As 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine, there’s no denying that search engine optimisation is at the frontline of digital marketing, there is no denying. But in the throes of a nationwide recession, how useful is it to getting your business to the point of becoming a superstar on the internet?
Not only does SEO function as an essential core function to your digital marketing strategy, but it also serves as an important cultivator of traffic to your company’s website for both new and returning customers. By investing in your SEO services, you will drive your profits higher, and leave potential customers coming back for more!
So how can you use SEO marketing in a recession? It’s a formula that’s about more than just plopping a few blogs online. Read on to find out more.
Target Your Customers
One element of exceptional marketing is the ability to target customers that are specifically looking for your products or services. By using techniques like Google Analytics, SEO can help you to pinpoint the customers who are most likely to invest in your business. You could have 1,000 visitors to your website, but without the intent to buy, or the conversion, the exposure does not stretch far.
Keyword research is paramount to helping you to target customers who are searching with specific keywords and terms in Google. This ensures that customers who are browsing Google can find the results that are the most relevant and specific to their needs. The more you can tailor your content to fit Google’s crawls, the more likely you will be to score an influx of visitors with intent to convert.
Content is Everything
Don’t underestimate the power of exemplary content. This is fundamental in helping you to draw in your intended audience and ensure that they convert to buying your products or services.
Top notch content goes beyond just putting fancy words on a page; it’s carefully crafted to sell the product by incorporating specific keywords and phrases that high intent customers will usually search for whilst also using structure that is compulsively readable.
You may also want to use link building as a way to show Google that your site is trusted enough to be cited, which can help your search engine rankings.
These methods work hand in hand to help to create a trusted environment for your customers as a persuasive factor to buy your goods and convey information clearly and accurately. It’s therefore extremely important to keep your website up to date and user friendly. You might want to include regular blogs, which will also help you to address recent events, write about subjects relating to your industry, and link to other pages on your website.
If You’re Strapped for Cash, PPC Could Help
If you do need to lower your budget as a response to the recession, it doesn’t have to leave you in a vulnerable position for excellent SEO.
PPC (pay per click) advertising is a fantastic way to manage a smaller budget without compromising on your customer reach. Research has shown that 70% of all paid search impressions are on mobile, so proper planning and extensive research will help you make the most out of your budget without breaking a sweat.
Set a daily and monthly marketing budget for your campaign and follow this up with specific goals that are dependent on your priorities as a business. The bonus is you can always tweak them later if some parts need reconfiguring.
You may also want to target specific optimised keywords in your ads, which will target your particular audience so you can achieve the best results from customers with intent to buy.
Additionally, using negative keywords in your campaigns will prevent your ads showing up for the wrong audience, meaning that every penny spent towards your ad campaigns will be well spent.
In a similar way, if you implement a negative location list, you will also be able to prevent your ads targeting outside your local area.
If you can figure out the most likely time of day that your target audience will be active, target your ads during this time to make the most out of your customers’ activity, and make sure your ads stand out for the maximum impact on your customers for higher brand awareness. The higher the score, the more engagement you will have.
Do I Need an SEO Company?
SEO is a very specialist business, and requires a delicate hand to manage. If you’re looking for an SEO company to give you a helping hand with your digital marketing, there are a few factors you should look out for.
What Makes a Good SEO Company?
The best SEO companies will be constantly on the lookout for changes and updates to Google, and other optimisation tools that will benefit your business, and will be in contact to help you manage your budget to the best of their ability, and keep you updated on ways they can help you improve your SEO.
You should also look for an SEO company that can be honest and transparent about the methods that work for you and your business and will be committed to monitoring your results.
Is Digital Marketing Recession Proof?
The short answer is yes, absolutely.
By investing in hiring an SEO company, and constructing an SEO campaign during a recession, you are setting up a safety net for your business that will allow you to reel in the customers who are intentionally looking for your services and beat out the competition.
Do you want to start your SEO journey today? Contact Maratopia for more information on how we can help you grow your business in the digital world.