If your company doesn’t appear on the first page of a search, you essentially don’t exist. Can your business afford not to be found? Probably not. But the good news is that a basic SEO understanding and strategy can help you move up in the rankings, providing you with increased traffic and visibility.
What is SEO?
SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization, which can be described in simple terms as the manner in which you improve the visibility of a website or blog in search results via search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. SEO involves a combination of reasoning and creativity to help you gain visibility by search engines and enabling your company’s website to be found.
Items on your website or blog, including words, image tags and links, are analyzed by search engines and recorded as your site’s “keywords” on their servers. When a search is performed, the engines work to match this vast index of files with the words typed into the search box. Results are displayed, or ranked, from the best matched to the worst.
How does SEO work?
Various SEO strategies come into play for boosting optimization and moving you up in the rankings. There are three areas which help to frame search engine optimization for industrial manufacturers – keyword research, content creation and analysis.
Each of these include a wide variety of activities. Whether these tasks will be handled by yourself or by an outside firm, an understanding of the process and its’ components will help drive your program.
Cheaters Never Prosper
When working to increase your rankings, be sure to utilize “white hat” or ethical practices of SEO. Providing superior content, effective keyword usage, proper titles and quality inbound links are all considered white hat techniques.
Unethical, or black hat practices might have short term benefits, but can ultimately have disastrous results for your business by flagging your site as spam and banning you altogether from search engines. Examples of insipid practices include spamming, link farming, keyword stuffing and hidden content.
Search engines are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it all the more important to keep up-to-date on the continually shifting search process. Be sure your marketing objectives are driving your SEO program. Being at the top of a search page that doesn’t apply to your business isn’t going to do any good.
You can’t afford not to be found, and even a basic understanding of SEO and why it’s important will pay off handsomely when it comes to your industrial marketing efforts.
]]>To help keep you ahead of the game, I’ve compiled a list of industrial marketing trends to keep your eye on in going forward.
With the rapid adaptation of smart phones and tablets, mobile-friendly is no longer an option. Mobile has become intrinsic to our daily lives, defining how people interact, socialize and work. The U.S. saw more tham a 55% increase in smart phone subscriptions, with no sign of slowing down.
Search engine optimization (SEO) continues to evolve. More and more emphasis is being placed on the consistent sharing of fresh, quality content. To keep pace with the changes, review your SEO program, optimize your web presence, and expand into social media.
Websites are evolving into one-stop engagement arenas through the integration of social media, blogs, and e-newsletters. The goal is to provide visitors with relevant, fresh, high-quality content. Sites that aren’t being updated on a consistent basis, will be increasingly more difficult to find.
The use of visual platforms such as the infographic and Pinterest, skyrocketed. Videos are now integral components of online marketing strategies, appearing on websites, social networks and blogs.
Social media is no longer a passing trend, evident as consumers spend more time on social sites than any other online venue. B2B marketers are responding, slating 33% of their marketing budgets for content marketing, up from 26% last year. 54% plan to increase their content marketing spending.
Marketing is becoming increasingly more accountable for revenue generation. Analytics allow you to measure how distinct marketing methods are working, and to adjust your strategy for optimum results.
If you haven’t already, take time to review your industrial marketing activity from the last year. Take stock of what worked, what didn’t, and what should be revised going forward. As I like to say, you have to know where you are going before you can get there.
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]]>Your business is swimming in an ever-expanding sea of data. Marketing automation leverages your customer database (CRM) by managing and tracking interactions with, and responses to, each of your industrial marketing efforts.
You now have the ability to collect more data than ever before on prospects and clients – data from websites, blogs, social media, email newsletters and more. Marketing automation is the answer to effectively managing and leveraging all of this information.
From your website and mobile site to email newsletters and social media, every interaction an individual has with any of your marketing efforts will feed into a central “hub.” Timely, targeted responses are then delivered for each interaction based on that individual’s specific interest and action.
Marketing automation software such as Act-On, HubSpot, Marketo and Eloqua, to name a few, have made it easier than ever to gather and share data. These programs serve as the link between marketing and sales teams, automatically arming sales teams with as much data as possible before a lead or prospect is ever contacted. By populating your CRM system with the collected data, these programs enable your sales team to see every interaction an individual has made with your marketing efforts.
Time-consuming days of piecing together data in a spreadsheet, and manual follow-through are going away. Marketing automation will seamlessly manage each of your marketing campaigns, capture your prospects’ behavior, provide personalized lead-nurturing responses as well as measure the ROI of your marketing efforts.
An effective marketing automation system requires effort. You still need creative, compelling content to attract visitors and encourage additional interaction. The payoffs can be great and smart business owners are taking note. According to Sirius Decisions, use of automation is expected to increase 50% by the end of 2015.
Automation is the wave of the future for marketing. Expect to hear a lot more about it in the coming months. CoreElement (I) will continue to keep you informed of the latest developments as this coalesces.
What are your thoughts on marketing automation software? Has it streamlined your data-sharing process or enabled the collection of more meaningful data for your industrial marketing efforts? Please share your comments below.
