Search engine optimisation is a branch of internet marketing. It’s a branch that’s off to the side, and one that the other branches don’t tend to talk about it, but it is a branch nonetheless. The main reason that SEO is such a far-off branch in the marketing tree is because it differs in one vital area.
SEO doesn’t involve selling.
This is a significant distinction, and one many businesses have trouble grasping. It’s an area the average search engine optimisation company usually struggles with their clients about. The trouble is, unless you manage to grasp this fact, your search engine optimisation campaign is not going to achieve all it could. In ignoring the non-sales nature of SEO, many businesses are doing themselves a disservice.
It can be hard to wean yourself off the idea that a direct sell is necessary to result in a sale. It’s the principle that underlies much of the marketing theory that is behind your advertising. It’s understandable that businesses have a tough time letting this go, but let it go you must do if you want your SEO to succeed.
The whys and wherefores
The reason a sales approach doesn’t work very well with SEO is because the major force of a search engine optimisation campaign is the content on the site. Content is what attracts search engine spiders and internet users, and you can discuss this with us at SEO Consult. If the content is of a low quality, both of them will turn away and your rankings will sink.
That is not to say that sales content is low-quality. Sales writing tends to be of a much higher standard than any other kind of writing. When it comes to pleasing internet users, though, it’s the wrong kind of writing.
Internet users are after information when they come to your site. The information they find may eventually lead to them buying something from you, but pushing them into it is not the best approach.
How non-selling can get you places
If you don’t push your sales pitch out there, you may ask, how can you expect to get sales? Well, your site still generates sales after SEO for two reasons. The first is that you don’t necessarily have to have a sales pitch to sell something.
This is the reason shareware, charities and donor sites all continue to receive money, and it’s at the core of SEO success. When you share information freely with people, they tend to give something back in return. This is because the sharing turns into a kind of transaction in itself. In giving your site users information, you nurture their liking and loyalty to your site, making you the more likely choice next time they want to purchase something.
Of course you can include some sales text on your site. That is the second reason your site will still generate sales after SEO. Internet users are aware that businesses want to sell them something. For the main part of your SEO campaign, though, you need to focus on giving.