Hi Melissa
I've founded 2 online businesses and spent 20 years in marketing career working for local and global businesses so I've used all of these tactics multiple times with varying results that depend on a lot of factors but I'll give you a few examples of successful use. None of them work as a solo activity - they all need to be mapped into your overall marketing funnel and supported with other activities.  

For all three to work properly it starts with having a very clear 'ideal customer' who you're targetting. Your level of success rises dramatically the more targeted you are, because the people you're attracting are the ones your offer is tailored for, therefore it's a good fit and conversions are higher. 

SEO - this is a long-term strategic activity and a must-do. It's not just about your website, it's also relevant to your social media - the more optimised your content is, the easier it is for the right people to find it when they're searching.  It takes a bit of time to implement and get results, however you can speed it up if you support it with some PPC or Facebook ads, increasing quality traffic. 
For example, my site ranks highly (1-5 position) for keywords relating to my free customer avatar template. While my landing page is very optimised for these keywords, I've also done a lot of work driving traffic to that page with both free and paid methods and it converts at 80% which means it's seen by Google and FB as quality content. 

PPC - is good to support your SEO when starting out and get you visibility in the search results. It works when you're very targeted in your keywords and also the ads themselves need to be enticing and send people to a very well optimised landing page. I see so many people doing ads that just drop people on the homepage - this is a total waste of time as they're letting their prospective lead find their way through the site to what they're looking for. It's much better to have a specific purpose for the ads and drive them to a lead capture. For example, ad about free avatar template which goes to landing page where they opt-in. Then you've gained value from the ad as you can further nurture the lead with follow up targeted ads or your email marketing. 

Social media - well, so many different uses here! If you have a great FB page with keyword optimised story and useful content you'll appear in search results on Google! You can use social media to build your audience and then transfer them over to your email list. You can use it to more closely refine your audience and deliver targeted ads to them. Each social platform has different strengths and there's no one-size-fits-all strategy - as with the above it's 100% about knowing exactly who you want to be building relationships with. There's no point having a big audience and lots of engagement if they aren't the ones you want to buy from you. 

Hope that helps! I could carry on forever on these topics... ! 

 

Hi Melissa, 

To make SEO successful we have found that backlinks from credible online sources have pushed our organic listings higher. Google uses a pagerank algorithm to analyze a website's backlink strategy. Companies that are able to generate backlinks from websites with a high page rank will see their organic ranking improve. 

For an effective PPC strategy, it is important to have conversion tracking set up properly. Google's algorithm is most effective when it has a KPI to optimize to. Whether it is a lead form submission or down funnel page view it is important to set up a conversion tactic that you can optimize the search campaign to. In addition, building a strong negative keyword list will allow companies to only spend dollars on search terms that drive results for their business. These lists can be built up over time by analyzing search terms and seeing which keywords drive spend but do no produce conversion results. 

Finally, social media is a great way to improve SEO. Google will give credit to companies who consistently post on social media and drive engagement through these posts. Any blog that is posted to your site should be reposted on social media. Use social media posts to create conversations with your consumers or business partners. 

 

SEO, PPC, and social media are three important components of online marketing, and each has its unique strengths and strategies that contribute to their success. Here are some key factors that make each of these channels successful:

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): SEO involves optimizing a website and its content to improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords. Some factors that make SEO successful include:

• High-quality, relevant content that matches search intent
• Well-structured website architecture and optimized page titles, meta descriptions, and header tags
• Relevant, high-quality backlinks from other reputable websites
• A website that is fast and mobile-friendly
• Use of targeted keywords in content and metadata

1. PPC (Pay-per-Click Advertising): PPC is a type of online advertising where advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their ad. Some factors that make PPC successful include:

• Well-targeted keywords and ad copy that align with the user's intent
• Effective landing pages that provide a clear call to action
• Regular monitoring and optimization of campaigns to improve performance
• An understanding of the target audience and their behaviors
• A strong budgeting strategy that balances spending and return on investment (ROI)

1. Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing involves using social media platforms to engage with customers, build brand awareness, and drive traffic to a website. Some factors that make social media marketing successful include:

• Consistent and engaging content that aligns with the brand's voice and values
• Active engagement with followers, responding to comments and messages promptly
• An understanding of the target audience and the social media platforms they use
• Use of visual content such as images and videos to increase engagement
• A strong social media advertising strategy that targets the right audience with the right messaging

Overall, the success of these channels in online marketing relies on understanding the target audience, creating high-quality content, and monitoring and optimizing performance regularly. By combining these strategies, businesses can develop a comprehensive online marketing plan that reaches and engages their target audience effectively.

Authenticity
Consistency
Knowing your niche and your audience 

The overnight success story is years in the making...