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Content – the foundation of search

08/19/202209/14/2021 by scmarketing

Just like a bricks and mortar shop you need to build a website on good foundations. There are numerous frameworks that allow website owners to maintain and add content. These are called Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress. The beauty of a CMS website is that it allows the user to easily update content especially blogs.

Hubspot says that: “Text will always be the foundation of search so making sure the text around your website’s assets is descriptive will help them rank well in search.”

In a nutshell, this means that the content you add to your website is a key element in generating leads via search engines. This is because if you have relevant content in relation to what someone types into search to find you’re making the search engines job in finding your business and returning you in the results page a lot easier. With this in mind, here’s some tips to consider to help improve the content on your website for search engine optimisation (SEO).

Great content

To get your message across to your target audience, and Google, keep content relevant and to the point. This is essential to help you be found in search engine results pages and it helps to position you as a thought leader in your field of expertise.

Potential clients and search engines need to see you as an expert. This is where a blog helps as you can add fresh content regularly. Your blog should have tips and advice that answer your target audience’s pain points and issues.

If you are writing the blog posts yourself and struggle to think of new content every week it’s worth noting that 51% of companies say that updating their old content has proven a great tactic for creating blogs (Source: SEMrush, 2019 via Hubspot).

There are more tips about writing engaging content in our recent blog which covers creating offers, developing case studies and topics of interest.

Keywords

When you embark on writing a blog or creating a new website it’s worth thinking about what you want to be found for in search. This will help define what is on your list of keywords or phrases to include in your content moving forward.

Working with a digital marketing agency or using a tool such as Semrush can help you identify the volume of searches associated with a particular keyword as well as its difficulty to get ranked for. This can help you hone the list of keywords further so that you have a good balance of words and phrases.

Understanding that 49% of users say they use Google to discover or find a new item or product, being found in search engine results pages should be a key part of your SEO strategy. (Source: Think with Google, 2019 via Hubspot )

A picture tells a great story

Don’t just think of content as the written word. Sometimes less on a webpage is more and breaking a page up with relevant images will help make the page easier to read, builds your brand and helps visitors get a feel for who you are.

Make sure your images are optimised for use on websites. You may need to resize them before you upload as large images can impact site speed. The first five seconds of page-load time is crucial as it can impact on conversion rates. Website conversion rates drop by an average of 4.42% with each additional second of load time (Source: Portent, 2019). Also remember to complete your image alt tag on the backend. This is good for SEO.

Can website visitors easily move from webpage to webpage?

Make sure your website menu is easy to read and navigate. Ideally a webpage should be no more than 2 clicks – preferably 1 click – from the homepage.

Create bold and clear call to actions with directional text so visitors know what to do. Make it easy for them. Add a call to action near the top of a blog as well as the end to help with engagement. Phrases to encourage action include:

Download our ebook
Book a meeting
Contact us for more information, email us on…
Get involved by registering at….
If you want to attend the networking session, contact…
Free website review

Internal links throughout content especially in blogs also helps guide visitors back to services and products where you mention them on the site.

Digital marketing Croydon

We are a Croydon based digital marketing agency offering SEO services including blog writing, keyword research, local SEO, Google Ad campaigns to help improve your online presence and visibility online as your SEO experts.

Is your marketing targeting your audience?

08/19/202208/13/2021 by scmarketing

Incorporating a tailored Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) campaign into your digital marketing strategy will help your business be seen online.

SEO is a number of processes that help your website be found via search engines. This is when you appear in the Search Engine Results pages and your aim is to be in the first page.

Most online searches start with a few words relevant to what your prospect is looking for.

As part of your SEO strategy, have a think about who books your services and buys your products. If you don’t already know who your target audience is then you need to create a persona. This is a fictitious character based around the requirements of your target audience.

Once you understand the challenges and needs of your target audience then conduct an audit of your website with your persona in mind. You’ll soon see whether you need to change any content or add specific calls to action, a new contact form or a few new images that will appeal to your audience.

You don’t necessarily need a brand refresh it’s all about the initial details for landing pages such as your homepage or pages that are linked to your Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign.

However, if you think a new web design could be in order then drop us a line to discuss as we can also provide a website audit for you.

Web design Croydon

We can analyse your website’s performance and develop a plan to boost your website’s potential with a tailored SEO campaign. We can also mix and match with other digital marketing such as social media, PPC, and email marketing.

We are a marketing agency based in Croydon, South London and work with small businesses, as well as those in accountancy and the construction sector.

Send us an email at Saymoo@smart-cow.com or give us a call on 020 3137 1826.

Be relevant to improve website optimisation

08/19/202201/22/2021 by scmarketing

Lockdown has pushed many businesses to take a good close look at their online presence. With so much business being conducted online, understanding how to get the most out of your website could prove a gamechanger in 2021.

