Anyone who has built and launched a website has likely encountered an oft-repeated acronym: SEO (search engine optimization). And while you might not have ever done SEO yourself, you've benefited from it in the past: Every day, search engines like Google employ complex algorithms to sift through more than 400 billion web pages and deliver the most relevant results.
Website owners like you use SEO techniques and strategies to get their websites to the top of the search results for relevant user queries. But SEO is not a one-time endeavor — Google and other search engines change often, and ongoing SEO ensures your website stays in front of the people you want to reach. Just as a physical storefront requires regular maintenance and updates to stay competitive, your website needs ongoing SEO to remain visible amidst the ever-changing digital landscape.
The ABCs of SEO: What is Ongoing SEO and Why Does It Matter?
Don't let the techy jargon intimidate you. HubSpot — considered one of the gold standards for SEO and digital marketing advice — defines SEO as simply a collection of strategies and tips that "expand a company’s visibility in organic search results'' and help "drive more visitors to the company’s website, increasing their chances for more conversions which leads to more customers and more revenue."
SEO Connects the Search Engine Algorithms With Your Website's Content
Regardless of your website's goal or industry niche, all SEO techniques have one thing in common: They look at ways to optimize your website's content, keywords, and links to help search engines rank your website higher in the search results when someone searches for something related to your keywords, content, or brand name.
According to HubSpot, SEO needs to address the key factors that all search engines use to determine the value of your website's content — and therefore how high in the search results your website or specific landing page should appear:
- The intent or meaning behind why someone is searching for a specific term or question
- The relevance between what someone searches for, and the content on your website
- The quality of your content (for instance, a website about physical exercise written by certified personal trainers is deemed by Google to be higher quality than a website where the articles are written by non-experts)
- The performance of your website, such as how long it takes a page to load and whether it works well on mobile devices
Static SEO Versus Ongoing SEO: Why It Matters to Stay Fresh and Keep Your SEO Updates Current
As users' web behavior changes and technology evolves, search engines proactively adjust their algorithms.
If you aren't conducting ongoing SEO maintenance and upgrades, a well-optimized website today can quickly become obsolete tomorrow, causing your search rankings to drop and attracting fewer organic visitors. Google itself updates its algorithms several thousand times per year, including significant "major" changes every few months that dramatically change how it crawls and ranks content. For example, Google's infamous Panda update changed how it ranked how-to lifestyle content on the Internet, causing one major content publisher to lose a whopping $6.4 million of traffic and advertising nearly overnight.
How Ongoing SEO Influences Your Website Strategy
Staying abreast of changes to SEO techniques and strategies provides important guidance to your content, marketing, and overarching website strategy. For example, it can dictate or influence:
- How much content you publish, and the content's format, length, and focus
- How you incorporate other forms of media on your website, including images, video, and audio
- How you organize content on your site, including landing page layouts and your site's navigation
- What keywords and target users your website focuses on
Embrace the Power of Ongoing SEO
Caroline Forsey, an expert in thought leadership and marketing content, looked at the survey results from more than 400 of the world's leading web analysts to predict the biggest SEO trends of 2024. According to her data, some of the top changes in SEO strategies this year include:
- A heavier emphasis on expertise, meaning the content on your website should come from experts in your related field (including bylines and author bios that demonstrate the author's credentials and experience on the topic they're writing about)
- A renewed emphasis on first-person, credible content, especially as more websites generate high volumes of low-quality AI content (Google itself has announced upcoming changes to tackle low-value articles created by AI)
- A priority on websites that are deemed trustworthy, such as e-commerce sites with well-rated customer service, or content sites that do a good job of citing trustworthy research and statistics
- Bonus points on content that is creative and original and doesn't simply rehash content found on other sites
Of course, these SEO trends will inevitably change every year, and ongoing SEO will keep you competitive no matter what Google, Bing, and other search engines do. No matter your website's industry or content strategy, ongoing SEO requires that you:
- Focus on keeping your content fresh and high quality, including new blog posts or regularly refreshing and updating old product descriptions or articles
- Conduct keyword research often, since the terms or phrases that your core audience uses will evolve over time
- Maintain your website's overarching performance, such as mobile-friendliness as mobile devices evolve, and page load speed
- Build a diverse portfolio of high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites within your niche, which may include outreach campaigns, getting others in your industry to write guest blogs, and participating in online forums or communities
- Keep on top of technical and performance metrics, such as scanning your site for broken links (and fixing the links you uncover) and using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track organic traffic, keyword rankings, click-through rates, and conversion rates
- Stay on top of algorithm changes so you can adapt your SEO strategy in real-time
Some website owners think of SEO as the first step of their promotional strategy. But it's less a first step, and more an ongoing journey to ensure you, your brand, and your content stay relevant in such a competitive atmosphere. Whether you choose to go it alone and take a DIY approach to SEO, or you choose to consult with a digital marketing and SEO agency, check in often and make sure your SEO evolves as the world around you evolves.
