SEO For Marketers – What You Really Need to Know

I’m writing this post for a presentation I’m giving at a networking event for Hard Edge Media. As a marketers networking event apparently it goes off!

Actually I have no idea as it is the first one I have been to but I have heard good things about it. Here is what Andrew Hardwick of Hard Edge Media sent out about the event.

SEO For Marketers at Hard Edge Media

Search engine optimisation is a critical element of any online marketing strategy. Yet there’s so much that goes on ‘behind the veil’ with SEO services – and it doesn’t help that Google regularly changes the rules.

So, as a marketer or business owner, what do you really need to know about SEO? And what’s critical in the provision of SEO services?

In this session, Jim Stewart will cover:

– The top five things you need to be aware of regarding your website and SEO
– What really matters, and what doesn’t, in SEO – and why you should care
– How social media affects your SEO ranking
– Why most corporate websites don’t rank well in Google
– What questions should you ask any SEO provider you work with.

The SEO Top Five

As I prepared this presentation it made me think about what the top five things a marketer should know about SEO.

1. How many pages do you have? How many does Google think you have?

2. Have you had SEO done in the past? Disavowed much?

3. How healthy is your site? Broken links, speed, redirections.

4. Is your content marketing aligned with SEO goals? Interlinking of your content and on page SEO are crucial as is sharing your content.

5. Do you have people publishing? Use Google Authorship.

What Matters In SEO

A healthy site and regular great content.

What doesn’t matter in SEO

Backlink campaign. I’m not saying backlinks don’t matter. I’m saying that a “backlink campaign” is the wrong approach.

How does social media affect SEO?

The more your content is shared the more exposed it is to a larger audience and potentially more customers. You’re looking to get your content exposed with social media not trying to get backlinks from it. If it is good enough that will come in time. I have seen on more than one occasion though, a ranking jump significantly after the page had been shared in social media.

Why most corporate sites don’t rank well

This may seem like a broad statement but most corporate sites we work on are a god awful mess. Sure they will rank well for brand related phrases but when it comes to the longtail or even short tail non brand related, they struggle. This is typically because they are massive sites designed by a committee with no concern for Google.

Questions for an SEO Provider

1. Do you do a backlinking campaign? (If yes run away)
2. Can I speak with some of your clients? (If no run away)
3. How much of the work do you outsource?

I’ll be publishing this post live at the event in the hope of ranking for “SEO For Marketers – What you really need to know”. I know extremely long tail but it’s for demonstration purposes.