Top 10 Ways SEO Supports Strategic Marketing
Search engine optimisation (SEO) has more of a marketing impact than it’s normally given credit for. Discussion about SEO usually focuses on its ability to drive traffic to a website. The reality is that the benefits of SEO are so much richer than just an increase in visitor numbers. This post will explore some of the more intricate ways in which search engine optimisation supports strategic marketing. It is hoped that by demystifying the SEO tapestry, that this article will be of use to marketing practitioners and business owners alike.
Search engine optimisation can be categorised as a promotional marketing tactic. It falls into the last category of ‘the 4Ps’ – Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. As such, SEO can be used as a tactical response to strategic marketing aims; SEO is not a strategy in its own right. It is therefore fair to say that SEO supports strategic marketing, but does not set the agenda.
For the purposes of this discussion we will use a definition of strategic marketing that encompasses:
• Marketing planning;
• Goal formulation;
• Positioning strategy;
• Competition;
• Consumer behaviour; and
• Segmentation.
These are some of the more important areas of strategic marketing. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it covers some of the usual suspects, and will help to frame this analysis.
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