three, but to ensure that search engines can see that it does. If you’d like to learn more about SEO or how to optimize your digital strategy, let’s talk – click here to contact us.
