Last week I worked up a quick post to prove a point. It was a simple demonstration that, with laser-focused SEO, results can be achieved MUCH FASTER than expected.
Often times we hear,
“With time and patience, we can get you to the first page of search engines within a few months…”
Yes, in most cases, I have to agree, but, who has a few months to wait?!?
For certain terms, broad-based and popular, getting results on search engines does take time. But think about your brand. Think about the specifics that make you unique to your target audience. If they’re (and I mean your audience) looking for those traits – even if the traits are obscure, then why don’t you rank #1?
A strong brand will have strong qualities that your target audience will be searching for.
Kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? (Even if I did end that sentence with a preposition…)
So, with my test, I chose a strategy that Spoke Communications normally doesn’t blog on, SEO. While it’s part of what we so for our digital marketing clients, we don’t try to compete in the SEO search world because it so saturated. BUT… like I stated above, “A strong brand will have strong qualities that your target audience will be searching for.”
Strong quality… We had a SEO guide that we often use with clients to explain the keyword and research strategies. Simple enough. Based on the concept of skydiving and the urgency one feels as you plummet toward earth… (I can only assume), the strategy is to keep the research broad for the Website, but have specificity when it comes to landing pages and product pages (like this post and last week’s post).
I made it a free download, key-worded the file, the headline, the body copy as well as the tags and descriptions all to rank SPECIFICALLY for the term “SEO guide.” Because, the clients we want are looking for a better guide to SEO. They may be DIY bloggers. They may be small businesses looking for a boost in ranks. In any case, a SEO guide was the solution and the strategy we worked up.
Within 24 hours after posting the blog, the download page and submitting to search engines, we were ranking #1, 2 and 3 out of 11,000,000 returns from Google (in an incognito window search) for the term “SEO Guide Des Moines.” A week later, we’re still there and the images to the upper right show the results (for Des Moines and Iowa).
Listen. SEO is not a game, but it can be fun.
If you’re a Restaurant trying to rank#1 for the search term “Restaurant in {whatever city}” you’re going to have troubles. Build a strategy for your site and your landing pages that are specific and laser-focused at who your target audience is and what THEY will be searching for.
In the end, it’s not so much about what you are but what makes you different. THAT brings in the brand-loyalty and moves you up the search engine pages.
Keep Cooking,
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
