How does SMO work with SEO?
As we discussed in our previous post, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website in search engines via organic or un-paid search results. This post addresses how SEO works with SMO to benefit your business.
In general, the more frequently and the higher on the page a site appears in the search results, the more search engine users will visit your site. Traditional SEO involves both “on-page” SEO techniques and external link-building methods. On-page SEO includes strategic optimization of your website’s architecture, code, internal link structure, images and navigation, page titles, meta descriptions and meta keywords. External link building involves generating inbound links from various sources, which increases traffic to your website and improves the overall search ranking for your site. These sites could include online directories, local search systems, professional directories, and other websites (preferably reputable ones with related content to your site).
Over the last year, Google, the dominant force in online search, has instituted several updates to its search algorithm that have changed the game when it comes to traditional SEO strategies. Boiled down to a very simple explanation, Google was tired of people gaming the system with clever tricks to fool its Web crawlers, so it made several changes to its search system to prioritize good, relevant content and de-emphasize—or even penalize—practices that are designed to trick the system.
With these updates, good, fundamentally sound SEO still has a place in your Internet marketing strategy. However, the production of good, relevant content has never been more important. Not only does good content help boost your search results, it also helps you engage your target audience at a more profound level.
That’s where social media optimization, or SMO, enters the picture. What better way to produce good, relevant content in today’s world than via the myriad social media options? Open a dialog with your customer base. Present valuable information to people who are searching topics related to your business. Position yourself as an industry expert that people look to for insights.
Then take that one step further. Connect all that social media content to your main website and your traditional SEO efforts in one, interconnected system. Channel all your online traffic where you want it to go so that your customer engagement turns into customer conversion and sales. That is SMO.
Okay, so how do you accomplish this feat? Well, we can’t speak for everyone out there, but at SMO Pros we’ve developed a successful, proven system with a three-pronged approach. First, we use fundamentally sound SEO practices to maximize your website’s ranking for the most valuable search terms related to your business. Second, we build up your social media assets to fill as many spots as possible in the search results, giving you a broader reach and more avenues to connect with potential customers. Third, we connect everything with cohesive branding and linking structures to channel traffic where you want it most (probably the spot on your website where people give you money).
That’s it in a nutshell, at least. There’s much more too it, and several different levels of service that you can choose. To learn more, contact us to set up a free SMO assessment. We’ll tell you what you’re doing well, where you could improve, and how we could help. And if we can’t help, we’ll tell you that, too. Check it out. It’s interesting and costs nothing.
Until then, get out there, get engaged, and get some more business!