Whats up everyone its Deborah, your host at The Social Marketing Advice Podcast. I don’t know about you but the holiday season is busy for me so I know its been a little bit since I’ve recorded. But todays episode I’ve packed full of helpful tips and ways to boost your organic reach online.

I know how frustrating it can be running a business and not being easy to find online. You’ve spent money and time building a website (hopefully!), creating a logo, brand colors and fonts, maybe even spending money on ads and you are still questioning why people still can't find you organically online.

Well friends, there is this lovely thing in the marketing world called SEO. And while many say the word, so many don’t understand what it actually is. So to start, let me share the technical definition of SEO. SEO is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines. A key thing to understand is that SEO targets unpaid traffic rather than direct traffic or paid traffic.

Now, there are 6 key aspects of SEO.

#1. Content Optimization: Creating and modifying content so that it is engaging and relevant to the intended audience. This includes using relevant keywords, creating quality content, and ensuring that the content provides value to the users.

#2. Keyword Research: Identifying and using the right keywords that potential customers use in search engines. This helps in aligning website content with user searches.

#3. On-Page SEO: Optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic. This includes optimizing page titles, headers, meta descriptions, and the page's content.

#4. Off-Page SEO: Activities conducted outside of the website to improve its search engine rankings, like link building, social media marketing, and influencer marketing.

#5. Technical SEO: Focusing on the technical aspects of a website that affect its rankings, such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing, crawlability, site architecture, and security.

#6. User Experience (UX): Ensuring a positive user experience on the website, which can indirectly affect SEO. This includes website design, navigability, and page loading speed.

Now, trying to determine the most beneficial elements to focus on first can be overwhelming. And while the ultimate answer really depends on the current state of your website and your specific goals, BUT I want to give you my personal recommendations in general for what you should do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

FIRST - Technical SEO: In my opinion this should be your initial focus. If your website is not technically sound, other SEO efforts might not be as effective. Key aspects include ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, has fast loading times, is secure (using HTTPS), and is easily crawlable by search engine bots. Fixing technical issues ensures your site is accessible and indexable by search engines.

TWO - Content Optimization and Keyword Research: Once your site is technically sound, focus on content. High-quality, relevant content is the backbone of effective SEO. Start with keyword research to understand what your target audience is searching for. Then, create or optimize your content around these keywords. This includes making sure your headings, titles, and meta descriptions are optimized. The content should provide value, be engaging, and address the search intent of your audience.

THIRD - On-Page SEO: After improving your content, focus on other on-page elements. This includes optimizing URLs, using internal linking strategies, and ensuring each page has optimized tags and images. On-page SEO helps search engines understand your content better and can significantly improve your site's visibility in search results.

After these three steps, you can continue to enhance your SEO strategy by focusing on off-page SEO, such as building quality backlinks, and continuously improving user experience.

Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Search engine algorithms and user behaviors change over time, so it's important to keep your SEO strategies up to date.

Now I want to dig into the power of blogging. So many think blogs are dead, and I’m sorry but you are DEAD wrong! If your content is fun to read, engaging, and informative, you will win. Don’t believe me? Listen to these impressive stats.

Did you know that a whopping 61% of Americans are spending three times more time consuming blog content than they do checking emails? That's right, in the age where our inboxes are overflowing with unopened emails, blogs have become the new frontier of leisure reading. Blogs offer an opportunity to tap into varied topics, personal stories, and in-depth insights, turning readers into enthusiastic explorers in a world of words. It's as if blogs are the new novels of the internet age, providing a digital escape from the mundane 'You've Got Mail' routine. So, next time you're about to check your email for the umpteenth time, maybe take a detour to a blog instead and see where the words take you!

Now, out of the 1.9 billion websites that make up the digital cosmos, did you know that more than 600 million are blogs? That's right, over a third of the internet is buzzing with the shared thoughts, stories, and insights of bloggers from around the globe. This incredible number is a testament to the power of blogging - a world where everyone from your next-door neighbor to multinational corporations is vying for a piece of the digital storytelling pie. It's a wild, wordy world out there, and blogs are the beating heart of this narrative landscape. So, next time you're surfing the web, remember you're sailing through an ocean of over 600 million blogs, each a unique voice in the vast chorus of the internet.

Now listen to this! Did you know that having a blog on your website can boost your chances of ranking higher in search engine results by a staggering 434%! Yes, you heard that right, 434%! It's like attaching a rocket booster to your website's SEO strategy. Imagine your website being a quiet little bookstore hidden in a side street. Now, add a blog, and suddenly it's like having a grand billboard on the busiest highway, directing a flood of traffic to your door. This incredible surge in visibility isn't just a small leap; it's a giant SEO leap for your site. Blogs are not just digital diaries anymore; they are powerful tools that can catapult your online presence into the stratosphere. So, if your website is missing out on this 434% advantage, it's high time to start blogging!

Nowon the edge of 2024, of course SEO continues to evolve and will continue to evolve, and there are several key aspects that small businesses like yours may not be fully aware of but should definitely pay attention to: Here are a few of them.

Importance of User Experience (UX): I cannot express enough how important this is. Google's algorithm updates increasingly prioritize user experience. This includes website loading speed, mobile responsiveness, intuitive navigation, and overall user engagement. Businesses need to ensure their website is not just optimized for search engines but also provides a smooth and enjoyable experience for visitors.

Voice Search Optimization: Now I LOVE the future of voice search! More and more of us are starting to use voice to search for things, since it saves time. And With the rising use of voice-activated devices like smartphones, smart speakers, and virtual assistants, optimizing for voice search is becoming crucial. This involves focusing on natural language, question-based queries, and local SEO, as many voice searches are local in nature.

Local SEO for Local Businesses: For small businesses serving local communities, local SEO is more important than ever. This includes having a Google My Business profile, local keywords, local backlinks, and ensuring that NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) listings are consistent across the web.

E-A-T Principle (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Google emphasizes the importance of content quality. Small businesses should focus on producing high-quality, authoritative content that establishes their expertise and gains trust from both users and search engines.

Long-Form Content for Better Engagement: Long-form content tends to rank better and engage users more effectively. Small businesses should consider creating comprehensive, in-depth content that provides real value to readers.

Video Content for Improved Engagement: Videos are highly engaging and can significantly improve the time users spend on a site. Incorporating video content into the SEO strategy can be beneficial, especially since search engines increasingly show videos in search results. Semantic Search and Intent Optimization: Instead of focusing solely on keywords, businesses should consider the intent behind search queries. Semantic search is about understanding the context and the intent behind a search to improve content relevance.

Mobile-First Indexing: Google predominantly uses the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking. Ensuring that your site is mobile-friendly is not optional but a necessity in 2024.

Next week, I’ll be diving into a topic that's a game-changer for any business - managing past customer and new lead workflows. I'll be exploring how to craft effective campaigns that assist, not replace, your efforts in staying connected with past clients while simultaneously engaging new leads. Think of it as adding an extra set of hands to your marketing team. I'll discuss strategies to re-engage those who already love your brand and techniques to capture the interest of potential new clients. So, whether you're looking to nurture long-term relationships or spark new connections, this episode will be packed with actionable insights and innovative ideas to bolster your outreach efforts. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your business's engagement strategy!

And thats it for me over here at The Social Marketing Advice Podcast, I hope you enjoyed todays episode. If you learned something today that you didnt’ know before I’d love it if youd rate and subscribe to the podcast so you’ll be notified the second a new episode is released!

I hope you have a great week, and catch you on the next one!