In the past few years the way we share information with each other on the internet has changed dramatically. This shift in information sharing has a big impact on how we market online. In years past it was effective to focus on outbound marketing techniques such as buying links or advertising in external content. Now more and more businesses are finding success in creating valuable unique content that is focused on user experience. Here is our list of the top 5 internet marketing strategies to focus on in 2015.
1- Content Marketing (It’s still king!)
Are you focusing on Content Marketing at all right now? If not, you absolutely have got to start – if so, you need to be doing it twice as much. Creating great content that is focused on the viewer and not on the search engines will show great benefit in 2015.
Content Marketing exists on a number of different channels ranging from Social Media to Website Blog Posts and Email Marketing. Dipping your feet into every aspect will be the most effective way to generate a loyal following that is eager to constantly read your new content. With great content you will become a leading expert in your field and naturally gain the trust of your viewers. Being in this position increases your chances of converting readers into paying customers!
2- Mobile Friendly Design
In 2015 the number of searches done on a mobile phone will surpass that of searches done on a desktop or laptop computer. Case in point right there! If your website content is not optimized for the device t is being displayed on then your end user is not getting the best experience and the search engines (especially Google) know this and it does have an impact on your SERPs.
If you do a search in Google, from your phone, right now you will notice a “mobile friendly” tag displayed to the right of the website address. Once people become more familiar with this “tag” it will influence their decision to click on your website link. If the tag isn’t showing they will more than likely go to a competitors site.
3- Social Media Signals
Having a Facebook page that you post to every now and then is not going to cut it any more. In 2015 your going to need to branch out to all of the major hitters (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest, etc.) in order to get the Social Media Signals & Buzz you need.
You should also consider setting a budget aside for paid ads & posts. Paying as little as $50 a month will have a great impact. Isn’t social Media supposed to be free? Yes, but Facebook, for example, has recently made it very difficult for businesses to get the reach that they deserve with regular (free) posts. The reason they did this is obvious…Money. The only way to overcome this obstacle is to pay to boost the performance of your posts/ads. It’s unfortunate but this will need to be a focal point of your marketing strategy this year.
4- Schema Micro-data… Everywhere
Structured Data, like Schema micro-data, helps the search engines highlight and display important business information in a unique and enticing way. Having Schema Micro-data in the code of your website will give you a competitive advantage over your competition and will increase your click through rate. We recommend that you put Schema micro-data everywhere! Visit schema.org for more information and to get examples of your options and how to add it to your site.
If your still confused about what Schema is, take a look at the example listing image. The 5 star rating and hours of operation are present because of Schema micro-data (they do not show up by default). Would you (yes YOU!) click on a plain old boring listing or a unique listing that has a 5 star rating associated with it? Again, case in point!
5- Focus on User Experience
Everything you do needs to be focused on providing the best user experience possible. Trying to cheat the system by buying bulk link packages and keyword stuffing your content is taboo now. You need to shift your gears and focus all your efforts on improving your user experience. You can do this by performing A/B testing to see what appeals more to your visitors and what drives them to take action. You can also increase user experience by creating great content that people want to read and that serves a purpose. Thinking “how can I solve a problem” is the best mind-state to be in.
It may sound contradicting, but if you stop marketing for the search engine’s needs and start marketing for your viewer’s needs, your search engine rankings will improve faster. Implement the 5 internet marketing strategies above and we guarantee you will see the improvements that you are eager to achieve in 2015.