More Clicks, More Clients: Winning on Google Search
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve is not just a goal - it’s a necessity. In this blog, we’ll cover the three key points that we discussed during our recent talk at the SAM Networking Business Expo: Google Business Profile, SEO and Google Ads.
Google Business
Profile
What exactly is a Google Business Profile, and why should you harness its capabilities?
Google Business Profile is a free tool from Google that enables businesses to take control of how they appear in Google Search and Maps. It serves as a virtual storefront, allowing you to showcase essential information like your address, hours of operation, contact details, and website—all in one convenient location.
So, why should ambitious businesses like yours pay attention to this digital gem? The answer is simple but compelling:
Enhanced Local Visibility: Be seen by nearby customers actively seeking your products or services. With a staggering 46% of Google searches geared towards local information, optimising your Google Business Profile is key to capturing local market share.
Build Trust and Credibility: Verified profiles with reviews and photos not only enhance credibility but also drive engagement. Businesses with an engaging visual presence receive 42% more direction requests and 35% more website click-throughs—solidifying the importance of having an online image.
Drive Meaningful Engagement: Make it simple for your audience to contact you through easy-to-access contact options. From calls to visits, messages, and bookings, empowering customers to take action directly from your profile can yield tangible results. A typical business can receive an average of 59 actions per month, with 16% of them being direct calls.
In a world where digital first impressions can make or break a business, mastering the art of Google Business Profile optimisation is non-negotiable. It's not just about being present online; it's about thriving and connecting with your target audience on a deeper level. The power lies within your Google Business Profile—your gateway to enhanced visibility, trust, and engagement.
Key Features and
benefits of
Google Business Profile
Key Features:
Business Info: Showcase your address, hours, contacts, and website for easy access.
Photos & Videos: Highlight your products, space, or team to engage your audience visually.
Customer Reviews: Interact with feedback publicly to build trust and credibility.
Posts & Updates: Stay connected with your audience by sharing news, promotions, and events.
Insights Dashboard: Track customer interactions and behaviours to continuously refine your strategy.
Benefits for Business Owners:
Increase Online Visibility: Stand out in the digital crowd and attract more eyes to your brand.
Enhance Customer Experience: Delight your customers with seamless interactions and personalised touchpoints.
Boost Local SEO Rankings: Skyrocket your visibility in local searches and outrank the competition.
Grow Leads and Foot Traffic: Drive quality leads and foot traffic to propel your business forward.
Control Your Online Presence: Decide how your brand is perceived online.
Search Engine
Optimisation (SEO)
SEO lies at the core of every successful digital marketing strategy. It’s the practice of improving a website's visibility in search engine results to attract more organic (non-paid) traffic. It involves optimising content, structure, and technical elements to ensure search engines understand and rank the site effectively.
Why Does SEO Matter?
SEO drives the majority of web traffic to your site, with over 53% of all website traffic coming from organic search, making it the most significant source of visitors for most websites. But the significance goes beyond mere numbers; it's about building trust and credibility. Appearing at the top of the search results not only signals authority but also signals trust to the discerning eyes of users. Did you know that 75% of users never go beyond the first page of search results? Making it more important than ever to make sure you are appearing as close to the top as possible. SEO also helps to deliver long-term return on investment (ROI) – SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate, compared to only 1.7% for outbound methods like cold calling or direct mail, making SEO a cost-effective long-term strategy.
Amplifying your SEO impact requires dedication and precision and it’s important to remember that success doesn’t happen overnight —it's a marathon, not a sprint.
Core Areas of SEO
On-Page SEO: Crafting strategies to optimise individual web pages for better search visibility.
Technical SEO: Improves the backend structure to help search engines crawl and index your site effectively.
Off-Page SEO: Building domain authority and credibility through external factors (backlinks) to elevate search rankings and increase visibility.
User Experience: Curating seamless, intuitive website interactions and interfaces that prioritise user satisfaction and engagement. Becoming a growing priority for search engines like Google.
Getting Started
with SEO
Venturing into the realm of SEO marks the first step towards unlocking your business's full potential. But where do you begin?
