What is SEO? The People Want to Know!

Skip through to what interests you!

• • Let’s Define SEO
  • Discover Its Effectiveness
  • SEO Top Five Benefits

1. 1. 1. REACH More People
      2. IMPROVE Website Visibility & Usability
      3. INCREASE User Engagement
      4. ENHANCE Content Marketing
      5. OBTAIN Quantifiable Results

• • Making SEO Work for Your Company
  • Get Started with One Click!

Search engine optimization, commonly known as SEO, is an inbound marketing strategy a business can use to improve its website visibility through specific search queries. Its ultimate goal is to help increase the quantity AND quality of online traffic (generated leads) to your site.

And applying SEO strategies means consistently implementing best practices, shifting, and adjusting marketing content to enhance your brand’s online profile and awareness. In addition, SEO consists of various digital marketing tools, like keywords, backlinks, website speed, content blogs, page mechanics, and meta-descriptions— all intricately working together to drive people to your online business.

Find Out Now w/a FREE SEO Analysis!

However, please be advised that it’s not this quick fix, one-and-done type of thing you apply to a campaign as a marketing tactic. SEO is an ongoing digital marketing application you can incorporate to reach, connect, and continuously serve your customers with excellence while also becoming more visible to potential customers online!

Why is it so effective in digital marketing?

Successful search engine optimization for internet users coming to your website is just as vital as customer service excellence over the phone! In fact, the top keys to SEO effectiveness include learning to:

• Serve clients’ needs through online quality assurance
• Adhere to various search engine guidelines and best practices [Per Google, Yahoo, and Bing]
• Understand customer search intents and preferred content
• Provide the resourceful information and answers your searchers need

In truth, SEO works because it serves as both a customer research technique and an online sales channel for your business. And the key to its effectiveness is discovering how to incorporate the technical and strategic elements simultaneously to meet customer needs and present it in a way that’s appealing to search engines.

And remember, applying SEO takes a little trial and error to find the best strategies for your business industry. So, no ONE methodology works for every company, but there are common practices that have proven efficient when you apply and incorporate the right ones into an appropriate strategy campaign!

What are the immediate benefits of incorporating SEO into my online marketing plan?

If you want your business to have long-term brand awareness, grow its target audience reach, and obtain an ROI, then a digital marketing SEO strategy is just what you need. In this section, we’ve provided five prime benefits we believe are most prevalent when implementing SEO.

1.    Search Engine Optimization ultimately helps you reach more people online.

While the goal of many digital campaigns is to zero in on a targeted audience, SEO helps companies attract any online visitor searching and intending to find matched products and services. Even more, it will work at any given time, regardless of which stage a customer or client is on in their buying journey.

However, the solution to ensuring your business can expand its reach is to consistently utilize targeted and focused keywords that match your products and services. In addition, you’ll want to incorporate top keywords on your website and in all publications over time. Again, this doesn’t happen overnight; but with time, you’ll reach more prospects and potential leads¹ who may take strong interest in your company.

2.    SEO helps improve your website visibility and usability.

As long as you apply SEO best practices to each of your website pages, usability and visibility will increase over time. The solution involves consistently pushing out and publishing relevant and resourceful content on your website. And website content that is appropriately saturated with industry keywords helps bots regularly search your site and move you up in search rankings.

Overall, SEO makes business websites search-engine-friendly while also improving site visibility and the experiences of visiting website users. But, again, you must put in the work to consistently develop high-quality and insightful content that will attract visitors and bring your site to the forefront!

The Best Recipe for an Engine-Optimized Site!

1. 1. Add a teaspoon of high-quality backlinks on your high-volume pages.
   2. Stir in the PROPER WEB DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUES that ensure your site is fast and responsive.
   3. Incorporate KEY SITE STRUCTURE & NAVIGATION during its development.
   4. Consistently add FRESH RELEVANT CONTENT to your site.
   5. And lastly, always remember to hold regular SEO SITE ANALYSES & AUDITS to check and ensure it remains optimized.
      

3.    It can also enhance user engagement rates.

Are enough people frequenting your website? Most business owners don’t know unless they have an outsourced digital marketing partner measuring this for them. However, a well-optimized website will typically bring in quality leads and steady visitor traffic. But to keep visitors engaged, company sites must have resourceful online content that matches a searcher’s intent.

And when they do, those sites usually have visitors who will spend more time browsing them. Yet, here comes the best part— Increased engagement rates on a business website can ultimately lead to more conversions and increased ROI. So, if you want to improve your user engagement rate, ensure you have a responsive, mobile-friendly website that is analyzed regularly, checked and cleared of any errors, and updated with proper SEO page mechanics as needed.

4.    It Works Hand-in-Hand with Content Marketing

Genuine industry content and SEO go together like macaroni and cheese! So, each time you develop and post valuable digital marketing content for online visitors, you help increase your rank on SERPs. And as I’ve said many times, ‘All content isn’t created equal.’ So, ensure it is high quality and optimized with the keywords for which you want to rank.

Bottom line— search engines and bots love crawling fresh, updated content. And the more they can find new and reliable information from your website, the more attention they bring to it. Fortunately, you can put out helpful content in many ways, like via content blogs, web pages, digital ads, emails, social media posts, and even through images and videos. And these content venues will ultimately help your site rank better.

5.    SEO can provide your online business with tangible and quantifiable results.

One of the many things we love most about SEO is that it eventually helps you track changes in your rankings, lead conversions, and site traffic volumes. For instance, the Google Analytics² platform offers a comprehensive suite of information, enabling you to access data on an extraordinarily granular level.

The following list consists of types of information you can find through SEO analytics results.

• • Gain a better understanding of how visitors find your business online.
  • Learn which keywords are working best
  • And see what your site is ranking for
  • Find out which pages are the most popular
  • Discover how visitors reacted to specific calls-to-action
  • And learn where there’s room for improvement.

Moreover, with SEO, you’ll always have the opportunity to—

• • Take deep dives into your site’s health.
  • Use the insights and analytical results to make necessary adjustments to your strategy.
  • Upgrade and change each digital campaign to measure improvements.

How can an SEO strategy work for my business?

First and foremost, you must develop your digital marketing strategy around SEO best practices! And this is where marketing professionals like BUILDINGBLOCKS come in! Over the years, we’ve learned to grasp the best ways for businesses to leverage SEO strategy for their industries. For instance, our motto is ‘Everything starts with an IMPACT plan from which you can build on.’ So, based on your business growth needs, goals, and investment type for a planned ROI, we can incorporate the best course of action for obtaining accurate results!

Overall, there are two main ways search engine optimization helps your business.

I. SEO can ultimately give your company a competitive advantage!

Although heavily investing in SEO isn’t the be-all and end-all, the amount you invest should make sense and align with what’s best for your business industry and goals. Because what’s most important here is that if your competitors are investing in SEO, you should too! After all, you cannot win the game if you’re not playing!

