strategy

SEARCH MARKETING… IS IT IMPORTANT?

Search marketing. We’ve all heard of it. But just how vital is it for a business to have a website that is search engine optimised?

The statistics

Over time, search engines have rapidly gained popularity. In fact, the average number of daily Google searches in 2018 totalled 5.8 billion, that is 71,780 searches per second. Marketers can no longer neglect the trend that majority, in fact 93%, of consumer online experiences begin with a search engine. Furthermore, according to Junto, based on the consensus of 57% of B2B marketers, SEO generates more leads than any other marketing activity.

Contrary to popular belief, search marketing is considered critical for local businesses. Google found that four in five consumers use search engines to find products, services or experiences nearby. Of these people, those who used a mobile device to seek local information were 50% more likely to actually make their way to the store.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Businesses can no longer ignore the advantages of SEO. It has become critical for businesses of all sizes to remain competitive by ensuring their SEO is up to scratch. The proof is in the statistics. Companies that effectively implement SEO will have a significant advantage when it comes to page visitors and therefore, customers.

The importance of SEO can sometimes be neglected when it seems that paid search advertising is the easy way out. Truth is, 70-80% of consumers will ignore a paid search result and scroll down to where the organic search begins to start their journey.

It is important to note that SEO is not all about improving your rank on a certain search engine. Rather, it is about making your website better for your consumers to ultimately increase sales. When your consumers have a positive experience through their online interactions, it contributes to the positive affiliations that they associate with your brand and therefore contribute to establishing brand loyalty. On the contrary, if your website is difficult to navigate or takes too long to load, the opposite is true.

Mastering the art of SEO

In reality there is no fool proof way to reach the number one rank in an organic search. Search engine algorithms are a closely guarded secret that mean there are hundreds of tactics to aid a brand in increasing their search rankings. These can include both on-page and off-page methods to increase your ranking.

There are a range of tools available to help a business evaluate their current SEO ranking. These may include MOZ, Google Search Console or Google Keyword Planner to name a few. As organisations gradually continue to try and crack the search engine enigma and integrate various technological innovations such as AI, more and more resources will emerge to make it easier for organisations to maintain high levels of SEO.

Do you see a shift in the way consumers search for information in the future? Will technological innovation like Artificial Intelligence make or break this part of the consumer experience? Could this ultimately destroy all the hard work performed to optimise billions of websites or provide greater insight in understanding the consumer?

HOW DOES DIGITAL MARKETING HELP A BRAND STRATEGICALLY?

As discussed in my previous post, the notion of digital marketing is a relatively new concept. As a result, many models that have been developed over time have become gradually less relevant and applicable. That is not to say that they have become completely useless. Rather, there is a need to adapt and innovate models to become more relevant for today’s modern operating environment.

Digital marketing has been a major disruption to a brand’s marketing management processes. The rapid impact of globalisation as a result of technology has created the need for businesses to perform market analyses in even greater depth than ever before. Ignorance to your micro, meso and macro environments could quite easily result in a brand lagging behind and losing significant market share if they fail to have a thorough understanding of the elements that surround them.

Furthermore, distribution channels are another element of marketing strategy that has been heavily disrupted by technology. It is believed that for a brand to ensure long-term existence and success, an integrated, multi-channel approach is vital. Today, consumers want the best of both worlds. They want to be able to quickly evaluate options through online comparison. In addition to having this convenience, many consumers also want to physically compare and evaluate before making a purchase as well, particularly for more expensive products or products they want immediately. In fact, approximately 80% of shoppers will go in store when a website shows that the product they want to purchase is in stock at a nearby store. The growing increase in this consumer behaviour trend may require brands to shift their current marketing distribution strategy.

An element that has remained consistent despite the disruption of technology is maintaining a clear mission and vision. Ultimately, this could be considered the most important component of a brand’s marketing strategy. Staying on track with these aspects ensures that the brand does not lose sight of their identity and what they want to accomplish. In order to establish a confident customer base, a brand needs to effectively portray their mission and vision. This could be both implicit or explicit.

After discussing the implications of digital marketing on strategic planning, the conversation naturally progresses to what businesses should be doing. So, what should be present in every strategic marketing plan?

Half a century ago, the life expectancy of a firm in the Fortune 500 was around 75 years. Now it’s less than 15 years and declining even further.

Steve Denning, Forbes

The most important component of a modern-day strategic marketing plan is to have the element of adaptability. In order to stay relevant, competitive and front-of-mind to consumers, businesses must be open to change. Business environments are shifting quicker than ever. Today, it is so easy to fall behind the pack if a business does not keep an open mind about adapting aspects of their strategy.

Do you agree that adaptability is a crucial characteristic for a business to have in today’s digitally disrupted world? Is this the key success factor to a modern organisation?