In the dynamic world of marketing, understanding the impact and reach of your strategies is crucial. Metrics, the measurable values that demonstrate the effectiveness of a marketing campaign, are essential tools for marketers. However, not all metrics are created equal. It is vital to distinguish between vanity metrics and performance metrics to ensure we keep the focus on what truly matters for your business.
Vanity Metrics
Vanity metrics are metrics that may look good on paper but don’t necessarily translate to increased success for your business. Some of the vanity metrics that companies often focus on are the number of followers on social media, page views, or likes. While these numbers may demonstrate a boost in terms of visibility and popularity, they do not provide deep insights into essential information, such as the quality of your audience engagement or customer satisfaction.
The Limitations of Vanity Metrics
In marketing, it’s crucial to recognize the limitations of these vanity metrics. Despite their appealing numbers, they often do not contribute to the genuine growth or enhancement of your business strategies. Below are the fundamental limitations that underscore the importance of looking beyond these surface-level metrics:
- No Direct Impact on Revenue – Vanity metrics do not have a direct impact on revenue or business growth. For example, a high number of social media followers does not guarantee increased sales or partnerships.
- Surface-Level Insights – These metrics offer only surface-level insights into customer behavior and preferences. For instance, a high number of page views does not provide detailed information about the audience, such as their demographics, interests, or buying behavior. This lack of depth makes it challenging to tailor marketing strategies effectively to meet the audience’s needs and preferences.
- Not Actionable – Vanity metrics do not provide actionable insights for improving marketing strategies or customer engagement. As an example, a post receiving a large number of likes does not give specific insights into what aspects of the post resonated with the audience or how to optimize future content for better engagement and conversion. This scenario leaves businesses without clear direction for enhancing their marketing strategies and customer engagement efforts.
These limitations highlight the diminished value of vanity metrics for businesses aiming to genuinely understand their audience and enhance their marketing strategies. The allure of high numbers can be misleading, providing a false sense of success and growth. In reality, the focus on vanity metrics may divert attention from making meaningful connections with the audience, which is paramount for sustained business growth and development.
Performance Metrics
For businesses who want a more accurate measurement, performance metrics, also known as actionable or engagement metrics, offer insights into how audiences interact with your content and brand. Some examples of these more insightful metrics include click-through rates, conversion rates, customer feedback, and customer retention rates. Performance metrics provide a more in-depth look into what is working in your marketing strategy and what needs improvement.
The Benefits of Performance Metrics
In the intricate marketing landscape, performance metrics are pivotal for fostering growth and enhancing customer engagement. Below are the essential aspects where performance metrics play a crucial role:
- Informed Decision Making – Performance metrics offer invaluable data that can significantly inform marketing strategies. As an example, by analyzing customer conversion rates, businesses can identify which marketing strategies are most effective in turning potential customers into actual customers. This insight allows for the refinement of marketing approaches to better align with what truly resonates with the audience.
- Enhanced Customer Engagement – These metrics provide a deeper insight into how customers interact with content, enabling businesses to enhance customer engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty. For example, monitoring and analyzing metrics like average time spent on a webpage or the click-through rate of a newsletter allow businesses to understand what type of content engages their audience the most. This understanding enables the creation of more engaging and relevant content, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Business Growth – Performance metrics can pinpoint areas needing improvement, leading to the development of more effective marketing strategies and, as a result, business growth. For instance, by tracking lead conversion rates, businesses can identify weaknesses in their sales funnel and make necessary adjustments. Improving the conversion rate leads to more sales and revenue, contributing directly to business growth.
Engagement Metrics to Consider
- Conversions: Track the number of new leads generated through various marketing strategies. Click-Through Rates: Measure the percentage of people who click on the content you share, indicating interest and engagement.
- Customer Feedback and Satisfaction: Collect and analyze customer feedback to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points.
- Content Engagement: Analyze which pieces of content resonate with your audience, informing future content creation.
By focusing on these engagement metrics, B2B companies can better understand their audience and how they interact with their content and brand. This focus allows for the development of more effective, targeted marketing strategies that resonate with potential clients and partners, leading to stronger relationships and increased business growth.
Final Thoughts: Navigating the World of Marketing Metrics
In the world of B2B marketing, where the sales cycle is longer and the customer journey more complex, focusing on engagement rather than superficial metrics ensures that your marketing efforts genuinely contribute to your business’s growth and success. By understanding and prioritizing performance metrics, businesses can develop more effective marketing strategies, build stronger relationships with clients and partners, and achieve sustainable growth in the competitive B2B marketplace.