However, before incorporating an SEO strategy, research your direct business contenders to learn their weaknesses and strengths. Knowing this is vital to incorporating an effective strategy and increasing traffic to your website. In addition, there are two other things you must also do:

1. Research your target audience’s needs. Consistently provide the search venues most conducive to their finding your business online. The more you provide relevant and matching search content, the easier for them to find you online. And, eventually, the higher you rank in search results.
2. Keep your website up-to-date by doing the following:
   • Loading fresh and resourceful content pages.
   • Maintaining website performance checks regularly to confirm loading speed and responsiveness remains accurate.
   • Providing positive user experiences to ensure visitors can easily access what they need!

II.  It also helps improve your rank position in local searches.

In applying the things above to gain a competitive edge, you not only help your company maintain that edge, but you also gradually move up the search results page. Page one is the ultimate goal and advantage, as it’s where businesses get over 90 percent of the search traffic!

And when it comes to local searches, most people today want access to products and services that are conveniently nearby. In truth, they prefer getting what they need asap rather than waiting for a delivery or utilizing services more than 20 miles away. So, part of your SEO strategy should include keywords and phrases like “coffee near me³” and “nearby,” or using local service zip codes.

Did you know that 28% of local smartphone searches result in conversions— meaning they end in a purchase? And since Google conducted this study in 2016, we’re sure the percentage has increased since then! Therefore, having a local SEO strategy is also vital to improving search rank position.

To begin, you’ll want to ensure you have a Google My Business account and start setting up reviews for customers/clients who are nearby and have encountered your business. Reviews and ratings are a vital part of establishing credibility and building trust!

Okay, I’m ready to get started!

Incorporating a marketing strategy with SEO provides crazy benefits in bringing more traffic to your website and providing long-term exponential growth. As long as you’re attracting quality leads and ensuring visitors can easily connect and access what they need online, you’ll soon experience success and yield a substantial ROI.

And here’s the best part, getting started with us is just one click away!

GET YOUR FREE SEO ANALYSIS!

 ^References

1. ^{Reaching more online customers and generating more leads with SEO. Photo concept by Anastasia Nelen.}
2. ^{Tangible SEO Results- Digital Marketing Google Analysis. Image by Myriam Jessier.}
3. ^{SEO local business search image concept by Patrick Tomasso.}

The post How to Make SEO Work for Your Online Business appeared first on BUILDINGBLOCKS.

5 Critical SEO strategies needed to acquire talent that will help grow your business.

Are you using SEO to fill a few key vacant positions for your company this year? If so, you’ve come to the right blog! This article provides resourceful insights on incorporating five critical digital marketing strategies for recruiting top talent.

Although we’re into year four of COVID, technically, unemployment rates are slowly decreasing, and many businesses still have staff shortages. And despite the complex or varied reasons for this occurrence, digital marketing can provide the perfect solution for recruiting new employees. In fact, the very same online strategies we incorporate to help companies market their brands and generate leads can also be applied to recruiting elite employees.

Today’s businesses must do more than simply hang a “now hiring” sign on the window to bring in quality candidates. Fortunately, digital marketing offers both traditional true-blue and innovative strategies to attract the best industry hires. So, let us dig in and share more about our top five pics!

Learn more about these digital marketing recruitment strategies:

• The Social Media Mouthpiece
• Speaking SEO
• Business Brand Messaging
• Video Vibes
• Web pages, apps, and salaries, Oh My!
• The BEST Strategy is this…

#1 Utilize social media to make a positive connection and lasting impression.

Social media remains the most modern and effective way to connect with your targeted audience organically on Facebook, Instagram, and/or LinkedIn. This social media strategy also applies to recruiting new employees for maintaining and sustaining your business.

For instance, investing in Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook advertising are efficient ways to quickly reach potential applicants. Even more, today’s highly-qualified Gen Y and Gen Z candidates are used to completing online applications and submitting resumes to enter the job market. Overall, incorporating social media digital marketing to recruit top talent still proves successful for companies.

Simple Social Media Recruiting Tips

1. Ensure your created campaigns attract the RIGHT potential employees to your website.
2. Make sure your ads compel them to WANT to apply.
3. Incorporate the appropriate keywords and hashtags pertaining to each vacant position, including similar job interests and skill sets.
4. Include appealing images, alluring videos, and fresh information on company culture to help with their decision to apply.
5. And for an even greater reach—  Post organically, too. Ask current employees to share open positions and vacancies on their social media platforms.

#2 Speak to what they value most with SEO content.

Perhaps the cleverest digital marketing method of reaching out to quality candidates is utilizing precise (SEO) Search Engine Optimization content. Its goal is to help boost business visibility through top search engines, eventually adding traffic to your website.

When using SEO in the recruitment process, you’ll need to increase and attract quality leads to your website career page. In addition, the top technique for increasing SEO visibility involves building backlinks to your site from another, more reputable site. Yet, working with an outsourced marketing partner is your best option if you prefer to invest in quality back-linking.

In truth, the most substantial factor to recruiting success with SEO is developing the right content messaging. The content you create for recruiting top talent must speak to your ideal candidate’s values for the position and within your company.

Other important factors and SEO best practices include:

• Having an optimized and responsive website for mobile-friendly use
• Ensuring all your web pages have the best keyword saturation with relevant and highly-searchable content—this is especially vital for your careers page, where candidates will visit
• Keeping resourceful and pertinent content as KING on all your business web pages, social media posts, and automated emails

via GIPHY

#3 Be sure to incorporate business brand messaging that also connects your company to the best candidates.

Concerning brand messaging and recruiting eligible staff, we have two key factors to point out—

1. Make sure your brand is true to your company’s mission and values, and
2. ‘Keep it Consistent!’

Once you’ve established and built your business brand, the last thing you must do is continue to let it grow with consistent and appealing messages that connect to your targeted audience AND potential employees.

Like generating quality leads to your website to encourage them to convert to customers, the best brand messages also encourage talented candidates to apply and fill vacant positions. Successful companies use digital marketing to maintain the great habit of providing insight into the career path opportunities they can provide employees. In addition, they utilize SEO best practices and brand messaging to do it!

#4 Use digital marketing videos to allow potential candidates to see and sample your business culture.

Developing a video marketing strategy to attract top talent can be an extraordinary tool to help you fill vacant positions quickly. I recommend creating simple two-minute videos on the careers page of your website or even for each job opening.

For instance, a video can further support brand messaging and provide customized insights/information about why candidates would want to work for you. In addition, showing them what it’s like to work in your company enables them to connect and visualize themselves as a part of the organization.

And most importantly, when you post testimonial videos from seasoned co-workers and team members, they further validate the recruitment process. So, when employee testimonies and messaging are combined with b-rolls of the work culture and environment, videos can pack a potent punch for recruiting top talent!

#5 If you don’t have a ‘Career Opportunities’ page or ‘Open Position’ landing page on your website, get one!

If you want good people to work for your company, you’ve got to be good to them and give them what they need to apply.

So, make it easy for them to do the following.

• Engage with your business brand.
• Get to know their potential work environment and culture.
• Apply for the position online.
• Fully understand the requirements and responsibilities of the position.

These common courtesies can be provided on a main ‘Careers’ website page, where each job opportunity has its own sub-page with pertinent details. Whether you post an opening on social media, via email marketing, and/or through digital ads, make sure candidates are led to a valid online space to click into, safely do research, and apply. In all, landing pages connect with your ads, emails, or social media posts to redirect leads and potential applicants to your business’ career page or specific opportunity.

