HOW TO DOMINATE YOUR MARKET AND OUTRANK YOUR COMPETITORS ON GOOGLE

Ever wondered why some companies appear on the first page of Google while yours is buried way back on page three? Buying ads is an option, but you will pay every time someone clicks, with no guarantee of a sale. Furthermore, ranking highly through your own merit (organic rankings) has been shown repeatedly to attract far more customers than pay-per-click ads. 

If you are struggling to get your business noticed online and your competitors consistently outrank you on Google, there is a way to help you gain a much-needed competitive edge.   

My name is Mel Dunkin, and I’m the official UK partner of iLeadetal, the foremost lead generation and digital marketing agency in South Africa. In this article, I'll be covering the essentials of optimising your website for Google searches.   

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is one of several tools that are vital for any business seeking to attract new customers. Most people now search for products or services online, and the majority will choose a supplier or manufacturer that appears at or near the top of the Google search results.  Regularly posting search engine optimised content on your website and social media will help you achieve higher rankings on Google, which is essential for boosting your visibility and attracting more clients.

SEO can be global or local. While the former focuses on helping businesses rank higher in worldwide searches, local SEO targets specific geographic regions, using location-based keywords, local content, citations and backlinks. By contrast, global SEO uses broader, more generic keywords. Incidentally, keywords may be single words, but they are more often phrases, known as long-tail keywords.

For example, a tyre manufacturer in London will want to appear at the top of the search results when Londoners search for "tyres near me". Optimising its online presence for local buyers will help the company rank higher in their searches. Mastering local SEO requires understanding the factors that influence local search rankings. These include backlinks, testimonials, and most importantly, topical keywords. 

Keyword selection is a critical component of both SEO strategies. To find the right keywords for your business, you need to know those phrases your target audience is most often using when searching for products or services like yours. It requires specialised keyword research tools to identify those keywords that are currently being used and which are relevant to your business. For example, the top keyword for UK tyre manufacturers might be "discounted radial tyres" while a popular credit provider search phrase might be “low-interest loans”.

SEO involves optimising both a webpage's content and its structure to make it more search engine-friendly, requiring both on-page and off-page adjustments.

 Off-page actions involve building high-quality backlinks to a website from authoritative sources and optimising hidden metadata, such as title tags and image descriptions. Backlinks are links from other authoritative websites that point to your site, thereby enhancing your credibility.   

Search engine optimisation is invaluable to any business, but it requires time and experience that most companies lack. Furthermore, even most freelance SEO specialists in the UK either charge by the hour, which can be somewhat open-ended, or typically ask around £100 for 1,000 words.   

As a South African-based company, iLeadetal operates in South African Rands. So, with the Rand/Pound exchange rate firmly in the UK’s favour, its digital marketing team can meet your needs for around 60% less than you would pay a local SEO specialist. 

If you are serious about attracting more customers, outranking your competitors, and dominating your target market, please call me on +44786 808 299 or complete the online contact form. Alternatively, you can email leah@ileadetal.co.za and include “moreLeadsUK Referral” in the subject line.