Is simply ranking your site at number 1 the answer?
I’m often perplexed when I meet with new clients who’ve been using SEO & Adwords agencies for years. They’ve been sold the idea that ranking your site at number 1 is the be all and end all of online marketing. Recently I spoke to a prospect who was promised by one such agency that his site would rank number 1 on Google.
It sounds simple doesn’t it? And the truth of the matter is that it is simple – it’s exceedingly simple to have your site rank number 1, you simply have to pay for it.
But I guess simple is not the right word – it’s probably best described as simplistic – maybe even daft to fall for this trap.
The key overarching metric that proves my point
To explore this further, you need to remind yourself why you are in business and the answer for most of us is to make money. And to that end I always ask my new clients to quantify how much they have made from Adwords. Not increases in traffic, not increases in clicks, not reduced bounce rates, but what sort of increase in revenue have they seen from their online marketing efforts. Sadly, I have yet to find a single new client who can answer that question accurately.
You see, your key metric should not be just about how you’re site is ranking, it should be something that shows on your business’ balance sheet not in a confusing and often misleading SEO report. For me, the number one metric to measure is revenue.
So ask yourself – is your Adwords or SEO marketing generating revenue?
The metric that helps you understand if you’re winning or losing the battle
So let’s set aside ranking for now. Yes, ranking highly is very important but what happens from that point?
What does a client do after they see your ad placed at the top of the results page?
Do they click on the ad?
Are they engaged with the ad?
And more importantly, what do they do when they reach your site?
The basic and most obvious metrics here are clicks, click through rates and bounce rates. They measure how many visitors are visiting your site, what percentage of consumers are clicking on your ads when they are served and what those visitors are actually doing once they arrive on your site. Are they engaging and interacting, converting to a lead or a sale or are they simply leaving immediately (bouncing)?
Think about that for a moment. Your SEO consultant just showed you a report that proves he’s sending all this traffic to your site and you’re ranking is over the top. He’s telling you he’s doing a great job because, I mean, wow check out all the charts! But clearly there’s more to it.
The SEO report you’re most likely reading could be measuring how quickly you are losing money!
It’s true. Those complex reports hold vital information about levels of traffic, ranking, engagement, conversions and so on. But if your site is not converting customers then each and every measure of traffic will correlate exactly with how much your Adwords is draining your pockets. That’s why simply ranking and driving traffic to your site is NOT the answer. You need to take an end to end approach. You need a consultant who can write ads that entice and send visitors to a site that converts.
Xflow specialises on taking an end to end approach to SEO and Adwords
As a small business owner with over twenty years experience I take a very different approach. I approach all Adwords and SEO clients differently because one size does not fit all in this game. Each business has its own machinations, it’s own budget, its own unique offering, a unique target market and even a unique set of competitors. I take the time to go through the ins and outs of your business and then come up with the most cost effective online strategy that will cost you less while providing greater returns. I can also train your staff with handling online enquiries, using chat services and even updating websites to reflect current promotions.
Like to know more or get started?
If this rings true with you and you feel like you’re being taken for a ride by your current SEO consultant, why not give me a call or email or complete the online form on this page. I promise you it will be worth your while.
Thanks for reading
Lee McCarthy
Xflow Marketing & Consulting – Perth
