Search engine optimization (SEO) should most certainly be part of your digital marketing toolbox heading into 2020. Competition for search engine rankings and organic traffic continues to grow requiring a website and content to be properly optimized for search. That said if your digital marketing toolbox relies solely on SEO to build website traffic, you may likely be disappointed in the results you get. While we nearly always see organic traffic improvements accompany our SEO efforts, when it’s part of an integrated marketing effort the results are even better.
An integrated digital marketing approach is needed
A client asked me a question the other day on a call that I’ve heard before… she asked, “What else can I do to help me with my organic results besides SEO?”
This is a GREAT question! Not only is it relevant to any marketer out there, but it gets to the heart of a holistic strategy. My answer… “Your best SEO strategy needs to go beyond what our statement of work provides.”
That’s right… your best SEO strategy is not relying solely on SEO.
A holistic approach to building website traffic will have better results than any one tactic used by itself. The sum of the parts is greater than any one part… heard it before and it makes sense huh? But then why aren’t all companies doing it? There are likely a ton of reasons that a company could use but the real reason is that it’s not easy. There needs to be coordination between internal marketing groups or teams (or agencies if you’re using more than one). There needs to be goals and KPIs established prior to launching. There needs to possibly be unified messaging. In short, there needs to be a strategy!
I’m not going to cover building a holistic strategy in this post but if you want to boost your SEO and organic traffic outside of those best practices and tactics, that all SEO agencies worth a lick use, then consider the following strategies:
1. Build a blog
Or, if you have a blog, post more frequently. While quality always trumps quantity, a good stream of fresh, well-written content that speaks to your SEO keyword strategy will go a long way in delivering better rankings and organic traffic. I’ve written a ton of posts on the benefits of having a blog so I won’t repeat myself here. What I will repeat here is that content is still the most important thing you can do as a marketer to help boost your sites SEO and search engine visibility, so make sure it plays a prominent role in your marketing mix.
2. Be active on social media
Having a strong social media presence can mean more for some companies than others. A lot depends on your industry, of course, but you can improve your brand and site exposure significantly by generating a loyal following on social media. Here’s the catch, there are tons of social media platforms out there and it could take more than a full-time position to be masters on all of them. Figure out which platforms are best for your audience and then work at building presence there. If you’re a B2B technology company, LinkedIn and YouTube might be worthwhile options. If you sell clothing to tweens then Instagram and Tik Tok might be candidates. Don’t try to be all things on all platforms but do be active on those that make sense for your business.
One tip in being active on social media is to have enough worthy content to share. This is one reason why having a blog and other content is so important.
3. Have an active PR engine
In a perfect world this would mean using a professional PR agency, or at minimum a PR consultant or freelancer with experience in your industry. The reason is that they bring to the table a ton of experience and contacts within your industry or target audience. They know the online (and offline) publications and sites that cater to your industry and can help secure article submissions, guest author opportunities, press release publication, and other options for high-value links and mentions.
Many SEO agencies – Digital C4 included – can help with link building but the most valuable links are those that are generated organically and through connections that only a well-connected PR professional can provide.
4. Leverage off- and on-line advertising
You don’t need to leverage ABC or national publications like CIO here. That’s always beneficial but it’s expensive! You can, however, take advantage of banner advertising other awareness channels. There’s a couple of ways you can do this. The first way is to tap into a media professional (search on LinkedIn is a great way to start). These folks can help you secure placement on targeted sites that cater to your industry or target market and this awareness can help go a long way in driving site traffic – organic or otherwise.
The second way…
5. Use paid search and social advertising
Beyond being active in social media, you can pay to play on nearly all the channels. Some include:
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- LinkedIn (traditional and carousel ads, content sponsorship, InMail)
- Facebook and Instagram
- Google Ads, Display Network, YouTube (numerous video options)
- Quora
- Tik Tok
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These platforms offer a host of options for paid advertising. Some are great for lead generation and some are better at awareness, but not all have to break the bank. A good testing strategy can help narrow down your options to determine which is best suited for your business.
These marketing tactics may already be part of your mix, but if they aren’t you should consider adding or testing them to determine their viability. Many you may not even need an agency for, but all will help your overall website visibility and extend your SEO efforts. Remember, good SEO goes beyond a well-optimized site!