With over 3.5 billion searches per day, it’s no secret that search engines like Google have become a key place for consumers to find products and services. It’s the reason people like me have a job!
The majority of companies looking to start a new SEO program would like to improve their overall search presence, increase brand visibility and drive new visits.
Pay attention to that last piece — new visits.
While new visits are important, when it comes to purchasing decisions, most people visit a site more than once. In fact, according to a recent report by Webloyalty and Conlumino, the average consumer consults about five channels before making a purchase, meaning the people converting are likely going to be return visitors.
As SEOs, it’s important not to get hung up on optimizing only for new visits. We also must focus on the buying cycle itself to ensure we are giving our customers the information they are looking for when doing their longer-term research.
We also must think beyond new customers. For example, many of my clients are technology providers in markets with stiff competition. With a competitive market and the potential for customers to go elsewhere, they need to be showing their existing customers they are still the best option.
How do we do this? Well, the obvious answer is content, but there is much more to it: Understanding the right keyword targets, the right type of content for the particular time in the buying cycle, the right off-site targets and more.
Below I’ve outlined a few key places to focus when moving your SEO program beyond discovery.
Comments