[vc_button title=”ACTION GUIDE ” target=”_blank” color=”default” size=”default” href=”/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Take-Action-Guide.pdf”]

[vc_toggle style=”style1″ title=”Why read this guide?” open=”false”]If you read this guide and follow through with all the advice here, then soon enough you can potentially attract 100s/1000s of prospective customers to your website every month without spending endless money on advertising.

For an example, go to Google.com.au and search “website cost australia”.  We wrote a blog post on this keyword / search term.  From this post alone we get approx 300 people a week visiting our site who typed in this search term or a derivative search term.  They are 300 people looking to get a website, ie very qualified visitors.  When they find the useful info we provide in the respective blog post, they start to view us as an authority in the field (someone they can trust) and some of them will then get in touch with us.  If just one person out of those 300 weekly visitors then gets a website from us, that number one ranking in Google is worth a lot to us!

This is obviously a standout example, and for every post we’ve pushed to number one in Google, there are 9 that aren’t number one.  But still, it’s a great example for showing the power of creating great content for the best keywords.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle style=”style1″ title=”How do I get my website to show up in the Google search results?” open=”false”]The steps are simple enough, but the process is time consuming and requires certain expertise at points.  We’ve done all the complicated stuff for you (search engine optimisation + keyword research), now it is just up to you to do the last part (content creation).

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Plain English

SEO just means designing and coding a site so it appeals to Google.  This includes making sure Google understands what your site is about, how good quality it is and when it should show up in search results.

What We Have Done

We have completed on-page SEO work on your site, including Google-friendly keyword-rich page titles and descriptions, submitted your site to Google, Yahoo and Bing and built a sitemap for the search engines to make the website easier for them to understand.  If you have requested a blog, we will have already set this up so you can start adding content to your site.  If you have not requested a blog be setup, but would like one, simply contact your project manager and we will organise this for you.

Keyword Research

Plain English

Keyword research just means finding out what your target market is typing into Google (ie keywords) when they are looking for a business or product/service like yours.  Once we know what they are typing, we can optimise your site and you can create content accordingly.  Without this research you would waste 100s of hours creating content on the wrong subjects/topics etc.

What We Have Done

We have done extensive keyword research for your business, industry and website, which you can see in the Excel File database we sent you.  Everything in that Excel File is explained below, including instructions on how you can make the most of it.

Content Creation

Plain English

Content creation just means adding text, video or photos to your website, which can help your website show up in the Google search results.  Using the keyword research you will know what content to add to your site, and what not to bother with.  Writing articles (aka blogging) with your keywords included, is the best way to add content.

What We Have Done

We have filtered the Keyword Research Excel File to show you what keywords to create content around.  Armed with this, it is now time for you to start blogging![/vc_toggle][vc_toggle style=”style1″ title=”How does Google work and how easy/hard it is to show up?” open=”false”]

It takes time to show up in Google

Typically blog posts can take 3-9 months to start showing up in Google’s first couple of pages of search results for the keyword targeted.  For Google time = trust.

Increasingly only top quality content shows up

Google is getting smarter and smarter at recognising what content is valuable to searchers and what is low quality.

Getting links from other sites helps Google recognise quality

If you can get friends/partners/suppliers/customers/industry organisations who have a website to link to your blog post from their website this will help persuade Google that your content is good quality.  The best people to get links from are people from within your industry.

Lots of businesses are trying to show up

100s of businesses in your industry are spending money trying to show up in Google, and many are either trying to game the system or are buying pay-per-click adwords, both of which mean it’s tough to show up in Google for your preferred keywords.

But not many businesses are creating quality content

Eventually the only results Google will show will be 1) for those businesses who put the hard work in and create quality written and video content and 2) those businesses who pay for ads alongside search results.  Concentrate on #1 for now and consider #2 as a backup option or if you would like to get traffic to your site ASAP.

Showing up on page 1 is everything

The businesses on the first page of Google receive 95.63% of the people searching that term (the traffic), so you definitely want to appear on page 1.  This is why targeting keywords with low search volumes and low competition can be good, since you have a much better chance of showing up on page 1 and thus getting clicked on.

Once you’re on page 1, you should stay there

Although it is not guaranteed, it is likely, provided of course that you created top quality content using our guidelines in this Guide.  This is what makes SEO so attractive, ie one-time cost (writing blog post) for ongoing and indefinite returns (visitors to your site from search results for that blog post topic).[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle style=”style1″ title=”What are keywords and what research has eChimp done?” open=”false”]

Our research goals

Goal #1

To find out what your target market is typing into Google (keywords) when looking for a business like yours, so we can optimise your site accordingly and so you can create content people are actually looking for and will get you found in Google.

Goal #2

To break the keywords into related groups / categories so you can create content targeting multiple keywords, not just one.

Goal #3

To work out which keywords are most attractive for you; ie which keywords have low competition and you could thus realistically rank high in Google for and you should thus target first.

Research we’ve done

Industry Research

Look at all the moving parts in your industry and how this is reflected in Google search results.  From this base we start compiling our primary list of keywords to deep dive into.

Keyword Synonyms

Uncover all keywords related to the primary list.  Usually triples the database of keywords to 5,000+, ensuring no stone is left unturned.