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]]>Neglecting to consider search engine optimization (SEO) in the creation of your business website, as well as ongoing regular updates, will limit the site’s visibility and ultimate success. Below are five SEO strategies which should be part of your industrial marketing efforts.
1. Research terms which describe your products or services and which have the greatest search volume.
Spend time with Google Analytics to see what terms are most popular and being used to find your products or service. The terms you use within your company or in your industry may not be the same terms used by your prospects or customers. Be open to alternatives and determine which are used most often. List the top three to five terms for each product or service – you will use this information throughout your site.
2. Structure your website based upon the results of your Google Analytics research.
Products or services which are found through different terms should have separate pages. Use the top term within the page name itself as well as within the navigation. Google uses this information when indexing your site and then upon responding to a search. Lay out the red carpet and they will find your door.
3. Write your page text using the terms identified.
It is surprising how many webpages never mention the specific terms associated with that product or service. Headlines, subheads and the body copy should all use the top keyword variations. Google will read your page to determine the contents. Make it obvious.
4. Tell the search providers you exist.
Submit your URL to Google, Bing and the other top search engines for indexing. It may take awhile but they will each visit your site with software robots. The information you have provided within your site will be used to match what you offer and what someone is searching. Google Places for Business is a separate registration, but well worth the effort. Find and register with local directories, especially if your business depends upon your location.
5. Use social media to promote your website and your business.
Google is aware of the information you present through social media and will reward solid efforts with higher page ranking. The popularity of your efforts will also effect your ranking. The point of your SEO efforts is to appear high enough in search results to be found.
While there are no guarantees – and don’t let anyone tell you they have a guarantee – including the basic steps above in your industrial marketing strategy will improve your chances of appearing in appropriate searches.
]]>Why do more until you know the true cost of what you’ve already done? Identifying the impact of your industrial marketing will help ensure you are using platforms that effectively promote your business. One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is not tracking the Return on Investment (ROI) of their marketing efforts.
Today’s marketing automation technology makes tracking easier than ever. Here are a few examples you may have not thought or known about.
Call Tracking:
An old “trick” updated – advancements have made call tracking extremely affordable, beyond the old methods. With call tracking, a specific or dynamic number is assigned to individual marketing initiatives, including your website, print ads, direct mail, radio and television campaigns. Calls can be traced back to their origin, allowing you to see which methods are driving results and which are not. You can also track caller locations, time of day and length of calls.
Email Tracking:
You would be surprised, but there are still many that do not track their email marketing efforts. When tracked, it’s not uncommon that the information gathered is often misunderstood or not acted upon. In other words, you get what you get and you get more if you do more. Tracking your email marketing efforts will provide you with accurate, measurable insight into your subscribers’ activity.
The latest and greatest software allows you to identify who opened your message, who clicked a link, which links produced the greatest click-throughs, as well as who forwarded your message or shared it on a social site and more.
“Next-Level” Tracking:
Marketing automation software such as Act-On, HubSpot, Marketo and Eloqua have made it easier than ever to monitor marketing ROI by gathering and sharing more data than ever. These programs serve as the link between marketing and sales teams, automatically arming sales teams with as much data as possible before a lead or prospect is ever contacted.
Once you have a sound tracking system in place, it’s crucial to analyze the results, modify efforts as needed and repeat. Stop investing time and money into futile industrial marketing efforts, raise your overall payoff and generate more results and profit for your business.
]]>Let’s take a look to make sure you have the following items every good industrial manufacturing website should have.
Your website is one of the pillars of your industrial marketing plan. If you are looking to redesign your website or update your current one, this post is for you. They may seem obvious, but I see these items missing from a number of sites that are brought to CoreElement for us to work on.
I know things change over time. When you no longer sell a particular screw or now include 316 stainless as an option, your website must reflect that. When we talk with clients about their product lines, more often than not, we uncover items that they make or sell that are not published.
Fresh content, videos, a newsletter, your blog – all good reasons for someone to want to come back to your site. Your website should be a place that entices a user to come back on a regular basis. Think like your audience – identify their interests and make them part of your website.
I know, obvious right? I find myself, like millions of others, using the internet as a phone book. Your phone number should be easy to find. A visitor with a question will want to pick up the phone and talk to a person. A customer may want to call you while on your site, but they can’t if they are unable to find your number.
4. Company Information
Many of our clients are amazed at the number of visitors they get to their About Us page. People want to know that you are real. They want to see people. Telling your story helps to build credibility and will help to distinguish you from a competitor.
Are you ISO Certified? Your customers know that it is important, what this means and what you have to go through to earn it. Specific certification can help you target your specific audience.
This all seems obvious, right? Right, but take a few moments, visit your website and make sure these items are on there. If not, we’re not surprised – we see it all the time.
In industrial marketing, a company’s website is often the centerpiece of a successful plan. Consider adding any missing information in your next site update. Your visitors will thank you.
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]]>Though many industrial marketing plans fail to incorporate it, maintaining a social presence has become an essential marketing component of many businesses. Companies are using these platforms to drive business, build relationships and attract new customers.
Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are changing the way companies interact with their customers and prospects. Many of the industrial companies I meet view social media as a necessary evil, rather than a helpful resource.
