Okay, so you have worked really hard to get more visitors to
your website and more enquires/bookings or sales. You know Search
Engine Optimisation (SEO) is important and have tried to 'optimise'
your page title tags and increase the number of relevant keywords
used on your website. You may have even tried some Pay Per Click
(PPC) advertising such as Google Adwords.
But you are still not being found on the first page of organic
search engine results, and all the PPC has done has put a hole in
your back pocket. With more and more visitors to New Zealand
researching online - and with the Rugby World Cup just around the corner -
you know there is a big opportunity for increased business, but you
are just not sure what to do next.
Sound familiar? You are not alone. Here are five suggestions
that may help you in getting your online marketing and SEO on the
right track:
1. Own your keyword niche and be realistic in your
expectations
The reality for small operators is that you are unlikely to rank
in searches for more generic keywords without significant
investment.
If you operate a bed and breakfast in Auckland, it is unlikely
you will be able to rank well for 'New Zealand bed &
breakfasts' or even 'Auckland accommodation' - there are just too
many other players out there. However, you may have a chance to
rank highly for a more specific search such as 'bed & breakfast
Auckland'.
Likewise, if you operate a skydiving company in Rotorua, it will
be extremely difficult for you to rank for 'Rotorua attractions' or
even 'things to do in Rotorua'. You should instead be focusing on
getting top results for 'skydiving Rotorua', and related
similarly-targeted keywords.
You should work on gaining and maintaining top ranking results
for phrases that combine "[location]+[brand]", and phrases such as
"[location]+[category/niche]".
PPC/Google Adwords can assist to ensure
visibility for search phrases, even if your website is not ranking
well for these terms. But don't go too broad with the PPC or
Adwords you choose. Think about return on investment: you will get
more for your money if you make sure you are visible to those
people most likely to book with your business. Exact match is your
best friend when it comes to online marketing.
The top ranked natural search engine result gets 45 to 55 per
cent of all clicks on the first page and if you are not there, you
are missing out. If you have already optimised your website
structure and content as much as possible (by including key search
terms within your content near the top of the page, in page titles,
etc), look at what keywords are working, and do more optimisation
around them - and also ensure you take a look at off-site factors
such as other websites and blogs that link to your site.
2. Establish online partnerships
Partnering with other organisations/websites can help you extend
your website reach and be seen as an 'authority' on a given topic.
By creating links between your own website and those of like-minded
businesses, you can boost the number of visitors that are linking
through to your website via search results, and also leverage off
existing visitor numbers to a partner's site.
To discover potential partnership opportunities, perform a
search in Google for "[location]+[generic category]" (e.g. "Dunedin
attractions") and see what websites are displayed in the search
results. Identify those that are complimentary rather than
competitive and approach them with your request to feature on their
website.
The search results for most location-based phrases also brings
up the Google Maps results. If you are not on Google
Maps results and do not have a Google Places business account, I strongly
urge you to open one and claim your listing.
3. Engage with and understand your target market's
behaviour
It is important to listen to your customers, understand their
needs and improve your offering to suit.
TripAdvisor has become a leading source for
travel reviews and can rank highly in search results when
travellers are searching for holiday accommodation. When consumers
are visiting a foreign country and looking at an unknown brand,
they are likely to seek reviews either from friends or strangers
before purchasing.
Despite having good search rankings, if your reviews on
TripAdvisor or similar websites read "This place stinks, stay
somewhere else" or "dirty hostel and rude staff" you will not get
the business you might have otherwise got! Likewise, good reviews
may entice a traveller to try something new.
Understanding what others say about you is more important than
what you say about yourself.
Facebook
is an excellent tool to listen to what people have to say and then
respond to them. Perhaps travellers are looking for specific
information and your website is purely transactional - there would
be an opportunity to increase value. Perhaps the same questions are
asked in enquiries over and over - use this information and make
this information prominent on your website to increase
conversions.
Understand that overcoming purchase objections or barriers is a
critical part of increasing your bookings. Listen first, then
act.
4. Publish unique, engaging and useful content
As you understand the needs of your customers more, develop and
publish content that will appeal to and engage that audience. If it
is relevant and engaging (or humorous) enough, consumers will find
it, read it and share it with their friends or post it to their
blog. This does two things:
- It increases awareness and can tap into people's networks of
similar-minded individuals, extending your reach without the media
costs associated.
- Links back to your website from these reviews or mentions on
blogs and other websites may assist with search engine
rankings.
The power of strong content should not be underestimated.
5. Differentiate and over deliver
With so many tourism operators each vying for travellers'
attentions, it will be those who offer a great service and
consistently deliver a fantastic experience that will get positive
reviews and be talked about. In the online world, these positive
mentions generate inbound links to your website and boost your
search engine presence - which means increased visitors to your
site and the potential to boost your business and bookings.
These things combined - and applied consistently - will work
together to deliver results and give you an unfair advantage over
your competitors, at least until they catch up.
Grant Osborne is Director of Strategy & Performance at
First Rate New Zealand and has been
instrumental in developing innovative digital solutions that
drive 'real world' results for many leading New Zealand, Australian
and International companies. See their website for more information on
Search Engine Marketing and working with First Rate.