It is a challenge for most marketers to increase traffic to their websites, and there are a number of methods available to get there. Paid advertising and traditional marketing may seem like a quick fix, however, they often do not yield long-term results. If you are trying to generate organic leads without spending a fortune, I have a few suggestions that will assist you.
Organic Leads: What are They?
Organic leads come from prospects who search for a product, service, or question in a search engine, rather than visiting your website or clicking on a PPC advertisement. Many of these prospects and leads are unaware of your product or service prior to conducting an online search.
Today, many of our questions are answered by Google (and other search engines). It does not matter whether I am looking for the name of an actor, how to change a setting on my phone or how to solve complex business problems, I am confident that Dr. Google will be able to assist me. Additionally, as marketers, we hope that Dr. Google will prescribe information on our website for the benefit of the searcher. It is for this reason that companies strive to appear at the top of the SERPs (search engine result pages) – we want their attention!
What is the best way to rank at the top of these results? Furthermore, how do you motivate your visitors to take action on your website? The following principles will assist you in understanding your audience, capturing their attention, and ultimately converting them into brand advocates.
1. Your website and blog should include a video
Video has been an integral part of SEO since Google introduced “universal search” in 2007, yet video remains an underrated component of search engine marketing today. According to one study, websites that incorporate video are 53 times more likely to appear on the first pages of Google search results. In my opinion, there are a number of algorithmic reasons for this, but here are a few of them:
- It is Google’s belief that QUALITY content is more important than keywords since it knows that its users are concerned about quality. In most cases, videos provide educational and informative content that is able to answer questions.
- Compared to searches without video, search results with video have a 41% higher click-through rate.
- The video encourages visitors to stay on your site longer, thereby establishing your content as more authoritative and relevant.
- More links are generated by video. By incorporating video rather than only text, the number of linking domains will triple (one of the most important elements of search engine optimization).
2. Personas are important to understand
Create your buyer personas before writing a single piece of content, or definitely before redesigning your website, so you know who your content is intended for. Identify your IDEAL customer. Your organic ranking will naturally improve if you create quality content that resonates with your target audience. You can only go so far with keywords and searches. Creating keyword-driven content without helpful information will not generate new leads online. When creating your customer profile, you will want to be able to answer the following questions:
- The characteristics of the individual (demographics, psychographics, behavior, etc.)
- What are their favorite online destinations and what type of searches do they conduct?
- How do they intend to address their biggest problems, and pain points, and what solutions are they seeking to implement?
- How do they behave when it comes to purchasing? Where do they obtain their information?
3. Conduct a keyword search
The ability to generate organic traffic depends on your ability to identify what search terms your customers and prospects are using to locate your website. As a result, keyword research is essential to ensuring that your target audience is able to find you online. The first step to understanding organic traffic is to identify the relevant keywords for your business, as well as the level of competition for these keywords across the web. The more keywords you incorporate into your website and content, the more easily your site will be found by search engines.
In order to achieve SEO success and increase website traffic, it is essential to do some research on the keywords with the highest volume of searches and the least degree of difficulty. For example, Google’s Keyword Planning Tool, Google Search Console, or SEM Rush can help you determine what keywords your website currently ranks for and uncover new opportunities.
In order to elevate your organic rankings, you can implement a strategic content creation strategy. Start with the low-hanging fruit, i.e., where your website is ranking the highest and has the largest number of monthly searches. Additionally, you should seek out new, relevant, high-volume keywords for which you do not currently rank.
4. Make conversion points compelling
Now that you know how to attract new traffic to your website, it is crucial that you have places to convert that traffic into leads. A contact form is not the only thing that needs to be included.
Try to recall the last time you went into a physical store to browse for something. Customer service representatives often approach you and ask if you would like assistance. Your response will usually be “no thanks, I’m just browsing”. When your website’s only conversion point is a contact form or demo request, many of your website visitors feel that way.
Consider instead that you are reading a blog post that provides detailed instructions on creating your marketing budget for next year. The bottom of the post contains a link that gives you the opportunity to download a free budget template. You will have a much better user experience with this offer since it solves your immediate problems and allows you to obtain what you require.
5. Consistently publish helpful content on a regular basis
Once you have identified the keywords you wish to rank for, it is crucial that you develop a consistent content marketing strategy. Consistency is valued by both search engines and readers. The most frequently asked question I receive is, “how often should I blog?” My response is, “it depends!” Why? The number of organic leads you generate will depend on how aggressive you wish to be. The more content (good content!) you create, the more leads you will generate.
We have been working with a manufacturing client, W.C. Branham, who had poor organic rankings on opportune keywords when we began working with them three years ago. Over time, they began ranking organically for several of the keywords that were most important to their business when we consistently published one strategic blog post per week. As a result of this growth in organic traffic, the number of organic leads has been consistent.
6. Utilize social media
The more engaging content you create, the more places you can share it, and the more visitors your website will receive. Social media is an important tool that should not be underestimated. Create engaging content, but do not stop there… by sharing it across social media channels, you increase the likelihood of your links being clicked and bringing readers back to your website.
Consider each social media channel as its own search engine. As important as keywords are for blog posts, they are also important in social media channels. Make sure your social media posts are optimized with #hashtags in order to attract more views, clicks, and retweets.
Conclusion
Today, search engines serve the purpose of providing relevant, meaningful search results that address the questions of your prospects and customers. Make sure you do not waste time creating content that does not serve your organization. You will not be able to increase your website traffic and organic leads overnight, but if you use these tactics, make data-driven decisions, and remain persistent, you will be able to make a significant impact.
