How much did Google buy from you last month?
October 26, 2014
Of course that’s an absurd question. We don’t sell to search engines – we sell to humans.
And yet, so many websites tend to pander to the search engines. Why? For top rankings, of course.
In the many years since I entered the world of SEO (search engine optimization), I’ve watched the industry change, change and change again. It’s been a crazy ride. Today, SEO is much different from the days when a few keywords strategically placed on a website would quickly result in high rankings.
Along the way, something very important was lost: the connection between business and customers – the very people who buy our products, hire our services, and promote our work.
Let’s come back down to earth
This isn’t a new revelation. SEO experts have long stressed the fact that websites need to be written for people first, and engines second. It’s easy to understand why. Even with a page one ranking and a high amount of traffic, if your site isn’t connecting with your customers and prospects when they get there, they run in the opposite direction. No connection. No sales.
You need to get real with your website content. Getting real with your web content means getting closer to the wants and needs of your customers, understanding their pain points and offering real-world solutions for them.
And here’s the thing—if you focus on what really matters to your visitors, your business will lead a strong and happy life in the digital space. Heck, your website may even rise in the rankings!
Google and other search engines have made it known that they love good content. They eat it up. And it bodes better for your rankings if your content is unique, relevant, quality content that offers useful information and advice that your customers can trust.
So, SEO is dead?
No, SEO is not dead. It’s just different. Amy Power of The Power Group LLC has this to say about the rumours about the demise of SEO….
“Yes, quality content is ever more important today when it comes to marketing online. But it hasn’t replaced search engine optimization (SEO). What’s happened is that SEO won’t work without great content. Your website and its content still needs to include keywords that your target audience uses to search for your products or services, but filling your pages with keywords (stuffing) will see your page penalized by Google, and thus will rank low.”
In her article, Amy also offers some solid advice on connecting with your visitors on your site, which you can read here.
Are you missing the connection?
Today’s Internet brings your customers closer to you than ever before. If your website isn’t ready to receive your visitors by making that all-important connection, it’s time to get real with your content.