Influencer marketing is no longer new, but applying tried-and-true search engine optimization techniques to influencer marketing campaigns might be.
Influencer marketing produces the highest ROI of any digital marketing. Yet in the influencer world, I have witnessed a lot of campaigns with a limited focus such as a certain number of likes, shares or saves. While a platform- or action-specific can yield a significant lift, many brands aren’t optimizing all that a strategic campaign can achieve. I’ve also been involved in search for a long time, and have seen far too many brands have a myopic view of using social in their SEO mix.
Consumer behavior is changing, and so too, is your brand’s ability to be seen in the organic SERPs.
In addition, consumers have evolved in the way they search for information. Formerly, they searched for a brand, then visited the brand site and looked at the product descriptions to make a purchase decision. Today, consumers use search engines in a more advanced manner: they search for “Product Name reviews,” and instead of trusting the brand, they scan the results for third-party reviews to guide their purchase decisions. – Benjamin Siegel, MarketingLand
These three key trends make the marriage of influencer marketing and SEO more attractive than ever:
- Most brands are just not creators; they are brand builders, and thus, their marketing is full of less-relatable copy than an influencer would create for them.
- Growing mistrust that consumers have in brand messages.
- The decrease in organic reach across social media platforms. True influencers can still reach consumers organically, with content their followers want and believe; brands can’t.
Before you even run a search -optimized campaign, do what your customers will be doing: search using your product or service’s main keywords. The influencers and blogs that you find high in the SERPs should be your target partner(s). If they’re ranking well for your terms, there’s a good chance your co-branded campaign will too.
Next, when planning your campaign, request that the influencer include keywords that will benefit your brand – and their own digital properties – in the long run.
A related tactic is to recommend relevant trending search terms that the influencer can incorporate, leading to more inbound traffic for both parties.
Finally, and while it may go without saying, but reciprocating social shares during the campaign will amplify the influencer’s content and give you more value for your marketing dollars.
Influencer marketing is now the de facto way to influence consumer opinion and foster impulse buys. Organic search is still the best way to reach your customers during the decision-making process and at the point of purchase. It’s time to combine these two powerhouses of digital media and let the long-tail do the heavy lifting for you, for the long-term.
This article originally appeared at: http://jennifergosse.com/influencer-marketing-and-organic-search-optimization-a-powerhouse-of-results.