Search engine optimization for local businesses is the future. Think of this as playing the “long game”.
Advertising is a good way to get a lot of eyes on a single focus. That’s why there is big money in that.
Let me be very clear before going further, I love advertising. LOVE it.
Advertising can be a long-term asset if used correctly.
So, what do you do to get more eyes on your business and website quickly without spending any money on ads?
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5 Ways search engine optimization can help your firm grow faster
- Get found more on Google, your audience of prospects grows
- Become a thought-leader, your audience of prospects grows
- Gain notoriety in your industry, your audience of joint venture partners grows
- Provide focused messaging to your audience, your leads grow
- More leads means more opportunities for sales
It’s fairly simple, but often overlooked.
Getting your firm found more on Google
In order to get your law firm or accounting firm, or other professional services firm or agency, found more on Google you need provide valuable resources that can answer questions already being asked on Google and other search engines.
Questions like:
- small business insurance (~10,000 searches on Google per month)
- best tax attorney near me (390 searches on Google per month)
- How to build a business plan? (880 searches on Google per month)
These questions are getting a lot of searches per month on Google.
When you create value around terms that get a lot of search volume, you get seen more often.
The internet is full of data, but a very small percentage is actually helpful to people searching for specific needs, problems, and solutions.
Become a thought-leader in your industry
Thought-leadership is a great way to start adding value to your website in order to build an audience.
By helping people find answers to their questions in the form of “did you know…” or “how to…” can build trust and help you attract and keep attracting an active and engaged audience.
This is similar to Grant Cardone’s idea of “omnipresence” he talks about in many of his books. Be everywhere saying the same things and more people start to take notice of you.
Thought-leadership can help take you to new niches or help you become the dominating force in your current niche.
Gain notoriety in your industry
When you win awards or are recognized by an industry body, people within your industry take notice.
This is a great way to expand your joint-venture partnerships, but for search engine optimization, this is a great way to get other people talking about and linking back to your website.
This of this in the sense of Public Relations, getting others to talk about you.
Finding new ways to leverage the connections you have, the connections you’ve just gained from your notoriety, and combining that into your SEO strategy… trifecta, my friend.
Focus your search engine optimization and marketing messaging
By clarifying your message and being really focused in both subject matter and intended audience or target market, you help build authority.
Authority within a niche could mean a steady stream of new clients for your firm. If you do it right.
You can learn how to clarify your message from many different sources, but my favorite is StoryBrand.
Their simplified ideas and emphasis on clarity in language is crucial to your success.
Getting more leads and turning them into more sales
Finally, the old cliché of more leads equals more sales… well, no. It doesn’t.
More leads simply means more leads.
Getting in front of more people and making more offers will inevitably mean that you get more sales, but the proportion of leads/sales will likely stay the same.
Unless, you are able to increase your win while also increasing the number of leads you generate.
I’ve purposely kept this point last in the list to help emphasize how important the rest are.
I believe in the compounding effects of 1% gains in many areas. This is how search engine optimization works!
Making small changes or increases over time builds into lasting successes for Get Quirked and for our clients.
So, when you get more leads you CAN get more sales, but it’s not always that simple.
With the right SEO plan and action on it, you can build an audience that knows, likes, and trusts you. When they are ready, they will come to you and become a lead… which, unless you screw it up, will then become a sale and a happy client.
Search engine optimization can help your firm
…but only if done with a plan and action is taken from that plan.
The basics of SEO are, listen to the questions being asked by your prospects and leads and existing clients… then, answer them.
It’s simple, and there are finer points to consider, but those are the basics.
Marcus Sheridan, author of “They Ask You Answer”, tells us to listen more and simply answer questions. In as many ways as you can, answer those questions.
If you’d like some help building your search engine optimization plan and implementing it, leave a comment below or use the chat feature on the right to start a conversation!
I look forward to seeing, and helping, your firm or agency thrive for years to come.
