All posts by : tripleosolutions

WHAT IS SEO?
All business owners and marketing professionals operating a business, blog, or website have probably heard of the term “SEO”. Some recognize its importance or may have even been advised that their website should be implementing a monthly SEO program in their marketing strategy – however, what is SEO and what does SEO mean in 2021?

SEO TERMS WORTH KNOWING
• SEO: Search Engine Optimization
• SERP: Search Engine Rankings Page
• Organic: Unpaid placement in the SERPs, also called ‘earned’ or ‘natural’
• KPI: Key Performance Indicator

SEO DEFINED
Search Engine Optimization is the process of optimizing the content and structure of a web page, website or digital property to improve its organic rankings on SERPs. Effective search engine optimization is accomplished through the use of multiple elements working in unison.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SEO?
The purpose of SEO is to increase the quantity and quality of inbound traffic to your website. It is beneficial to both the consumer and business because it connects searchers with content that is most relevant to them. This means that consumers get the information they are looking for, while the business gets direct exposure to their desired target audience because they are providing useful information that helps the searcher make an informed decision during their consumer engagement cycle.

WHY DOES MY BUSINESS NEED SEO?
• Organic search is more visible, more engaging, and results in more traffic
• Organic search is the leading generator of traffic to websites, driving 51% of all traffic.
• Purchase decisions begin with search engines: The Digital Influence Index uncovered that 89% of consumers use search engines to inform purchase decisions. Whether purchasing online or off, the initial research begins with search engines.
• SEO results in more conversions: SEO generates more inbound leads and produces up to eight times more conversions than other marketing and sales avenues.
• SEO is the lifeblood of online engagement for a reason. It yields better results in a more cost-effective fashion when it comes to customer acquisition than traditional approaches.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BUSINESS IMPLEMENTS AN SEO PROGRAM?
SEO yields tangible, measurable KPIs. Clearly defined business objectives pave the way for KPI results that are quantifiable and qualifiable – so the benefits of specific SEO practices can be seen and adjusted appropriately.

DOES MY WEBSITE NEED PROFESSIONAL SEO?
All websites stand to benefit from SEO. There are many approaches a business can take to improve their discoverability online, however, a well-planned digital SEO strategy will produce the best results. To learn about how you can increase traffic to your site and improve the overall health and performance of your website’s rank give us a call.

This On-Page Search Engine Optimization Guide will help you optimize your website pages, so they will have the best chance to get found by your target market. This Guide outlines the most important factors to consider when optimizing each page on your site. These steps are listed based on importance, so don’t skip a step. Also, remember that creating new optimized content on a weekly basis is critical to achieving long-term success with SEO.

Step 1: Choose Keywords
Read the page’s content and identify two (2) keywords that are most relevant to the overall page content. Choose one (1) primary keyword relevant to the page’s content and one variation of that keyword (e.g., plural variation or two closely related keywords) per page. If you can’t identify one primary keyword for a page, you’ll need to create new website pages to separate the different content. If it’s not clear to you what page is about, then your visitors and the search engines won’t be able to understand the page either.

Step 2: Page Title
The page title appears as the blue, bolded, underlined text on a Google search results page, and also on the top left the browser bar. The page title should follow these guidelines:
• Be under 70 characters with no more than two long-tail keywords per page title
• The primary keyword should appear first
• Each keyword phrase should be separated by pipes
• Each page title on your website should be unique
• Except for your homepage and contact us page, each page title should NOT include your business name.

Step 3: Meta Description
The meta description appears on a Google search results page under the Page Title. The meta description helps people decide whether to click on your result, or a result above or below you. Think of it as a call to action. The meta description should follow these guidelines:
• Be under 150 characters (but not under 100 characters; take advantage of the space you have)
• Incorporate the primary keyword and at least one secondary keyword
• Provide a valuable, compelling reason for why someone should visit the page
• Include keywords in a conversational format; don’t just cram in keywords for the sake of listing them

Step 4: URL
The website page’s URL should include the primary keyword. Each word in the URL should be separated using dashes (-). e.g., www.examplesite.com/leverage-technology-to-boost-sale
 
Step 5: Heading Tags
The page should have one H1 heading tag that incorporates the primary keyword, and should align with the page title and the URL or the page. This H1 tag should appear at the top of the page and should be the first thing people see when they arrive on a page.

Step 6: Page Content
Use your primary keyword a few times throughout the page’s content. Don’t overthink keyword density or placement, you should mention them naturally. Try to bold or underline the keyword at least once. This has an effect on how relevant the keyword is to the page. Also mention the secondary keywords when you can.

Step 7: Add a Call to Action
Every website page, including your blog, should have at least one call to action above the page’s fold (Don’t make your website visitor scroll down to see the call to action). Calls to action can help SEO by creating an internal link on your website to a specific landing page. Most calls to action are images; therefore, you can optimize the image filename and alt text for the primary keyword you’re targeting on the page.

