Whether you are a B2B business or you are in eCommerce, attracting paying customers (e.g., ‘leads’) is one of the most expensive and resource-intensive activities, which is why many marketers over the years have been pulling their hair out and racking their brains trying desperately to perfect the art of lead generation.
But, what is ‘lead generation’, and how can you use SEO to help you master it? If you’ve been struggling to get customers through the door, this is the article for you.
What is lead generation?
As the name suggests, lead generation simply refers to the process of attracting warm, ‘ready to spend’ prospects to your website – whether they be potential clients who can benefit from the services that you offer, or prospective customers interested in your products.
That’s the dream for every business, isn’t it? Having a seemingly endless supply of potential customers ready to part with their hard earned cash? But, why is it so hard?
Why do so many businesses struggle with lead generation?
There are many different reasons why businesses struggle to attract new leads, however, the main reason ultimately comes down to competition. As of 2017, in the US alone, the average person is exposed to between 4,000 and 10,000 ads a day!
That number might sound impossibly high to you, but the fact that 1 in 3 posts on social media is an advert (not to mention TV commercials, YouTube ads, radio ads, billboards, magazines, newspapers, busses, subways, and the gargantuan multitude of other marketing avenues we are exposed to on a daily basis), should be evidence enough.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder why so many businesses struggle to attract new customers. It’s like screaming in the vacuum of space and hoping that someone will hear you.
All that being said, despite the fierce competition, there are a number of viable ways to generate leads. However, we are going to focus on one of the best methods: SEO.
Leverage SEO and master lead generation
SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of configuring your website’s technical performance, content quality and relevancy, and overall link popularity in order to increase your online visibility (specifically in a Google SERP) in order to attract more traffic to your website.
But it’s not just about attracting any old traffic; it’s about securing the most relevant, ‘ready to spend’ customers and successfully converting them into business.
This is done by conducting extensive keyword research, which is essentially identifying the various keywords and search terms that your ideal customers are typing into Google when they are actively searching for the products or services that you offer. In doing so, you can target those keywords and create highly relevant content that resonates with your target demographic in order to both improve visibility and have the best possible chance at leading them toward a positive conclusion (heading to the checkout page on your website / signing up for a consultation).
Make no mistake; SEO is not the easiest, fastest, or cheapest method of lead generation, although it is the most effective. It takes an average of 4 to 12-months to yield a positive ROI, however, once that ball is rolling and you’ve found your groove, you’ll be attracting tons of organic traffic to your website with the highest possible rate of conversion – and all of this will be rolling like clockwork in the background.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, while lead generation is indeed difficult, it’s not impossible. It’s all about doing the appropriate research, having a clear brand-voice with an irresistible value proposition, and indeed creating high-value content that will speak to your audience on an emotional level.
If you are a small business and have neither the time nor desire to invest in a full-blown SEO campaign, we’d highly recommend seeking out a local Miami SEO company to help accommodate your needs.
We hope you’ve found this article inspiring and wish you the best of luck with your lead generation efforts. Happy hunting!