It was a pleasure to be invited to datadrivenmarketing.co, with John Ainsworth, and talk about things to stand out in Google Search Results.
As a business owner, you know it’s essential to be seen online. In order to loop in today’s digital world, ensure that your website is ranking high in Google search results.
Google is a powerful platform that can be used to connect people with what they’re looking for online. But how can you make sure your online course stands out from the competition?
There are a few things you can do to help improve your ranking, and in this article, Gert Mellak will discuss some of them. So if you’re looking to get more out of Google, keep reading!
Table of Contents
Why SEO is a pillar to drive traffic to your online course
So what’s the role of SEO for online course creators, and how does that fit?
As an SEO expert, Gert believes that SEO is a traffic pillar in ranking your online course. Many online courses are doing well with Facebook ads, google ads, and even YouTube ads. But since most people today turn to search engines to find information on the internet, SEO is crucial for ensuring that your online course appears near the top of search results.
Here are 2 reasons Gert agreed on why SEO fits in for online courses.
Changes happen with paid channels
In paid channels, some accounts get shut down for no reason. Others do not have anything terrible without running the promotions for weeks. So, proper backup methodologies in place or backup tactics are essential.
But some companies bring up huge tracking issues. Some ways that used to work didn’t work anymore. Even if someone searches on Google for a specific keyword, they don’t find it. And this is something that strikes a lot of online courses.
You can have good company. You can be at the service for more than 5 years. But without proper strategy involved in building up a channel over time, you’re nowhere in Google. And worse, people will not find you if you rank for keywords.
This can, in turn, lead to higher enrollment rates and greater profits for your online course. Whether you are starting with it or looking to improve on an existing one, SEO should be at the top of the list to drive traffic and grow your business.
Having trust with finding your own course option online as a user
With millions of search results available to users, Google has become the trusted go-to for those who find the best products or services. Google relies on its advanced algorithms and user data within these vast oceans of results. This allows it to provide a filtered list of only the very best options for users.
Whether you’re searching for a skating course or finding a reputable one for guitar playing, trust Google to do the hard work. Plus, it can save you hours of research. Also, ensure that you get high-quality choices that meet your needs and expectations.
Most people trust page one and think it’s the right fit. So this is where lead magnets also come in. As a result, you can see high conversion rates and opt-in rates.
But there’ll be other people right who are just searching for videos about the course who aren’t ready to buy. Generally, you’re going to tackle different levels of a sales funnel. With the funnels you build, you can essentially re-target the traffic.
What drives customers to click on your website
People in the course space are not doing email promotions. Most of them are not using their email list very much.
But what if someone starts doing email promotions? How does SEO fit into that?
If you work backward from an email promotion, that brings revenue. If you think about someone purchasing an email promotion, you need to consider what happened before.
Email promotions are a critical component of any successful online course. With the rising popularity of e-learning platforms, it is more important than ever to present your course in the best possible light.
Email promotions allow you to reach out to potential students directly. As such, highlight the unique benefits of your program and engage them with the content that you have to offer.
Whether through images or well-crafted calls to action or lead magnets can significantly attract new students. Also, building up the success of your online course.
So if you’re looking for ways to promote your online course, be sure to make good use of email marketing strategies and tactics. After all, as the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression!
How Google chooses top-ranking results for every search
You’ve undoubtedly heard that it’s essential to be at the top of Google search results if you want people to find your business online. But what if you’re doing all you can, but your website still isn’t showing up?
Regarding the SEO side of things, people find your article probably on google. Besides that, Google decided that based on what they typed into the search box.
Google decides if your article or online course is the best one. Simply, this search engine does a lot of calculations in order to understand the search query. Users can see up to 10 different search results where they have a decision to click on one particular search result.
A title and meta description are one of the keys and a factor in SEO. Users can see the compelling search snippet versus others that weren’t on the page. Often, Google users focus on the top ones, then skip the ads part on top. That’s why it’s vital to focus on the organic part of SEO optimization.
Moreover, Google wants to make its users happy. Additionally, find the response to their answer to that question quickly. This search engine is going to match the results with the search intent.
Google knows if you search to have a comparison. Of course, the article has the highest possibility to rank.
So working backward with an email marketing list takes an article that responds to something the audience is looking for. It takes a lead magnet that they are really compelled by.
Besides that, the lead magnet needs to provide enough value to stay on your email list to receive a few emails. Simply, they can sign up and send promotions and buy.
Once you provide the value and be consistent, you outrank your competitor. In addition to that, you can do a lot of keyword research to see what kind of queries people type into google.
How an SEO Strategy helps businesses achieve success
Gert says that SEO is a long-term game. It’s not something you start today and finish tomorrow. It will not work if you’re not consistent in effort and dedication.
For example, you’re in personal training at the gym. You can’t do this for a month, and then you’re fit, and then you’re off. However, know that you need to dedicate time. Or if you have written an article but you have the wrong lead magnet. The opt-ins are not going to happen.
You might have the best article, and Google ranks them number one, but if the meta description of the search snippet doesn’t convince them, they’re not going to get the clicks. This is because the click-through rate is going to be low from search.
The ERICA Framework
In order to drive the potential results, Gert came up with this ERICA framework.
Evolution
It means the evolution of Gert’s client website and their competitor sites. There are multiple Google updates of their algorithm in 2021. You need to evaluate a website and a competitor based on what has happened in google updates.
Research
You can conduct keyword research and come up with terms on page 5 and those which rank higher on Google. Check also how the user experiences on different devices. Precisely, the site speed and more technical SEO issues.
Interlinking
The “i” stands for interlinking. You can take a deep dive and might crawl the site of an entire competitor. If links are relevant to the topic you want to rank for, you have a higher chance of ranking. Those links are going to be the ones that are going to define whether google trusts your content in a particular industry.
Content
Once you identify your links, you can go through the “c,” which stands for content. By optimizing your online course content for search engines and using top-quality keywords, you can drive more organic traffic and increase your chances of converting that traffic into students.
After all, the entire point of an online course is to deliver educational content to students in a format that they can access and learn from anywhere in the world. And while the delivery format may have changed, the quality and accuracy of the content itself are still just as vital as it ever was.
Action
Ideally, taking action in SEO involves incorporating best practices into all stages of the process. This might mean taking steps such as using proper keyword targeting, researching backlinks, and maintaining organic traffic with regular site updates. Lingering questions and challenges can help motivate and focus your efforts. That’s why it takes time to carefully analyze any numbers or metrics that say where improvements might be needed.
At the same time, it’s essential to be flexible and iterative in your approach to taking action in SEO. New trends and changes constantly emerge within this dynamic field. So it’s critical to stay up-to-date on developments and respond quickly when necessary. Doing so will ensure that you are always taking practical actions within the ever-evolving SEO landscape.
Build the best Online Course possible with SEO
Online course creation can be a highly competitive and challenging field. This is true, especially when there is so much information on reaching potential students. If looking for ways to improve your existing strategy, SEO has the power to help you reach new audiences and build a strong base of loyal students.
So why wait? Start implementing SEO strategies today and watch your online courses take off!