Step 8: Internal Links
If you mention the primary keyword of this page on other pages within your site, then link to this page using the primary keyword as the anchor text. For example, you should link to a page about inbound marketing software using the anchor text “inbound marketing software.” To make sure this is completed, take a moment to create one (1) or two (2) links on related pages that link back to the page you’re optimizing.

Step 9: Images
Any images used on the page should be optimized so that search engines can “read” the image. Optimize the most prominent image on the page using the primary keyword, and then use the primary and secondary keywords for any other images. Images can be optimized in two ways:
• Filename: Each word should be separated with dashes (-), e.g. inbound-marketing-software.jpg
• ALT text: The alt text should match the file name, without dashes, e.g. Inbound Marketing Software
If you are unable to change the image file name or if it’s too time-consuming, then only change the most
prominent images’ alt text using the primary keyword.

Meta Keywords
They aren’t part of Google’s or Bing’s search algorithm, so I’m not including them as a step. However, still use your primary and secondary keyword in the page’s meta keywords. Smaller search engines still might use them in their algorithm, but major search engines do not use them. HubSpot does not recommend you optimize your meta keywords.

A lead magnet is a way to get your visitors’ information in exchange for something valuable, from free trials to innovative online audit services, you can offer anything that can be received immediately via email. If it hits the target, visitors subscribe and you earn your leads without annoying them. Lead magnets thus compensate users for their engagement with an obvious advantage.

• Lead magnets deliver value before asking for money;
• The value is available only in exchange for a visitor’s email address;
• Visitor can benefit immediately after the transaction;
• You are providing your leads with useful content and
• Your ‘gift’ helps leads discover additional benefits of choosing your brand.

They provide value and are shareable:
Free high-quality content provides great value. If your ‘bait’ is smart and relevant, it shows your customers that you’re not just trying to sell them something and get their money. It’s easy to share links to your research or to embed your video in a blog post.

They promote your brand as an authority:
Lead magnets, such as case studies, manuals or research help you position yourself as an expert in your industry. You can show your potential customers that you are good at what you do and know how to help them.

TYPE OF LEAD MAGNET:
You can invent your own types of custom lead magnets, highlighting the benefits only your business can provide. You can provide information, entertainment, or bargains.
Here are some ideas of lead magnet that could transform the way you engage new customers:

1. CONTENT “BAIT”
   Content bait is any piece of content that provides clear and immediate value to your audience. For example:
   • Text content: How to guides, reports, whitepapers, cheat sheets, case studies, checklists, etc.
   • Video content: Video guides and video courses.
   • Visuals: Infographics.
   The first step is to offer a piece of content that can solve your customers’ challenges. After they click the button and enter their information, they’ll receive an email with your content attached. This offer can be integrated into your page, or it can appear in pop-ups.
   Social Media Marketing offered its Industry Report for free, providing a short description on the main page. In addition, after spending some time on the page, visitors would encounter a pop-up window that offered a download of a free PDF copy.
2. WIDGETS
   Widgets are built-in tools that integrate with your website or landing pages. They provide your customers with a unique brand experience by offering them a very customized service. They also enable you to collect valid email addresses, or phone numbers, or other personal data about your prospects. For example, some widgets offer a service, a report, or other important information that may be hard to get for free. With the SEMrush Lead Generation tool, you can place a custom widget on your website that allows you to collect business leads. Your site visitors may see a sign-up form, after which they have signed up, will receives a free content via email, while you receive both their email address and the additional data.
   
