This article will dive into Vendasta’s Snapshot Report and how you can use the automated insights to sell SEO solutions to new and existing clients\u2014better than ever before.<\/span><\/p>\n [et_pb_section global_module=\"112902 \"][\/et_pb_section]<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”SEO and the Snapshot Report” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The first step in making the sale is helping your prospects understand the value of SEO. How do you do that? The right education coupled with the Snapshot Report.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Why do local businesses need SEO?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Business owners must first understand that search engines have completely revolutionized the modern buying process and that consumers are searching for their business services online. Consumers are using search engines to assess their options and to qualify the goods and services they\u2019re interested in without ever needing to set foot in a brick and mortar store. In fact, a recent study revealed that <\/span>81% of consumers<\/span><\/a> will perform an online search before making a purchase decision.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s set the record straight: <\/span>every<\/strong> business needs to invest in SEO! <\/span><\/p>\n SEO is the work that goes into improving a website\u2019s ranking in organic (unpaid) search results on search engines like Google and Bing. The goal with SEO is to rank on page one for the right keyword search phrases that are relevant to the business. <\/span><\/p>\n A rockstar SEO strategy involves keyword research<\/a>, link building, reputation management, content creation, and <\/span>more<\/span><\/a>. However, most business owners don\u2019t have the time, tools, or expertise needed to invest in an effective SEO strategy on their own. They need your help! With a strong SEO strategy, you can help your clients get found online, increase engagement, increase their organic website traffic, and produce real customer conversions.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”What is the Snapshot Report?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The <\/span>Snapshot Report<\/span><\/a> is an automated needs assessment report that scans the web for a business\u2019s digital marketing, reporting how they stack up online in six key marketing categories. The insights provide a place to start the conversation with business owners by highlighting gaps in their marketing and proposing the optimal solutions to address their needs. You can send off Snapshot Reports to prospects and clients as one-off emails or use Vendasta\u2019s Marketing Automation<\/a> and pre-built email campaigns to send a prescriptive campaign to numerous prospects. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Analyzing the Snapshot Report for SEO” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The SEO section of the Snapshot Report shows your prospects and clients how their SEO stacks up compared to their competitors. It assesses SEO in two areas: <\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s break these sections down further:<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Organic Keyword Performance” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n When you create a Snapshot Report for your prospects and clients, the platform will automatically scan their business website for the top keywords in our database as determined by Google. Based on these keywords, the report generates a list of top competitors (also determined by Google) to compare:<\/span><\/p>\n Keyword overlap:<\/strong> How similar your prospects are to their competitors, based on shared SEO keywords.<\/span><\/p>\n Why is this important?<\/span><\/em> The more keywords that your prospects share with competitors, the more likely they\u2019ll be fighting to rank on the same search queries. <\/span><\/p>\n Number of keywords:<\/strong> The number of keywords for which your prospects and their competitors will appear in the top 50 search results on Google.<\/span><\/p>\n Why is this important? <\/span><\/em>This is the number of different routes that a potential customer can take using search queries to get to the products and services that are on your prospect\u2019s website. Your prospect should aim to have as many different search routes as possible in order to maximize their exposure and opportunities to gain clicks. If competitors with a high level of keyword overlap are ranking on more keywords than your prospect and seeing a higher volume of clicks, it\u2019s possible that your prospect is not ranking on search queries that are relevant to their business and they\u2019re losing out on potential traffic as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n Monthly clicks:<\/strong> The estimated number of clicks your prospects and their competitors get from all of their organic keywords within a month. <\/span><\/p>\n Why is this important? <\/span><\/em>When people search for products and services on Google, they’re usually looking to buy. So when people are searching for the products and services that your prospect offers, they\u2019ll want to see as many clicks as possible. <\/span><\/p>\n If the number of monthly clicks are low compared to the number of searches, you and your prospect need to figure out why. People could be visiting your client\u2019s website via other channels (social media, advertising, print, etc.), but if they\u2019re visiting competitor websites, it\u2019s worth investigating further. It could be that they\u2019re not ranked high enough on relevant keywords, in which case an SEO campaign that boosts their ranking is definitely in order. Or, perhaps their business is perceived as untrustworthy due to a lack of online reviews. In that case, a review request campaign would be a more suitable solution. <\/span><\/p>\n It’s hard to pinpoint the exact motivations for every action within a consumer\u2019s search journey, but this data can help you make some educated guesses. For example, does the report reveal a competitor with lots of keyword overlap and high clicks that eclipse the number of low clicks for your prospect? They might be losing business to their competition.