And lastly, whatever you do, don’t be afraid to promote salaries online! That is the first thing candidates need and want to know, whether they ask or not— “How much does it pay?” You know this is true; so, don’t cringe!

How are your digital marketing efforts helping recruit talented employees for your business?

If you don’t know, you’re not alone. No doubt, you’re probably like most business owners, too busy running the business to know. And that’s where we partner with you to ensure digital marketing works for your company in the best possible ways!

Connect with us online to self-schedule an appointment, or call 281-203-0529 for immediate assistance.

Get Started Today!

FREE SEO Analysis

^References

1. ^{Featured Image concept for talented candidate by Magnet.me.}
2. ^{Cynthia Smoot Social Media GIF– Created 3/11/2022, Tenor.}
3. ^{SEO is Essential GIF- freedomofficial– Created 10/18/2019, Tenor.}
4. ^{Denny Brand GIF- MONKEY935– Created 3/12/2021, Tenor.}
5. ^{So Moved and So Inspired- Renee Elise Goldsberry GIF- PopBuzz– Created 8/10/2020, Tenor.}
6. ^{So Easy for You Jake GIF- SirTagCR– Created 7/23/2020, Tenor.}
7. ^{Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes GIF- jkiann33– Created 6/18/2020, Tenor.}

The post Digital Marketing that Helps Recruit Top Talent appeared first on BUILDINGBLOCKS.

When it comes to SEO/Search Engine Optimization, every business usually has one essential goal: to increase quality leads through strategies that help customers find them online. Thus, companies still need SEO lead generation services to ensure that:

1. They show up on search results so customers can find them
2. Attract and obtain quality leads to their website, and
3. Ultimately see a significant ROI

Undoubtedly, people search for products and services online 24/7/365; but are they finding your business in their search results? If not, and it seems your site has fallen into the cyber abyss of the forgotten, most likely, there’s a lack of optimization and strategy.

Do you know your site’s SEO performance? Click below to find out!

GET YOUR FREE SEO ANALYSIS

Similar to Part I of our SEO blog article, we’ll discuss the importance of applying FOUR more fundamental web and page optimization elements in Part II. However, before implementing any of these best practices, you’ll want to have an SEO plan strategy in place to measure campaign progress and attain set goals. So, read on!

Jump to the four remaining SEO best practices now!

1. 5. Know what’s new with Google
   6. Mobile Responsiveness
   7. Analytics & Reporting
   8. Get an SEO Analysis

5. How SEO is evolving with Google and what you need to know!

As you all know, much has changed with digital marketing since COVID-19, especially with Google’s recent Algorithm and Page Experience updates. Unfortunately, just having a website alone isn’t enough if you’re looking for Google to grant a page one rank position. The bottom line is this: Every great business still needs SEO if they’re going to market online.

Although engine optimization technology continues to advance and innovate forward, companies cannot escape those core, ‘Tried & True’ SEO best practices. And simply applying these elements won’t guarantee any great accomplishment without putting the right strategy in place. So, one of the first things business owners and marketers must know is how Google works SEO.

You may have already heard about Google’s new Core Web Vitals (CWV) launched in 2020. Although I won’t go into deep detail, I do believe it’s worth mentioning. It was perhaps the most remarkable change in SEO in the last decade. And Google has quantified the element of page experience through CWVs, officially making them their newest ranking factor.

Core Web Vitals consist of three performance metrics for a page experience:

• • Load Time: (LCP) Largest Contentful Paint – which is the time it takes for your largest content asset on a page to load.
  • Interactiveness: (FID) First Input Delay – measures the time your site takes to execute a visitor’s first interaction with a webpage, be it the first response to a click-through button, link, or navigation tab.
  • Visual Stability: (CLS) Cumulative Layout Shift – processes the overall stability of your website page as it loads.

Bottom line, I highly recommend getting help with improving Core Web Vitals across the pages of your website. Why? This ranking factor is bound to significantly impact your SEO performance eventually.

6. SEO Responsiveness on Other Devices

While some businesses don’t prefer it, mobile-first web designs have become a prime element of search engine optimization. These days, millions of people search for products and services from other digital devices outside of a desktop PC. Smartphones are the top choice for searches today due to their convenience and data signal availability.

That said, companies must ensure their websites are mobile responsive. In truth, if the web design has a mobile-first focus, builders can easily convert the site UI and UX for customers using other devices like PCs, etc. Likewise, when your site is optimized for mobile search¹, and potential customers find your business from their phones, it can also help increase page rank position.

7. Routine Analytics & Progress Reporting

There’s no genuine way of knowing how well your site is progressing outside of having analytics and reports conducted periodically. Moreover, a substantial part of utilizing SEO properly is putting the correct KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in place and regularly measuring their progress. The beauty of SEO analyses and reporting is that you can make necessary adjustments over time to see what works best.

And for companies that serve in rapidly progressive industries where markets shift quickly, it may be crucial to integrate research and reports more frequently. Reporting and analytics also help you see how you rank compared to competitors so you can adjust your SEO strategy and generate more leads.

8. You don’t have to go it alone with incorporating SEO; get help from trusted and reliable experts!

To start, request a Free SEO Analysis to understand your website’s current performance position. In the report, you’ll receive a SWOT analysis summary listing essential aspects of your SEO performance, like content quality and on-site and off-site SEO.

When partnering with BUILDINGBLOCKS for lead generation SEO services, you can expect an IMPACT plan with effective strategic solutions. Our customized solutions will help ideal leads and your targeted audience find your business online during their search for quality products and services.

For immediate assistance, contact us online. As always, we look forward to serving your digital marketing needs!

^References

1. ^{Google mobile search. Photo by Arkan Perdana.}

The post Part II: SEO Can Also Increase Quality Leads for Business appeared first on BUILDINGBLOCKS.

Search Engine Optimization, aka – SEO, is the process of taking steps to help a website or piece of digital marketing content rank higher on Google. Specifically, content that someone is searching for online. And nowadays, search trends and algorithm updates continue to evolve and impact how we conduct online optimization. So, by understanding the fundamental principles of SEO analysis and strategy, you can win in online marketing.

As search engine technology persists and innovates, this 2-part article offers insight into eight of SEO’s most essential elements. Although many more factors can affect SEO, those we discuss in this blog consistently confirm the importance and relevancy of SEO and its impact on digital marketing success. Thus, for Part 1 of this blog, we’ll address four best practices.

Skip to each SEO element now!

• • 1- SEO Page Mechanics
  • 2- Content
  • 3- Keywords
  • 4- Page Snippets
  • BONUS: Working with an SEO Expert

So, let’s get into FOUR of the EIGHT best practices that keep SEO relevant and necessary for every online business. In addition, they help put you on track for developing and incorporating the best possible SEO strategy for your company.

1.     Good-Old-Fashioned SEO Page Mechanics

When it comes to page optimization, there are still RULES that every online marketer must apply. And if you don’t play the SEO game by the rules, you’ll automatically lose each time you play!

So, we must first understand that as search engine technology constantly improves, so does Google with updating algorithms. However, core SEO standards have stayed the same over the years, which means we can still apply old-fashioned mechanics (with other key elements, of course) and experience success.