One of the key things to think about is relevant keywords for your website. Creating a list of specific keywords and phrases for your business is essential and it’s as simple as thinking about what phrase or words you would like to be found for when people search online.

If you think about the products and services you offer then you can start to create a list from that.

Then, the more content you produce using these relevant keywords, the more your website is recognised by search engines and this helps improve search engine optimisation (SEO).

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Review your website content

So, why not conduct a review of your website and check that what you are saying on your website is relevant to what your target audience will search for. If your content doesn’t explain what you offer in a concise and simple way, then how can a search engine find your business?

How can you get noticed by search engines?

Once you have updated your web pages then you need to keep on adding content to your website. Search engines look for fresh content to return the most relevant pages in search results.

A great way to add new content is in the form of a blog or news page. This allows you to add timely articles that answer questions that your target audience will be looking for when they ‘Google’ (or use other search engines of course!). Then think about those keywords you’ve listed and make sure that you mention relevant phrases in your blog.

Can video help with page SEO?

Videos can also help optimise your website. We’d recommend having accounts on channels such as Vidyard, Vimeo and YouTube. This all helps with your rankings in search.

Think about the name of your video file and its title when you upload to the video channels as it should contain keywords. On YouTube you can add an SRT file to enable you to add subtitles and closed captions rather than burn them onto the video file. This can help with long term SEO within the YouTube channel. Don’t forget that Youtube is another search engine.

But don’t forget that it still needs to be relevant content for your brand to help with optimisation. When creating your video, it’s useful to write a script so that you incorporate your keywords. Memorise it as best you can and then speak naturally to the camera offering your clients and prospects tips and advice.

SEO company Croydon

As a digital marketing agency in Croydon, we’re well placed to offer local businesses digital marketing services and online marketing advice on relevant Local SEO Services and content marketing to help increase presence in search engine results pages (SERPs). Get in touch to chat about your business goals and how a tailored SEO campaign can help.

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How to achieve growth with inbound marketing

06/14/202111/16/2020 by scmarketing

This blog covers some of the steps to consider to help you achieve growth with your inbound marketing strategy. Right now, businesses are vying for attention online as we’ve all shifted focus to conducting business remotely. Our networking events and exhibitions have gone for now, and everyone is searching online for services and products.

With 89% of B2B buyers and 81% of consumer shoppers starting their online search for products or services by turning to Google, how do you get your business in the mix? How can you generate web traffic via search engines and get good qualified leads who are interested in your products and services visiting your website?

Here’s a few tips on achieving growth with an inbound marketing strategy that attracts leads that are right for your business.

Who are your customers?

If you don’t already know who your core customers are, then you need to. This will ensure that any inbound marketing is targeting the right people, with the right messages and when they want to hear from you. This means that your budget is more efficient and provides a better return on investment.

Be consistent

Now you understand your target audience and their needs and challenges then you need to tailor content for them. You need to make your messages consistent across all marketing platforms. Creating a core message document with a tone of voice specific to your business helps. As well as creating an online buyer persona of the person you would like as your customer.

Being consistent helps build trust for your brand.

Content marketing

Now you need to attract customers. Part of your lead generation strategy is to get people to your door and that means to your website. Therefore, great content is what you need including keywords that will help with website optimisation and your website rising in search rankings.

We recommend you have a blog page for your website which allows you to update relevant and unique content regularly to your website. Include your researched keywords in a blog post not only for SEO but to continue that consistency of messaging.

This is all part of lead nurturing. You want to engage with your prospects and maintain your existing customers. So become that thought leader with interesting content offering advice that solves their problems. Know any industry legislation that will impact their business and provide informative templates and eBooks that can help grow their business.

Be professional yet approachable

Having a relevant social media account can help with this, especially of you are an accounting firm. However more often than not accountants are inclined to the think that social media is not the right channel for them. However, it’s worth remembering that social media is not all about Tik Tok and photographing food. Your audience is somewhere on social media.

It’s about thinking of the right social platform relevant for the people you want to reach. For example, LinkedIn is perfect for networking and ideal for reaching out to SMEs in a professional manner. However, don’t dismiss the virtues of Facebook. If you think of Facebook as another search engine. If for example your accounting firm has a company page on this channel then this helps reassure people about your firm.

Inbound marketing agency in Surrey

If you’re looking for qualified leads become a lead generation magnet with the help of Smart Cow. Take a closer look at our marketing services or book a consultation and we can discuss digital marketing strategy that is best to achieve your business goals.

We specialise in digital marketing for accountants as well as providing digital marketing services and web design for local businesses within Croydon. If you’re looking to grow your business, get in touch.

Find out more about lead generation strategies for your business in our blog.