Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If no one can find5you, do you exist?
Digital Marketing = Search Engine Optimization + Content Marketing Strategy + Social Media Integration
The research is done, the audience is targeted, the content is crafted, the design is constructed – so where is everybody?
In a very real sense none of the above matters unless web marketing is a priority.
Introducing “Common Sense” Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Everyone’s heard of it, most know it’s important, but very few have a real grasp of what it actually is, and more important, how to intelligently implement it.
Of course, Google doesn’t help matters by continually rolling out algorithms with names like Penguin, Panda, and Hummingbird. And, many in the SEO “community” have capitalized on this confusion by making outlandish promises with little chance of success and a much greater likelihood of penalties.
At the same time, Google is still primarily a search engine and all their various algorithms are in the service of finding the most relevant results for their searchers. Fair enough.
With this in mind, it comes back to understanding your potential audience. What terms or phrases are they likely to use in their search for your services? How well optimized are your competitors’ sites? What can we learn from them?
We don’t have to write for the search engines, just make sure it’s clear what the main focus is for each page. Write intelligently for your audience and Google will follow along just fine.
Then we track and analyze and tweak and track, analyze and tweak some more.
But who can afford dedicated Search Engine Optimization?
That’s where the “Common Sense” part comes in. Many of the big SEO companies charge big bucks for a complete site audit – then charge the same fee every month thereafter (often requiring an 18-month – or longer – commitment.
Last Laugh Creative‘s policy is different. We’ll do a complete site audit for one fee, implement the changes, then, we’ve said, “analyze, tweak, and track” for a considerably lower monthly charge. And our commitment is only six months; although once you start seeing results we think you might like to continue.
Last Laugh Creative has been doing more and more SEO work lately. We started working on our own site; then optimized many clients’ sites. Currently, we’re taking on strictly SEO projects on an extremely selective basis.
Someone is searching for your product or service right now…
Local SEO
The basic principles of Local SEO are the same as Organic Search but pay extra attention to your Google Business Profile listing and make sure your business NAP (Name, Address, Phone) are consistent across all directories. Reviews are very important for Local and backlinks from local businesses, as well as niche links, should be considered.
Content Marketing Strategy
You’ve heard it before but “Content is King.” After all, Google indexes primarily words; your prospective clients / customers are searching for words – with words. So why not give them what they’re searching for?
Social Media Integration
Likewise, Last Laugh Creative is most definitely not a social media firm. It’s important to remember, of course, that potential clients and customers do use social media and you ignore them at your peril.
We believe that social media should be in service to your website: direct followers to your blog or landing pages. On the other hand, some of our clients are more comfortable with their Facebook business page than with their blog. It’s important to know your capabilities, particularly time-wise, and devise a strategy that you’re actually going to maintain.