In this episode, we talk about generating leads through five different SEO alternatives.
So, if the thought of tackling search engine optimization hurts your head, then you’re going to love these options!
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[01:04] Is SEO your top priority?
[02:58] Invest in paid ads
[04:44] Go “all in” on list building
[07:53] Launch a YouTube channel
[09:57] Network online or in-person
[12:42] Be a guest
[14:58] Set a marketing goal first
[15:31] Start with one tactic only
[17:35] Bloopers
Is SEO Your Top Priority?
[Meghan] We are often advising you to pay attention to search engine optimization or SEO. It’s one of those super popular marketing acronyms and buzzwords, right?!
But, while SEO definitely has its merits, it’s not necessarily a top priority for YOUR business.
[Theresa] That’s right. You can’t focus on “all the things.” So that means prioritization, especially when it comes to marketing.
Like many other marketing strategies, SEO requires a lot of ongoing work. You’ve got to look at your goals first. Is optimizing your website for search engines at the top of the list? It may not be.
Your goals drive your actions and help you to figure out the priority of your projects and tasks. So before you jump into another strategy, be sure to revisit your goals.
[Meghan] Very good advice Theresa! And we’ll actually talk a little more about that near the end of the episode.
Trying to rank higher in search engines so that you get more website visitors is a ton of work. But, it’s not just that it’s a lot of work.
It’s that getting more website visitors may not be your top priority. Or, maybe you don’t want to learn SEO, which is totally fine.
There’s also the possibility that you want quicker results! SEO is a long term strategy. If you’re short on time, then it’s not the right choice right now.
[Theresa] You definitely want to consider where you are in your business. Factor in your time and milestones too. Concentrate on the things that get you closer to your goals with the least amount of friction.
SEO may not the right tactic for you.
You don't have to rely on SEO to generate leads. Try one of these five alternatives Click To Tweet5 SEO Alternatives to Lead Generation
Here’s the thing: SEO is but one way to generate leads. You’ve got plenty of other options! And we’re going to talk about five of them today.
1) Invest in Paid Ads
[Meghan] We just mentioned being short on time and wanting faster results. And one of the best ways to generate leads more quickly is to run ads. I’m talking about ads on Pinterest, Facebook, Google, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Of course, where you run your ads depends on who you’re trying to reach. But there are lots of options.
With ads, you’re paying to proactively reach out to prospects rather than waiting for them to find your content. And that speeds up the lead generation process.
Plus, ads make it possible to select your audience. You’re likely to get more relevant and interested people seeing your brand and offers. Therefore, ads also result in higher quality leads and website traffic. So, there are definite benefits to advertising.
[Theresa] Be prepared to invest money though! Obviously, ads cost money.
And, unless you’ve got experience with ads, hire an expert. Today’s ad platforms are certainly accessible to you. But, just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
Ad experts know the ins and outs of the various platforms, which means better results. They can help you figure out the right ad strategy too. Hiring this task out also lets you focus on those more important revenue-generating things in your business.
2) Go All In on List Building and Email Marketing
[Meghan] Another method to acquire leads other than SEO, is to go all in on your email marketing.
You hear it all of the time, “the money is in the list.” You may think that’s a myth, but it’s not! That statement is so accurate.
I personally know businesses and I have clients who use email to build a community full of potential customers. They provide a ton of value to their community and then use email to promote their offers. And, it works! They make money off their list. It’s an old strategy but a super effective one nonetheless.
[Theresa] Email may seem “old-fashioned” to some, but I agree that it’s super effective. I’ve seen hundreds of course launches over the years. The businesses with the email lists always achieved better results. No list equals more struggle.
[Meghan] No matter how you slice it, the results from email marketing are seriously incredible. In fact, according to OptinMonster:
- 99% of email users check their email every day and over half check their email before looking at social media or the news.
- Email is 40x more effective at acquiring customers than Facebook and Twitter combined.
- For every $1 spent on email marketing, $44 is made in return, and that equals a 4400% ROI!
And think about this for a minute…
Over 75% of the people who visit your site will never return (Source: BloggingWizard). Ouch!
So, while SEO does help get more people to your website, many will not return. You need a way to follow up with those website visitors, and that way is email.
[Theresa] The takeaway here? If you currently have a list, start emailing subscribers with free value to build trust with them. Over time, you can send them offers.
If you don’t have a list, start building one! Spend your time list building or email marketing if you think SEO isn’t your jam.
[Meghan] List building means that you’re actively working on lead generation.
People who opt in for your list are raising their hand to hear from you, which means they’re interested. In other words, they are a lead!
[Theresa] SEO has its benefits, but all website visitors are not necessarily leads. On the flip side, more often than not, email subscribers ARE leads.
3) Launch a YouTube Channel
[Meghan] Another alternative to SEO is to launch a YouTube channel.
I’m not going to spend a ton of time on this tactic. We’ve already talked about the merits of video in depth in episode 32. And, we already talked about YouTube in the episode about the best marketing tactic to take your business to the next level in 2021.
[Theresa] Yeah, those episodes covered a lot of ground on why video—and specifically why YouTube—is potentially the path to quicker and better results.
[Meghan] So, let me sum up why YouTube is a great alternative to traditional SEO.
Google is the number one and biggest search engine. Google owns YouTube, which is the second largest search engine. So by creating consistent, high quality videos on YouTube, you’re also taking advantage of search.
Videos are considered content marketing, not SEO. However, videos appear in search queries, so it’s like a two for one deal when you have a YouTube channel.
