The latest in SEO is an approach that integrates other aspects of online and traditional marketing to maximize results. The key components of this highly strategic approach are:
Opportunity Exploration: This stage of the SEO process includes gaining a comprehensive understanding of business objectives, target audience, and the competition. The best SEO strategies focus on meeting goals using a holistic approach, and this is when that groundwork is built. It should include:
- Thorough market and audience research, competitive analysis, and a review of past performance.
- Keyword research, done with a deep understanding of goals and target audience.
- A site audit to determine what is and isn’t working.
- An inventory of assets, including content inside and outside of the website, brand relationships, and offline opportunities.
Strategic Content Creation: Content should be interesting and useful to the desired audience, and it should also be created with SEO built in from the start. This is the most efficient way to get the job done. It ensures that SEO and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) considerations, including keywords that are important to the target audience, are included seamlessly, without compromising the quality and flow of the content.
Technical Development: An experienced tech team is essential to the process, and a technical implementation audit can be completed to ensure successful implementation of all aspects of the site, including those geared towards SEO efforts. For example, there is no question that site speed is of vital importance in influencing site rankings. We’re finding that site development and website performance optimization is becoming closely connected to the overall function of SEO.
Social Media, PR, and Link Building: SEO should be done as part of the big picture. Cross-channel marketing is instrumental in ensuring SEO efforts work well, and should include social media marketing, link building, and even traditional public relations efforts, such as media placements and events.
Data Measurement and Analysis: Data reporting should be tailored to analyzing how well objectives are being met, including how effectively the target audience is being reached. Keyword rankings should be considered in light of how they influence traffic to the site. Link reporting should be used to demonstrate if and how well links are increasing brand visibility.
Data-based Strategy Revision: In this phase of the process, strategies should be fine-tuned or even changed based on the data findings, in order to keep both SEO and CRO plans on track to meet business goals and generate top results.
Using this highly strategic and holistic approach will help ensure that your SEO and other marketing efforts will be fully integrated, creating the best possible business results for your brand.
For more information on creating better results by using a holistic SEO strategy, please contact us.