Marketing is a never-ending cost that businesses simply cannot afford to ignore. Done poorly, however, and your marketing efforts can quickly become a black hole in which you never see a return. That is why you need to diversify your marketing efforts and stay on your strategy so that you can optimize it as best as possible.

All South Carolina businesses have the chance to do well and succeed, but if your customers don’t know you exist or misjudge you because of your ads, then you won’t make it. That is why you need to build up a strong reputation and a great marketing strategy, part of which includes boosting your SEO efforts.

The Power of SEO

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, can be baffling to those just getting into it. The reason why it can and is so confusing and hard to understand is that Google and other search engines do not tell users what their algorithms are looking for. The entire SEO community works together to divulge the best practices.

Some tactics Google will let you in on like it’s mobile-first indexing strategy. It does this so that it can encourage companies and web owners to customize their site for the best user experience. In many ways, Google shapes how the internet function, but it is important to remember that their goal is always to improve how satisfied a user is with their experience online.

When you invest in SEO services Charleston, SC you don’t just boost your rankings. You improve the user experience. It’s a great guideline to follow for your on-site and off-site presence.

The Challenges of SEO

As previously stated, the bulk of SEO strategy has been devised through the community, and not because Google or any other search engine has divulged what their algorithms look for. This means that there are several challenges to a successful SEO campaign.

Massive Amount of Competition

For one, it is impossible to get to the #1 spot in many cases. You should be able to rank first if a customer searches for your name, yes, but for general keywords, it can take years. Never trust an SEO company that can promise you such results fast.

The reason why this is a very difficult undertaking is that there are so many competitors out there globally. The best are also investing in their SEO, but they also have benefits like being mentioned by news companies and being a brand people love and talk about often.

Your Website Can Hold You Back

Another challenge to SEO is that your website can be holding you back. You can never just start improving your backlink profile. You need to first audit your website and ensure that it is optimized for search engines. This includes keeping it up to date with a blog or with new content so that Google has something new to parse through again and again. By hiring a web design Charleston SC agency that also specializes in SEO, you can rest assured that your website looks great, works great, and is geared towards the best user experience possible.

Old SEO Can Hold You Back

If you invested in SEO a few years ago, those tactics might now be holding you back. Google is always improving its algorithm to put the best and most relevant results onto the page. This means old tactics that used to work can now be blacklisted. Say a link to your website is on a page that has been marked as spam by Google, your website will now too suffer for it.

Long Game

SEO is a long game, but it is the best way to frame your digital marketing strategy. Good SEO practices are good UX or User Experience practices, meaning you will benefit in a multitude of ways.

How to Make SEO Work in Your Favor

There are several ways to improve your SEO strategy from the start, especially if you are a local Charleston business operating either directly in Charleston or the greater South Carolina area.

Keep it Local

Local SEO is powerful. It is how you will get to the first page and even the first result. It is also the best way if you deal with local clientele. If you own a local café, for example, you won’t get anywhere by trying to rank on the keyphrase “cozy café.” Instead, by narrowing your efforts to “cozy cafes in Charleston” or “cozy cafes in James Island,” you can improve your rankings significantly and increase visitation to your establishment by locals.

Audit, Audit, Audit

Audit your website and digital presence regularly, or better yet have an SEO agency in Charleston do that for you. This way you can always rest assured your SEO strategy is white-hat and approved by Google update after update. When you audit, you will then want to improve your website and web presence.

Use Traditional PR Tactics

SEO and PR go beautifully together. You can host a local event and get in touch with many local newspapers and magazines to write about it. This will boost attendance and be great for your backlink profile.

Use a Professional Company

Always use a professional digital marketing Charleston SC company to handle your SEO and marketing. SEO is complicated and can take a long time to understand and an even longer time to properly implement. By investing in the right services now, you can avoid the headache and potential penalization.

Top Tip: Incorporate SEO Into Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Finally, remember that SEO works well with every digital marketing strategy, most notably PPC marketing. Pay Per Click means you can bypass the line-up and get straight to the top, but unless you pay for the right keywords, it can be a waste of money. By ensuring the SEO agency you use is also a well-regarded PPC Charleston SC company, you can tackle two birds with one stone.