The right SEO agency is probably the most important factor in your brand’s online success. Your business might be the best in your industry, but potential customers won’t find you without the right optimization strategies.
SEO agencies can perform a lot of functions. They can design your site, create blog posts, manage your social media platforms and more. But above all, the main role of an SEO agency is helping your business grow online.
A business grows by increasing their customer base through lead generation. Here’s how a professional SEO agency will increase customer leads:
Develop a Gated Content Strategy
First, you want to reach people who have never purchased from you before. This void of action is usually because of a lack of awareness across your market or industry. People simply haven’t heard of your brand or your unique products/services.
These people are considered at the top of what’s called “the conversion funnel”— a tool used to help guide consumers to converting. At the very top of the funnel, they simply don’t know what they don’t know and are just beginning their research. Because of their ignorance, they’re not ready to buy just yet. However, if you present the right type of information at just the right time, you can slowly move these potential customers toward making a purchase.
The first step is to entice them with gated content. This is content kept behind a metaphorical gate. In order to access the content, people have to take a certain action like creating a login, entering an email address, etc.
Marketers are most interested in obtaining a potential customer’s email address. Of course, customers won’t just give you their email address for nothing—they expect something in return. What that something is depends on your industry and brand.
Gated content can include:
- An E-book
- Access to a Webinar
- A Coupon or Special Discount
Make sure your content is high-quality to make it worthwhile. Also, keep your “ask” simple. Don’t make people fill out a long survey or something equally time consuming. Remember, only an email address is necessary to move a customer down the conversion funnel.
Host Live Streaming Events
Often an internet marketing company will create a Live Streaming Event on Facebook. This can be a webinar, live instructional video or something similar that will lure the attention of potential customers.
As we enter 2017, Facebook Live Streams are quickly and steadily growing in popularity. There are two major marketing benefits to broadcasting live video on Facebook:
- The video is only live for a limited time. Scarcity can be a powerful motivating force.
- Facebook Live events trigger an automatic notification to all of your followers.
Don’t worry if you’re not comfortable appearing on camera. Your SEO agency will usually be able to either coach you or provide a professional host.
Establish Your Brand as an Authority
If people trust your brand, they’ll be more comfortable purchasing your products or services. You want to show potential customers that you understand your industry and are the go-to authority in your space.
You want to provide information and value to garner interest. Blog posts are a common and effective strategy here. Your SEO agency will likely create and publish blog posts on a regular basis. How-to instructions, introductory guides and other teaching tools help increase your reputation as an expert in your field.
Your credibility can be increased by answering questions, too. Social media is a great place to connect with people curious about your products or services. You can also hold a Reddit AMA.
Use “Professional Strength” Social Media Strategies
Some business owners try to manage their own Facebook and Twitter pages. That can be somewhat sustainable, but usually only for a little while. In order to use social media to generate great leads, you’ll need to know the ins and outs of social media optimization. This is why a professional SEO firm should manage your social media platforms.
You’ll need to develop a consistent voice across all your social media channels. You’ll need to be responsive, too. Try to reply to every comment within 24 hours. Address questions, offer information and just say “thanks for the comment.” These simple actions build trust and camaraderie with your audiences.
Plus, social media platforms have lesser-known features that can make a big difference. One example is Twitter Cards. These are Tweets that allow photos, videos and other media to be placed within the post. Practically every major social media platform has a ton of little adjustments that can create a big impact, they just need to be uncovered.
A/B Split Testing
Targeting leads is a process that you can constantly refine. Split testing is a valuable tool. This is when you create two versions of a piece of content and see which one performs better.
One test scenario could be: A customer gives you their email address. What type of email should you send them in return? An SEO team will develop two types of emails and analyze their response rate. Split testing can be done to refine just about every aspect of interaction with a potential customer, and big boosts can be reaped from simple adjustments and insights found through A/B testing.
Interested in learning more about the internet marketing strategies that will generate leads for your business? Describe your business below and we’ll help you develop effective strategies for consistent growth.