Step 1: Keyword Research
Identify high-value, relevant keywords that resonate with your audience, this will help you drive high-value traffic to your site. Dive into the realm of short-tail (e.g. record player) and long-tail keywords (e.g. best record player for 1970s 45 vinyls), prioritising those with substantial search volume to pave the way for enhanced visibility and engagement. It’s important to have a mix of both short and long tail keywords, as each will bring different results. Short tail keywords are searched for more often, but can include users at every stage of the buying cycle. Whereas long tail keywords tend to be searched less often, but are more likely to be searched for by people who have already done some research and/or know exactly what it is they’re looking for.
Step 2: On-Page Optimisation
Transform each web page into a beacon of search visibility by strategically deploying target keywords in title tags, headings, and meta descriptions. Elevate your URL structure for optimal performance, ensuring that your content is high quality, relevant, and clear to satisfy user intent.
Step 3: Technical SEO Setup
Forge a solid foundation by embracing mobile responsiveness and swift loading times. Embrace tools like Google Search Console and XML sitemaps to strengthen your site's indexing capabilities. Address crawl errors, broken links, and duplicate content to streamline search engine interactions and propel your site towards the digital summit.
Step 4: Content Creation & Blogging
Start sharing your insider knowledge by launching a blog that caters to information-seeking queries within your industry. Let your content captivate, educate, and engage, establishing your brand as a thought leader in your industry. Create evergreen content (that stays relevant over time) and update it regularly and aim for valuable, shareable content that will earn backlinks naturally.
For more information on SEO - contact us, check out our SEO Blogs or take your first step and request a free SEO audit by either scanning the QR code below or visiting our SEO page.
Google Ads
Google Ads is an online advertising platform developed by Google, where businesses pay to display ads on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs), YouTube, and across the expansive Google Display Network. It operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning advertisers only pay when someone clicks their ad. Step into the realm of digital dominance with Google Ads, a revolutionary online advertising platform meticulously crafted by Google.
Google processes over 8.5 billion searches daily (that’s nearly 6 million per minute!), illustrating the unparalleled opportunity for your business to secure instant visibility at the top of search results. The average return is £2 for every £1 spent on Google Ads, making it one of the most cost-effective digital marketing channels. Google Ads also has precise targeting capabilities, which allow advertisers to reach their ideal audience, connecting with users precisely when they are primed to engage and convert. Advertisers can target by location, device, time, interests, and even search intent.
Key Features of Google Ads
Keyword-Based Targeting: Reach users based on their active search queries.
Ad Formats Variety: Choose from multiple ad types tailored to specific campaign objectives. These include Search, Display, Video, Shopping and more.
Advanced Audience Targeting: reaching the right audience at the right time. Google Ads offers a number of audience targeting options, each designed to capture different groups of users based on their interest, online activity and even whether they have visited your site before.
Budget Control & Bidding Options: Savvy spending with automated bidding and control through individual campaign budgets.
Performance Tracking & Analytics: Get clear insights into ROI and user behaviour to continuously refine your strategies.
Getting Started with
Google Ads
Set Clear Campaign Goals
Define objectives that align with your business growth vision - what does success look like to you?
Choose the Right Campaign Type
Match campaign formats like Search, Display, Video, Shopping, or Performance Max to your goals.
Target the Right Audience
Leverage advanced targeting options such as keywords, location, demographics, and remarketing for precision targeting.
Craft High-Converting Ads
Create compelling ad copy that resonates with user intent, driving actions and results.
Launch, Track & Optimise
Monitor performance closely with real-time analytics, then refine keywords, bids, and creatives to maximise ROI.
To find out more about Google Ads, visit our Paid Media Blog or get in touch to discuss how we can help.
Conclusion
Get ready to unleash your potential and watch your business soar. Elevate your online visibility, enhance customer experience, and control your online presence to captivate local audiences. Dive into the power of SEO with our expert strategies to boost rankings and drive leads. Harness the precision of Google Ads to connect with your ideal audience and amplify your brand’s voice across Google's expansive network. We hope you found this blog helpful and enjoyed the talk if you attended. We look forward to seeing you again next year!
The Neon Grid Team
