How To Have Successful Online Marketing Without SEO
For many, the first thing they think when they hear “online marketing” is SEO. SEO is known for being a long-term investment in organically (without paying for ads) bringing new visitors to a website. However, it is possible and sometimes preferable to pursue online marketing without SEO.
Businesses who have just created their new online presence need visitors sooner than SEO can typically deliver them. So many opt to pursue other online marketing options while they’re building the SEO of their website.
Other online businesses may have their SEO efforts down to a science and want to pursue other avenues for bringing new visitors to their website.
Still others may find that SEO isn’t delivering enough visitors quickly enough. They’re interested in getting visitors now.
Regardless of the situation you’re in, you have 3 primary options for marketing online without SEO:
- Buying Ads
- Social Media
- Email Marketing
Buying Ads
You can purchase several different types of online ads. You’re probably already familiar with the names of some of them. But, you’ve definitely seen all of them even if you don’t know what they’re called.
The first type of ad you can buy is called a display ad. And they can take various forms:
- Banner or square ads are images that appear around text.
- Text ads are created by algorithms to make the text of the ad relevant to the surrounding text.
- Floating banner ads move across the screen or float above the regular website content.
- Pop-up ads just appear over website content.
- Flash ads or video ads can feature complex animation, video and sound.
(Of course, to generate traffic to your website, you would buy ads on other websites or platforms. However, you can also use display ads on your website to feature products or sales.)
You can also purchase retargeting ads. These are those ads that seem to follow you around to “every” website you visit. They are shown to website visitors who navigate away from a site without taking any action. Most retargeting ads are also display ads.
You can also buy ads on social media platforms. One of the great things about this type of ad is that you can more easily target who sees the ads.
Finally, you can buy ads from Google. Google offers both PPC (pay per click) and vCPM (viewable cost per thousand) ads that display on search results.
Ads are a quick way to get the word out about your website and business to people who may have never heard of you before.
Social Media Marketing
Building an active following on social media is another way to successfully market online without SEO. However, it’s typically not a quick way to drive more traffic to your website unless your business is already a well-known brand.
To build an active following on any social media platform, your business needs to be active on the platform. You need to post regularly. You also need to interact with the people who follow you.
For most, figuring out what to post to start gaining followers is difficult. The formula that works for most of our clients is posting 80% viral content from other aligned (not competitive) businesses and 20% content about your business.
Email Marketing
Newsletters, automated sales sequences and one-off email announcements are all forms of email marketing. The key to doing email marketing is having an email list. So, this is not a quick way for new businesses to successfully market online without SEO.
However, for businesses with an email list, this is a great way to remain top of mind in your customers’ minds.
The frequency of your email marketing will vary based on the purchasing patterns of your customers. For example, a clothing or department store can get away with sending multiple emails a day because fashion trends change frequently. A car dealer sending multiple emails a day would probably result in a lot of unsubscribes because new car models come out much less frequently.
Each of these SEO-less online marketing options works – under the right circumstances. If you need a quick influx of new business, ads are probably the best option for you to pursue. If you already have a mailing list, it’s time for you to put some (more) effort into your email marketing. And, if you’re ready to start getting social, it’s time to build your following on the platform(s) where your ideal customers hang out.
The bottom line is that you can have successful online marketing without SEO, but you’ll want to evaluate each of the options with respect to the needs and budget of your business.
Need a little (or a lot) of help with online marketing without SEO for your small to mid-sized business? We can help. Schedule your free consultation today.
