This article was written by a colleague, Rosemary Brisco of ToTheWeb. It is “reprinted” here with permission.
Everyone’s searching for everything on Google. They’re going to find the company and content they’re looking for.
The question is: Will it be yours? To be successful with online marketing, you need to get high on Google.
Let’s look at the 3 secrets …
Secret #1 – Effective SEO Begins with Smart Keyword Selection
Keyword discovery is your first step. Determine the keywords your visitors are most likely to use when searching. They’re trying to solve a problem. Think about how customers would describe your product. They won’t use marketing jargon. Neither should you.
Avoid obscure industry words. Use natural language. The same product will be described with different, but related terms, so use variations of your keyword phrase. This will lessen the impact from Google’s new search algorithm update called Hummingbird.
Google’s October big algorithm update is geared to understanding natural language rather than returning results based on a string of words. Matt Cutts, Google’s search spokesperson acknowledged that while Hummingbird affected 90% of search queries but said it is a subtle change that most users won’t detect.
Secret #2 – Using Keywords in Your Content
You’ll be doing business with real people. Keep it real. Use your keywords in everything you do online—as naturally as you would when speaking.
Your keywords should be used in page titles, headings, file names, and as tags for images and videos.
Secret #3 – Create Great Content People Will Read, Share and Link To
The results Google serves are about specific topics—from sources proven to be credible. In search, this is called “authority.” Authority is based on links that point to your website. The authority of the source is the secret to your success with backlinks. As you might suspect, a link from the New York Times will have more authority than your little brother’s blog.
These are the top three secrets to your success.
Recognize also, companies that enjoy lead and revenue-generating success with search engine marketing are relentlessly dedicated to SEO. Create content continuously – as often as possible — on blogs, your website, to the press, on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.
You’ll get high—because traffic, from qualified prospects, will keep going up.
About the Author: Rosemary Brisco is the president of ToTheWeb, which provides search engine visibility and lead-generation programs to deliver more leads online. For more information visit www.ToTheWeb.com or call 650-627-8800.
