Any good professional stays ahead of the game by constantly gaining more insight into their field. In this industry, it’s especially crucial. In order to keep up with the ever-evolving search engine algorithms and continue navigating the wild, wild world of Google—we have to do our homework. We have to be adaptable. We can never stop being curious. Here at SI EQ, we are always seeking to learn new skills that will make us better and drive more success for our clients. 

That is why our SEO Manager, Alli Perkins, and our Content Producer / Account Manager, Shaelyn Goecke, jumped at the opportunity to attend this year’s MozCon Virtual conference. MozCon is one of the biggest SEO conferences in the US and is led by some of the industry’s leading experts. By attending, they have gained insight into practices that can help our team better utilize data to create content that will engage customers and drive sales. Here is some of what they learned:

Always Plan, Never Guess

Even though we have practiced this takeaway for a while now, the importance of it makes it worth mentioning. You can create as much ground-breaking content for your brand as you want, but if no one sees it, it’s useless. That is why it is vital to include SEO from the beginning of the creation process so it can capture the right audiences. To do this you must first find what your target audience is searching for. Do your keyword research and develop a list of SEO technical specifications. A certain topic might be appealing to the creator but if no one is searching for it, it isn’t likely to get much engagement. It can be beneficial to create a blueprint for your website beforehand to create purposeful content. Ask yourself, what is the purpose of this page? What is the Call to Action? What redirects are needed? Create a content map. The more concise and organized your website is, the more traffic you will gain.

Make Every Click Count

Of course, everyone wants more eyeballs on their website and more traffic coming in through search engines. But it’s important to remember that not all traffic is beneficial. You want to make sure the traffic you are getting is beneficial to your brand and is driving conversions. That is where mastering the 3-click engagement signals come in. You want to be the first click, earn the long click, and be the last click. To be the first click, you want to make sure your website is the first one that catches the user’s eye. You can do this by optimizing URL keywords, titles, getting rich snippets, and crafting an engaging description. To get the long click you want to make sure that your website has content that engages users so they will stay on your website longer. Finally, you want to be the last click by giving the user solutions to the problem or question that prompted their search. Focus on providing helpful and transparent information and avoid being generic. It can be helpful to include a FAQ section, related questions, and relevant links.

Assess Your Content

Taking a closer look into the content you are creating can help you pinpoint what is working and what is not.  How much are you creating? Are you meeting the goals you set? What types of content are you creating? Also, look at what is working for the competition and what is not. You don’t have to only learn from your own mistakes. At MozCon, they presented findings from over 1,000 Google Posts and there were things that consistently proved successful across the board as well as things that did not. For example, offer posts seem to perform better than seasonal posts. You should always be studying the market.

Think Outside the Box

You know it’s important to study the market, but it’s just as important to find something that sets you apart from the competition. You want to give users something that is going to make them click on your website rather than the others. Think about the future instead of the present tense. If you think something is going to take off in the future, make content for it now. This will give you a head start from other dealers, giving you the leading edge in search results and opportunities.

Always Be Open to New Ideas

Like we said in the beginning, the best professionals in any field are constantly learning. So the final takeaway from MozCon is to remember there is always room for improvement. Don’t get too complacent in the way you do things just because it is working now. Strive for the best but always stay open to criticism and feedback. Try to surround yourself with people who challenge you and say “there might be a better way”. Always act based on your data, not your best practices. When the world of digital marketing is always evolving, it is vital that you evolve with it.

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