Digital marketing strategy: Strategic SEO – Give before you Get

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When discussing digital marketing strategy, still so often I hear talk about how to acquire fans and views for the cheapest amount.  I tend to find that a misplaced, old-fashioned discourse that will likely create accidents online and even bigger headaches down the road.  It’s just no longer acceptable!  For many, under those expectations, the opportunity for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) will be muzzled by impatience and insatisfaction for not having started with a legitimate, well-constructed digital marketing strategy in the first place (much less a fully integrated marketing strategy).  I believe that one of the most under-utilized and undervalued tools today is to have observation sessions of consumers surfing the web.  Pure players are used to that, but big brands and, especially older executives in large corporations, are probably many light years from understanding the consumer experience online.  As a result, they struggle to adopt the correct digital marketing mindset.

Digital marketing strategy – first stop: content

Digital Marketing Strategy - cogs teamwork at the Myndset Brand Strategy

As opposed to preoccupying oneself with the number of eyeballs, fans and followers, the key issue is coming up with the value-added content that one is going to provide to the intended audience.  If the content is perceived as valuable, genuine and timely, there is a good chance that the eyeballs will follow with a higher level of interactivity, engagement and, ultimately, impact.  That content needs to provided in the right format, across the right platforms and with due consideration for the intended audience.

Strategic SEO means great content

Only once the editorial line of that content has been well and truly considered — and bought into throughout the organization — then SEO takes all its power.  When constucting a digital marketing strategy, the relationship to eyeballs and views is, of course, important.  But, the race for numbers cannot overshadow the content marketing strategy and the accompanying search engine optimization.  Is there an ideal mix between search engine marketing and search engine optimization?  Yes, but it depends on each brand and context!  In other words, there is no magic number. {Tweet this} As the pressure mounts to “perform” over the short-term, the risk is to overweight and over-rely on the short cut that Google CPC adwords and Facebook ads represent.

Going against the flow

There is an inexorable feeling to the way that the giants of the Internet search world (Google, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter) will gain evermore ad revenues from brands grasping for numbers.  These are typically the brands that have not transformed into a social digital marketing mindset.  At this point in time, 94% of people will not click on anything beyond the first page.  I wonder how many people reading this post know that Google has craftily, without much fanfare, changed its landing page such that certain search terms come up with only seven results on the top page?  {See below}  If the natural results on the first page are now just 7 deep instead of 10 items, the real estate on that first page is getting ever more expensive.  If you haven’t noticed, try it yourself — you can observe the front page below for “themyndset.”  According to Compete.com (via Search Engine Watch), note that the first natural result gets 53% of the traffic.

Digital Marketing Strategy SEO, The Myndset Brand Strategy

Strategic SEO = Socially Earned Online

The other element that continues to gain weight is the social media “enhanced” results.  A post I wrote recently was first listed — on the front page in position #3 — in Google as part of Google+ post.  It was only 12 or so hours later that the post was listed in its own right.  The importance of social love and/or social proof about a post’s interest and integrity relative to a search term means that, even when we programme, incite or otherwise are retweeted, the way people write about you is super important.

As the search engines continue to ferret out the “gamers,” link farmers and otherwise empty brands, the role of SEO will take a formal and pivotal role in structuring a proper digital marketing strategy.  In this approach, SEO is optimizing true content that is relevant to the audience, adding value and, in many cases, time sensitive.  That is what I mean when I refer to strategic SEO.

The fundamental issue is that this is a long-term strategy that must be confronted with short-term results.  It is important to find the right mix for your business between SEM and SEO.  Ultimately, the right mindset means giving before you expect in return. {Click to Tweet}  If you want to get the right digital marketing strategy, start with giving good quality and value.  The numbers should over the long haul flow thereafter.

Your thoughts and reactions are welcome!

Here is some good follow-on reading on the topic of Strategic SEO:

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Minter Dial

Minter Dial is an international professional speaker, author & consultant on Leadership, Branding and Digital Strategy. After a successful international career at L’Oréal, Minter Dial returned to his entrepreneurial roots and has spent the last ten years helping senior management teams and Boards to adapt to the new exigencies of the digitally enhanced marketplace. He has worked with world-class organisations to help activate their brand strategies, and figure out how best to integrate new technologies, digital tools, devices and platforms. Above all, Minter works to catalyse a change in mindset and dial up transformation. Minter received his BA in Trilingual Literature from Yale University (1987) and gained his MBA at INSEAD, Fontainebleau (1993). His books include Heartificial Empathy, Putting Heart into Business and Artificial Intelligence, bowed in December 2018 and won the Book Excellence Award 2019 as well as being shortlisted for the Business Book Awards 2019. It's available in Audiobook, Kindle and Paperback. He is also co-author of Futureproof (Pearson, Sep 2017) and sole author of The Last Ring Home (Myndset Press, Nov 2016), a book and documentary film, both of which have won awards and critical acclaim. Minter's latest book, You Lead, How being yourself makes you a better leader, published by Kogan Page, won the Business Book Award 2022 in the category of Leadership. It's easy to inquire about booking Minter Dial here.

30 Comments, RSS

  3. How To Learn SEO – 5 Steps For Beginners | David Wood's MLM Marketing Prosperity Blog
    March 6, 2013 at 1:55 am

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  4. How To Learn SEO – 5 Steps For Beginners | David Wood's MLM Marketing Prosperity Blog
    March 6, 2013 at 1:55 am

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  5. best seo and im blog
    March 6, 2013 at 7:39 am

    I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was wondering what all is required to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog
    like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% certain. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

  6. best seo and im blog
    March 6, 2013 at 7:39 am

    I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was wondering what all is required to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog
    like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% certain. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

  21. Lyon Fournier
    June 14, 2013 at 6:01 am

    How true. Many brands start on the wrong foot with their audience through pure self promotion. Content that aims to please and actually entice into social interaction vouches for indirect influence in between connected peers.

  22. Lyon Fournier
    June 14, 2013 at 6:01 am

    How true. Many brands start on the wrong foot with their audience through pure self promotion. Content that aims to please and actually entice into social interaction vouches for indirect influence in between connected peers.

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