SEO What and Why
Google wants the internet to be more relevant and valuable. In other words, Google wants you to create deep purposeful relationships with your customers and the communities you serve. Currently, the most search is accomplished by matching keywords to content. The downside to this is humans do not communicate in that way. We speak with sentences, ask questions and interact. This richness is not immediately available and is the way search engines are trying to develop their own relevance.
Search engines give higher rankings to content by measuring how many sites are linking to the content as a valuable reference, how many times the content is accessed and read, how long people are staying on the page and several other metrics. You get the picture. In short, search engine optimisation is the practice of matching keywords and phrases to the those who would most benefit from using it.
The reason SEO is both necessary and essential for your website is without it, your site will not be seen. In the simplest terms, on page SEO is how you connect your content as a solution for those who need it and off page SEO is how others rate the relevance of the solution your content provides by linking to it from their site (backlinks).
SEO organically makes it easier for those who need the solution you are sharing to find it. SEO is similar to the care you take in a relationship to communicate your loyalty and devotion. Without effective communication, there is no relationship. In the same way, without SEO, your website is not going to be seen organically, which means spending an inordinate amount of resources for traffic.
Not having SEO on your site is similar to two people professing their undying love to one another, organising a wedding date, with all the appointments and at the designated time, one of the two do not show up for their own wedding.
If you are going to spend that much time, effort and expense building a website and launching it, you want to have the people who benefit the most from your offerings to show up. That is the ‘WHY' of SEO.
From the perspective of the client, this is the best value for them in causing organic traffic to their site. It also means it is the most affordable. From the vantage of the reseller (digital agency), this is an annuity service that enables them to deliver more value and quality service to their clients. It is the perfect Win-Win-Win storm.
Hands down, SEO is the most powerful online marketing value proposition. The long-term game it plays consistently outperforms PPC and every other online marketing tactic. A business without SEO is similar to a stick a dog is too lazy to fetch.SEO Objections
The manner in which SEO is applied changes frequently. This is because we do not own the technology used to search the internet. Because we are using it, we must play by the rules of those who govern it. With every new algorithm change, it means digital agencies must calibrate the way they deliver service to their clients are positioned in the most favourable way with their customers.
SEO is as necessary to a business that wishes to be profitable as it is water for a fish to breathe.
Rather than deal with objections to SEO in general, we will focus on the aspect of using outsourced offshore arbitrage:
I'm concerned about using offshore labour:
Yes, there are a lot of outsourcing companies that don’t get results and it can often be hard to find an organisation that is trustworthy and transparent. Using an organisation registered in the country you do business, with an offshore team that is directly employed is a good start. This means their processes are purposely designed and congruent with western quality standards and localised as appropriate. Ensuring they have a holistic approach is next.
I’ve been compromised before:
This happens frequently when agencies use outsourcing assets that are not appropriately resourced and do not have a holistic business model. As an example of what a holistic model can achieve, there was an agency that wasn’t getting any results with their previous wholesaler and was at risk of losing their customer. The holistic organisation offered a risk-free trial of their SEO service. During the trial period, the account got back on track, allowing the agency to keep their customer.
I’m not sure about their ability to produce results:
It’s difficult to come by a solution that is cost-effective and produces quality results. With holistic providers, SEO and digital services have guaranteed results. If they don’t deliver, you don’t pay.
when to purchase SEO and what to look for
If you have been reading between the lines, search engine optimisation is the most valuable tool over time to connect you and your site with the people you are best able to serve. This is a mutual beneficial connection. The best time to have a great relationship with your spouse is now. You want to always be investing in the growth of your relationship. As soon as you cease to invest in the collective relationship, your partner can start to feel taken advantage of and the connection dies. It is the same with your customers. When you stop putting in the effort to connect with them, including, making it easy for them to find you and be with you, they leave for another organisation that will value them as a human being instead of a product or KPI.
The purpose of search engine optimisation is to increase traffic of the people who are looking for the solutions you provide in a timely fashion. It also increases brand reputation and authority. Part of the strategy is to ensure your site presents on the first page for the keywords of the solution you supply, specifically with those who are a better match for your values and offers.
The ROI from SEO over time is exponentially higher than paid traffic from all other channels and is an essential component to what causes a site to thrive as part of an overall digital strategy and strong sales processes.