Examples of Optimization Mechanics:

·         Always provide quality and relevant content.

To keep customers and clients properly engaged on your website, you want to develop consistent content that is precise, original, resourceful, and updated as needed. In addition, your information must include relevant keywords based on search intent and brand messaging. These elements incorporated into content will consistently connect your targeted audience to your business.

·         Implement on-site search engine optimization.

Ensure that page titles, meta-descriptions, image tags, headers, and content are optimized so Google² can analyze all the content on site. Bots will crawl your pages and relay information back to Google to assign an appropriate rank, so on-page SEO is key to helping increase rank position.

·         Use digital-worthy backlinks.

Be sure to concentrate on obtaining high-quality backlinks from authoritative industry resources. When some of your web pages link to the quality sites of other industry leaders, you will also move up in rank. For instance, consider gaining quality backlinks through guest blogging, content marketing, or public relations and associations.

·         Keep technical elements updated.

You’ll want to ensure your site visitors have an excellent UI/UX encounter with your online business. Marketers can help you avoid technical blunders by ensuring your web pages accomplish the following technical aspects.

1. 1. 1. Fast loading speeds (under three seconds)
      2. Maintaining accurate responsiveness on any digital device
      3. Having proper indexing

·         Incorporate industry-specific SEO ranking factors

Knowing and understanding your service industry, corporate-level competitors, and audience are critical factors in developing a sustainable SEO strategy. So, be sure to align ranking factors based on your industry. In addition, you should search industry ranking factors like word count, keyword saturation, content relevancy, etc., frequently, as they often change.

Not sure if your site is optimized to rank on Google? Find out!

GET YOUR FREE SEO ANALYSIS

2. Relevant Content + Quality Content = King Content

Since the pandemic, we’ve learned that though content length isn’t a direct SEO factor, a strong correlation exists between extensive content and improved rankings. This change is due to how Google currently associates page content with quality.

Google has begun associating quality with more resourceful and in-depth content. It’s also original, exudes authoritative qualities, and connects with audiences better. And because quality content marketing remains the “Go-To” standard for SEO rankings, you should create comprehensive data with targeted keywords to help improve your position.

However, remember that not all content is created equal. So, ensure that the optimized information on your web pages also connects and resonates with your audience. The ultimate goal that most businesses have in mind for digital marketing is to see a return on investment. Therefore, creating a lasting impact on consumers each time they experience your brand helps encourage them to act and purchase your product/service.

Overall, you’ll want your content to have quality and relevance to consistently entice and encourage buyers on their journey. King content will nurture and help them move through the sales funnel based on keyword research and their search intents for product or service solutions.

3. Keyword Analysis & Research

Keyword research is the basis of search engine optimization. Yet, the days of using one keyword to optimize a blog article, landing, and web page are long gone due to Google’s advancements in natural language processing (NLP) technology and keyword targeting. Today, you need multiple related keywords and phrases to optimize pages and get Google to rank them higher.

However, to win with SEO here, it’s best to know and understand WHO is visiting your site, HOW they arrived there, and WHY (‘What drew them to your website?’). In other words, you should have a firm grasp of buyer personas and how they impact the overall SEO strategy.

4. Rich Page Snippets with Structured Data

One of the essential SEO best practices involves how web page data shows up on a search page. For example, schema markup is a term of microdata that helps Google comprehend and take pieces of key content from a page to display it in the search results. This display shows on the results page as a snippet that attracts users to content that is most related to their search.

Google likes rich snippets like the example above. Snippets with proper data structure enable bot crawlers to show results precisely related to what users are searching for, providing an overall better UX for site visitors. In addition, businesses that leverage schema markup are already advancing against the competition. Take a look at Google’s samples of structured data in different formats so you can begin incorporating them into your SEO strategy.

Consider partnering with reliable experts for a fresh start and a conducive strategy for your digital marketing campaigns.

Like you, we want you to excel and see a return on your investment. However, obtaining page one rank position means the following:

• Developing an SEO strategy with help from professional marketers
• Implementing those various SEO elements based on the strategy plan
• Starting with an SEO analysis to determine where you are and where you want to go

Consider working with us to help your ideal customer and client find you online, connect, and start purchasing your offered solutions. So, register now to get your free SEO analysis, or contact us at your convenience so we can talk more!

^References

1. ^{Featured Image – Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders. Photo concept by LinkedIn Sales Solutions.}
2. ^{Google search query on-page optimization. Photo concept by Firmbee.com.}

The post Yes! SEO Remains Relevant for Business Success: Part I appeared first on BUILDINGBLOCKS.

This blog pertaining to top-funnel and bottom-funnel SEO keyword use covers the following topics:

• • Sales funnel stages
  • Let’s Build Business video on top-funnel and bottom-funnel keywords
  • Top-Funnel keyword placement in the sales cycle
  • FREE SEO Analysis
  • Bottom-Funnel keyword placement in the sales cycle
  • How bottom-funnel keywords boost your bottom line
  • Effectiveness of moving prospects and leads down the sales funnel depends on ONE thing!

Understanding the sales funnel stages helps businesses utilize the proper SEO digital marketing strategies to attract quality leads.

The sales funnel offers a way of viewing the journey prospective leads take when considering your product or service. Cycle funnels serve as models designed to show the various stages companies should consider when conducting sales via digital marketing. The purpose of understanding the sales funnel is for businesses to move prospective, and quality leads through each marketing stage. Ultimately, you’ll want to move leads down towards the bottom, which is the conversion area.

Your typical sales cycle funnel includes the following stages:

• Awareness/Problem Recognition: The leads start to recognize they have a problem they want to be solved. This, then, leads them to the internet searching for a resolution and (if you’re utilizing SEO best practices) come across your brand’s information.
• Interest/Engagement: The leads begin to understand the problem and become interested in how you might help them resolve it. They also decide to do more research into the product or service and what it entails.
• Decision: The leads now have enough information about the solution to decide to take action. They can choose to contact you and move you down the funnel via a phone call, e-mail, or another contact form.
• Close/Sale: With each decision-making process, prospective leads choose if and when they’re ready to move on and answer the calls to action. When they come to your website and make their purchase, the sale is successful. Thus, the close happens either when they purchase, subscribe, or sign-up for more marketing promotions.

SEO and Keyword Placement: Does it really matter?

ABSOLUTELY! If your goal is to move potential leads through your sales funnel correctly, you need to ensure you’re utilizing the right keywords at the right time. However, if you don’t, then they may never get to where you want them to go – to the bottom of the funnel to make a decision and convert.

Many companies still don’t quite grasp that the keywords they use for certain types of content will determine where a new lead ends up within the funnel. This misstep is why it’s critical to provide the right keywords in the right places within your funnel, starting with your top-funnel keywords.

Top-Funnel Keyword Examples

The top-funnel keywords connect search words and phrases you use to attract new leads to your website. Depending on your business industry, and the types of products or services you provide, there are SEO keywords or search words and phrases that people will use to find what they need online.

Top-funnel words are what I call “surface-level” words that customers will Google to make an initial inquiry. Whether they enter a keyword phrase or ask a question, some of those words will reflect top-funnel words, which means the prospects are still at the very beginning of their buying journey.