In the dynamic world of marketing, understanding the impact and reach of your strategies is crucial. Metrics, the measurable values that demonstrate the effectiveness of a marketing campaign, are essential tools for marketers. However, not all metrics are created equal. It is vital to distinguish between vanity metrics and performance metrics to ensure we keep the focus on what truly matters for your business.
Vanity Metrics
Vanity metrics are metrics that may look good on paper but don’t necessarily translate to increased success for your business. Some of the vanity metrics that companies often focus on are the number of followers on social media, page views, or likes. While these numbers may demonstrate a boost in terms of visibility and popularity, they do not provide deep insights into essential information, such as the quality of your audience engagement or customer satisfaction.
The Limitations of Vanity Metrics
In marketing, it’s crucial to recognize the limitations of these vanity metrics. Despite their appealing numbers, they often do not contribute to the genuine growth or enhancement of your business strategies. Below are the fundamental limitations that underscore the importance of looking beyond these surface-level metrics:
- No Direct Impact on Revenue – Vanity metrics do not have a direct impact on revenue or business growth. For example, a high number of social media followers does not guarantee increased sales or partnerships.
- Surface-Level Insights – These metrics offer only surface-level insights into customer behavior and preferences. For instance, a high number of page views does not provide detailed information about the audience, such as their demographics, interests, or buying behavior. This lack of depth makes it challenging to tailor marketing strategies effectively to meet the audience’s needs and preferences.
- Not Actionable – Vanity metrics do not provide actionable insights for improving marketing strategies or customer engagement. As an example, a post receiving a large number of likes does not give specific insights into what aspects of the post resonated with the audience or how to optimize future content for better engagement and conversion. This scenario leaves businesses without clear direction for enhancing their marketing strategies and customer engagement efforts.
These limitations highlight the diminished value of vanity metrics for businesses aiming to genuinely understand their audience and enhance their marketing strategies. The allure of high numbers can be misleading, providing a false sense of success and growth. In reality, the focus on vanity metrics may divert attention from making meaningful connections with the audience, which is paramount for sustained business growth and development.
Performance Metrics
For businesses who want a more accurate measurement, performance metrics, also known as actionable or engagement metrics, offer insights into how audiences interact with your content and brand. Some examples of these more insightful metrics include click-through rates, conversion rates, customer feedback, and customer retention rates. Performance metrics provide a more in-depth look into what is working in your marketing strategy and what needs improvement.
The Benefits of Performance Metrics
In the intricate marketing landscape, performance metrics are pivotal for fostering growth and enhancing customer engagement. Below are the essential aspects where performance metrics play a crucial role:
- Informed Decision Making – Performance metrics offer invaluable data that can significantly inform marketing strategies. As an example, by analyzing customer conversion rates, businesses can identify which marketing strategies are most effective in turning potential customers into actual customers. This insight allows for the refinement of marketing approaches to better align with what truly resonates with the audience.
- Enhanced Customer Engagement – These metrics provide a deeper insight into how customers interact with content, enabling businesses to enhance customer engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty. For example, monitoring and analyzing metrics like average time spent on a webpage or the click-through rate of a newsletter allow businesses to understand what type of content engages their audience the most. This understanding enables the creation of more engaging and relevant content, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Business Growth – Performance metrics can pinpoint areas needing improvement, leading to the development of more effective marketing strategies and, as a result, business growth. For instance, by tracking lead conversion rates, businesses can identify weaknesses in their sales funnel and make necessary adjustments. Improving the conversion rate leads to more sales and revenue, contributing directly to business growth.
Engagement Metrics to Consider
- Conversions: Track the number of new leads generated through various marketing strategies.
- Click-Through Rates: Measure the percentage of people who click on the content you share, indicating interest and engagement.
- Customer Feedback and Satisfaction: Collect and analyze customer feedback to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points.
- Content Engagement: Analyze which pieces of content resonate with your audience, informing future content creation.
By focusing on these engagement metrics, B2B companies can better understand their audience and how they interact with their content and brand. This focus allows for the development of more effective, targeted marketing strategies that resonate with potential clients and partners, leading to stronger relationships and increased business growth.
Final Thoughts: Navigating the World of Marketing Metrics
In the world of B2B marketing, where the sales cycle is longer and the customer journey more complex, focusing on engagement rather than superficial metrics ensures that your marketing efforts genuinely contribute to your business’s growth and success. By understanding and prioritizing performance metrics, businesses can develop more effective marketing strategies, build stronger relationships with clients and partners, and achieve sustainable growth in the competitive B2B marketplace.