SEO is not a cost, it is as essential as breathing for a website. That being said, the best time to secure SEO is now. Before you rush out to purchase the first thing that jumps into your inbox promising to give you 14 – 30 days free of service, let's look at what you may want to include in your SEO Service criteria list:
- Expectations:
Anyone who says you can rank in 24 hours or some other kind of fantastic claim is usually not being transparent. If you have ever been in a relationship, you know it took time to build, cultivate and develop a foundation of trust. It is the same with SEO. It is a tool that supports you to build a relationship with your existing clients and prospects. In the same way you may not always want a quicky when being intimate, don't think putting your page on page one of Google is ever going to be the answer to your business concerns. On the journey to page one, you still need to have a plan for the method by which you want woo and contribute to your patients and clients. Your agency should be able to provide reporting in real time that lets you know specifically what is happening when in non-technical terms and the impact of what they are doing. If you do not understand what is being communicated, ask. - How To Know It's Working
Your agency may provide their criteria such as a minimum of three of your key phrases or keywords present your site on page 1 of Google or the search engine of your preference. You will start seeing your site having increased authority and reputation as measured by higher ranking sites linking to your site. Your weekly and monthly sales increase because of increased traffic contributing to escalating your conversion ratio (more sales). During this process, it can be possible that your sales start to plateau. This can be feedback of a search engine algorithm change, market appetites or focus diversions and any number of factors. Your SEO will give you an indication of what is contributory. Always make sure that the language you use connects with your clients and patients. How you speak at one point of your development may change as you evolve. Check your content regularly to make sure it aligns with who you are being and who you are meant to serve. After collecting data for a minimum of 90-days, it can be useful to start a conversion rate optimisation campaign. - Service Guarantee
Your agency must be willing to put skin-in-the-game. If they are not going to back themself by offering you a service guarantee, you run the risk of paying for nothing. The terms of the guarantee should be thoroughly explained and understood during your onboarding session. If you have a high competition keyword, it is unreasonable for you to expect to be on page one of a search engine. This can be mitigated by using an omni-channel online marketing strategy. Some things to consider are:- Low competition campaigns, within 6 months, 50% of your keywords will rank on page 1
- Low competition campaigns, within 12 months, 80% of your keywords will rank on page 1
- Low competition campaigns, within 18 months, 90% of your keywords will rank on page 1
- Medium competition campaigns, within 6 months, 50% of your keywords will rank on page 1
- Medium competition campaigns, within 12 months, 70% of your keywords will rank on page 1
- Medium competition campaigns, within 18 months, 80% of your keywords will rank on page 1
- Medium competition campaigns, within 24 months, 90% of your keywords will rank on page 1
- Recurring Activity:
SEO can be repetitive, similar to having to breathe or eat food. When it is working you do not notice. When it stops working there can be serious issues. Some basic monthly activities can include:- Resolving site quality challenges;
- Recurring on-page enhancements;
- Recurring authority enhancements;
- Posting to Business Directories;
- Posting to Web 2.0 properties;
- Social bookmarking;
- Guest blog posting;
- Creating unique articles;
- Social channel sharing;
- Monthly reporting and suggestions for increased performance, and more;
How agencies can Sell SEO
You offer SEO as an opportunity the way you would share any of your other solutions. Understand what the core driver is for your customer. What do they need and want? What is driving those desires?
Your customer does not want SEO. They do not want any other bit of technology or widgets you have. What they want is an experience that gives them the acknowledgement of a meaning they have created in their head. As an example, a BDM may want to generate more sales because she would like to have enough to pay for a holiday for her family. The holiday is not important. The connection made available, how that feels to them and the meaning associated with that feeling is the driver for the holiday and hence securing more sales. Chunk down by asking,
- Why is that important,
- Tell me more about that,
- How would you make that available,
- When will this become urgent,
- Why do you say it that way, etc.,
- Who else is impacted by this staying the way it currently is?
- When the situation is transformed, what are the Top 3 positive impacts to you and those closest to you?
- Why is it important to transform this Now instead of in the future?
The more you support your customer in understanding their ‘Why,' the better you can position your solution as an answer to their pain point.
Not having SEO is similar to a grown man going into a public toilet and urinating with his pants down to his ankles. No one wants to be near that guy.
Not having SEO is similar to going on a date, organising an expensive meal and when you go to leave, you realise you left the house without your wallet. You’re getting no love or a next date.
Not having SEO is similar to being 5’2” and trying out for the NBA. It will never work.
Not having SEO is similar to going to a foreign country without a map and not speaking the language. You will be lost.
Not having SEO is similar to saving money to have a house built and when the project starts, you only have enough to pour concrete for a driveway. You didn’t plan or count the costs properly
Not having SEO is similar to putting on a blindfold and then attempting to drive cross country. You’re going to end up dead.
Shall I go on?
If your agency and or your customers do not have SEO, organise it now. If you have a customer who doesn’t have SEO urge them to get it yesterday. If you are in business and have a website, it is your lifeblood and how you are connected with your customers.
Please remember you can not add value effectively if you compete on price and features. Those do not resonate with the limbic brain and rarely part of a decision matrix. Instead, always position value in the way your customer needs it. When a human being makes a decision to purchase, it is always emotional. For more on selling processes, systems, and strategy, book a possibility conversation me.