Some examples can include:

• • How to patent my invention or idea – a question someone may Google when they have an invention idea and need more information about protecting their IP.
  • Wedding photographer fees – what a visitor may search for when they’re initially diving into wedding plans.
  • Natural ways to remedy back pain – a phrase someone may enter if they are experiencing this situation.

When attracting potential leads to your website, your top-funnel keyword placements must be relevant to and match your audience’s pain points. Thus, your SEO keyword strategy needs to help draw readers into your educational and resourceful content. Furthermore, you’ll want to ensure you have calls-to-action, lead magnets, and other tactics available in the “awareness phase” to help customers move down to the stage of the cycle.

Get Your FREE SEO Analysis Today!

What are Bottom-Funnel Keywords?

Bottom-funnel keywords are the connecting words that help convert leads into sales. Your goal to reach success through digital marketing must also include bottom-funnel words and phrases that attract people who are a bit further down the sales cycle of their buying journey.

This audience may have already conducted a lot of online research, and they’re now ready to “act” and convert into a sale. If your business site has keywords that also attract this audience, they should be able to find you!

Some examples of bottom-funnel keywords may include:

• • Where to get an eye exam
  • Buy Roku 2021
  • Texas BBQ near me
  • Top Black Friday deals

These keywords are designed to attract searchers who are ready to act now, not necessarily those still learning about their options.

Bottom-funnel keywords do help boost your bottom line, but only if you move prospective leads down towards the bottom stage.

To move prospective leads and potential customers down the sales funnel, you must utilize both types of keywords. Your content marketing must follow SEO best practices, and the keywords you incorporate must attract your targeted audience. Once you know and understand that your products or services are viable solutions to your audience’s pain points and search needs, you can begin attracting leads at whatever stage they’re in on their buying journey.

There will be customers at the initial inquiry stage, and they’ll need to start at the top of the funnel. But most importantly, once they arrive at your company site, you must have a strategy to keep them engaged. Innovative strategy is what helps guide them down the funnel and eventually get them to reach the bottom.

Similarly, people are visiting your website who are ready to move forward or make a purchase. Therefore, you’ll also want to ensure your bottom-funnel keywords attract them to your site and compel them to convert. Whether prospects are at the top, middle, or bottom of the sales funnel, there’s one significant impression you must make. That impression ensures you’re viewed as a viable and relevant solution that addresses pain points and meets needs.

How effectively you help move prospective leads down the sales funnel depends upon which outsourced marketing partner you choose.

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You’re only as good as the company you keep.” Well, I couldn’t agree more! At BUILDINGBLOCKS, our goal is to provide innovative digital marketing strategies that help connect your business to the right customers. We also help you see a return on your investment.

As your partner, we ensure that you integrate the proper implementation of SEO keywords and strategies that work best for your industry as you move prospects through the sales funnel. In the end, you position yourself as an authority and resource leader in the market.

Remember, SEO is all about reaching the right audience member at the right time. Therefore, your online presence must be relevant to customer product and service search behaviors to reach them effectively.

When you’re ready to get started, we want to hear from you! Contact us online and let us know how we can assist, or call 281-203-0529 to speak with us right away.

^References

1. ^{Initial Online Search Top-Funnel Keyword Phrase – Photo Concept by Benjamin Dada.}
2. ^{Google Maps Search – Photo Concept by Henry Perks.}

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March 2021 Google Commercial – Content marketing at its finest!

1. Content marketing should incorporate an innovative strategic approach.

Innovative content strategy always focuses on developing and providing consistent information that is highly valuable and relevant to its audience.  And if your content is answering your audience’s questions, then the strategy you employ will continue generating quality leads. The strategy approach should also consider which types of online platforms and channels to use when you’re pumping out content. The chosen channels should be best for helping you connect with your audience based on their search behaviors and product or service needs.

Overall, you’ll want your content marketing strategy to positively impact your ROI while also keeping your customers well-informed. And the best way to ensure you get a return on your investment is to have a strategic marketing plan of action or IMPACT in place.

2. Great content marketing will also have a clearly targeted audience and specific aim.

Traditional advertising still concentrates most of its’ spend and energy on marketing to reach new and potential customers. However, with content marketing, your business gets to hone in more on capturing a clearly defined audience of existing customers. Companies can utilize strategic, digital content marketing to build more vital B2B and B2C relationships through the exchange of continuous, conversational information.

So, when businesses provide content that connects and matches their target audience’s interests, it keeps customers coming back. In turn, that same content also begins to draw new potential customers in and generate more leads. When you have current clients and potential customers seeking similar product and service information, as well as sharing that content, you’ve successfully targeted your audience.

Here’s what you need to know about Digital Content Marketing vs. Traditional Advertising.

3. Make sure your online marketing content drives profitable customer action.

We think Julia McCoy’s research with the Content Marketing Institute says it best –  great content can generate up to 3x more leads and cost over 60% less than your typical outbound marketing spends. Yet, when you get quality leads to visit your website, does the content on the site or landing page encourage them to do something about their service or product interest?

A crucial part of defining a profitable content strategy is aligning it to customer personas and preferred search methods within their buying journey. To simply increase content output can be tempting for some companies. However, when they skip steps in the process, like having content that addresses their problems or including a call-to-action, they can miss out on new business opportunities.

When driving customers into action, your business needs to fully understand customers’ needs and provide content that addresses those needs. Content marketing must also connect with online visitors while including creative tactics that drive them into action. Remember this, customers don’t always ‘buy-at-first-sight,’ and that’s fine. Your aim is to consistently develop and redevelop content marketing that keeps them interested long enough to convert (buy). So, ensure that your intriguing information at least draws people in and keeps them interested in exploring solutions and eventually moving them into action.

4. Does your business consistently distribute relevant online content?

There is always something important to say and share with your target audience when it comes to content marketing. The moment a business becomes “silent” online, speaking the same language as most other digital marketing ads and sales promoters, is the exact moment it loses its unique voice.

Nothing impacts an audience’s decision-making more than consistent and relevant content distribution. That’s why most companies must first establish their unique brand messaging through the voice of their customers. Afterward, they should continue to consistently push out content that constantly piques interest and aligns with the established brand. For best results, they should pump content through the lead generation channels their customers most prefer, like social media platforms, blogs, video marketing, and email marketing automation.

If your content and brand messaging don’t have a unique voice or identity connected to your defined audience, that voice could soon disappear into a market saturated with similar content.  So, make sure you’re consistently putting out fresh and relevant content that is solutions-oriented.  We mean ensuring your content marketing answers questions accurately and provides the insights your online visitors need to know.

5. Lastly, your content marketing should provide educational information instead of promotional sales and advertising jargon.

Traditional marketing relies heavily on big brand promotions and pushes the benefits and trusted quality of a product or service. And this method is acceptable for well-known companies like Coca-Cola, Ford, Disney, Home Depot, or Starbucks. Why? People know they can rely on these brands for top products and services. However, for most other businesses, successful content marketing must also include elements of educational insight.

