Premeditation is the Key to Digital Marketing

Google is a great marketing tool for many businesses.  The way people 'search' for desired goods and services has changed significantly from an external one to an online one.  However, as many businesses are experiencing, marketing online comes at a cost.  No, I don't mean third-party marketing service cost; I mean over-optimizing and incurring penalties – those kinds of costs.  There is good news. Many penalties can be avoided through premeditation.  Consider the following suggestions.

It's Not All Rank

It's likely that the behaviors of consumers are different in specific verticals.  For instance, someone searching for toothpaste may not spend as much time in the 'sales tube' as someone searching for marketing services; but, being 'ranked first' does not guarantee conversions.  Yes, a number of SEO implementations can help brand pages rank well on search engines; but, it's only a piece of the puzzle.  Search engines want those top spots to be held by pages that accurately address queries.  Finding ways to 'fool' the engines is going to disappoint the engines eventually.  Additionally, when consumers come upon a top-ranked site to find it lacking in quality, they too will be disappointed.

Think about 'how much' optimization is warranted for a campaign.  Realize your brand needs more marketing elements other than technical SEO.

Personable

Think like a consumer.  Which brands do you enjoy the most?  What stores do you visit the most and why?  Consumers have a high number of choices regarding most needs.  Why should they select a particular brand's products or services?  Many times, the personable nature of the brand helps influence a purchase.  If your brand does not host a store front, the 'personable' nature can be exhibited through the use of social media.  Do you appreciate your customers?  Do you appreciate the expressed interests of potential customers?  Show them.  The process engages clients; and, it doesn't incur search engine penalties.

 Realize your business is contingent on people.  Do more to engage your target market to your brand.

Think Outside Online

The emphasis on online marketing is causing a paradox.  At first, all marketers were wondering what brands were doing being offline.  Now, it seems the emphasis on online 'only' has been a bit too strong for some brands.  Depending on the nature of your offered products and services, it may make a lot of sense to make offline traction too.  Cater to your customers and not a marketing trend.  What comes first the marketing or the presence of the target market?  It's the latter.

Allocate marketing resources in association with the presence and behavior of your target market; the process may lead to more offline activities.