There are lots of terms flying around out there about SEO, Domain Authority,
Digital Marketing, Social Media and more...especially SEO. From a high-level, what you're really looking for is to grab someone's attention and get them to visit your site. Trying to figure out the nuances to how Google and other search engines point people to your website can be exhausting, so in this article we're going to highlight key points of interest and keep it as simple as possible to help in understanding what you really need to think about regarding your online presence and looking at it in a holistic, efficient and functional way.
Jumping into some key terms you'll hear about regularly as you begin your online marketing journey, let's talk about digital marketing. There are many types and you can read more about those in detail here, we'll also be diving into them in future blogs. For today, think about digital marketing as follows:
Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimizing your website to improve its ranking in search engine results pages.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: Paying for placement in search engine results pages or on other websites.
Social media marketing: Promoting your brand and content through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Content marketing: Creating and sharing valuable and relevant content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and drive profitable customer action.
Email marketing: Sending marketing messages or newsletters to your email subscribers.
Influencer marketing: Collaborating with influencers to promote your brand or product to their followers.
Affiliate marketing: Partnering with other businesses or individuals to promote your products and services in exchange for a commission.
Video marketing: Creating and sharing videos to promote your brand, products, or services.
Mobile marketing: Promoting your brand and products through mobile devices and mobile apps.
Display advertising: Placing ads on websites or apps in the form of banners, images, or other types of media.
Each of these digital marketing solutions has its strengths and can be tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of a particular business. By combining different solutions and strategies, companies can create a comprehensive digital marketing plan to reach and engage their target audience in a way that works best for them.
Let's review some of the most important elements in looking at your online presence holistically:
A user-friendly website: Your website is the foundation of your online presence. It should be easy to navigate, visually appealing, and optimized for search engines.
High-quality content: Create content that is valuable and relevant to your target audience, including blog posts, videos, and other multimedia.
Social media presence: Establish a presence on relevant social media platforms where your target audience is active. Post engaging content and interact with your followers to build relationships.
Local SEO: Optimize your website and online listings for local search queries to improve visibility in local search results. A great way to do this is also through community engagement.
Online reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews on sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook to help build your online reputation.
Email marketing: Use email marketing to stay in touch with your customers and provide them with valuable content and special offers.
Paid advertising: Consider investing in paid advertising on search engines and social media to increase visibility and drive traffic to your website.
Now, let's address to big players in this space, SEO and Domain Authority. What does it really mean and why is it such a big deal?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
It is the process of optimizing a website and its content (pages, descriptions, images, blogs, etc.) to improve its visibility and ranking in organic (non-paid) search engine results. The goal of SEO is to increase the quantity and quality of website traffic by improving the website's relevance and authority in the eyes of search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo.
SEO involves a variety of techniques such as keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, link building and content creation. These techniques are used to improve a website's relevance and authority for specific search terms or topics.
The ultimate goal of SEO is to create a website that is not only search engine-friendly but also user-friendly, providing a great experience for visitors while also providing the information they are looking for. By improving the quality and relevance of a website's content, optimizing its technical structure, and building high-quality backlinks, SEO helps businesses to attract more relevant and valuable traffic to their website, which can lead to increased visibility, leads, and sales.
Domain Authority (DA) is a score that predicts how well a website will rank in search engine results pages (SERPs).
It is a metric developed by Moz that rates a website's authority based on its link profile and other factors such as its age and content quality. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a higher likelihood of ranking well in search results. The score is based on a complex algorithm that considers factors such as the number and quality of external links pointing to a website, the relevancy and quality of its content, and the website's overall technical structure.
In simple terms, a website with a high Domain Authority is seen as more a
uthoritative and trustworthy by search engines, which can lead to higher search rankings and more organic traffic. However, DA is just one of many factors that search engines use to rank websites, and it should not be the only metric used to evaluate the success of a website.
Domain Authority is important for your business because it can directly impact your search engine rankings and, in turn, your website traffic and visibility. A website with a high DA is more likely to rank well in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find your business online. It can also be an important factor when evaluating your website's online reputation and credibility.
It's also worth noting that DA is just one of many factors that search engines use to determine rankings, and it's not a guarantee of success. However, by focusing on building a high-quality website with a strong backlink profile and other SEO best practices, you can increase your website's DA and improve your chances of ranking well in search results.
How can you do all of this if you're a solopreneur or small business?
We've covered a lot here and it may seem daunting but with the right strategy, planning and time, it can all be done in a way that works best for you AND your budget. Depending on your business needs, certain aspects can be done very quickly. What you need to understand is that even with everything setup, configured and active (i.e. live website, Google Business Profile, optimized keywords, etc.) and your website launches tomorrow that it takes time for the internet to catalog (aka, indexing) all of your information across the entire world. So, in setting expectations, think about it like this:
1st year: Unless you're a major corporation, expect a Domain Authority (or DA) of around 6 - which assumes there are backlinks, keywords, rankings and more
75% of all websites will never hit a DA of 20 or above (achieving a high DA requires a significant amount of effort, time, and investment)
Additionally, the competition for search engine rankings is fierce, and there are many websites that have been around for a long time and have established a strong online presence. For new websites, it can be difficult to gain traction and compete with these established players.
You can have a low DA but do very well with keywords and rankings - there is NOT a 1-1 correlation, DA will keep going up because of longevity (the longer your site is online and being catalogued, the better the DA will be)
Ultimately, the key to building a successful online presence is to provide value to your target audience and build relationships with your customers through engaging content and interaction while maximizing all the tools available to promote your business.
Interested in learning more about this process and SLH Solutions? Click here for your free consultation.