The common question I get is “How does that apply to our business?” Often the challenge is finding the time and resources to create an effective, ongoing program.
How do you manage a social program while maintaining your business and keeping your sanity?
Here are some tips to help you out:
Social media is not a necessary evil, but rather a powerful tool for marketing your business and services. It will reach out to your current and potential customers in new ways. It should be a key weapon in your industrial marketing arsenal.
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]]>When evaluating an industrial marketing program for your business, one of the first questions that arises is “How much should I spend?” Unfortunately, the marketing “budget” is usually just a line item as part of a company’s larger budget, with woefully little planning put into what the ultimate expenditure is.
While there is no definite answer to what this number should be, there are guidelines you can follow to determine an industrial marketing budget that makes sense for your company.
You’ll often hear reference to a percentage-of-sales method, or a return-on-investment approach. While these options offer a great start, additional factors need to be considered. Your budget should be driven by what you are trying to achieve, so developing an overall strategy is an integral part of the process.
You need to consider both internal and external factors when formulating your marketing budget, and then take a look at your strategy.
Internal Factors
Where is your company in its development stage? If your company is in a growth stage, just starting off or launching a new product, you may spend more compared to an established company.
Furthermore, different industries require different overheads and capital expenditures. This is an important factor to take into consideration, particularly if using the percentage-of-sales method. When putting your budget in context, be sure you are comparing apples to apples.
External Factors
Spend time evaluating your industry and the competition. How competitive is your industry? What is the economic environment of your industry? What methods are your top competitors using to reach their customers?
Strategy
Determine what you want to accomplish and then create a plan to get you there. A strategic plan should take into account your target market; your competitors; your target audience, and how you plan to market yourself and reach your goals, both short-term and long-term.
Revisit your plan often, and track the results. You may have a proper level of funds allocated, but without strategic targeting, your industrial marketing program won’t be effective. Remember, you could have the best product in the world, but if your customers can’t find you, you won’t succeed.
Looking within your own company – what factors will you incorporate into your budgeting process?
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]]>I recently had a long-time client that I was working with, developing an industrial marketing plan. We had spent weeks developing their ideal prospect and then compared the qualities of the ideal prospect with the qualities of their current clients. Imagine my surprise when not a single client on the list resembled the profile of their “ideal prospect.”
This highlights the fact that many industrial companies often take less-than-ideal clients – a practice that doesn’t need to be perpetuated. Answer the four questions below to attract ideal prospects and raise the quality of your accounts.
Just like I do with my clients, you need to sit down and take a look at the attributes you look for in prospects. It may seem obvious, but creating a list of desirable attributes will help formalize a list that you can use to define your target. Remember to be realistic and somewhat flexible – ultimately, nothing should be written in stone.
Now that you have your target, how do plan to appeal to them? Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and think hard about what resonates with them. Just like not all fish are attracted to the same lure, your prospects aren’t going to want to hear the same canned message. Obviously, the bait you use will depend on your prospects’ industry dynamics.
Are you a member of any trade organizations to help you network? If not, you should be. In addition, follow trade organizations on Twitter to find lists of members’ profiles and network online. LinkedIn groups are also another way to find a target audience that might be receptive to your message. Get to know where your ideal prospects like to swim and become familiar with best practices to go fishing there.
As we all know, when a project starts out poorly, it rarely gets better. So don’t let it get to that point. Unfortunately, many sales are made without answering this critical question.
You don’t have to settle for less-than-ideal prospects and clients. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to have all of your clients possess the attributes you desire?Take some time to incorporate the answers to the above questions into your marketing plan, and you’ve already taken a giant step toward making that scenario a reality.
]]>This may seem obvious, but don’t you just hate when a person has the bare bones when it comes to information on their profile? If you’re going to use LinkedIn, your profile should serve as a source of information for someone looking to know more about you. Don’t disappoint them. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Don’t just list your positions – put a little meat on those bones. Take a look at your resume and steal some language from there. Providing detail not only informs visitors, it can help your search engine optimization (SEO) and show people you’re a real person.
LinkedIn isn’t a passive network. Sure, it serves as a great directory to find other professionals and potential employees. But if you’re looking to market your products or services, you can’t always wait for people to come to you.
Put yourself out there by sharing links that you find interesting, just as you would on Twitter or Facebook. Sure, the content you share may be different on LinkedIn, but just like other social media sites, content is king.
Instead, find a conversation where you can add value. Does your company offer a product or service that can solve a problem that’s being discussed? Perhaps you have some great content (a blog post or a white paper) that you can share.
Asking questions is also a great way to begin a conversation in a group. A good tip is to try and act the way you would real life – and you wouldn’t just walk up to someone you didn’t know and go straight into a sales pitch.
If you’re already engaging in the ways I mentioned above, that’s fantastic. But if you’re a LinkedIn “newbie,” you may not be using the site to its full potential, and that’s not a good tactic for your industrial marketing strategy.
Take the time to learn the platform. If you don’t, all social media platforms will become a time sponge that will disappoint you. Technology has changed how we communicate as a society and it’s not ever going back to the way it was. When was the last time you used your Telex machine?
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