Why businesses need to re-think their SEO strategy

PEOPLE go online when they want to buy or learn about something, which is why every business these days is keen on having a good website.

However, in order to make sure customers see their website (first) listed when they run a search, they need to make sure their websites are optimized for the keywords they’re targeting.

In order to do that, they need Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

SEO is intended to bring your audience to you via search engines. Technically speaking, so long as your content marketers are using the right keyword, you should be able to achieve that.

However, is it enough to classify your target audience with keywords?

In today’s competitive world, it’s critical to understand your target audience so you can fine-tune your language and message to meet their needs. Therefore, it’s critical to re-think your SEO strategy.

First steps to building a better SEO strategy

The most important thing when improving your SEO strategy is understanding what your customers want. That’s the high-level contribution that business leaders usually make when they kick-off such a project.

Content marketers and digital marketing experts can help the website and your business rank for the keywords you choose, but you’ll only get better results when you’re aware of what your customers are really looking for when they need information or want to make a purchase.

Uncovering such insights about your target audience requires something special. You need to focus on them, completely. You need to think like them, go where they go, and see the world through their eyes.

Here are some ideas to help business leaders get a better understanding of what their audience really wants:

# 1 | Attend conferences:

While it may not seem like the best way to learn about what’s in the mind of the customer at a florist’s shop, it’s a great place for automakers and LED manufacturers to learn about their target audience.

Industry-specific conferences bring specialists together and attract a lot of customers who’re evaluating or reviewing products and services relevant to them.

Here, the crowds will tell you what exactly they’re exchanging their time and money for – and what your content needs to discuss.

# 2 | Listen to podcasts:

Successful podcasts often help marketers understand their audience better, especially if hosted by an end-user instead of an industry insider.

Ideally, listening to podcasts about your industry will give you a new perspective on what’s critical to your industry. It’s your chance to learn about new angles (that interest your audiences) to the same stories.

# 3 | Use the Amazon book search:

Instead of using the keywords on a search engine to check out the competition, how about using them on the Amazon book search to check out what your audience reads?

It’s going to give you insights about the content they will pay to read and help you better understand what attracts them?

Is it more appealing to have a known specialist write for you instead of your in-house team? Do your customers need you to focus on solutions rather than better explain the problem? Books can really help understand this.

# 4 | Go back to school:

When was the last time you went to university? A decade ago? Well, universities have changed and evolved – and they’ve updated their curriculum.

Giving your old professors or the dean a call is worth a shot. It might help you re-discover what’s most current in your industry and what is coming next.

This approach is most useful for companies in science, technology, economics, and math.

# 5 | Create a survey:

When people see a survey and a report, they think that the company has made efforts to understand the industry and their needs – and invest time in engaging with the content.

It’s a great way for companies to not only create exceptional content that is authentic and high-quality, but also an opportunity to make the audience feel that the business cares about them.

Conducting and publishing surveys also gives marketers the required understanding of the target audience that can help bring other marketing efforts on-track.

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