Today, people want and need content that answers questions and solves problems or pain points, while also providing much-needed insights that make lives better. Since the Coronavirus pandemic shocked the entire world in 2020, these days, people need reassurance more than anything else. And with the unprecedented volume of questions people asked online, it’s apparent consumers prefer trusted, straightforward, and reliable information. Educational content helps consumers cope and improve their current life circumstances.

So, content that educates and informs online visitors helps position your company as an industry expert and reliable resource. Most importantly, this type of information establishes customer trust and reinforces the bond between consumers and companies.

How would you define your business’ content marketing and SEO efforts?

Overall, some companies are confident they’re on track with generating leads through strategic content marketing and SEO best practices. There are many other businesses, however, that are not so confident. Yet, in both cases, BUILDINGBLOCKS can help further enhance current efforts or develop strategies and tactics for companies in need of a marketing partner.

Get Your FREE SEO Analysis!

There are many more characteristics of successful content marketing you can start applying today to give your marketing strategy a much-needed boost. To learn more or for additional digital marketing assistance, connect with us online, or call us at 281-203-0529.

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Some businesses still think SEO is about their particular product or service and strategizing to help potential buyers find them online. But SEO isn’t just about that; it’s more-so about how people find services and products through search behaviors. This article discusses how business owners can learn to set up better SEO strategies to match searches and make real connections with their target audience. Ready to dig in? Watch Jason’s video first, then read on.

The most significant thing business owners need to know about SEO has nothing to do with their product or service.

We believe the first and single most important thing about mastering SEO for your business is understanding search behaviors. How do people find solutions, information, and opportunities online? Do you know how your target audience is finding you online, that is IF they are finding you at all? What are their search behaviors and the buying journey they take to find your company’s product or service as an essential solution, opportunity, or source of information? Most companies don’t fully understand search behaviors, and that’s okay because owners have more important things to consider when running their business.

Whether your business offers B2B or B2C products and services, you must realize that people are most likely not looking online for your particular product or service name. Instead, they’re typing keywords and phrases that will link them to solutions. So, if your product or service has keywords related to their search, you’ve set up your SEO correctly. Even more, you’ve positioned your business to be found by your ideal audience. Before we talk more about how SEO helps bring prospects to your website through lead generation and how you should engage them when they find you, let’s discuss the top problem businesses experience.

Many businesses, unfortunately, make this grave mistake when it comes to SEO.

Let’s say a cosmetic company offers a procedure and supplemental products for men with thinning hair or hair loss. We’ll call the procedure the ‘Vitta-Grow Hair Implant Solution,’ and the supplements are ‘Vitta-Grow Haircare’ products. This business’ website has keywords like ‘implants,’ ‘men’s hair,’ the ‘Vitta-grow’ name, as well as the company name. However, there are no matching keywords that directly connect a searcher’s problem or concern on hair loss to their website.

Unfortunately, this is where missed opportunities occur in that visitors cannot effectively find this particular solution to their thinning hair and loss issues. But, keywords like ‘hair loss,’ ‘thinning hair for men,’ ‘male pattern baldness,’ and ‘hair implants for men’ would have been more relevant to search behaviors. Even cosmetic retailers looking for products to sell for men could also find similar product solutions. However, the Vitta-Grow company would have had to apply the right keywords and SEO strategies.

Does this scenario make you curious about your SEO status? If so, click the link below to learn how you could get an SEO score rating on your website.

Request a FREE SEO Analysis

Here are a few things we want you to know and understand about search behaviors and why people visit sites.

1.    We know about how many times people search online each day.

If you’re like most people, you search for products, services, or information online at least three times a day. And according to HubSpot, Google processes nearly six billion online searches per day worldwide! However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, these numbers have increased substantially as online marketing search behaviors and frequency have changed.

2.    People prefer SEO snippets and some descriptive information in their search results.

Search results with featured snippets have close to 3% higher click-through rates than those without snippet descriptions. This means the average visitor is more likely to click on a featured result when descriptive information and keywords match their search.

3.    SEO keywords and phrases are “key” to every search.

Over 75% of online search volume comes from people using top keywords or keyword phrases to connect to product or service needs. Often, if a keyword is extremely broad or popular, people will use long-tail phrases with more specifics to pinpoint their search.

Just about 25% of search volume actually occurs outside of those top million popular keywords. Yet still, words that pertain to particular problems and solutions bring about the search behavior people will invoke to find specific business offerings.

4.    Some people still ask questions during their search.

In fact, nearly eight percent of Google search queries usually pertain to ‘what,’ ‘why,’ ‘how,’ ‘where,’ and ‘when’ questions. So, what’s the best way to find an answer? Ask a question. Google loves it, and the engine is already keen on providing people with the best search results possible.

5.    People tend to click more when they get great SEO results on a page!

Here’s another interesting fact on search behaviors – Over 20% of online searches lead to multiple clicks on the results page.

Source:  Teknicks- Marketing Research Survey: Google Search Behaviors

FYI: SEO is all about capturing and connecting your business with your target audience’s search behaviors.

There are multiple reasons why people conduct searches. Most times, they’re looking for information, be it locations, service and product ratings, and solutions to problems. According to Google, some online researchers find preparation and curating for an upcoming experience emotionally rewarding, so much so that they use search to optimize life. Furthermore, when people find what they’re looking for online, it helps reduce anxiety.

Overall, potential customer research provides a greater sense of control. For example, people learn what to expect and have more confidence in understanding how they can best benefit from a product, service, or experience.

Online searching does the following:

• Helps online visitors create the best experience – they know what to expect and which selections to make ahead of time.
• Gets researchers excited about their experience with a particular product or service
• Increases the power of conversion through easy purchasing and access to needed products and services
• Offers convenience – saving time and money for consumers
• Online research helps consumers feel more confident and less anxious.

Again, when a company sets up their website SEO to make vital connections to their target audience, they help make the consumer’s search experience exceptional.

So, how’s your website functioning in 2021? Is it generating the leads you want? If you don’t know, it’s time to find out!

Get your FREE Website Analysis

Below are some things your business can do to tailor SEO, get found online, and help customers find the solutions they need.

Setting up on-site SEO strategies on your website pages and applying best practices is crucial to online searchers finding your products and services. Do you need to drive more traffic to your website and help guide online visitors and prospects in their search? The following provides information on a few things you can do.

Boost your SEO locally

Consider online directories like Google My Business to claim your page, as well as making sure other online business listings, like YELP and YP, are all up-to-date with accurate NAP citations. For instance, your company name, address, and phone number are equally vital to helping potential customers and businesses find you online.

Use SEO keywords efficiently

Be sure to diversify them, utilize keywords in your headers, and tag them to your images. Remember, relevant keywords are the most effective way for researchers to find you online.

Apply and develop your content strategy

Always provide relevant and engaging content for your visitors. Effective content marketing is the only way to “nail it” when connecting with your audience. If your content is engaging and interactive on every platform, you increase your chances of converting visitors to loyal customers.

Remember to add SEO snippets and meta-descriptions to all your web pages

When your site pages show up on search results, you’ll want to have a snippet description that includes keywords to help offer relevant information.

Develop your product and/or service pages around keyword intent

When your company sets up its website pages, you’ll also want to base SEO and content on the consumer’s searched keywords.