I’ll add that it helps to optimize your videos for search just as you would other content formats. Definitely listen to the tweaks we suggested in episode 40 since they can help boost your video content and get more leads.
[Theresa] By the way, not only is video good for search, but it also has some things going for it that SEO doesn’t.
For instance, according to Wyzowl:
- Over 80% of video marketers say video has generated leads, has DIRECTLY increased sales, and has increased traffic to their website.
- 84% of people say that watching a brand’s video has convinced them to buy a product or service.
- YouTube is becoming a part of people’s everyday habits as people start to watch it on their televisions.
So, you can hopefully see how launching a YouTube channel is a good SEO alternative.
4) Network Online or In-Person
[Meghan] Another way to generate leads without SEO is to partake in good old fashioned networking.
Personally, in my business, networking has been the most effective way to acquire high-end clients. SEO has increased my lead generation online to help sell digital products and some services.
But, my high-end clients have come from personal connections and referrals from my networking efforts.
And, these connections have been mostly from online interactions. You don’t have to be in person to network, especially with tools like Zoom and Skype. Even social media is great for networking online.
Theresa, you’re the queen of networking! Maybe you want to share a little bit about the value of networking in your business?
[Theresa] For over three years, I’ve been a member of an organization called Master Networks where I hold the business coach seat in two chapters. It’s here that I learned everything about the power of networking. It’s been a game changer in my business.
I’ve learned:
- How to speak confidently about my business
- How to clearly express what I do and my value
- About the spirit of “coopetition,” which is collaboration between business competitors
- Better communication skills
But, the secret sauce of effective networking is building relationships. And, I’ve gotten very good at that through Master Networks.
Networking is not getting together with a bunch of people with your hand out looking for business. Nor is it collecting a stack of business cards you’ll never look at again. It’s investing time in building the know, like, and trust factor with anyone that you meet. I approach my relationships with my hand out to help.
As a result, I’ve built a network of other business owners who refer me, and in some cases, hire me.
When we could no longer meet in person due to the pandemic, Master Networks moved to a virtual model. This has been even more amazing! It’s allowed me to meet Master Networks’ members from all over the country. My network has exploded! That’s led to opportunities and growing my business.
5) Proactively Seek Guest Opportunities
[Meghan] Last on this list is to proactively seek out guest opportunities. Look for other businesses, brands, or people who are in your industry or in a complementary industry. Then approach them.
See if it makes sense to write a guest blog post, be a guest on their podcast or video show, or speak at their event.
[Theresa] How does this help you generate leads? Well, getting in front of other peoples’ communities puts more eyes on your brand. You reach more people, and you increase your visibility in your niche.
And, guest opportunities help establish you as a trusted authority figure.
[Meghan] Plus, there is typically website linking that occurs when you’re a guest.
That website connection and authority building that Theresa just mentioned can help your SEO too. That’s a bonus since you’re kind of doing SEO stuff without directly focusing on SEO.
[Theresa] Nice!
Guest podcasting was one of my top visibility strategies for a period of time. It worked out great for me. I appeared on podcasts that paired nicely with my business and who’s listeners would make great leads for me.
Also, I got to talk about topics I’m passionate about, give people a taste of the value I offer, and demonstrate my authority. Not only that, but I got some great exposure, and I also built some much needed backlinks.
[Meghan] Guest podcasting makes so much sense for what you do.
You know, I did more guest blog posting in the past, and I’m still doing it. It’s really most effective when you’re consistent with it and the audience aligns with your business.
And I’ll say this too, one opportunity with a bigger brand, like the national news, can give you a significant boost. Whereas one or two appearances here and there with smaller brands won’t help as much.
[Theresa] Yeah, that makes sense. It’s fine to go after guest opportunities with smaller brands. Just factor in that you may need a higher frequency of appearances and adjust your schedule accordingly.
Like we always say, it helps to have a plan so that it’s easier to be consistent.
A Few Tips for Trying Out These SEO Alternatives
[Meghan] Okay, a few tips before you try out these alternatives.
Set a Marketing Goal First
First, pay attention to why you’re doing each and every marketing tactic. Set a lead generation goal.
For example:
- Setting up 10 phone calls a week
- Inspiring 150 people to opt in for a freebie
- Getting 500 clicks to a specific web page
- Giving a specific amount of demos per month
Whatever the goal, be specific and clear so that you can be intentional. The goal determines what action you need to take. And knowing your next step is always helpful in progressing forward with clarity and purpose.
Start with One Tactic
[Theresa] That’s right! After all, achieving goals requires goal setting!
Now, you can certainly try to tackle all of the alternatives we’ve mentioned. But I don’t recommend trying them all at once. And that brings me to our second tip, which is to start small by trying ONE tactic.
Go all in on ONE of these alternatives to SEO. Give it time and a decent amount of effort before you try a different tactic or add more tactics to your to-do list.
And, you don’t need to do all of these things to find success. I can’t emphasize that enough!
[Meghan] Exactly! I love that message, and it’s one that I firmly believe. It follows my message of minimal marketing.
Conquer one tactic at a time to accomplish a goal. Before you know it, you’re making progress and finding success—without making yourself miserable in the process.
There’s no need to do everything! If you try to do it all, you’ll decrease your chances of success.
So, dream big, set lofty goals, but approach your marketing on a smaller, more manageable scale to make progress.
[Theresa] Don’t worry if you don’t get it right on the first try either. Messy moments happen, but they often lead to insight and better things.
[Meghan] Amen to that!
Hopefully this post helped you see the SEO alternatives out there waiting for you to take advantage of.
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