For over 10 years, we have been applying what we know about digital marketing. We’ve done it for start-ups, we’ve done it for large sports rights holders and we’ve done it for big brands. As digital marketing consultants, we get excited about the latest thing – whether it is HTML 5 native mobile apps to replace inefficient iPhone versions or the ubiquitous social media.
We hardly ever think about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – and that is a mistake. While Social Media might help you engage with a known audience, or create some buzz, a large number of a businesses traffic still comes from search engines like Google or Bing.
As mentioned, SEO is not as sexy as zeitgeist catching creative. It’s not as trendy as social media or as cutting edge as location based services with augmented reality, but Google and Bing send more new customers to your site than any of these marketing methods. Check your analytics.
Most businesses say that being on the top of Google is one of their most important customer acquisition methods, but marketing consultants have never really been given the SEO tools to help clients take control of this essential promotional task. There are thousands of marketing and PR agencies that have SEO in their menu of services, but in reality, most of these companies don’t know how to do it.
SEO is important for delivering new customers.
So how important are search engines for driving traffic to your website? The following is a breakdown of where new visitors come from for one of our client sites.
- Google – 49.9%
- Direct – 16.4%
- Facebook – 7.5%
- Bing – 4.4%
- Yahoo – 4.0%
- Twitter – 2.8%
So whose responsibility is it to look after the 50% of new business that is delivered this way? Is it Marketing, PR or IT? The answer is that all these functions have a part to play in making sure that your business has the best chance of being at the top of the search engine results.
Marketing Agencies know how to do SEO – but rarely do
Luckily, for marketing and PR people, we already have the basic skill-set required to do SEO. At the heart of good search engine optimisation is the creation of relevant content for an identified audience. If you know how to do targeting and messaging, then you know how to come up with keyword phrases that your customers use to search for your products and services.
If you know how to pitch an article to a newspaper or magazine, then you know how to pitch for a link from an authoritative website. Building relationships with influencers is a key part of SEO, so all your work building a following on Twitter and acquiring Facebook fans can add-value too.
Ask yourself where you rank in Google for your chosen keywords – not your brand – something specific that your customers would type. Then ask your PR agency if they know what those words are. Are they working them into your press releases? Are they getting links to come back to your site?
If the answer is no, and you want to talk to us about how we integrate everything they never taught you at marketing school about SEO into an integrated set of tools that can take you from zero-to-hero or how we can manage your SEO to get you to the top of the search engines.
Talk to us about SEO for PR or Sports Marketing.
