Over the last few years it has been safe to say that technology businesses have continued to thrive. Along with this there has been an increase in seminars and workshops related to the services they provide. Or should I say service: digital marketing.
Why are digital marketing related events so popular? It’s because there are a lot of SEO elements that appear easy to understand and quick to implement, such as Meta data and creating a Local Business listing. Great! We could all do with a bit of advice to get us off on the right foot. The trouble is, it’s the right foot but you’re hobbling on it. The problem is a lack of insight, and insight only comes from experience. So the implementation of SEO based on a few hours of information can be misguided and often provide very little benefit.
Even forming Meta data has a lot of intricacies that tend to go unnoticed. Is the Meta data based on conclusive keyword research that covers user intent, knowledge and service based phrases? Is the Meta data within optimal text lengths? Does it make grammatical sense while including as many phrases necessary for the page content?
This is just the tip of the iceberg and I’m only referring to a line of text that many plonk into the title of a page without more than a minute’s thought. Best practices are always evolving as well, so to keep on top of it requires regular practical work and theorycrafting. So you need to decide, are you running a business or secretly wanting to be a digital marketer?
SEO seminars and workshops attract a lot of business owners who undoubtedly want to save money while still benefiting from online marketing. The potential outcome of this is a business owner that spends a lot of time on something that’s unlikely to provide an ROI. The owner should ideally spend time understanding their industry, developing the business and making sure there are traditional marketing campaigns already in place.
I see many businesses focus on digital marketing efforts, like gaining a Twitter following, when in most situations this is only beneficial alongside a brand that’s already established in the real world. The more fundamental aspects of business development are overlooked when it’s the fundamentals that bring long-term growth. There are online businesses that can operate this way but it only works in certain niches.
Ultimately, SEO events are looking for buy-in from those who attend, and rightly so. You need an expert that understands the different aspects of online marketing to pinpoint and execute a cohesive strategy. In the meantime the owner should focus on developing the business and keeping customers happy.
When it comes to growing a business, your time is precious, and it only takes a few hours a month (instead of days) of an SEO person’s time to make sure you’re doing online marketing right.
Feel free to get in touch for an informal chat about what you’re currently doing and how it can be improved. You might not only save time, but also money while improving your online performance.