Where is YOUR business currently ranking on Google?

Search Engine Optimisation, commonly referred to as SEO, is the process of being found organically through unpaid marketing strategies within search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. SEO is a regular and ongoing process that uses strategic content creation and positioning to improve user experience and online visibility.

This form of marketing is ideal for the long-term. The more active your site is (uploading up-to-date content, link building and other factors) the more authoritative, credible, and trustworthy it becomes. In turn, Google, along with other search engine bots, will thoroughly crawl through and index your site’s information and rank it accordingly.

Discoverability

• How can I make my site visible to the right target audience?
• What marketing strategies should I be implementing?
• What are my SMART Goals?
• Why won’t my business appear when I search "local businesses near me"?

These questions, and many more, are valid and should be considered with creating your marketing strategy to enhance your business’s online visibility.

There is no one way or standard methodology to develop a strong SEO strategy. A strategic SEO approach differs from business to business, but there are some key elements that you can use, including:

• Research
• Keyword Analysis
• Content Strategy
• Link Building
• Local and on-page vs off-page
• Social Strategy

You have most likely heard the term SEO used in marketing conversations, along with the promise, “We can get you to number one!”

But what they aren’t sharing with you is the groundwork and the time it will take to get your business to number one on Google, or any other search engine for that matter.

SEO is considered a long-term strategy and although the results aren’t instant, given a few weeks your online traffic will start to increase. This process strengthens your website’s position, building its overall authority and trust to ensure a website that is highly-regarded by its viewers and visited regularly by your target demographic.

When discussing SEO and what it takes to get to the first page of search results, we refer to the tree analogy. For example, anyone going for a stroll through a park you will see all the beautiful, large trees. But what they cannot see are the roots which provide the foundation and sustenance to the tree, and which made it into what it appears as to passers-by. The same applies to your business ranking; it is the groundwork that forms the foundation for its success.

Search Engine Marketing, or SEM, refers to the process of Paid Search Advertising, also known as Pay-Per-Click (PPC) or Google Ads.

An SEM campaign enables companies and advertisers to place and promote their ads in front of their targeted customers at the right time and place. This form of marketing is great for short sprints but will only benefit your business for the here and now.

We could dive into what an SEM advertisment looks like, but it is more valuable to understand some of the terminology behind paid advertising first.

Now you know the components of an SEM advertisement, this is what one looks like in action!

The battle is on!

• Do you know the difference between SEO and SEM?
• Which one are you more likely to use for long-term benefits?
• What is the purpose of each marketing strategy?

Today there are over 100 social media platforms being used globally. Social Media Marketing (SMM) refers to how businesses market to their clients through vast numbers of these digital platforms. To reach the right target audience, you need to know which social platforms are prominently used by your audience and which also align with your brand identity.

Before you dive into just any platform, take a moment to reflect on your business goals. What is it that you aim to achieve from your SMM? For example: I want to increase the sale of my locally designed and handmade dresses.

Next, consider your target demographic and determine which social platforms they engage with. If the target market is women aged 18 – 34, what is the best platform to use? With research, we can establish that Instagram is a popular platform with our target demographic.

Then there are other factors to consider:

• What type of dresses are you selling?
• What is the price point?
• Are these dresses being sold online or through a shop front?
• How will you visually display your dresses? Will you have women model them?

Once these questions have been answered and you have agreed that Instagram is the right platform, it is time to create an account and develop a content strategy.

Tip: Never let a social media account stay static for too long. As suggested by its name, social media requires being socially active, and interaction with your customers determines its success.

What’s trending in the world of SMM?

• User Generated Content – Content created by your users. For example: posting a group image from a school ball where all the girls are wearing your designer dress. User content can also refer to videos, text, and audio.
• Social Listening – The process of monitoring your business's social channels and responding to conversations where your brand is mentioned.
• Video content – Video content creation is becoming more prominent on social media. Where possible, try incorporating short videos with a direct Call to Action (CTA).
• Personalised content – Your users are more likely to interact with you if your content is personal. Try to share experiences or create an environment that your users can relate to.

Benefits of SMM

• Increased link ability.
• Make tagging and bookmarking easy.
• Reward inbound links.
• Helps content travel.

