Generating Customer Demand and Nurturing Leads & Prospects
Generating Customer Demand and Nurturing Leads & Prospects
10 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
- Explain what search engine optimization (SEO) is
- Describe the differences between on-site and off-site SEO
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Search engine optimization is the process of getting your webpages and content to rank higher in non-paid (also known as “organic”) search engine results so that you increase the quality and quantity of traffic to your website or content.
Please note that the goal of SEO is not simply to optimize for the search engines, but rather to structure your content so that target audiences can easily find content that provides the answers they seek. Understanding what people are searching for online, the kinds of words or terminology they are using, and the types of content they want to consume are critical in any search engine optimization strategy. When done correctly, SEO allows marketers to better reach and connect with people searching for the products and services their organization offers.
From your customer personas, you should know what your target audience wants and is interested in. SEO simply helps marketers structure their content so that search engines can find, understand, and index it and ultimately, deliver it when a target customer is looking for it.
Why is SEO Important?
In digital marketing, there is a lot of discussion about using paid advertising, social media, and other online platforms to generate traffic and interest. However, the majority of online traffic is driven by search engines. For example, of all Canadian searches, only ~2.8% of people click on paid advertisements. SEO delivers ~20X more traffic opportunities than paid advertising on both mobile and desktop.
Search engines also produce some of the highest qualified leads because when someone is searching, marketers know exactly what that person is looking for. Capturing a lead with a very specific search intention allows marketers to deliver a specific solution based on what that person needs at that very moment. Generally, these search intentions are categorized as follows:
- Informational
This is when someone is searching for information.
For example: “What is the best type of laptop for photography?” - Navigational
This is when someone is searching for a specific website.
For example: “Best Buy” - Transactional
This is when someone is searching to buy something.
For example: “good deals on MacBook Pros”
Understanding the above objectives allows marketers to create content that specifically addresses these distinct intentions.
Over time and if set up properly, SEO can also organically grow and increase your traffic without additional investments, especially if your content is the best match for specific search terms. In essence, by spending time to properly structure your content for search engines, your organization could see increased traffic, engagements