SEO and Digital Marketing with the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast

Revolutionize your Digital Engagement with Kim Atkinson

In a recent episode, the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast featured Foundery’s Co-Founder and COO, Kim Atkinson. In this episode, Kim sheds light on the dynamic world of SEO and digital marketing, drawing from a unique perspective that blends her education in psychology with her digital marketing expertise.

Join us as we recap the often-overlooked areas of SEO, the power of psychology in marketing effectiveness, and how businesses can maintain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving digital world.

The Essence of Effective SEO

Focusing only on rankings and traffic is a common misstep for businesses. Relying solely on keyword rankings as a key performance indicator (KPI) should not be the only measure of success, since they are unpredictable and can change a lot. They also don’t tell you everything about how well your SEO works.

Nowadays, effective SEO is more about understanding what people are searching for and making sure your website matches those keyword topics instead of specific keywords. There are also other things outside of your control that affect the organic traffic to your site that don’t necessarily have to do with poor SEO, so it is a good idea to have a plan that covers all your bases in digital marketing.

By seeing SEO as part of your larger business strategy, you can make sure you’re getting the most out of your online presence, supporting your overall business goals.

What Should Businesses Prioritize in SEO?

Using SEO best practices across your entire site is key to succeeding.

To benefit from SEO, businesses should prioritize creating meaningful and valuable content that resonates with their target audience. Not just content for the sake of creating content.

It’s essential that this content not only offers value but also provides a positive user experience and includes a clear call to action. Additionally, making sure your website is technically sound and user-friendly is crucial for keeping users on your site. The ultimate goal is to remove any barriers that prevent potential clients from contacting you.

While the website and its content are a priority, don’t forget about off-site profiles like your Google business profile and LinkedIn. These platforms should mirror your website messaging and amplify your brand’s overall messaging and content.

Consistency across all platforms enhances brand recognition and reinforces your credibility in the eyes of potential clients.

Integrating Personal Experiences into Digital Marketing

Kim’s background in psychology shapes her approach to digital marketing by emphasizing the importance of considering behaviour and motivations.

Rather than solely relying on technical aspects, Kim considers how individuals engage with and respond to various stimuli in marketing campaigns. This perspective enables her to anticipate user reactions and tailor strategies accordingly.

For instance, when examining user paths in analytics, Kim looks into the underlying intent behind their actions. This strategy helps her adjust the call to action to meet users’ needs effectively.

An example of where this worked is when Kim optimized contact forms to reduce abandonment rates. By considering the emotional impact of form questions on users, Kim has been able to make adjustments that enhanced the user experience and ultimately increased conversions.

Navigating Digital Updates and Changes

With constant updates and shifts in digital marketing, Kim addresses how she keeps her clients and staff ahead of the curve.

Through collaboration, continuous learning, and proactive adaptation, the team anticipates trends and issues, ensuring swift responses.

By fostering a culture of research and professional development, they stay informed about emerging technologies while actively participating in industry events and monitoring major tech updates to better their knowledge further.

Maintaining a blog on Foundery’s website also helps the team stay current and effectively communicate industry changes to clients and the broader community.

Change that Impacted Foundery’s Strategies

While the concept of E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) has been a guiding principle for search engines for a while now, its influence has grown significantly in recent years. In response to this ongoing trend, Foundery conducts thorough reviews of all clients’ content and page structures to ensure these principles align and reflect clients’ expertise and credibility.

Advancements in AI have also prompted Foundery to prioritize unique and authentic content creation that adds value beyond what automated tools can generate.

Ownership and Control Over Digital Platforms

In discussing managing digital platforms, Kim emphasizes the importance of businesses having control over their online platforms like websites, hosting, Google Business Profiles, and social media accounts. Kim stresses that allowing individual employees to handle these platforms can lead to irreversible consequences, as they play a crucial role in shaping the brand image and engaging with customers.

For local businesses, Kim points out the vital role of Google Business Profiles as the primary point of contact for potential customers searching locally. Kim emphasizes the need to make sure the right people receive notifications about reviews or inquiries, enabling quick responses to customer concerns.

Taking ownership of these digital platforms allows businesses to keep information up to date, respond quickly to customer inquiries, and adapt to changes in the market or business. Kim highlights that owning and controlling digital platforms is essential for maintaining brand reputation and ensuring positive customer interactions.

Common Pitfalls Businesses Face

Unfortunately, there can be a lot of challenges when owners lack control over their platforms, ranging from risking losing access and spreading inaccurate information (like outdated business hours or contact details) to much worse. Issues like these can undermine brand credibility and lead to missed opportunities for customer engagement and conversion.

Nothing is worse than having a website go down, or a contact form stop working to discover that no one currently employed at the company has the access needed to resolve these issues. Websites have even been completely lost because the phone number on record was no longer active, and the site couldn’t be recovered.

Beyond Posting: Social Media’s Broader Role

Kim answers how businesses should think about social media beyond just regular posting since it provides opportunities to cultivate brand identity, foster community engagement, and gather valuable insights through social listening.

By showcasing company culture and values, businesses can humanize their brand and resonate with their audience on a deeper level. Social media serves as a channel for social proof, where active engagement and updated profiles signal credibility and relevance to potential customers.

Integrating Social Media to Enhance Customer Engagement and Retention

Social media is not just about daily updates; it serves as a platform to share service pages, distribute blogs, and showcase the team behind the business.

By integrating social media into your business, you can enhance customer engagement and retention. This integration facilitates active participation in online discussions, allows for timely responses to inquiries, and enables the quick spreading of important updates or announcements. By leveraging these tools, businesses can gain insights into customer preferences and sentiment, allowing them to tailor their marketing efforts more effectively.

Final Thoughts

To finish the podcast, Kim offers crucial advice: evaluate the user experience and regularly review and update your online presence. It’s essential to view your website and digital platforms through the lens of your target audience, ensuring they meet their needs and expectations.

Take the time to assess usability, functionality, and content relevance, and adjust as needed to enhance the overall user experience.

Remember that your online presence is often the first impression potential customers have of your business, so invest in creating a positive and memorable experience that aligns with your brand identity and business objectives.