Just About Digital – Online Visibility

I was recently asked to present at the Just About Digital development day being run by Socially Shared networking.  My subject was online visibility and I talked about ways to raise your online profile and to direct traffic to your website.  All to maximise your presence on the web.  Here are the slides…

• Are you the best kept secret?
• Do you get jealous when others make a killing and you know you are better?

• Get clear where your clients are and connect with them.  Start to stand out.
• These are your building blocks to raising your online profile.

Your online hub

• To start you need a central point of reference.
• The heart of your online presence.
• Somewhere you can call home and where you want people to visit.
• Where people can buy from you or take the desired action.
• Your Central Internet Hub.

A Simple website at the very least

• Home page must say what you do
• Client testimonials
• Contact page
• Newsletter signup form

A Blog is arguably more important!

• But a blog is a website! – include contact and newsletter signup.
• Popular platforms are Blogger/WordPress.
• Here you can show off expertise and differentiate yourself.
• Gain trust, build credibility.
• Publish posts regularly – case studies/showcase work/testimonials/news/events/stories.
• Offer downloads/PDFs in relation to the topic!
• Email your email subscribers to tell them about your latest posts and downloads.
• Share on social media.
• Link back to this central marketing hub.

Facebook business page

• Don’t discount Facebook from B2B – Individuals run businesses so your clients could be here.
• Post regularly – just like a blog.
• Share testimonials/case studies/news.
• Facebook Live – broadcast a video, show expertise, personality, show passion and a desire to help.
• Manage events.
• Share to other platforms.
• Encourage feedback and reviews.

LinkedIn profile and/or business page

• If your clients are here.
• Post regularly.
• Interact with others.
• Share to other platforms.
• Encourage reviews.

Google my business

• Claim your business.
• Add your business information, business hours, location.
• Contact Details/photos.
• Post regularly.
• Share to other networks.
• Encourage reviews.

Make this your business location on the web

• Your online presence.
• Centre of your sales funnel to bring everyone back to.
• Sharing this content to other networks and places.
• BE YOURSELF! Not overly concerned with what others think.

Google loves good content

• Attract people with good titles, eye catching headlines.
• Good quality text and images, well written, spelling, keywords should come naturally.
• Post as often as you can, keep yourself alive online.
• Update and republish old posts.
• Never copy – or if you must, credit.

Make people want to visit you

• Promote Products and services.
• Clear name/title for product.
• Accurate Description.
• Transparent Pricing.
• Good image!

The basis for your SEO (Search engine optimisation)

• WordPress offers SEO plugins.  Or employ a good SEO consultant.
• Title tag should match your page or post title.
• Description tags should include your main keywords, probably your page or post title and some additional text to attract people to click.
• Don’t stuff content with keywords, that is detrimental and keywords should come naturally.
• Make your link text relevant when you link back from other sites – make it the title of your post or page.

The image alt tag is important

• Don’t forget your image tags, Google needs those.
• You can add these when you upload images.
• Screen readers for the visually impaired use them.
• Google crawlers use them, they cannot see images.

Share

• Share out from your central hub
• Posts | Products | Services
• 3.3 billion people use social media each month!
• Pick the right sharing networks – check client websites, see where they are, do the same.

A few tips for sharing and optimising your content

• As a minimum your post/page/product/service title must show when you share to social media.
• Make sure all social media shares include a link back to the content that you are selling. That might not always be your home page.

Links influence SEO and your Google ranking.

• When you share items that link back to your hub, Google sees it when someone visits the link. You will attract search engines as well as people
• Internal links help search engines and people find your content. So link to other relevant content in your website or blog.
• Always link shares from your online hub back to your online hub.
• Never share without a link back!

Guest blog

• Be selective.
• Post where it matters to your business.
• Post where your clients read and visit.
• Link back to your business.

Facebook Groups

• Find out where your audience hangs out.
• Introduce yourself and help people.
• Be the go to expert.
• Be careful with self-promotion but when you do post, don’t forget to link back.
• Understanding the questions that group members have will help you to write content for your hub.

Host a Webinar

• A big web conference.
• Co-host if that is easier – double your reach.
• Use social media to promote.
• Free to do on YouTube.
• Link back to your hub.

Podcasts

• Reach out to Podcasters in your industry.
• Podcasters who serve your market.
• Get them to interview you.
• Go to Spotify, Deezer, iTunes to find relevant Podcasters.
• Don’t forget to share your website/central hub address during the Podcast.

Promote through other websites

• Socially shared offer a whole website page to members.
• PR – get featured via online media.
• Submit articles to online publications.
• Remember the keywords and the link back.

Get Listed in Online Directories

• Assigned to your industry
• Assigned to your geographical area
• Assigned to your demographic
• Use your keywords, similar to your website description.
• Claim your business – Yelp,Yellow Pages, Thomson Local, Google My Business.
• Ensure you only use reputable directories.  Beware of directory sites that look unprofessional.
• Check if they are blacklisted by Google https://ismywebsitepenalized.com/
• Encourage reviews.
• Remember your link!

Publish

• White papers.
• PDF downloads.
• eBooks.
• Value added content for your blog.
• Remember your link and contact details in every document!

Newsletters

• Make sure you have an email conversion tool, a signup box on your site or hub.
• Send a newsletter regularly.
• Link back to articles you have posted.
• Link back to your hub.

Video – YouTube, Facebook, anywhere

• Do a Ted Talk!
• Collaborate if it is scary.
• Everyone has a good side!

If anyone would like to download my slides they are attached here in PDF format, including slide notes:  download slides.

Great interactive session with a lovely bunch of ladies & 3 fab speakers at today’s #sociallyshared Just About Digital Development Day. Many thanks Karen Heap @socially_shared, Claire @TreehouseSoc & @traceyrickard Web Design. Lots to digest…

— Geraldine Jones (@EWC_wordsmith) November 9, 2018

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