Are your SEO vitals up to scratch? Do you know what needs to be optimised on your website or what errors are appearing?

When it comes to optimising your business’ website for SEO, there are several things that should be considered. Our top six areas of consideration for your website’s SEO vitals are listed below.

Top Six

1. User Experience: How friendly is your website? Does your overall bounce rate fall in the perfect average of 55%? Your bounce rate refers to the percentage of visitors who enter your website and shortly leave without continuing to read on or click through to other pages.
2. Call-to-Action (CTA): Is your call-to-action clear and easy to follow?
3. Mobile-friendliness: Consider the navigation and readability of your content and if all on-page elements are working simultaneously.
4. HTTPS-Security: Is your website secure?
5. Content Strategy: Is your content easily digestible? Does it hold authority and credibility? What size and font have you used?
6. Link Strategy: Are the links within your page working and relevant?

Search engines like Google use algorithms to crawl through and index web pages. An algorithm refers to a set of processes that are curated by a calculation and/or other problem-solving operations to identify specific searches. They then influence the display of search results.

Google’s Algorithms 

• Updated for mobile-friendliness, safe browsing, and links.
• Loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability.
• Consider optimising your business website for mobile, therefore improving page speed, call-to-actions (CTA) and alternative text (Alt text).

Other Algorithms

There are several algorithms which all work in conjunction to provide the end-user with the ultimate search experience. We have listed eleven of these algorithms below, including their functions and what they are best used for:

These are just five questions you should consider when identifying keywords for your business:

1. What makes your business unique?
2. How would you describe your business?
3. Who are your competitors?
4. What is your website’s online age?
5. Who is your target audience?

What are keywords?

A keyword refers to a word or phrase which helps identify your business.

Short Tail, Long Tail & Location Specific

• Short Tail – Typically consists of one to three words.
• Long Tail – Usually consists of three or more words.
• Location Specific – This implies there is a specific location that you are wanting to target.

Six Steps to identifying your keywords

1. Research
2. Brainstorm
3. Review
4. Create
5. Implement
6. Analyse & Repeat

Content is King!

What piece of online content recently stood out to you?

For me, it would be the below social media post from Happiness Co.

Happiness Co are:

“An organisation aimed at positively impacting people’s lives and encouraging them to spread happiness; helping make the world a better place.” (Direct from https://happinessco.org/our-mission)

The post captured my attention and resonated with me on a personal level. But let’s delve deeper and see how Happiness Co accomplished this.

Like any form of marketing strategy there is a process. When creating content, I like to start with research – research as much as you can about the topic and get inspired! In conjunction with research, I endeavour to understand my audience:

• Who they are?
• What are they seeking?
• What language should I be using; what is my desired tone and point of view (POV)?
• How can I positively influence and impact what they are about to read?

Next, start writing. Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect, just get your thoughts onto paper. When doing this consider these five points:

1. Be Creative
2. Be Memorable
3. Be Impactful
4. Be Unique
5. Be Interactive

But most importantly keep it simple, by following the acronym TEEL (Topic, Example, Explanation, Link). This way you can ensure the content you are producing will be more  memorable and more impactful. Resonating with your audience will increase personal connection and engagement.

Link building refers to the process of generating links within your website, whilst also having other websites and influencers link back to your website. There are two types of link building: Internal and External, which are explained in further detail below:

Internal Links

An internal link is a link that stays within your website and social media pages. For example, a word in your blog links back to a service page on your website, or you provide a link to your blog via a social media post.

External Links

External linking refers to another company directing a link back to your web page, or your company creating and directing a link to another company’s web page.

Fact: Releasing content without links reduces your referral traffic and can delay the increase in your position ranking on search engine result pages.

Activities & Methods to consider

Improve value of your existing content. Improving, repurposing, and republishing your current content increases the chances of others linking back to what you have discussed.

Trial guest posting to build up your link bank. It is important to understand your company and target audience, so that you can carefully select influencers that resonate with your audience.

