Traditional SEO is Dead – Social Cues, Fresh Content are the New Links

Is traditional SEO dead? Yes. It’s time for a reality check.

How did a little penguin do so much damage to your SEO? Before we could add links upon links and then throw in some more links no matter how relevant they were. On top of that, we could put tons of keywords on your website to where it almost sounded like repetitive, robotic gibberish. Your website ranked well and all was right in the world – except you didn’t get very many phone calls because your website’s SEO mislead your site visitors. (For the record, we never did any of this).

Today, it’s a totally different – and way better when you really think about it – ballgame. The way you get site visitors is to extend your total web presence by producing content. The way you get those visitors to convert to leads is to practice lead nurturing. It’s a blessing when customers find your website by directly typing in your URL or googling your business name, but in most cases, your customers are using search engines and social media sites to find what they’re looking for. In blended search results, not only do website links appear, but also YouTube videos, blogs, map listings and more. Depending on what stage of the buying cycle they’re in, your customers can search for content in vehicles that are pertinent to them, such as blogs, videos, Pinterest ideas and so on.

We often get calls about SEO. Every now and then, a business will ask us to do a quick linking campaign or some onsite optimization clean up. Our answer 100% of the time is “no” because it’s simply not effective to do one little thing, and we refuse to waste our clients’ money.  (Strange concept, we know.) Instead, we relish in the opportunity to educate our clients in how a total web presence strategy is more effective and more cost-effective. We in good conscience cannot just add some backlinks and cash a check. It pains us to see anyone with a spammy, keyword-stuffed website that ranks in search engines but completely turns off real humans.  What’s the point of that?

Avoid these situations (and spammy SEO companies!!!) by building your total web presence across multiple platforms, and then produce engaging content. That’s the secret. It’s not all that crazy, but for some reason, people still cling to old school and over-promising SEO. It’s time to wake up and market smarter.  Practice inbound marketing for lead generation. Then lead your potential customers down a strategic path until they’re ready to purchase. You knock out brand reputation, thought leadership, and expertise positioning in one fowl swoop. Be social and human in your online marketing. Be transparent. Be a good listener.

Social media and content marketing provide the tools you need to enter a two-way conversation with your customers. It’s much easier to convert a friend than a stranger – and cheaper. Instead of breaking your back sweating for leads, get real with how internet marketing is evolving and clean up your act today.

For more secrets on how to draw more traffic to your website, check out our free ebook below! 

About Small Screen Producer

Small Screen Producer is a full service, marketing firm located in Houston, Texas that specializes in online digital media marketing through a 4-step process. Step 1: WE PLAN a custom web presence strategy for your business through website design and development, mobile development, social media account creation and branding. STEP 2: We then POSITION your brand through Pay-Per-Click advertising and search engine optimize tactics that include on-page and off-page SEO that are Google and Bing approved. STEP 3: We then PROMOTE your brand using an Inbound marketing strategy or a content marketing strategy to help you accomplish your marketing goals. We do this through blogging, video production, infographics, call-to-actions, landing pages, and free educational offers. We help you build trust and rapport with your customer base. STEP 4: We then PROTECT your brand’s web presence with a reputation management program that monitors social media and on line reviews. Get started today with a free online marketing assessment of your company’s web presence. Your company deserves it.