The Art of SEO Lead Generation

One of the most fundamental keys to success with search marketing is having a solid SEO strategy that generates high quality leads. This doesn’t just happen by accident. Every company and buyer persona is unique and in order to effectively reach them, a personalized strategy is needed. While SEO seems like a very technical term, the process is a lot more like creating a painting than it is like mindlessly typing commands into a computer. By looking at your SEO lead generation strategy from an artistic perspective, you will begin to create a campaign that attracts and encourages your ideal leads to connect with you.

SEO is an art form. The ultimate goal is to create compelling content and deliver that content through the correct channels in order to encourage your buyers to connect. Just like business owners and marketers, great artists have a process. The process is essential to helping them create pieces of art that touch our emotions.  When developing an SEO lead generation strategy, it can be so easy to get caught up in the system that we forget about the people. The system is for the people we are marketing to, and if it doesn’t move them, then the system is worthless. Embracing SEO as art will help you create a system that is geared toward your buyers and their needs. When you expose their pain points and offer compelling solutions, you have found your sweet spot. But how do we get there?

Applying the Base Coat

One of the things I learned in my college fine arts classes was the importance of the base coat. When staring at a blank canvas, the possibilities are endless, and the desire to jump right in and start creating is very enticing. But the base coat is the foundation for all of the work done on top, and without it, the whole piece would be in jeopardy. The same law applies to SEO lead generation. Your website is the foundation for your entire search marketing strategy. If your website does not meet the needs of your users, then your success will be very, very limited. When it comes to generating SEO leads, your website needs to have the following.

• Great User experience: This is the first place many of your leads will ever come in contact with your company. Because you may only get one shot, make sure it’s a good one. A few must-haves for a great user experience:

1. Fast load time: No one likes a slow website
2. Clear Direction: Make the navigation clear and simple
3. Mobile-friendly: More searches are now done on mobile, so this is a must!

• More & Better Content: You need quality and quantity in order to really move the needle in today’s search world.
• On-Page SEO: This is where the more technical stuff comes in. On-Page SEO is all about communicating with search engines. Remember, they are robots, so don’t make them guess. Just tell them what your page is about. Structure of internal links and adding schema is a must!

Layering Creates Depth

When painting, layering is essential to creating depth of field and to bringing the elements to life. Often early in the process, the painting looks dull. But as each layer is added, more and more of the elements come to life. This is true when it comes to developing an SEO lead generation strategy as well. Everyone wants a quick fix, but “quick fixes” never produce lasting results. Add new and fresh content regularly that speaks directly to your buyer personas. Build on the lessons you learn from their interactions to determine where you need to focus on more. This will help you build a better lead-nurturing process to make sure the leads you get are being nurtured into customers!  Maybe you need to blog more or post on social more, you’ll never know until you start building the layers. This takes time and effort, but the payback is huge!

Splash of Color

What makes art so awesome is that every artist has a way of setting themselves apart. Different styles speak to different movements and time periods, color schemes create different emotions, and brush strokes can create movement in still pieces. Your company is unique. There is something about you that no one else has or does. The question is, do you know what it is? If you do, are you using it? Everything you do needs to have your color added to it. That is what is going to set you apart and attract your buyer persona. You may be wondering how you can get creative and add color to the SEO process. I’m so glad you asked.

• Content: Whether it’s your website pages or blog, create content from your perspective. Be yourself and let your readers know who you are. This creates a more “human” experience and lets your users interact more naturally. When you use your long-tailed keywords, do it naturally. Don’t just stuff them into a page wherever you can. This creates an awkward experience for your readers, and Google knows what you’re doing. Be you, be natural, and you’ll reap the benefit.
• Infographics: People can process visual content up to 60,000 times faster than reading text. Images are powerful. With the rise of infographics, spammers and bad marketers have found a new way to trash the internet. Don’t let them stop you. Infographics can be a powerful tool for your link-baiting strategy. Before creating and promoting your image, make sure that it adds value and not noise.
• Video: This is a powerful way to create a strong emotional connection with your audience. Again, the key here is to be yourself. Use humor, education or motivational pieces to draw your viewers in. Video is becoming a big SEO lead generation tool, especially on Facebook. Their new search algorithm places more emphasis on video because that’s what their users want. So use it to boost your interactions!

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

Leonardo da Vinci

When it comes to creating art, there is always more you can add. This is why I believe da Vinci made this statement. You need to know when to continue and when to let the piece just be. For SEO lead generation, too many people quit too early, and others are stuck using outdated tactics. Side note, if you want to see what you should be doing, check this out. Search marketing is a long-term strategy that takes persistence. It took Leonardo da Vinci 12 years to paint the lips on the Mona Lisa, 12 years! But his persistence paid off, and his painting is now one of the greatest works of art ever produced. Don’t quit before your leads start flowing in.

SEO lead generation is a form of art. Your business and your prospects are unique. In order to connect with them in a meaningful way, having a strategy and process geared toward them is essential. Remember, it all starts with the base coat. Create a great user experience wrapped in great content, and make sure your SEO fundamentals are being applied. Next, add layers to the process to see how your leads are moving in the buyer’s journey. Use your uniqueness to set you apart from the competition. Your content, infographics, and video are all great ways to accomplish this. Lastly, don’t quit too soon. It can be very frustrating to put a ton of work and energy into the strategy and only see minimal results. Trust me, I know what that feels like. But you’re so close! Push through, and you will reap the benefits of your hard work!