Figuring out how to set up SEO is something no business owner should attempt to do alone.

If you’re wondering about your website’s status and how your SEO is currently set up, give us a call at 281-203-0529. We’re always excited about conducting FREE website and SEO analyses for companies curious about how well their sites are performing.

At BUILDINGBLOCKS, we make it easy to connect with us. Whether you’re looking for more information, or if you’re a veteran-owned marketing company, freely connect directly with us online. We look forward to chatting and hearing more about your business marketing needs!

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Discover the joy in knowing the difference between SEO and lead generation marketing concepts.

Since the start of the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic, we’ve seen how difficult it has been for companies to figure out where to put their business focus. Should we concentrate on lead generation or start working to increase SEO performance?

From our standpoint, however, the application of both concepts is vital to any successful digital marketing campaign. We’ve also learned that connecting the two concepts and how they matter to companies is not as easy for business owners to understand fully. So, allow us to explain here.

Search Engine Optimization – SEO

SEO is a marketing method that helps businesses improve their website visibility and inbound traffic as people search online for solutions to problems and seek opportunities. Companies can increase their SEO efforts organically or through SEM (Search Engine Marketing); paid advertising. Search engines like Google, for example, help rank each keyword search based on how people seek information online. Basically, SEO is the process of refining website pages to increase their rankings on a search engine results page. Again, the milestone of SEO is to increase website visibility and traffic visits from people looking for answers to problems or seeking opportunities.

Lead Generation

Wondering how lead generation works? Well, its focus is to effectively capture the interest of online visitors to products or services and ultimately produce a sale. Lead generation is an essential process for all B2B and B2C companies, and we help companies learn its five irrefutable laws for success. Overall, lead generation does three critical things for your company:

1. 1. It helps support healthy business growth
   2. Lead generation helps attract qualified leads to your website, and
   3. It provides a transition from business prospects to loyal customers

Tis’ the Season to connect SEO with lead generation to help generate traffic to your website and drive qualified leads down the sales funnel.

Experienced marketers know how to apply SEO best practices and produce the most significant impact on generating qualified leads. However, the connection involves specific steps to sales funnel success:

Know Your WHY & WHAT

The first step to connecting SEO to lead generation is to know why your company or business exists. To answer this, you must know what product or service solution your business offers to the ideal customer. Does the potential buyer or customer know that you exist and how you can help them? How does your company help improve the lives of those who patronize your business?

Apply Superb CONTENT to Improve Lead Generation

The second step is to apply exquisite and relevant content marketing about your product or service solution. Divine content is what captures the right kind of visitors and leads to your website. Consequently, it would help if you also learned your ideal customer’s search behaviors and what keywords and phrases you need to connect their searches to your solution. Then, when you create content for your website landing pages, blogs, and email marketing, it matches what they’re searching for online.

ENGAGE Your Site Visitors

Thirdly, you should always engage your visitors online. Once they’ve reached any page on your website, you must ensure that they immediately find their solution. To keep visitors engaged on your site, you’ll want to make page content, calls-to-action, purchasing and download options, lead magnets, and additional invites to seek more information readily available. Prospective leads will likely stay on a site that offers relevant quality content and a user-friendly experience.

Overall, this is a high-level description of how SEO can affect lead generation.

So, which website errors can kill your marketing SEO efforts and leave no impact on lead generation?

Unfortunately, there are five critical website mistakes or oversights that businesses commonly make, which can destroy SEO performance. They are as follows:

1. Creating content that doesn’t connect with users’ intents or what they’re searching for online

It’s one thing to research high-volume keywords that pertain to your product or service and then revise your site content with relevant keywords. And it’s an entirely different thing to utilize SEO keywords that visitors are actually looking for as you move them through your sales funnel. Content relevancy is vital in helping drive traffic to a website and closing sales. In fact, it’s the most essential SEO ranking factor.

So, business owners should always consider how potential customers are searching for solutions rather than providing content filled with keywords that pertain to what they do or offer. For example, if you’re busy providing more informational content about a product or service, you could miss opportunities to close sales. Although your SEO and lead generation efforts get visitors to your site, it doesn’t matter if you don’t make sales. For instance, if you don’t offer a buying option to those looking to purchase your product or service, you’ve missed an opportunity to increase revenue.

2. Site structured data problems

One issue that can cancel out your lead generation efforts is the structured data on your website. Data structure is the technical way businesses present their information on a particular webpage. Google describes this as the standardized way of providing page information and how its content is classified.

In its simplest state, structured data denotes code in a specific format. However, what’s most vital is that search engines like Google can decipher the structured data on a website. Reading code helps them determine what each page is about and categorize it to simplify someone’s online search to find it. So, poorly-coded structured data can result in a site not having a review snippet if it even shows up on a search page. If you’re looking to get your structured data correct and include a review markup, check out Google’s structured data testing tool.

3. Boring Metadata or Lack of Meta-descriptions

In case you didn’t know, metadata is crucial to both SEO and lead generation concepts. Therefore, you must provide excellent and enticing information about each page of your website. Web developers will program your site to send metadata from each page to a search engine; this is a top SEO best practice feature. So, when someone pulls up a page from your website, that brief data will appear in the search [head] section.

Metadata can also come in various forms, like meta titles – which help determine page ranking and the meta-description. Above all, you’ll want to make sure your metadata immediately captures visitors’ attention and pulls them onto your website. If the information is uneventful, typical, or ill-written and lacks the vital words visitors are searching for, visitors will not click over.

Do you know your website’s SEO status? If not, it’s time to find out!

Get your FREE SEO Analysis

4. Multiple primary site pages with content targeting the same SEO keyword or keyword phrase

Similar keyword focus on the key pages of your website can hurt SEO efforts; and, in turn, will do nothing for lead generation. When this error happens on a site, each page essentially competes against itself, and search engines have a hard time ranking page content – even if the content is relevant to the user’s search.

Focusing on the same keyword can also dilute the positive effects of keyword link building. Overall, you don’t want your pages to have lower CTRs, diminished authority, or lower rankings on search engines. In the end, this form of page competition within your site will cause substantial missed opportunities and nullify lead generation efforts.

5. Slow and sluggish page loading times

How long would you wait for a website page to load after you’ve clicked on it for more information? If a site’s pages take more than 3 seconds to load, visitors will promptly leave that website without engaging with its content. Thus, page speed is an important search ranking factor. Consequently, Google won’t even rank a site when its pages take longer than 3.2 seconds to load, or if visitors often leave the site after a few seconds because it’s not responsive or user-friendly. All of these factors directly affect SEO and lead generation by extension. Check out these web page speed statistics from Google!

See how your business can start benefiting from the best of both worlds.

In the story of the nativity, the bright star would have represented the role that SEO plays today in generating quality leads and guiding people to their need for a solution. Christ’s birth was a gift to the entire world, offering the solution of salvation, joy, and peace to all of Mankind on earth. SEO offers visible information and inbound marketing tactics that guide users to relevant quality content and solutions that meet their needs.

