3 Free Strategies To Improve Search Rankings and Engage Fans

Improving search rankings takes the perfect combination of art and science to keep up with Google’s ever-changing algorithm. In the digital marketing industry, we call this Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  SEO doesn’t all have to do with site structure, coding, or link building. In fact, here we will dive into the “fun” side of SEO with three fan-building techniques that increase your search engine rankings for free.

Content Marketing

 Content Marketing is the strategy of syndicating content with the goal of stimulating interest in your brand, products, and services. It also works hand-in-hand with your search engine optimization strategy. Search Engine Land states, “Get your content right, and you’ve created a solid foundation to support all of your other SEO efforts.”¹

Google’s main objective is to provide the best experience to its users. In order to do so, they want to provide users with the best results possible. To provide the best results to their users, Google prioritizes blogs, videos, podcasts, graphics, and more that contain the following qualities:

• High Quality
• Use Highly Searched Keywords and Phrases
• Fresh Content About The Latest Buzz
• Use of Images, local, news, or videos, etc.
• Supplies Answers To Users
• In-Depth, Informative Content

In short, your content needs to keep your fans happy, plus be valuable to anyone doing a Google search. Thus, defining your company as the authority in your industry.  Creating quality content isn’t just good for your SEO, but it’s good for business. In fact, companies that publish 16+ blog posts per month get nearly 3.5 times more traffic and 4.5 times more leads than companies who only publish 0-4 times monthly.²

One of the best aspects for growing businesses is that you can create Content Marketing for free.  Almost every web platform at this point has an included blog area which you can utilize today, at no cost.  If you are creative, you can get into video creation, podcasts or creating sharable graphics. Then, you’re off to an even better start!  

In addition to creating content within your website, is the power-house of social media marketing. Which, again, you can create accounts for free, today. Posting to social media channels sparks interest in your brand through high-quality content. Not to mention, it also encourages traffic to your website.

Here are links to the social media platforms that you can quickly create a free account on to share your content:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest

Follow Marketing Magnitude’s Tips For The Ultimate Content Marketing Success

80-20 Rule of Interesting Content to Self-Promotion

We have an 80-20 rule when it comes to Content Marketing. 80% of your content should engage your customers or fans. This means, create content that provides information, entertainment or answer questions. And the remaining 20% (or less) should be self-promoting.

It can be tempting to want to endlessly promote your company.  But providing content that people are looking for without the sales pressure builds more credibility and creates better relationships.  

According to SalesForce, it takes 6-8 touches to convert a lead into a sale.³ Every time a new lead engages with your high-quality content, this earns you one more touch.  This is not only establishing you as the authority in your industry, but it’s bringing you closer to a sale.

Create Content and Social Calendars

On special occasions, like piggy-backing on a breaking news story or hot topic, content marketing releases can be done suddenly.  However, it’s hard to predict what the world around you has in store. This unpredictability is why it’s important to create a Content Marketing plan.

Content Marketing Calendar

Start your Content Marketing strategy by determining what your company has the capacity to create within a month’s time frame.  For example; let’s pretend that you own a business consulting company.

With this business, you have decided that you can create two Content Marketing articles per month. From this point, layout content themes for the next three months. Sticking with the business consulting company concept, let’s say that the themes will be “Staffing,” “Marketing,” and “Operations.” With these three topics, you can outline what content needs to be created, twice a month, within these themes.

Here is an example of what this Content Marketing Calendar might look like, using the example of a business consulting company:

If you need help coming up with content ideas for your Content Marketing Calendar, check our Blog Content Cheat Sheet Available Here:

With topics outlined and a schedule determined, you are now ready to create your content. Make sure have all creatives ready to go according to your calendar including:

• Blog Posts
• Videos
• Graphics
• Social Media Posts
• Podcasts

Now you are ready to go with the content on your site, and are ready to share to social media channels.

Social Media Marketing Calendar

With your Content Marketing Calendar as a topic guideline, create a Social Media Calendar. As a quick strategy guide, follow these steps in order to create a robust Social Media Marketing Calendar.