   Another way to turn your visitors into leads is to add a callback widget to your website. By inserting the code on your site, you enable your potential client to click on the widget icon to contact you directly and request a response. Getsitecontrol forms and popups help you prevent website visitors from leaving without taking action. This is an easy way to establish individual communication with your prospects and to connect when it’s most convenient for them.
3. QUIZZES
   Gamification can be an effective way to attract leads. Using gaming principles allows you to collect the key information you need about your prospective clients. You might create interactive quizzes to encourage users to leave their email addresses, and you can use the collected data for multiple purposes, for example, to customize a welcome email series that is tailored to the answers they gave in the quiz. Teasing your prospective clients and entertaining them with a short and simple quiz, and send the results via email; this is a tried and tested way of generating leads.
4. SURVEYS
   A survey that exists primarily for your market research can also be used as one of the best B2B lead magnets with an eye-catching CTA. Prospects provide their opinions on the topic related to your industry, and you can, in turn, collect data about their interests.
   You can encourage users to answer survey questions and share their contact details in exchange for the whole industry report for free. Better yet, you can also offer the survey results as a data pack in exchange. You may clarify that, their opinions is important to you and other people in your niche.
5. ONLINE DEMOS
   Live demos are useful if your product is comparatively complex, as there are always users who will skip over the ‘”read the manual” step. Engaging your customers in a question-and-answer session can connect them ‘live’ with your customer care.
6. WEBINARS
   Both webinars and podcasts offer new ways to engage with your audience and can be extremely rewarding. You can ask industry experts to take part in your webinar. The more interesting and relevant the topic is the more people are likely to be engaged. Also, provide customers with useful tips while showing them the benefits of your offer, and share your industry knowledge with them. You’ll be building your brand image as someone who assists and grows specialists.
7. ONLINE EVENTS
   You can organize online events and ask people to leave their email addresses to register for an event. Virtual events are not restricted to a single location. This is especially beneficial in these times when remote working and online meetings are becoming the new normal. Event like this will provide your prospective customers the opportunity to learn from specific professionals in the industry and exchange knowledge.
8. FREE TRIALS
   Free trials allow your product to sell itself, eliminating such obstacles as marketing, advertising and potentially pushy messaging. When your customers decide that they need your product after trying it for some time, then you’ve provided them with a great experience.
9. CONTESTS
   Contests have the potential to go viral. Challenge your audience and get them feeling excited about your offer. This is a great way for them to engage more potential customers in their network.
10. SPECIAL OFFERS
    Coupons, discounts, or a few useful freebies are powerful ways to entice an audience to subscribe. Captivating design, combined with the right CTA, can make your offer very attractive. Words like “now” or “limited” can add urgency to the CTA, and motivate customers to quickly take action.
11. TEMPLATES
    One of the good things about templates is that users can download and customize them by filling in the blanks to suit their needs. It’s downloadable and ready to be modified and adapted to individual business needs, makes a great asset for marketers who are looking to add to their collection.
12. LIVE CHATS
    The popularity of live chats has grown in recent years. Chatbot technology that enables you to engage with your customers via a personal assistant on your website continues to evolve, and bots can automatically qualify your leads for you. Drift’s chatbot can have a conversation with your site visitors, ask qualification questions, create leads in your CRM, and book meetings in your calendar for qualified leads. These intelligent virtual assistants can chat on your website 24 hours a day and serve as the best lead magnets without requiring any forms.

Internet Technology is not just essential for day-to-day running of your business but also can help to achieve growth and success when utilized effectively. With the right tools you can adapt to your changing business needs, provide a good level of customer service, minimize operational costs and maximize revenues. Other benefits include:

Respond to change
Organizational ability to respond to change is critical for business success. With the ability to respond rapidly to emerging trends and changing market conditions, you can outperform the competition and drive business growth. Research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests agile businesses grow revenue 37 per cent faster and generate 30 per cent higher profits than non-agile companies. Informed decision-making According to Sage, companies with more effective data grow 35 per cent faster year-over-year. With real-time access to accurate data, you can obtain valuable insights to fuel business decisions. This in turn will support business growth allowing you to make continuous improvements based on your current business performance.

Higher returns
According to Federation of Small Businesses, 85 per cent of small businesses identified investment in new technologies as a key driver for business growth. By simplifying your business processes, modern solutions will free up time allowing you to focus on what matters most growth and revenue generation. Added to this, 53 per cent of businesses believe that by providing real-time and accurate data, modern technology has helped in targeting new customers.

Increased productivity
Flexible and easier to use, new technologies can reduce the cost and complexity of IT management, so your staff can focus on adding business value instead of routine tasks. According to the Telegraph, adopting new technologies can lead to 84 per cent increase in office productivity. The trend is expected to continue, with a further growth of 22 per cent predicted by 2020.

How to leverage technology to improve business performance?
Cloud-based applications are often ideal for SMEs to help them improve business performance, because they tend to carry a lower up-front cost and limit the burden of in-house management. Accessible on different devices, regardless of the location, cloud technology further helps to boost staff productivity and efficiency. Here is how to leverage technology to improve business performance:

Well-thought strategy
For a successful implementation of new technology, it is essential to develop a business plan that documents the business drivers and challenges, the process issues and the existing IT setup. This will help you understand what must be accomplished and implemented in order to achieve desired business goals.

The right tools
According to the Techaisle 2015 SMB Cloud Adoption Trends Study, nearly half of businesses say the cloud makes them more agile, allowing to adapt more quickly to changing business needs. Whether expanding the infrastructure that powers your business applications or adding new PCs, devices and apps that help your employees work more efficiently, cloud offers mobility and scalability to help you anticipate, manage and respond quickly to the dynamic market demands.

Embrace change
You are likely to approach change and new technologies with a healthy amount of skepticism. Depending on the project, it can take several months of planning to develop a sound and future-proof IT strategy that follows the broader vision for your business. Nonetheless, it is important to embrace the pace of that change. Remember, resistance means your business may will slip behind the competition!