A great website won’t do you any good unless you can get
some traffic flowing to it. A few simple steps can get people
to your website.
The more you put into traffic generation,
the better your chances of converting the general public into
paying customers.
SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of getting your website
recognized more frequently when people perform searches on sites such
as Google or Yahoo. Better SEO rankings mean you get seen by more
people … and that’s a free way to increase traffic to your website.
There are three easy ways you can increase your SEO rankings:
keywords, inbound links, and local search listings.
Keywords
Keywords are the building blocks to all your online marketing.
The first thing you should do is write down all of the keywords
associated with your business. Try to think like someone who needs
your product or service, but doesn\’t know where to go. What would
they type into their search engine? If I were looking for a local plumber,
I might type in “plumber Gilbert Arizona.” If I were searching for a
reasonably priced webmaster, I might type in “cheap websites.” Try to
determine all of the possible (intuitive) combinations you might get.
Inbound Links
Inbound links build your reputation and credibility among search engines
(and potential customers, for that matter). These inbound links (often
called backlinks) also allow search engines to more easily find you, rank
you, and get you on the search lists. Not all backlinks are created equal,
however.
Links that come from legitimate sites are best. If you are linked from a
very popular site—even better. But purchased links from “link farms”
might actually do more harm than good. It may sound daunting, but you
can build a solid base of backlinks the right way if you are patient and
consistent in your efforts.
The first step is to set up links from all of your own domains. Your blog,
Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and any other social media
outlets should all include links to your website. When you post
entries on these outlets, include links to your site, as appropriate. When
others “retweet” these links, you get exponential exposure.
Local Search Listings
If you provide products or services to local customers, a local search
listing is a great way to increase your search engine exposure. When
someone is looking for a localized provider, Google will often send them
to their local listings.
To put your business on the map (literally), go to
www.google.com/places. Select “Add New Business” to enter your
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business address, details, category,
photos, and more. Google will have to
confirm your address with a phone call
or a postcard sent to your address. Once
confirmed, you’ll begin appearing in local
searches … and your rankings will improve
significantly.
Keywords, inbound links, and local search
listings are great ways to get your website
recognized in organic searches. And the
best part? They’re totally free!
Intergrate your CRM
If you use a CRM like Salesforce to track and segment your prospects to
help your marketing process. You should be able to integrate emails into your email list.
For instance, categorize your list by the actions they\’ve taken (such as watching
an online demo or ordering an ebook), what they\’ve purchased, when they last talked to you, where they live, etc.
With this information, you can easily send out targeted marketing campaigns that
speak directly to the individual and their interests.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a great, inexpensive way to reach the
people on your list. If done correctly, this type of marketing
will take your business to the next level and bring a great ROI
for years to come.
