What is SEO and why is it so important to your business?

It must be said – we admire anyone’s bravery at pushing themselves to understand the curious three-letter acronym that is SEO. So, we extend an approving handshake and encouraging nod for getting yourself to this article.
Now that you’re here, you’re in tremendous luck. At Zeus HQ, we’ve taken the time to dissect the inter-web’s various sources to come up with the most straightforward explanation of the dreaded “Search Engine Optimisation”.
To get our bearings, let’s take a look at the official definition of SEO as quoted on the What Is SEO website:

 

“Search Engine Optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website on organic ("natural" or un-paid) search engine result pages (SERPs), by incorporating search engine friendly elements into a website.”

 

 

And breathe in. It’s quite the mouthful, isn’t it? Let’s break it down in simpler terms.

Our definition of SEO:

SEO is all about where you rank on the pages of search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. For example, if you were to Google “Best restaurants Manchester” you would find that the website ranked the highest in that search is www.restaurantsofmanchester.com. Similarly, if you Googled “Interior design company Manchester” you would see www.curveinteriordesign.co.uk is top of the list.

Why it's so important to your business:

And the significance of being top of any search result on Google doesn’t warrant explanation. Google processes over 3.5 billion searches per day, which is around 40,000 searches per second. Per second. It’s fair to say being in Google’s SEO good books has its perks.
Of course, aiming for your business to be top of Google’s search result – while an admirable aim nonetheless – isn’t always feasible. At least not when you’re just starting out. Increasing your ranking takes a lot of time and effort; something many business owners don’t see the value in investing in.
As an agency with specialisations in content and digital marketing, we’ve seen first-hand what putting time and effort into SEO can do for a business’s results. So, maybe it’s worth dedicating that Wednesday morning slot to brainstorming blog post ideas after all.

 


How content marketing can grow your business

For anyone who is yet to hear the news, let us break it to you gently: businesses need content marketing like humans need oxygen. If you don’t know a whole lot about content marketing, take a read of our last blog post and then come right back.

Trust us, if you want to keep your company ahead of your competitors you’re going to want to start thinking about why you should invest time into nailing content marketing. Here are just a few ways this strategy can grow your business:

 

  1. Raising public awareness

In order to successfully make an impact on your target market, you must first exist to it. In other words, if people don’t know who or what your business is, how can you expect them to buy into it? Content marketing provides a platform through which real interactions can be made on social media and in return, developing an audience that knows your brand.

For example, if you are an interior design company you could produce content (in the form of blog posts, videos, infographs, etc.) on the following:

  • Top tips on how to pick a colour scheme for your bedroom
  • Behind the scenes of refurbishing a kitchen space
  • List of favourite retailers to buy from
  • How to accessorise a mantelpiece or coffee table

Those suggestions might not blow you away but it’s a starting point, and every business needs a starting point to build a successful content marketing campaign.

  1. Showing your customers that you know what you’re talking about

One of the biggest assets of producing quality content is that your audience can see you know more than just a thing or two about your area of expertise, making them more likely to trust you and your company. And as we all know, trust between a company and its customers is crucial especially when even the most niche of markets are ever-expanding and becoming more competitive.

  1. Providing useful information without expecting anything in return

It’s going to seem like a slow and unrewarding process at first, and you may start to resent handing out free information without getting anything in return. However, patience is a virtue and patience is certainly a must-have when it comes to building a relationship with your audience. Nobody is going to jump ship from one brand to another unless you give them good reason to. And if the content you’re producing is good enough, you should see plenty of jumping in the coming months. Letting the customer come to you is far more attractive than hunting them down and begging for business.

  1. Improving your SEO and Google search rankings

If nothing else, content marketing is the one sure-fire method of boosting your rankings in Google’s search engine. Basically, someone is more likely to find your website or social media if they search for particular keywords that may have featured in your content, as Google rewards you by placing you higher in its search rankings. How kind, eh?

In all seriousness, SEO and content marketing go hand-in-hand like two newly-wed lovers, and one will always compliment the other. So, even if you don’t see the immediate benefits of implementing content marketing strategies, stick with it and you’ll be rewarded in time.

Here at Zeus we work hard to ensure our clients have quality content to provide to their audience at all times, and on a daily basis we see the effects a successful content marketing campaign can have on business growth and customer satisfaction. So, take it from us - it works!


What is content marketing?

For those of you mind boggled by the term “content marketing” but hesitant to admit it for fear of societal rejection, fear not – you are in company. Content marketing is an overwhelmingly vague term that has become all the rage for successful businesses in 2017, but what does it actually mean?

According to the Content Marketing Institute, an online encyclopaedia for all things content marketing-related, the definition is as follows:

“Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

Having the definition doesn’t always provide a clearer understanding of the term though, does it? However, there are two keys words we should take from the above definition: valuable and relevant. If your content isn’t providing value to your consumer or isn’t relevant to your business, you won’t reap the rewards content marketing can earn you.
Another great way of understanding content marketing is by simply looking at examples. Below is a list of the most effective types of content marketing we work on with clients:

• Infographics
• Blog posts – e.g. ‘How-to’, lists,
• Articles/case studies
• Videos
• Images
• Testimonials
• Podcasts
• Email newsletters

Something many of you may be wondering by now is what the difference is between content marketing and traditional marketing strategies.

Unlike traditional marketing which is all about pushing your product or service in the customer’s face in the hope they bite, content marketing focuses on enticing the customer by offering them information they can relate to, and as a result, they become more aware of your business and its services.

Content marketing allows the consumer to feel in control of the information they are digesting rather than feeling like it’s being forced down their throats. And with a population that has the shortest attention span in recent history, it’s always more effective to entice your audience rather than force. If you don’t believe us, have a look at the following statistics published on marketing advice website, Smart Insights:

As well as being a reliable source of traffic to your site, content marketing goes hand in hand with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), resulting in higher Google search rankings for your website. It’s a win-win, right?

Here at Zeus, we work with clients to deliver effective content marketing to an increasingly demanding online audience and in doing so, we improve your visibility to potential customers.

It’s safe to say 2017 will see an even bigger growth in businesses using content marketing strategies to their advantage, so we say hop on board the bandwagon now while it’s still rolling past!