As we navigate through 2024, investing in Search Engine Optimisation or SEO remains essential in maintaining or elevating your brand’s online presence and unlocking new business opportunities. But are you doing enough to maximise the power of SEO? If you’re planning to start a new SEO campaign or recalibrate your SEO strategies this year, it’s time to consider hiring an SEO consultant. In this article, we’ll discuss what SEO consulting can bring to the table, especially in the age of AI.
First Things First: What Is SEO and Is It Really Important?
Before exploring the role of an SEO consultant, let’s revisit the importance of SEO. Consider how you use the internet: while you may have favourite websites bookmarked, search engines like Google are often your go-to for finding new information or products. With around 99% of internet traffic originating from search engines, your business’s visibility on these platforms is essential. A professional SEO consultant ensures your website ranks among the top results for relevant searches. That can boost your brand’s visibility and potential for customer engagement.
The Four Pillars of SEO Success
But what exactly does SEO do for your business? Here are the four main effects:
- Increased Visibility: As mentioned, a significant portion of purchasing decisions begins with a Google search. Being among the top search results is crucial for catching the attention of potential customers.
- High Website Traffic: Organic search results are trusted more by users than paid advertisements, with 70% of clicks going to organic listings. An SEO consultant can enhance your site’s organic reach, bringing in more potential customers without spending too much on paid ads.
- Established Authority: In a globalised economy, standing out from the competition is more challenging than ever. SEO consultants help build your online authority. Over time, your website will be recognised by Google and its users as a reputable source of information and services.
- Better User Experience: Google’s ranking algorithms favour websites that offer valuable content and a positive user experience. An SEO consultant will ensure your site is optimised for search engines and real people who visit your site. Such efforts can elevate both your brand visibility and user satisfaction.
Let’s Explore the Role of an SEO Consultant: What Do They Do?
Dive into the daily grind of an SEO consultant, and you will discover a multifaceted role that extends far beyond providing mere suggestions. SEO consultants or SEO consulting firms are digital strategists who employ a blend of technical savvy and creative thinking to elevate a brand’s online presence. Here’s a snapshot of their core responsibilities:
On-Site Strategy: Fine-Tuning Your Digital Space
At the heart of an SEO consultant’s work lies the meticulous refinement of your website’s on-site elements. This process involves a detailed audit and subsequent optimisation of your website’s content and structure to align more closely with search engine algorithms. From strategically placing the right keywords to improving your site’s navigational flow and internal linking, every tweak aims to clarify your website’s purpose to search engines and users alike.
Keyword Research: Using Search Terms to Match Intent with Content
Search terms or keywords are the compass that guides potential customers to your digital doorstep. An SEO consultant’s knack for identifying and integrating these keywords, especially those pertinent to legal marketing, into your content ensures that your website speaks directly to the needs and queries of your target audience This strategic placement helps boost your search rankings while enhancing your site’s relevance to those who matter most.
Content Creation: Attracting Your Audience & Keeping Your Site Authoritative
Whether you’re showcasing the latest home renovation projects or sharing insights on landscape design trends, an SEO consultant will help ensure your on-page content is rich with valuable information and well-optimised for search trends. This approach helps attract visitors with specific interests while positioning your website as a trusted resource, increasing the likelihood of converting browsers into buyers.
Off-Site Strategy: Solidifying Your Brand Influence Beyond Your Website
While a significant portion of SEO services experts’ work focuses on enhancing your website, off-site SEO strategies play a crucial role in bolstering your site’s authority and reach. By securing links from reputable and relevant external sites, SEO consultants extend your digital footprint. Plus, the right link-building strategies lend your site the credibility it needs to stand out in a crowded online landscape.
What Do SEO Consultants Do in the Age of AI?
It’s no secret that the landscape of SEO is undergoing a remarkable transformation as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning become more prevalent. Still, it’s safe to say that this evolution doesn’t lessen SEO’s significance but rather enhances its role, integrating it more deeply into sophisticated digital marketing strategies.
Decoding AI-Generated Insights
Today, a major task of SEO is to make sense of the vast amounts of data produced by AI. Artificial intelligence is adept at spotting trends and analysing data, but it’s up to SEO professionals to turn these insights into practical SEO tactics. If done right, decoding AI-generated insights can help spot shifts in search trends, changes in user behaviour, and updates in algorithms to create adaptive & impactful SEO strategies.
Concentrating on User Needs
With AI’s improved understanding of user intent, SEO has shifted to focus more on the user’s needs and experiences. This shift goes beyond keyword matching to creating content that genuinely addresses users’ questions. This is where good SEO consulting firms can step in. Meeting user intent still needs a human touch, after all. These consultants can craft content creation strategies that centre on user needs.
Enhancing Content Relevance and Quality
AI’s focus on the importance of content quality has made SEO’s role in content development more vital than ever. There is now a challenge for SEO services experts to craft content that appeals to both AI algorithms and human readers, requiring a solid grasp of semantic search and natural language processing. The good thing is that SEO consulting firms can employ AI content tools like ChatGPT & Bard to achieve that. Plus, here’s the upside: they have human writing skills to refine AI-generated content and guarantee its relevance and quality for your brand.
Adapting to Voice Search and Local SEO
AI has expedited the rise of voice search, so optimising for voice queries and local SEO has now become more important. Fortunately, you can rely on SEO consultants to build SEO strategies that account for the conversational nature of voice searches, which often have a local intent. By adapting keywords and content to fit natural language style, SEO experts can help you capture a particular segment of search traffic.
Consider Canty Digital as Your SEO Consultant
Ready to seek the guidance of an SEO consultant to refine your marketing in 2024?
As an SEO services firm, aka #digitalmarketingnerds, Canty Digital is ready to be your brand’s very own SEO consultant. Our approach transcends traditional SEO, weaving a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that amplifies your visibility, enhances traffic, and boosts conversions. At Canty Digital, we’re more than just SEO experts; we’re a team fueled by passion and driven to deliver exceptional results for your business. From meticulous on-page optimisation to strategic local SEO, engaging content creation & more, we can help you beat your competitors.
Get in touch; we’re excited to work with you—and take your SEO journey to the top.