Overall, we believe that when you combine SEO best practices with lead generation strategies, it will result in both generating and getting more leads to your site. As digital marketing continues to evolve, companies can learn to utilize SEO better and see it as a critical aspect of their sales funnel, streaming in more qualified leads. At the same time, when you set it up correctly, SEO can turn your site into a great lead generating tool because it helps prospects find you online.

In case you didn’t know, professional marketing partnerships still matter when it comes to your online success.

If you run your business like most, you have a host of important things to focus on to continue growing. So, why not let us help you? SEO is the one concept you cannot ignore if you need more effective solutions and tactics for generating quality leads.

Revamping your on-site SEO and lead generation efforts isn’t as easy as you may think. You’ll need a trusted marketing partner with expertise and technical assistance to ensure improvement and help you reach your goals.

BUILDINGBLOCKS is here to help you develop or polish-up on SEO best practices that result in quality lead generation. We’re ready to work with you to help improve your online marketing efforts. So, if you’re ready to discuss keyword research, content marketing, on-site SEO, link building, and even how to correct SEO errors, connect with us online or call 281-203-0529.

We pray you have a very safe and Joyous Christmas & Happy New Year!

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Learn the Difference Between Top of Funnel and Bottom of Funnel SEO Keywords

When you consult with BUILDINGBLOCKS, you’ll learn the necessity of utilizing both TOF and BOF keywords in your marketing efforts. You’ll also learn that keywords and how potential customers search online for products and services have nothing to do with you or your business. In fact, it’s best to think of keyword searches, be it top or bottom of funnel words, as part of the buyer’s journey towards a solution. Therefore, we help incorporate your SEO keywords into relevant content so that your business becomes a part of their search narrative.

Top of funnel (TOF)

Your TOF keywords and search phrases represent general interests and surface-level online research. TOFs also mark the first phase of the sales cycle and the initial journey that prospects take when searching for products and/or services.

They capture potential leads that are in the research stage for finding a solution to their problems. For example, top of funnel phrases can include keywords like, “gluten-free diet”, which is a broad topic but begins a specific search.

Bottom of funnel (BOF)

On the other hand, BOF keywords represent each buyer’s intent to purchase specific products and services relevant to certain brands. These visitors are searching for particular products and services because they’re ready to make a decision. Bottom funnel SEO keywords and phrases also mean that you’ve driven consumers to your website and that they have reached the end of the sales cycle.

In fact, they’ve already completed their research and found viable solutions that meet their needs. Thus, bottom of funnel keywords pertaining to gluten-free foods would be phrases like – “gluten-free bakery near me”.

TOF and BOF Keyword Insights

So, what’s the key to this strategy? This approach is all about getting buyers to enter your sales funnel and follow through to a purchase or sale. You must learn to use both types of keywords to help navigate prospects to your site and eventually reach your sales goal.

The first step of the sales cycle is why TOF keywords are so important. They open the door to moving prospects down the funnel. When setting up an inbound marketing campaign to bring awareness to your product/service, you’ll want to target keywords that signify specific search patterns for information. For each business industry, TOFs inform prospects that your company knows their problem and your brand can solve it.

Sample Keyword Strategy

Let’s say someone is beginning the hunt for a new pair of running shoes as a scenario. So, the TOF keywords they might search for could be:

• • heel pain when running
  • shoes to get rid of foot pain
  • cushion running shoes
  • running shoes plantar fasciitis

By the time a buyer reaches the bottom of the sales funnel; however, they will have moved on to BOF keyword searches. These particular keywords will signify they are almost ready to make a purchase. During this phase, prospects should also be at the point of comparing different brands, checking customer reviews, and looking for the best prices.

As such, bottom-funnel SEO keywords often include terms like:

• • where to buy
  • running shoes near me
  • coupon
  • best price
  • ratings

I’d like a FREE SEO Analysis

Could you use some help with your SEO keyword strategy?

One of the greatest assets to partnering with an experienced and knowledgeable marketing firm is not having to figure out challenges on your own. We offer the necessary practical and innovative solutions companies need to address the various marketing challenges of today. The more you learn about applying the TOF and BOF keyword strategy to your content marketing efforts, the greater chances you have of obtaining quality leads.

Let us help you work on the strategies that are best for your company’s growth and ultimate success. Why not take the first step by connecting with us today? If you need immediate assistance, call us at 281-203-0529!

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What is On-Site SEO?

On-Site SEO optimizes elements within your website to earn more traffic from search engines and rank higher in results. The end goal of On-Site SEO makes it easy for both search engines and humans to:

• Learn what your webpage is about
• Identify relevant parts of your webpage for search queries
• Showcase the webpage in search engine results pages (SERP’s)

With the right On-Page SEO strategy, your content will rank keywords relevant to your customers and drive valuable traffic to your website.

Top 4 On-Site SEO Features Your Business Website Will Need

Before you hit ‘publish’ on your next web page, evaluate your On-Site SEO, and then consider the following tips to start:

1. Develop Keyword-Optimized and Relevant Content

You’ll always want to find the best keywords for your site content. At the same time, please make sure the words are relevant and that they also hold value to your audience. Overall, your keywords and content need to include:

• • Messaging that’s relevant to your theme
  • Terms that are searched for regularly
  • Various content formats like videos and images

It’s also essential that you publish and update your content on a consistent schedule. Consistency helps build credibility with the search engine and users. For example, our image below shows the importance of providing quality content on your site.

2. Implement Website Architecture

Website architecture refers to the website’s hierarchy and organizational structure. The goal is to develop a structure that allows both search bots and users access to crawl and search your site for more information. To adopt an SEO-friendly architecture, implement the following practices:

• • Keep URLs short with hyphens between words
  • Create an XML sitemap
  • Link essential pages to your navigation

Your website’s architecture needs to focus on the user experience. For example, users should be able to find any page on your site in two clicks or less. If they can, your website will have better a chance of ranking.

3. Code with HTML Formatting

HTML is a foundational coding format that prioritizes content in a readable format and easily lets search engines crawl the text, images, links, and more. When building a page in HTML, consider the following On-Page SEO factors you need to include:

• • Tags
  • Alt Tags and Images
  • Titles
  • Meta-descriptions
  • Headers
  • Sub-headers
  • Body

While you can use HTML for styling, implement CSS and JavaScript to develop an integrated user experience fully. By using HTML, search engines are more likely to serve your content in organic results to users.

4. Establish Site Authority and Trustworthiness

There are a few tasks you’ll want to complete in order to establish site authority and trustworthiness. Firstly, verify that all backlinks, signals, and citations provide search engines and users with credible content from your website to earn authority. As you build webpage authority, other trustworthy websites will take note and hyperlink your resources to their own.

Next, be sure to develop relevant content that showcases your thought-leadership. When you do this, you’ll increase trust flow and signal your credibility to search engines.

Furthermore, try connecting with other noteworthy bloggers and discuss link sharing. However, please check their domain authority first. For link sharing with other bloggers to work, their blog needs to be highly relevant to your industry.

Optimize Your Website for More Visibility

To increase your search rankings and reach more of your target audience, you need to optimize your website with On-Site SEO. The more website visitors you have, however, the more likely you’ll convert users into leads for business growth. Fortunately, BUILDINGBLOCKS can help.

Click the banner link above for a FREE analysis, or connect with us today for more information.

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