Most people would tell you that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about your website.
It would sound something like this — “It’s the act of doing keyword research, identifying the coined “money keywords”, and stuffing your website and blog with SEO optimized content, and then ranking for that content.” Boom! — SEO is done, you have tons of traffic and in return, customers.
I’m not going to tell you that.
Why? Because it’s not reality.
Maybe that’s what SEO used to be, but the game has changed and those who aren’t keeping up, well — Good luck.
SEO in 2022 is finding unique ways to connect with people who are already searching for what you are offering.
Let me ask you a quick question — If you have a constant flow of customers emailing you, calling your phone, and walking through your door do you really care if they are coming from your website?
The point that I’m trying to make here is that for far too long startups and small businesses have focused all their efforts on the long game (the website). The good ones have also included social media and the ones who like losing money have incorporated Google AdWords and other forms of advertising.
Have you ever heard the phrase “That’s the way we’ve always done it?” – We’ll that doesn’t make it right. What if there was an easier way, a better way.
Read this next section close because bombs are about to be dropped!
When it comes to SEO in Knoxville or any other city in the United States, there is one great example of a business doing it right for themselves and for their clients. Advanced Computers in Knoxville, TN is absolutely dominating their local market, and here is the kicker—They are doing it with a domain authority of seven! Yep, you heard me right… Seven…
Here’s the thing though, they don’t care. They rank between pages two and ten for most of their keywords and the owner says, “increasing our website ranking is not currently a priority.”
The real question is – Why don’t they care and why is it not a priority?
I had a hard time understanding this as well—until I saw the statistics.
The Answer
They don’t care because they still routinely take the majority of the customer base in their local area. They serve clients from Nashville, Alabama, Texas, and California — Meaning they still manage to connect with customers outside of their local area.
They serve more customers than the large chains in their industry located a quarter mile down the street who are set up in large shopping centers and pay $8,000 a month in rent.
They are growing, implementing systems, and hiring new employees while others in their industry are simply struggling to get by — And they are doing it all with a domain authority of seven.
How?
They focus more on efficient and effective ways of connecting with people rather than trying to use brute force on the internet.
They wouldn’t tell me all their secrets, but here are a few things I learned from Advanced Computers that I’d like to share as they may benefit your local business.
1. If the phone rings, answer it, regardless of what’s going on. You’d be surprised how many times a customer calls a business ready to spend money and they can’t get anyone to pick up the phone and if they do, it’s an automated system that provides no value. The personal touch and customer service are both back in demand. In this aspect, run your business like it’s 1990. While this isn’t technically SEO, if you can’t do this simple task then conducting SEO and getting people to call is not going to help you.
2. Advanced Computers spent years learning everything there is to know about the Google My Business profiles. They rank number one for almost every relevant keyword and receive close to 10,000 views, thousands of website visits, and close to a thousand phone calls per month. They are continuing to add and rank for additional keywords on their profile. It’s a MASSIVE traffic source.
This profile is a highly underutilized traffic source and an amazing way to connect with local people who are looking for your local business. Learn everything there is to know about it. Take a course, get a tutor, or hire someone, because it’s too good of a deal to pass up and a concept so important that not utilizing it and focusing on it is a $150,000 dollar mistake.
3. Of course, they blog, but not on their website. That’s a waste at this point. Their domain authority is a seven. Nothing they post will ever rank. However, they routinely provide guest posts on websites that do rank. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on backlinks, they simply share their knowledge and provide content with other websites looking for additional quality content. They rank number one for most of the keywords they focus on in one form or another, but none of those sources is their website.
It’s almost too much to take in one sitting, but they write these articles on other people’s websites and rank for their target keywords in 24 hours. Sometimes, they even get paid for sharing their expertise on these websites.
If only we knew the entire recipe this company utilizes.
The question is—Are they redefining the literal definition of SEO or are they heading down a path that ultimately ends in failure. Personally, I think the former applies.
Cool Takeaways
They don’t care where the traffic is coming from as long as we have a steady flow of customers, and you shouldn’t either.
As of now, they utilize about fifteen creative methods outside of their website to connect with potential customers. They are effective, they drive customers and they cost them somewhere between very little and nothing, outside of time and building relationships.
Suming Up
There is no set path that guarantees success for anyone. Every business is different and working to gain an understanding of how search engines work, how your potential customer’s search, and the methods utilized and ignored by your competition are all steps in the right direction to find the methods that will work for your business.
It’s important to note that no one is saying your website isn’t important. It is! Advanced Computers gets leads from theirs every single day, even though it’s not ranking. At this point, ranking is not the priority because there are other paths of less resistance and their goal is to connect with customers and grow their business, not simply rank a website.
SEO today is not only about ranking a website. It’s about connecting with customers. The goal is to bend Google to your will and position yourself to be found by any means necessary, any platform necessary, and connect with customers.