<\/span><\/p>\n Monthly value of clicks:<\/strong> The estimated value your prospects and their competitors are getting from all of their organic keywords.<\/span><\/p>\n Why is this important?<\/span><\/em> If a business wants to see results and they aren\u2019t currently running any <\/span>PPC (Pay Per Click) campaigns<\/span><\/a>, this section gives them an idea of how much a click would cost them on their relevant keywords. Remember that SEO campaigns take time. If immediate traffic is needed (such as for a promotion or to get customers in the door in time for the holiday season), focusing on a PPC campaign as part of their SEO strategy might be the best way to start.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Organic Keyword Ranking” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The Organic Keyword Ranking section in the Snapshot Report uncovers organic keywords that your prospects are currently ranking for. These are some of the top keywords that consumers are using to search for your prospect\u2019s products or services on Google. <\/span><\/p>\n These insights are valuable because they give you an idea of: <\/span><\/p>\n Under this section of the report, you\u2019ll see the top five keywords that the prospect is ranking for within their business category. Each keyword will highlight:<\/span><\/p>\n Competitiveness:<\/strong> How difficult it is to appear in the top Google Search results. <\/span><\/p>\n Why is this important?<\/span> <\/em>The more competitive the keyword, the more businesses you\u2019ll see targeting those exact keywords in SEO campaigns and the more effort will be needed to improve SEO. This is because those keywords are commonly used by consumers who are searching for your prospect\u2019s business services and search engines deem them to be extremely relevant to their business category.<\/span><\/p>\n Rank:<\/strong> The position of your prospect\u2019s website in Google Search.<\/span><\/p>\n Why is this important? <\/span><\/em>These are the approximate rankings for some of the keywords related to their business category. You can leverage this information to ask if the prospect is happy with their current rankings on the keywords provided. If they\u2019re happy, great! If not, you can start an SEO campaign for them right away. This is a good opportunity to spark a conversation around the specific keywords they may want to target with organic or PPC campaigns. <\/span><\/p>\n Your prospects need to understand that if their rank on high value, relevant keywords is low, competitors could be taking the lion\u2019s share of clicks. Conduct an SEO audit and use keyword analysis tools like <\/span>Ahrefs<\/b> and<\/span><\/a> Keyword Finder<\/b><\/a> to find where those other opportunities might be.<\/span><\/p>\n Local Searches:<\/strong> The estimated number of searches per month in the prospect’s country.<\/span><\/p>\n Why is this important? <\/span><\/em>This is relevant if your prospect are competing in a local landscape. When the number of local searches is high, it means that more people in your prospect\u2019s country are finding and clicking through to their site when searching with the keywords surfaced in the report. It\u2019s an indication that they should be targeting those keywords\u2013especially if their rank on those popular keywords is low.<\/span><\/p>\n Global Searches:<\/strong> The estimated number of searches per month across Google.<\/span><\/p>\n Why is this important? <\/span><\/em>This is relevant if your prospects are managing a multinational enterprise. \u00a0If the number of global searches is high, it means that many people all over the world are clicking on their site when using the search terms surfaced in the report. Once again, it\u2019s an indication that they should be targeting those keywords, especially if their rank on those popular keywords is low.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Crafting the Perfect SEO Sales Pitch” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Using the data uncovered in your Snapshot Report assessment, you can start to identify SEO tactics and solutions for your clients in Marketplace, or within your own portfolio of services. <\/span><\/p>\n Here’s how to successfully sell SEO solutions to your business clients.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”1. Have your prospect consider their own buying journey” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Start by making your prospect think about the buyer\u2019s journey and the importance of being found on search engines like Google and Yahoo! Try asking your prospect to consider the steps they would take in their buying journey. Chances are, they would do a search on their phone’s browser to research local places.<\/span><\/p>\n “What steps would you take if you wanted to find a good, local, and inexpensive restaurant for dinner tonight?”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Here is a visual representation of the modern customer journey:<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”2. Have your prospect consider their business’ place within that journey” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n With the buyer’s journey visualized, you\u2019ll want your prospect to begin thinking about their place within that journey. Where can their business fit into that buying decision to catch more of that traffic? And what parts of that journey can they effect?<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs a business owner, would it be valuable for your business to show up in searches when people use keywords related to the products and services you offer? People are much more likely to click on your site since they are actively searching and ready to make a purchase. Even better when your site is trusted by consumers at the top of relevant search results. How much is it worth to get that one click from a qualified audience?