• Determine 5 Content Categories – Content Categories can be various posts times. For example, Tips and Tricks, Featured Employees, Ask A Question, Highlight a Review. For More Social Media Content Category Ideas, Download Our Social Media Content Category Checklist.
• Create a schedule for each content category.  Schedule content evenly throughout the month so your fans get a good variety of content from you at various times.
• Use Social Media Scheduling Software. With Social Media Scheduling Software, you can schedule social posts to several platforms at the same time. You can also review which posts are getting the most engagement.  Marketing Magnitude uses two Social Media Scheduling Software types:
  • Social Marketing: A starting package which uses a simple interface for users who occasionally post to social media.
  • Advanced Social Marketing: A robust interface which allows strategic social media scheduling to multiple social media channels with enhanced reporting.

With the above strategy in place, you will have a solid content marketing foundation.  You can expect greater engagement with your customers while your business is further established as a leader in your industry. Plus, your website will provide Google the quality content they are looking for in order to improve your search rankings.

Local Listings

According to a study by Uberall, 69 percent of smartphone owners use their devices to help them shop. Of that group, 82 percent had done “near me” searches (92 percent for Millennials).⁴ Keeping all of your online Local Listings up-to-date can be tiresome. But, with the expanding usage and mobility of local listing features, Local Listings have become intertwined with local Search Engine Results.  

At Marketing Magnitude, we have several client case studies where the implementation of Local Listings launched our customer’s success. In each case, we began campaigns with new clients who did not have local listings in place yet.  Then, without starting on any other aspect of their SEO strategy, we saw consistent increases in their search engine rankings.

Local Listings provide so much valuable information about your business. This is why search engines include your local listing as part of their search engine results.

Some of the information included in your local listings are:

• Business Contact Information
• Business Category
• Map Marker
• Featured Message
• Business Description
• Hours of Operation
• Holiday Hours
• Payment Options
• Linked Social Media Profiles
• Products and Services
• Menus
• Year Established
• Specialties
• Associations
• Brands
• Languages
• Keywords
• Click To Launch Uber

Local Listings sites have high domain authority which makes them valuable resources to Google. Including important information about your business within Local Listing sites will increase your search rankings as well.  

On occasion, it is difficult to create or claim your local listing on all of the Local Listing sites for free. However, some of the big hitters in the Local Listing game are completely free. Create your Local Listing on these sites today, for free:

• Google My Business
• Facebook
• Yelp
• Bing

Online Review Generation

Hand-in-hand with Local Listings comes the incredible power of online reviews. 86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses (including 95% of people aged 18-34). And, 57% of consumers will only use a business if it has 4 or more stars.⁵

With these statistics in mind, your business needs to have an Online Review Generation Strategy. Doing so will encourage your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on your local listings site.

The best, and least expensive, way to encourage your star customers to share their experience with you is to simply ask.  As part of your company’s customer relation protocol, end each sale with these best practices for online reviews:

• Reach out to the customer via text or email while the positive experience is still fresh in their mind.
• Include links to the Local Listing site that you would like the customer to review.
• Have the individual in your company that interacted with that customer the best ask for the review.
• Thank the customer for the great review.
• Highlight the review on social media.
• Make sure review requests are added on to the sales cycle in your business.

In Conclusion

The internet has been around since August 1991, and its features that benefit your life and business have grown ever since. However, that doesn’t mean every aspect of marketing your business online needs to be difficult or expensive.  In fact, creating blogs, keeping your Local Listings up-to-date and encouraging raving online reviews are effective and free. And, having these three elements in place will keep your fan engagement, savings, and Google search rankings soaring.

^{1 Search Engine Land
2 Hubspot
3 Salesforce
4 Uberal
5 Brightlocal}

Digital Marketing Solutions By Marketing Magnitude That Relates To This Post

Content Marketing

Blog writing and on-site content comes as part of the SEO packages provided by Marketing Magnitude. Our professional writers work with your team to provide insightful website content that is optimized for search engines with the overall goal of raising your search rankings.  This is a great option for businesses who do not have the time or resources to write their own content.

Social Media Management

Full-service Social Media Marketing is one of the primary services of Marketing Magnitude.  Package size depends on how many networks and how often you will be sharing.

Social Media Scheduling software

The social media schedule software provided by Marketing Magnitude mentioned in this article are Social Marketing and Advanced Social Marketing.

Local Listings Management

Marketing Magnitude uses the power of Yext to claim and manage Local Listings on over 60 different websites.

Review Generation

Working with your team, Marketing Magnitude will help you put together the best solution to generation online reviews for your company.

If you would like to know more about our content marketing, social media, local listing or review generation services, please call 702-482-8529.