Keyword Grouping

Sort all the keywords into similar groups, so they are easily managed and targeted when you start creating content.

Keyword Filtering

Eliminate 95%+ of irrelevant keywords.  Usually cuts database of keywords from 5,000+ to approx top 1000.  Some irrelevant keywords will still fall through the cracks of course.

Keyword Competition

Analyse how competitive each keyword is, including attaching a competition metric for each keyword.

Keyword Cleanup

Bring all the analysis together in an intelligible Excel spreadsheet that you can use to start creating keyword-rich content.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle style=”style1″ title=”What does all the data in the Excel File mean?” open=”false”]

Average Monthly Searches

What does it mean?

This is the number of people who typed that keyword into Google in the space of one month.  If you look at your Excel File it will specify whether this was people in your state only, or people Australia-wide.  You will probably notice a lot of keywords were only searched for between 10-100 times.  Although it may not sound like a lot, these are all potential paying customers and keywords with these low search volumes are easier to rank number one for on Google, which makes them very attractive.

Key Takeaway

Generally speaking, you should first target keywords that have the highest number of searches a month, and work downwards from there.

Competition

What does it mean?

This metric shows you how competitive the keyword is, ie how many other businesses are trying to rank in Google for it.  The closer to 1, the higher the competition.  It’s important to note that this metric is not perfect, at it is derived from Google Adwords, which means it is based on how many businesses are buying Google Adwords* for this keyword and how much they are willing to pay for it, as opposed to how many businesses are creating great content for this keyword and trying to rank in the free Google search results.

* Google Adwords = sponsored ads you see in Google search results at the very top of the page or in the right hand sidebar.

Key Takeaway

You should target keywords with 0.0 to 0.7 competition.  Anything above that will be too hard to rank at top of Google for most of the time.

Average Cost Per Click (CPC)

What does it mean?

This is the average amount of money a business who has Google Adwords setup for this keyword pays when someone clicks on their paid/sponsored ad.  The higher the cost, the more businesses want visitors who are searching for that keyword, ie the higher the cost, the more rewarding that keyword must be in terms of sales for them.

Key Takeaway

You should target keywords with $0 to $5 CPC.  Anything above that will be too hard to rank at top of Google for, generally speaking.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle style=”style1″ title=”What is ‘content’ and what should I create?” open=”false”]

Examples of content

Content you can create:

• Blog posts – 750-2000 word written articles you load up to your site, which provide your target market with useful info, news, lessons, tips, industry info, answers to common questions etc.  This is the #1 way to get started creating content for your site!
• FAQ – you write answers to the most frequently asked questions you get from customers, and load them up to your site.
• Videos – record them on your phone or computer and load up to Youtube and then embed on your site; like blog posts, you simply need to provide valuable info to your target market.
• Other – podcasts, infographics, industry resources, etc.

Keywords drive content

Keywords help you create the content people actually want

In the Excel File we sent you, you can view all the keywords your target market is typing into Google, along with monthly search numbers.

1)     For each piece of content you create, target keywords from this list, because this is what people want to learn about.

2)     Choose the keywords that you think potential buyers of yours would be searching.  An example; we would create content for a keyword like “how much does a website cost” since the person searching is looking to pay someone to create a website, but we would not create content for a keyword like “how to build a free website” because this person is cost conscious and wants to DIY (not our target market).

3)     Target one primary keyword, eg website cost Australia, in your piece of content, and include this in the title.  But you should also include similar / derivative keywords in the content too, eg web design prices Australia, web page cost estimate etc.  You will see similar keywords in the groups / categories in your Excel File.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle style=”style1″ title=”How do I write blog posts both Google and visitors will love?” open=”false”]

General blog tips

How to maximise chances of blog post getting found in Google

• Include primary keyword you are targeting in the title, eg website cost Australia à “How much does a website really cost in Australia?” and do not make your title more than approx 10 words
• Include the primary keyword 3-10 times during your post – no more though, as Google will know you are ‘keyword stuffing’
• Write between 750-2000 words per blog post (it’s a lot, but will pay off as Google preferences in-depth quality articles over short ones)
• It is better to write 1 super quality post, than 5 average ones
• Share useful info that readers will love, as this is what will help them decide whether to potentially do business with you
• Write in a conversational tone and for your target customers’ personality

Blog post ideas

Top 7 post ideas with eChimp examples

1) How to / tips post – these tutorial-style posts are the most popular blog post types on the net, eg How to design a website for dentists

2) List post – people love lists and tend to heavily click on them in Google, eg 7 Ways to Market Your Business on Gumtree

3) Reviews post – review your products, industry partners or events etc, eg Which is the best website hosting company in Australia?

4) Link roundup post – list out, talk about and link to partners/suppliers/customers in your industry, eg Best domain registrars in Australia

5) Current events post – write about an upcoming event or story in your business or industry, eg WordPress conference Melbourne June recap

6) Guest post – get an expert in your industry to write on your website – needs to be original/unique content

7)     Interviews post – with an expert in your industry, eg Email marketing for restaurants explained, an email interview w/ DIMMI CEO Cameron Tapp[/vc_toggle]