SEO Management: A Vital Element Of Your Digital Marketing Strategy
While most business owners now recognise how important it is to have a website as part of your digital marketing strategy, there are still a surprisingly high number who think that it’s ‘job done’ once you launch your new site. Achieving good visibility on Google when someone does an internet search isn’t just something that happens once your website goes live. In fact, depending on how competitive your market is, it can take a significant amount of time, effort and skill to generate organic (non-paid) online traffic. SEO management is the process that makes this happen and it’s actually a really vital element of your digital marketing strategy that you can’t afford to ignore. So what is SEO and what does search engine optimisation management actually Involve?
What Is SEO Management?
Let’s start by explaining what SEO is and then break down how it works. SEO stands for search engine optimisation and SEO management is a digital marketing process that an SEO expert undertakes to optimise a website and improve its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). It's a blend of strategies and techniques aimed at increasing the quantity and quality of organic traffic to a website. The primary goal is to rank higher in search results for keywords and phrases relevant to the site's content and the target audience's search queries.
While there are many factors that may influence your ranking, the basic process of SEO management can be broken down into 4 main areas:
On-Site SEO
Website content
Technical SEO
Off-Site SEO
Generally SEO management is considered to be a specialist task. For this reason it is most commonly carried out by an SEO specialist who stays up to date with the latest algorithm updates, applies best practice guidelines and has the skills required to effectively optimise your website.
It’s also important to highlight that SEO management is not a one-off task; it requires consistent attention, updates, and adjustments as algorithms change, new trends emerge, and your business goals evolve. This dynamic nature makes SEO management an ongoing effort, aimed at consistently delivering results and keeping your digital presence both robust and relevant.
The 4 Main Areas of SEO Explained
As highlighted above there are 4 main areas of SEO management:
1. On-Site SEO
This involves optimising elements on your website that are within your control. These include optimising your site's HTML code, such as title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and improving the site's structure and navigation to enhance user experience and facilitate search engine indexing.
2. Website Content
Content can be considered part of the on-site or on-page SEO process and is critical to the effectiveness of the strategy. It involves the ongoing creation and optimisation of high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that satisfies the queries of your target audience. Your website content should be informative, readable, and enriched with the right keywords without overstuffing.
3. Technical SEO
This focuses on the backend aspects of your website that affect its visibility and your web developer may be required to assist with some of these tasks. Technical SEO includes improving site speed, making your site mobile-friendly, ensuring secure connections (HTTPS), creating an XML sitemap, and implementing structured data to help search engines crawl and index your site more effectively.
4. Off-Site SEO
This refers to actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within search engine results. It primarily involves building backlinks from other reputable sites. Off-site SEO strategies include guest blogging, social media marketing, influencer collaborations, and getting listed in directories.
Key Stages in the SEO Management Process
Search engine optimisation often gets a bad rap. There are so many unscrupulous operators in the SEO space who over-promise and under-deliver. We have all experienced the random, unsolicited emails promising the top positions on Google or suggesting that your website has major issues that need fixing urgently. Don't fall prey to the fear tactics or unproven promises and always check what is included as part of the SEO management process. Getting bad SEO support can actually be more damaging than no support at all, particularly if it involves 'black hat' tactics.
At BSB Marketing we follow a thorough and meticulous process that ensures that all the most important aspects of SEO are taken care of.
1. Website Audit:
The first step in SEO management is conducting a comprehensive audit of your website. This involves analysing the current SEO performance, current traffic, website history and identifying issues such as broken links, slow page load times, and gaps in content that could be impacting your site's ranking.
2. Competitor Analysis:
Understanding your competitor environment is a critical early step. Finding out who else is out there, doing well in the SERP results and understanding the industry that you operate can help with identifying key opportunities as well as fast tracking the next step.
3. Keyword Research:
This is an absolutely fundamental element of SEO management. It involves identifying the keywords and phrases your target audience uses when searching for products or services like yours. Effective keyword research helps in understanding the language of your potential customers and optimises your content accordingly.
4. On-Page SEO:
After identifying the right keywords, the next step is to incorporate them into your website. This includes optimising your titles, headings, content and images. On-page SEO ensures that your site is readable by search engines and users, providing relevant and authoritative content.
5. Technical Fixes
This stage involves making sure that any issues identified in the website audit are started and reviewed on an ongoing basis. Is your website accessible and crawlable? Do you have broken links or need pages redirecting or retiring from the search engine results page? This all adds to a great user experience and is prioritised by Google.
6. Content Creation and Optimization:
Continuously creating and updating content is key to keeping your website relevant and authoritative. This involves regularly publishing blog posts, articles, and other content that includes your targeted keywords and provides value to your audience.
7. Tracking & Reporting
Any SEO management consultant worth their salt will be open and transparent about their results. Tracking and reporting on the progress of the keyword terms that you are targeting is vital to enable you to stay on track with your SEO goals.
Understanding and implementing SEO management effectively is an imperative for businesses seeking to make their mark in today's digital marketplace. It's not just about driving traffic to your website but about attracting the right kind of traffic that can lead to increased engagement and conversions. By focusing on the four main areas of SEO and following the key stages in the SEO management process, businesses can improve their online visibility, reach their target audience more effectively, and achieve a competitive edge in the digital world. Remember, SEO is not a one-time task but a continuous process that evolves with changing search engine algorithms and market trends.
How Does SEO Management Fit Into Your Digital Strategy?
SEO management doesn’t just bring more footfall to your digital storefront, but more importantly, it brings the right footfall. By making your website a top result for relevant searches, SEO management increases the likelihood of conversion, transforming passive browsers into active customers.
Moreover, the impact of effective SEO management is far-reaching and long-lasting. Unlike paid advertising which is time-bound and budget-dependent, the benefits of SEO are sustainable. It empowers you to create a tailored, valuable online experience for your customers, fostering trust and credibility, while nurturing long-term relationships. It’s an investment that yields rich dividends, cementing your brand’s position in the competitive digital landscape.
That's where we can help! If you’re ready to take your small business to the next level, contact our SEO specialist to get your website traffic pumping.
Contact our Brisbane SEO Consultant or enquire about our Sunshine Coast SEO services today.
