Whether your aim is to gain exposure and promote a mining and construction company or to excel in the leisure and tourism sector, whatever your industry, having a strong online presence is one of the keys to success in the modern business climate. Unless a company has a dedicated in-house team, staying abreast of the latest digital marketing trends and the best search engine optimization practices can seem like a never-ending task. This is due, predominately, to the ever-changing nature of digital marketing, caused by the frequent updates made to search engine algorithms. However, this does not mean that the only businesses able to excel in this area are those who can afford to dedicate an entire team to the purpose. You don’t have to have a big budget or dedicate a huge number of hours to excel online, but you do need the know-how and a savvy use of resources to yield results and return on investment
The Importance of Digital Marketing
The way a website looks and performs will impact the potential of search engine optimization (SEO), since search engines often prioritize well-structured websites. The presence a brand has on social media will also affect the benefits brought on by successful SEO since social media presence can solidify a relationship with a new customer.
Digital marketing, specifically SEO, when used correctly, can have a massive impact on brand awareness and sales conversion rates. To understand the impact success of an SEO campaign can have, it is worth taking a look at some data. There is a reason that having that number one spot on a Google search is so coveted. The difference in click-through between the 1st and 10th position is 30%. Even more important is the effect that a high ranking can have on sales, since this same drop from 1st to 10th position has been found to have, on average, a 90% fall in sales conversion rates.
The Most Cost-Effective Solution
One of the most beneficial things a company can do before they even begin an online marketing strategy is to conduct an SEO audit. Doing a comprehensive analysis will inform you how SEO-friendly your website is to show the areas that are performing well and those that need a little more work. It is recommended that a general website audit is conducted at least twice a year, in addition to a smaller scale, more specific audits, especially when new features are being added. The insights from an SEO audit are what makes them so valuable, as they can lead to concrete improvements that directly increase your return.
Ultimately, it is important to have regular audits so you can be sure you’re using the most relevant and cost-effective digital marketing practices. Having a website audited will help to inform digital marketing strategies, allowing even the most targeted campaigns to thrive.
Some Challenges of the Digital Marketing Industry
The speed at which search engines make updates is pretty astonishing. Search engines sell a service to their users, which means that many of these updates are intended to ensure that the suggested websites are only those that are deemed most relevant and trustworthy. In 2018 Google made 22,344 improvements to their algorithm, an increase that rises year on year (the figure is up 32% from 2018).