There’s generally a lot of things you need to consider when launching a new product. Not least the way in which we market the product before, during and immediately after the launch. With a significant part of this almost certain to entail thought as to how you get the best from online marketing.
Which is where using basic SEO is likely to come into play.
And SEO is…?
I suppose we should start by saying what we mean when we say SEO.
SEO is a term pretty much as old as the internet itself. And, for those who don’t know (there must be someone) it stands from Search Engine Optimisation.
What this means in practice is the collective series of tactics and techniques internet marketers will employ to make a web page rank highly on the major search engines (namely: Google, Bing, Yahoo).
Good ranking on the search engines is a pretty important thing when it comes to online marketing for a couple of very basic, somewhat obvious behavioural factors.
Quite simply, when we search for something online, those on the first page, and in particular those nearest the top of the first page, are the ones who garner most views.
Most people don’t trawl though pages of search results. Do you?
SEO’s Evolution
Although the concept of SEO has been around as long as search engines have been a prominent source of finding what we’re looking for, the nature of it has changed over the years.
In the primitive years of internet searching SEO techniques were largely about stuffing key words onto your webpage and collating as many backlinks (links from other sites back to yours) as possible – irrespective of what the site may be.
Those days have gone. As the internet has grown up and indeed grown into the integral part of everyday life, so SEO has grown ever more sophisticated. Search engines want, perhaps even demand to have sites at the top of their rankings that are informative, relevant to the search itself and of good quality.
It places the emphasis on quality content – well-written, unique and on the subject for which the visitor was looking. And while backlinks still play an important function, you’re harming your site if you get them from all and sundry. Links need to come from reputable, relevant sources.
Of course, the rise of social media has made a dramatic impact not just on SEO, but online marketing as a whole. When we optimise our web pages these days, it’s not only with search engines in mind, but the major social networks upon which we hope the content will be shared.
SEO’s role in product launches
Speaking of social media, there are those who point to meteoric rise in networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as a way of suggesting that the days of SEO are over. That old-fashioned search engine optimisation is a relic from the internet use of the past.
But is this really true?
Yes, as we’ve looked at, SEO has undeniably changed – but it’s still alive. And still plays an important role in our overall online presence.
Particularly when we are launching new products.
In fact, as opposed to being obsolete in the face of social media, SEO can act as the perfect way to complement your social media campaigning and profiles. Another means by which you drive traffic in the direction of your new product.
Certainly, you can create a buzz through social channels. But our clients’ still search online for things that they need. And, these days, those searches tend to be ever more specific.
And this is where your application of SEO can make the difference.
Niche Online Marketing
We’ve spoken before about the potential goldmine of niche markets in the insurance industry. And it’s because of online marketing and internet searches that we see this potential.
The online market is a densely populated place. And getting ranked sufficiently on those big search terms is difficult. In some cases, extremely so.
As mentioned above, however, online searching has become more sophisticated with users searching for more specific things.
So if your product serves a particular purpose, then use this as the basis for your SEO from the outset, with specific search terms built in.
For example:
If you’re launching a product to cover sports car drivers, rather than building in generic car insurance search terms, you’re likely to have greater success with terms around high performance car cover or even brand specific terms: Porsche car cover or similar.
Build SEO into each stage of the launch
Understanding your search terms and the potential customers you are looking to attract is very much the starting point for your SEO use in a product launch. And the bedrock upon which you can base your online activity.
From this base you can build your SEO upwards and outwards, from your site and onto the social media channels you wish to utilise in the campaign.
Consider the SEO of your entire site
It’s great to optimise your product landing page, populated with razor-sharp content and killer keywords.
But don’t neglect the anciliary pages on your site.
Build up the content on related pages (each of which may show up on related searches themselves), creating a deeper site than demonstrates authority in your sector. And always with a route back to the product you’re pushing.
Provide Quality Internal Links
Having quality pages on the site should then be carefully held together by well-structured linking. Internal links on your pages that allow visitors to easily find what they are searching for can go a long towards boosting your overall SEO rating with the search engines.
SEO may be an old term (relative to the always changing internet phraseologies). But it remains a relevant and necessary tool when it comes to online promotion, helping visibility and providing solid foundation for launching new products to market online.