\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n When crafting an SEO pitch for a specific business, you\u2019ll also need to take these key details into consideration: \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”3. Show them the SEO section of the Snapshot Report” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Review the information in the Snapshot Report to help them gain an understanding of their current SEO. Use the data in the “Organic Keyword Performance” section of the report to create urgency for your prospect to get started with a PPC campaign. If their competitors are ranking higher on searches when consumers are ready to buy, they’ll steal that business!<\/span><\/p>\n “Based on these metrics, your competition may be a step ahead and stealing potential business right out from under you. Do you think it\u2019s valuable for your site to appear at the top of search when consumers are looking for your business services?” \u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”4. Conduct a live demo” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Open up a search engine like Google and try finding your prospect\u2019s business based on the keywords that are most relevant to their product offerings. When searching for their products and services, is their website showing up on the first page of search? Because if not, they\u2019re losing money every day that their site is not optimized for search. <\/span><\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0As the salesperson, you should do this BEFORE you meet with the prospect\/client, so you\u2019re not surprised by the results. You want to illustrate that they could be ranking higher on relevant keywords. And if needed, you can perform a more comprehensive SEO audit. Regardless, the SEO section of the Snapshot Report is very useful for starting the conversation and highlighting where potential lead opportunities are. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”5. Use a keyword analysis tool to provide further insights.” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n If a prospect wants to know how they rank for keywords other than the ones we report, you will need a specialized tool. Knowing which keywords to run a campaign for is typically the last hurdle in the sales process. <\/span><\/p>\n A good way to get started with your audit is to use <\/span>marketgoo<\/span><\/a>, which leverages artificial intelligence to scan a website and generate a step-by-step SEO plan to help your clients increase their website traffic and rankings.<\/span><\/p>\n Other Helpful Local SEO<\/a> Tools Include:<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Design Your Elevator Pitch” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Now that you understand the key components in selling SEO, you can begin to craft a killer elevator pitch. Here\u2019s a sample pitch you could use:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPeople conduct more than 3.5 billion searches every day on Google. With a custom Search Engine Optimization strategy, we can ensure that those most valuable consumers can see your business where it counts. SEO is about getting your website found on search engines like Google. Consumers see the top search results as the most trustworthy, which is why establishing good search rankings is absolutely critical. In fact, studies show that the first five search results get nearly 70% of all clicks, and<\/span> 75% of consumers<\/span><\/a> will never click past the first page of search. Furthermore, a whopping <\/span>88% of local, mobile searches<\/span><\/a> result in a store visit within 24 hours! If you aren\u2019t showing up at the top, you\u2019re losing the battle. We can help you get found online with an SEO strategy.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Final considerations” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Set the right expectations with business owners.<\/strong> There is no single, \u2018instant fix\u2019 SEO solution\u2013it\u2019s the sum of many small tasks that work together to elevate the ranking and visibility of a website over time. Some of these other components include: mobile-friendly and Google-fast <\/span>websites<\/span><\/a>, providing web content that is relevant to customers, ensuring your Google My Business page is claimed and verified, and creating and promoting a keyword focussed blog on your site. <\/span><\/p>\n Incorporate multiple solutions to build a solid foundation for good SEO.<\/strong> Online listings, reviews, digital ads and social activity all contribute to search engine rankings for local search. The more places your clients are listed online, the more visible they become. The more positive reviews they receive for their business, the more trusted they become. The more targeted ad campaigns they run, the more paid traffic they can generate. The more social content they share, the more engagement they will experience. All of these factors go a long way to influence how search engines perceive your clients’ online relevance, and ignoring certain elements can have a detrimental impact on their overall SEO. <\/span><\/p>\n Plan to measure the success of your SEO campaign.<\/strong> Just like with any other marketing campaign, business owners want to be shown how success is measured and what they received in return for their investment. <\/span><\/p>\n Ways to measure the success of your SEO strategy include:<\/span><\/p>\n SEO tools like Ahrefs can help you track search rankings, while free tools like <\/span>SEO and the Snapshot Report<\/span><\/h2>\n
Why do local businesses need SEO?
<\/span><\/h3>\nWhat is the Snapshot Report?<\/span><\/h3>\n
Analyzing the Snapshot Report for SEO<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Organic Keyword Performance<\/span><\/h3>\n
Organic Keyword Ranking<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Crafting the Perfect SEO Sales Pitch<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Have your prospect consider their own buying journey<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n2. Have your prospect consider their business’ place within that journey<\/span><\/h3>\n
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3. Show them the SEO section of the Snapshot Report<\/span><\/h3>\n
4. Conduct a live demo<\/span><\/h3>\n
5. Use a keyword analysis tool to provide further insights<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Bonus: Design your elevator pitch<\/span><\/h3>\n
Final Considerations<\/span><\/h2>\n
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