how to stop playing google’s game...and make more money instead
DESCRIPTION
Feeling frustrated by Google's constant updates? Learn how good SEO content that connects with your customers can make you more money.TRANSCRIPT
SMX East 2012
The New “Killer” Content
How To Stop Playing Google’s Game...
And Make More Money, Instead
About SuccessWorks
First SEO copywriting agency (established in 1998.)
Help B2B companies tell their stories, boost their leads and drive more profit.
Train companies in SEO content best practices and provide copywriting services
Established the SEO Copywriting Certification training.
Marketers are overwhelmed...
Google is a demanding mistress...
...She may love you today and give you great rankings...
...But tomorrow...not so much
But here’s the thing...
The only “safe” strategy long-term
Focus 100% on what your prospects/customers/readers want to read - and give it to them.
It’s not about “what’s good for Google...”
It’s all about “what’s good for your readers?”
I know that SEO content planning and execution is challenging.
92 percent of surveyed marketers say that content creation is “very” or “somewhat” effective as an SEO tactic...
But it’s the most difficult to implement...
And there are challenges...
- What do our prospects/customers want to see?
- How do we set up a workflow?
- How do we increase conversion rates?
- How do we differentiate?
- How do people search for us?
- What “voice” should we use?
Let’s talk about what works.
Tip #1: Find your voice
Why? You will connect with your readers faster (and sell more, too!)
Tip #2: Help your sales pages make more money - test your content.
- Longer copy increased conversion rates. Page was 20x longer and conversions increased 30 percent.
- Placing the CTA below the fold increased conversion rates 20 percent.
Source: KISSMetrics
Source: Conversion Rate Experts
Tip #3: Create content for your customers (not Google!)
Source: Dr. Bailey Skin Care
The blog drives over 30% of sales
Tip #4: Maximize your first opportunity for conversion
Source: Slingshot SEO
White paper/Ebook Blog post Sales pages/ case studies
- Create a blog series based on the white paper.
- Tweet a stat and link back to the white paper.
- Post a fact on your Facebook page or Google +
- Pull out excerpt for an enewsletter
- Tweet something from the post, and link back to it.
- Aggregate related blog posts and turn them into an ebook.
- Create a video that links back to the blog post.
- Post on LinkedIn/FB and start a discussion.
- Have video testimonials? Share them on FB or Google +.
- Tweet something from the case study and link back.
Tip #5 Repurpose existing content
“...The content used in my newsletter is repurposed into 66 Internet Marketing categories at the Web Digest For Marketers website. This is done for SEO purposes. At the time of this writing, Yahoo! shows more than 2,000 inbound links.
These links help boost traffic to my website, which, in turn, results in more new subscribers. More new subscribers are apt to click on those whitepaper and webinar offers from my advertisers, which also appear on my website.
Call this a virtuous circle of content marketing.”
Larry Chase from Web Digest for Marketers says...
Tip #6 Find an “SEO content champion”
- Outlines topics that reaches prospects at all stages of the buy cycle.
- Finds “low hanging fruit” (good rankings, poor click-through pages.)
- Schedules existing pages for rewrites/updates
- Sets the workflow and editorial calendar
- Trains your team in SEO content best practices
- Works with with your SEO
Your main takeaway...?
Your Website doesn’t need “more content for Google...”
Your site needs the right content that connects with your customers and makes you money.
It’s important to know the difference.
Questions? Here’s how to reach me.
Heather Lloyd-MartinCEO, SuccessWorks
Twitter: @heatherlloyd
SEO content writing services and customized training