Other activities include

• Social Media
  • Use personalised messaging and @mentions to acknowledge others.
  • Ask individuals to share your content through @mentions and hashtags.
• Network
  • Be sure to build connections with sites or writers for future collaborations.

• What is "Google Analytics"?
• What terms should I know?
• What should I be monitoring regarding Google Analytics?

Google Analytics lets you monitor your business’s website traffic and engagement.

1. Google’s Core Algorithm Updates.

2. Research and identify keywords specific to your business.

3. Generate written content focusing on E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritative, Trustworthy).

4. Optimise for voice search.

5. Consider artificial intelligence.

6. Create more video content.

Fact: The #1 result in Google’s organic search results has an average click-through-rate (CTR) of 31.7%. 

Search Engine Optimisation is the process of ranking organically through unpaid marketing strategies within search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

At Novata Solutions we collaborate closely with our clients to understand their business values, ensuring that a tailored solution is implemented. These tailored solutions aim to identify and utilise the right keywords at the right time and across all places to secure the best ranking possible on Google and other search engine results pages.

Who are Contatore Engineering?

Contatore Engineering is an Australian-owned and operated engineering company located in Welshpool. Established in 1990, Contatore Engineering have been providing trusted and reputable quality products and services to the earthmoving and mining industries across Western Australia. Over the last 30+ years Contatore Engineering have grown to employ 50 full-time staff members and now specialise in producing quality and bespoke products for their clients.

After not receiving the support they required, Contatore Engineering approached Novata Solutions to develop, manage and increase their Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), amd develop their social media presence (SMM).

The Problem

Contatore Engineering needed a new strategy and support regarding their SEO, SEM and Social Media presence. Therefore, in December 2019 after the launch of their brand new, modern, and interactive website, Novata Solutions sat down with Contatore Engineering to develop a new marketing strategy that would increase their overall online visibility and brand awareness.

• Was ranking high or first in Google your main interest? What other criteria were you wanting to have/achieve regarding your SEO? “With regards to range on Google, a high ranking is a priority as we are in a highly competitive market. The other important factor in relation to our business was also getting our business name out in the market. To make Contatore Engineering a known entity in the market.” - Contatore Engineering

The Solution

It is integral to have a strategy in place, when optimising a business’s SEO. Therefore, Novata Solutions devised a strategic yet creative plan to enhance Contatore Engineering’s brand awareness, calls and overall click-through-rate (CTA). The plan included careful research and consideration of keywords, content campaigns, and highlighting various product lines and services including for sale, hire and monthly specials.

• Can you share any metrics that show the success you have received while investing in our SEO services? “In terms of metrics we have seen an increase in phone calls from Google ads and website enquiries.” - Contatore Engineering

Prior to investing in Novata Solutions SEO, SEM and Social Media strategy, Contatore Engineering’s visibility and particularly their social status was non-existent. Therefore, building connections and recognitions from the ground up.

• Since investing in an SEO Strategy, have your sales increased and/or recognition of your business increased? “Recognition of the business has substantially increased via followers on our Facebook and Linked-in profiles which has been fantastic.” - Contatore Engineering

The Benefits

In the first eight weeks of implementing an SEO, SEM and Social Media Strategy, Contatore Engineering saw an increase of 70% in users and new users to their website and a 1.4% increase in returning visitors to their website.

Over the last twelve months since investing in an SEO, SEM and Social Media strategy with Novata Solutions, Contatore Engineering saw an 86% increase in online traffic and engagement through their website.

Novata Solutions Difference 

At Novata Solutions we offer a strategically proven and tailored approach to continue increasing your business’s online visibility. This increase has successfully been achieved through SEO, SEM and SMM tactics. 

In one sentence how would you describe the implemented SEO Strategy and its impact on your company?

“After 12 months of working with Novata with our SEO strategy we have seen an improvement in terms of our ranking on Google. At the beginning of the implementation of our strategy, our presence on LinkedIn was terrible, basically non-existent! We now have close to 300 followers which is great, however we have a goal of reaching 1000 within the next 12 months. While it has been a lot of work, we are now beginning to see the benefits and rewards and that is attributed to the guidance and feedback from the team at Novata who have always been supportive and cooperative.” - Contatore Engineering