2 min reading timeI’m always talking about the importance of being found online.
But you know what? In your case, maybe don’t bother.
I told my client: Don’t bother with search engine optimization. And don’t bother trying to get on Google’s first page, ’cause it ain’t gonna happen.
So don’t even try.
Click to enlarge
Google Page One represents nearly 92 percent of all search clicks.
The top position on page two (the 11th spot) represents little more than one percent of click throughs. And getting to 11 is no walk in the park, either.
When To Blow Off SEO
My client had a passing notion to win the term “healthcare sales consulting.” I persuaded him to forget about it.
Why?
• Because it’s a hyper-competitive term; winning would require time and resources.
• Because he is the business … he can’t scale and already turns business away.
• Because he didn’t want to write content.
• Because he didn’t have the budget to hire a subject-matter expert to write for him.
• Because all he really needed was a professional-looking site prospects could visit.
Basically, his visitors got to his site because he gave them a link to it.
No SEO needed for that.
When To Compete
As long as you recognize SEO as a legitimate use of your time and resources, I recommend you compete for:
1. Your Company Name
If you’re not winning a search of your own company name, compete for it.
You’ll also want to compete for variants and abbreviations of your name. For example, BioLife Solutions does not win the Google search for “BioLife.”
2. Your Product Names
This can be tough when going up against a large distributor of your products. And Amazon, Wikipedia, and the like. But it may be worth it for you.
3. A Longer-Tailed Search You Can Win
In our “healthcare sales consultant” example, if my client wanted to focus on business within driving distance, I would have supported a “healthcare sales consultant Chattanooga” or “Tennessee.”
He could win that, and for not so much money and upkeep, as I suspect there are few in that space and geography savvy to compete for it.
So What About You?
Do you want to win relevant Google search terms? Ask me how.
Or should you blow off SEO as part of your medical device marketing?
