Are you struggling to grow your business and stand out in a crowded marketplace?
Nowadays, many businesses face challenges in increasing revenue and establishing a strong brand identity. Fortunately, proven branding and SEO strategies can help overcome these obstacles.
In this podcast episode of James Schramko, James is joined by Gert Mellak from SEOLeverage to explore the power of strategic SEO and branding to drive revenue. Learn practical tips to apply these same principles to your own business.
Table of Contents
James' Own Case Study on Driving Growth
Like many, James finds real-world examples in case studies valuable. When these examples showcase results, like tripling revenue, their impact is even stronger. James himself experienced a similar success story.
By following Gert's advice to reduce unnecessary content or pruning, James' website went from nowhere to be found on page 100 to the top spot for a specific search term he was targeting. This dramatic improvement highlights the power of SEO or Search Engine Optimization.
Gert explains that search engines, like Google, prioritize providing users with the information they seek quickly. To achieve your desired results, Gert emphasizes the importance of clear communication with search engines.
In James' case, pruning content likely streamlined his website's message and made it more relevant to search queries. This leads to a significant ranking boost.
Why Stagnation Still Costs More Than You Think
A common issue in family businesses is stagnation due to a reluctance to change established methods. Gert’s case study showcases a family business in Madrid led by the father, where the son desires more responsibility. However, he struggles to implement changes due to his loyalty to tradition.
James shares similar experiences with family-run car dealerships. This highlights the complexities of leadership transition and balancing legacy with innovation.
Gert's approach focused on building trust across generations. He involved both father and son in providing regular updates. Transparency and evidence of positive outcomes also helped pave the way.
Gert warns of the dangers of clinging to the status quo. Businesses that resist change risk failure due to a shifting competitive landscape. Stagnation can lead to decreased revenue, layoffs, and potential downsizing.
Effective SEO Strategies to Implement
Here are some strategic SEO tactics Gert uses to improve your website's ranking and visibility:
SEO Audit
Gert's secret sauce for online success involved a close look at what wasn't working for his client. This is known as an SEO Audit.
He identified areas for improvement in their online advertising and website content. Then, he targeted their ideal customers with content that directly addressed their needs.
To make the content relevant, Gert talked to the client's sales team to understand customer needs. This data-driven approach led to content that resonated with the target audience even years later.
Keyword Research
Search is constantly changing, and most searches are brand new. This means that just stuffing keywords into content isn't enough for Google to understand it.
Gert argues quality over quantity. It’s best to focus on creating content that attracts the right people likely to buy.
Moreover, targets the right audience. Use SEO strategically to attract high-quality traffic that's closer to making a purchase. This might involve local or regional SEO to reach people further along the buying journey.
Content Creation
James suggested a minimalist content strategy to focus on analyzing the three things:
- Existing content
- Audience
- Goals
Gert agrees as he emphasizes tailoring the strategy to each website and industry. He suggests a methodical approach:
- Website Evaluation. Different aspects of the website are assessed and scored based on SEO importance.
- Data-Driven Roadmap. This evaluation creates a phased roadmap prioritizing immediate improvements like page experience and content creation.
- FAQ Content. Address common customer questions and issues to inform and engage your audience.
- Comprehensive Guides. You need to create in-depth content on industry topics for market research and demonstrate website relevance to Google.
- Adapting to Google's Snippets. Gert acknowledges Google's use of website snippets to answer user queries directly. He clarified that Google's intent is to improve user experience, not steal traffic.
Websites relying only on easily answered content might struggle to attract visitors. They need to adapt their strategy to remain relevant.
When Can You Expect to Rank?
Search engines like Google update content indexing and search intent rapidly. This makes it hard for language models to keep up.
Gert's Recommendations:
- Build Trust and Authority. Establish a strong digital footprint through link building and public relations to help search engines trust your website. This is crucial as AI and search technologies evolve.
- Focus on Long-Term Strategy. Secure your place in the digital space by anticipating future search trends.
James asks about the speed of content ranking. Websites with a strong reputation will see faster ranking for new content as Google prioritizes their content for user testing.
Some websites might have high-quality content but lack optimization. By strategically optimizing existing content, these websites can have significant ranking improvements.
Turning Competitors' Websites Into Revenue Streams
Gert shares his successful strategy of cloning and optimizing websites to dominate markets. This focuses on important aspects, including:
- Acquiring competitor domains
- Recreating their content
- Launching mirror sites with distinct business identities
This method allowed Gert's client to double their online presence and appear on search result pages multiple times. Additionally, it helps to grow from a couple to 50 daily proposals and boost revenue from €2M to a projected €7M.
Maintaining separate business identities ensures longevity and prevents search engine penalties.
Inspired by John Reese's Traffic Secrets, James experienced similar success in 2008. This innovative approach has encouraged others to adopt the tactic. Gert's achievements have earned him recognition and gratitude from clients.
Final Thoughts
To get help from Gert, start by visiting SEOLeverage.com to connect and complete an evaluation using their scorecard. They also assess existing SEO practices and potential for achievement.
Upon completion, a discussion determines eligibility for support and outlines follow-up actions. Remember, collaborating with experts contributes to lasting success.
