Gone are the days when Search Engine Optimization (SEO) served the single purpose of optimizing the website for, well, a search engine. Whether it’s for Google, Yandex, or Bing, your main goal should be to organize your content so that it not only meets the requirements of search engines but also leaves your website visitors feeling satisfied. This will lead to higher customer satisfaction rates and, as a result, a top-tier customer experience that will differentiate you from your competitors. Today you will learn how you can integrate SEO and customer experience.
Unlike customer service that’s limited to merely one part of the customer journey process, customer experience covers everything from the moment your prospect finds your brand until the very last minute he leaves feedback about the completed purchase. When done right, it’s a handy tool for improving relationships with your customers and building a successful word-of-mouth strategy that brings results.
Keep reading to find out how you can leverage SEO to deliver the best customer experience possible.
1. Post-High-Quality Content That Resonates With Your Audience
We won’t get tired of repeating that content continues to be the king that has the power to elevate your SEO game almost instantaneously. When the search engine algorithm registers that the content you’re writing up isn’t aiming at filling up the space, but instead at providing customers with every piece of information they need, it automatically starts favoring you. Thus, you become an expert in your field who can meet the customers’ demands and make their experience with your brand satisfactory.
A tried-and-tested method of enhancing your customer experience with the help of SEO is to dabble into blogging. Figure out what keywords to use and play around with different headlines to appeal to your target audience. With 77% of internet users taking the time to read blogs, you’re virtually guaranteed to grab their attention and persuade them to act on the urge to give your company a shot.
2. Ensure That Your Website Is Well Connected Via Links
Interlinking and backlinking aren’t just buzzwords — these practices help drive organic traffic while giving website visitors what they need. When someone is able to find additional information about the product or service you’re offering without having to consult with Google, you’re in the win. All you have to do is make sure that you’re linking to relevant pages on your website so that your customers get the right answers to their questions.
Apart from interlinking, you’ll also benefit from getting backlinks to your content. Considered to be one of the most important ranking factors for Google search, backlinks point out the fact that the linked source is credible enough to click on to learn more.
3. Turn Up Your Local SEO By Following The NAP Rule
Ah, the good old NAP that everyone enjoys taking halfway through the busy workday. However, in the context of SEO, it takes on a different meaning — businesses use it to help their customers navigate better. Featuring your Name, Address, and Phone Number might seem like a no-brainer for some, but search engines take these seemingly small details seriously when deciding whether or not to show your website to potential customers.
If you’re trying to rank well locally — and appease your customers demanding to know where and how to find you at all times — following the NAP rule is a must. Take the time to format your NAP, and Google will reward you with a prominent place on the search map.
4. Invest Resources Into Creating A Well-Rounded Knowledge Base
Before setting up a comprehensive FAQ page and recording how-to videos for your customers, you should discover what they’re searching for, to begin with. Test out a variety of keywords and search phrases common to your niche to get an idea about the type of content that’s the most relevant for your audience. Then, you can start using these insights to draft up an extensive service page that features all the information your customers might need before going through with the purchase.
Dive deep into the tiniest details when answering customers’ questions and filming helpful tutorials. The more inclusive your knowledge base is, the higher are the chances of your prospects becoming more convinced that you’re the right company to do business with.
5. Incentivize Your Customers To Leave Reviews
Don’t underestimate the power of customer testimonials. In addition to helping new customers gauge the company’s essence and the quality of the services they provide, they also tell search engines how authoritative your business is. And since a staggering 90% of consumers are typically influenced by online reviews, you’ll be better off stacking your cards in a way that positively impacts the customers’ impression of your brand.
An incentive to leave a review can take the form of a discount with the next purchase or a freebie that the customer is genuinely interested in. No matter the incentive, strive to collect as much feedback from your customers as possible so that both search engines and future clients develop trust in your business.
6. Use Hashtags To Connect With Your Followers On Social Media
You can bring your SEO game to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where most of your customers spend a lot of their free time. It was reported that 4.62 billion people across the globe use social media, with 54% of users browsing to research products. This alludes to the high likelihood of your customers making use of relevant hashtags to find someone who’s mentioned the keyword (that could be your brand’s name) in the past.
Like with a website that appeals to search engines to rank well, your approach to social media outlets should follow the same rules. Publish SEO-friendly, high-quality content, include links to your website with FAQ pages, and engage with your followers via appropriate use of hashtags and prompt replies to their messages. This way, you’ll contribute to an overall better customer experience.
Wrapping Up
Applying SEO tactics to boost your customer experience isn’t a difficult task. If you’re consistently taking the time to reevaluate the content you’re producing and the engagement you’re receiving, you’ll always be in the know about what areas need optimization. From using the basic NAP techniques that help customers locate you to interlinking and investing in a comprehensive knowledge base, you’ll notice how quickly your customer satisfaction rate will increase (and with that, the quality of the customer experience too).
