Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is considered by some as a bit of a black art. However, it is constantly evolving as search engines refine and update their search algorithms. As a business, your objective is to attract this traffic to your digital presence. This is the primary purpose of search engine optimisation: to get your business noticed by potential customers. If you are not on the first or second page, you are invisible to your target clients. This could mean you’re losing revenue to your competitors.
The nature of your business and geographic coverage will determine whether you focus on local or more traditional SEO approach.
Local SEO
As the name implies, this is focused on those who are geographically local to your business. Rankings in the search pages are influenced by what the industry refers to as citations. Citations are listings on external sites which contain your name, address and phone number. These must be consistent across all your digital profiles. Google and Bing pay close attention to citations when assessing when and where to list your business. An SEO agency will make sure that your site tells Google and others what your business is about and where it is based.
Regular SEO
When we talk about ‘regular SEO’ the goal is to establish and build on the authority of your website. Relative to that of your competitors. Building authority requires a range of on-page and off-site optimisation techniques. These can be achieved by setting relevant and high-quality backlinks with the appropriate anchor text to your website. A word of caution: don’t be tempted to blindly use one of the many services offering to build backlinks to your site. Check them out properly, as they can have a negative impact on your website.
As with many aspects of digital marketing, it is not a case of one size fits all. To get the most out of your digital presence, you want to have an approach that leverages both local and traditional techniques. This will give your business an effective and engaging profile across a range of digital platforms. A digital agency will help your business to create and maintain an effective digital strategy.
To find out more and let your digital assets work for you whilst you are offline, contact our team at Atelier. Learn how we can help you achieve more traffic and sales.
Atelier is an award winning digital marketing agency in Southampton, Hampshire.