5 Crucial Questions to Ask When Planning Your SEO Strategy

You’ve probably seen those build your own website sites online. Looks easy right? There are over 1 billion websites online, but how many of those are abandoned or not functioning optimally? Like the island of lost toys, they are left, bereft and unloved. This sad state of affairs could have been avoided with a solid SEO strategy and high-quality design.

When you are creating a marketing and SEO plan, you have to ask yourself the following questions:

1. How do I Identify My Brand Goals?

It is imperative to really know your brand. Obtaining a deep and meaningful understanding of your brand (and what you want it to do) is the first step to take. When you start with your goals, the rest will click into place beautifully. One technique to try is to choose a specific goal and make a pyramid of actions outlining how you’ll get there. It’s a great daily visual reminder to help you stay focused. Now you can work on strategy. Make a list of your best traits:

• What do you love?
• What is your most positive trait?
• How do other people see you?
• Do others look to you as a leader?
• Do others look to you for advice?
• Do people admire you standpoints on important matters?
• How can people get behind you and the issues you stand for?

Using these attributes to your advantage is the key. Everything you post, everything your SEO efforts are trying to achieve should reflect the core list of attributes and be stuff you would say in real life. You should have no regrettable comments or posts, and everything you put out there should be aiming to get you closer to your branding goals.

2. What is My Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and How Can I Show it in My SEO Strategy?

Your brand’s unique selling proposition is the reason that your product or service is different from – and better than – the competition. It’s what your business stands for. The key word here is unique. When you stand for something specific, people remember, and you become synonymous with that thing.

Being a “jack of all trades” and the master of none is a common mistake in planning SEO strategy. It is far better to focus on what you do well than to lay yourself too thin on the ground trying to be good at everything.

3. Who is My Ideal Audience and Why Should They Choose Me?

Creating a profile or persona of your ideal consumer is a terrific way to inform your SEO strategy.

Try to assemble broad descriptions of your ideal customer and fill in the gaps about:

• Family status
• Household income
• Physical location
• Age
• Gender
• What does their typical day look like?
• Which publications or blogs do they read?

You’ll be well on your way to matching desires with your SEO strategy. If you can answer:

• What language does my audience use when looking for me or the solution to their problem?
• What is the best way to engage with my audience?

Knowing your audience’s mindset and the language they use to search brings you closer to them and will inform the style of SEO you create.

4. What Social Media Channels Does Your Audience Use?

The best channels are the ones that your audience actually uses. Content that is tailor-made for the platform it will be consumed on is content that is more likely to be read. If your audience does not use Twitter – don’t use Twitter. Some companies adopt a blanket approach to SEO strategy; it’s a waste of time and money. Remember too; people are busy. The easier your content is to find, navigate and interact with, the better.

5. What Search Terms Does My Audience Use When They Are Looking For Me Online?

Superior keyword research helps us find what topics to write about and what phrases to use. If you can brainstorm with colleagues and create a starting list of terms, then expand your list using keyword research tools (Google is gold for this) you’ll have a robust vernacular set up that will hit all the right markers for SEO.

If you need help planning and executing a results-oriented SEO strategy in Denver, contact us at SEO for Growth today.