We at Local are thrilled to offer a guide to help you assess whether your digital marketing is creating magic or fizzling out. If you are not handling your digital marketing yourself, we suggest following the elements of this article step by step. Familiarize yourself with the placement and use of the element and check your digital marketing piece by piece as a way to assess your digital marketing efforts or the efforts of your digital marketer. Because we are scratching the surface of digital marketing elements, we are only including the most relevant information.
Unraveling the Basics of SEO
Short for Search Engine Optimization, SEO is the art and science of optimizing your website to increase its visibility on search engine results pages. By understanding the fundamentals of SEO, you can lay a solid foundation for your digital marketing strategy.
What Does SEO Do?
SEO is the driving force behind getting your website noticed by search engines like Google. It involves a combination of techniques and strategies aimed at improving your website’s ranking and organic traffic. Think of SEO as a roadmap that leads search engines and users to your virtual doorstep.
How Search Engines Work Their Magic
Ever wondered how search engines decide which websites deserve the top spots? They use complex algorithms that consider various factors such as relevance, authority, and user experience. By understanding how search engines work, you can align your SEO efforts accordingly.
Analyzing Your Website
One of the most important parts of evaluating your digital marketing effectiveness is to analyze your website’s performance at least quarterly. If you have access to and understand the date, you can use analytics to see and compare key metrics such as website traffic, user engagement, and conversion rates to previous quarters (days, weeks, months), or compare to recent global averages you find through Google. However, for anyone not actively involved in creating and evaluating successful digital marketing daily, you may find the following elements of on-page optimization helpful in learning a little about them and looking through the digital elements of your marketing to assess. On-page optimization is all about ensuring elements within your website are as search engine friendly as possible while also providing excellent and readable content for users (or potential/returning clients).
Compelling Meta Tags
Meta tags are snippets of information that provide search engines and users with a brief description of your webpage. By crafting compelling meta tags that accurately represent your content and entice clicks, you can increase your website’s visibility in search results.
Keyword Research
Keywords are the bread and butter of SEO. Thorough keyword research helps you identify the terms and phrases people are using to search for information related to your business. By incorporating relevant keywords strategically into your content, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Engaging Content
Content is king, and quality content plays a pivotal role in SEO. By creating informative, valuable, and engaging content that resonates with your target audience, you not only attract visitors but also increase the likelihood of earning backlinks and social shares.
URL Structures
URL structures should be simple, descriptive, and user-friendly. A well-optimized URL can help search engines understand your content better and improve the overall user experience.
User Experience (UX)
User experience is a crucial aspect of SEO. By providing a seamless, user-friendly experience across all devices, you can enhance your website’s visibility and keep visitors engaged.
Mobile Responsiveness
With mobile usage topping pc and laptop usage for most pages, optimizing your website for mobile responsiveness is no longer an option; it’s a necessity. A mobile-friendly website ensures that users can access and navigate your content effortlessly, regardless of the device they use.
Page Loading Speed
In the fast-paced digital world, every second counts. Slow-loading websites not only frustrate users but also receive lower rankings from search engines. Optimizing your website’s loading speed is crucial for providing a positive user experience and improving your SEO performance.
User-Friendly Navigation
Intuitive and user-friendly navigation is key to keeping visitors on your website and encouraging them to explore further. Clear menus, logical site structure, and internal linking can help search engines and users find their way around your website with ease.
High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks (also known as inbound links) are like votes of confidence from other websites. When reputable and relevant websites link to your content, search engines view it as a sign of credibility and authority. Building a strong backlink profile is a vital aspect of SEO that can significantly impact your website’s ranking.
Link Building Strategy
Meta tags are snippets of information that provide search engines and users with a brief description of your webpage. By crafting compelling meta tags that accurately represent your content and entice clicks, you can increase your website’s visibility in search results.
User Generated Content
Consider elements on your website that are not created by yourself or your digital marketer or agency. This might include a section of Google reviews that update when someone leaves you a review through Google My Business (these can be set to only include reviews over a certain rating). The same can be done with reviews originating from social media. If you see this at work on your website, you know that lesser used keywords, terminology, and even nicknames for your business, services, or products that might not necessarily be used in your site text are being seen by Google or other search engines. (aka user generated keywords strategy)
Understanding Social Media as Part of Your Digital Marketing
Social media has become an integral part of SEO. Social signals, such as likes, shares, and comments all indicate that your content is valuable and relevant. By leveraging social media platforms effectively, you can amplify your content’s reach and improve its visibility in search results.
The 'Right' Social Media Platforms
Not all social media platforms are created equal. To maximize your SEO efforts, identify the platforms where your target audience is most active and tailor your content accordingly. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, each platform offers unique opportunities to engage with your audience.
Shareable and Engaging Content
On social media, shareability is key. Create content that is not only informative but also highly shareable. Compelling visuals, thought-provoking questions, and storytelling can make your content more engaging and encourage users to share it with their networks, increasing your visibility and driving traffic to your website.
Analytics for Digital Marketing
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that provides invaluable insights into your website’s performance. By understanding how to set up and navigate Google Analytics, you can gain valuable data about your website visitors, their behavior, and the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Google Analytics: Checking Setup
Setting up a Google Analytics account is a straightforward process. By adding a tracking code to your website, you can start collecting data about your visitors and their interactions with your site.
Traffic Sources and User Behavior
On social media, shareability is key. Create content that is not only informative but also highly shareable. Compelling visuals, thought-provoking questions, and storytelling can make your content more engaging and encourage users to share it with their networks, increasing your visibility and driving traffic to your website.
Conversions and Goals
Setting up conversion tracking and defining goals in Google Analytics enables you to measure the success of your marketing campaigns. Whether it’s newsletter sign-ups, purchases, or form submissions, tracking conversions helps you understand the impact of your efforts and make data-driven optimizations.
