Back to Blog

The Truth About Online Traffic

blog Aug 07, 2023

SEO is NOT DEAD!

Anybody who tells you that is insane or is trying to sell you something.

Yes, paid ads are the quickest way to get traffic to your website and to your offers BUT it’s the most EXPENSIVE. Whereas, organic search traffic is free but it’s going to cost you time while you build up and create your content.

Saying “SEO is dead” is like saying that the only way to get from Point A to Point B is to fly on a plane and you can’t drive a car on a trip. For some people, they can’t afford to fly on a plane to get to their destination. So what they do is take their car, they lift their family and they drive. Simple. You can get to the same destination, but the car is going to take longer. You have to be going slower, you’d have more stops, many things along the way.  Meanwhile, planes are going to take you to your destination faster. It’s direct. And it’s quick like paid advertising - the bigger your budget, the more you can do.

That’s the big problem, especially in the industries that I consult in. A lot of people don't have the budget to drive massive amounts of traffic to their website. So they couldn't just use paid ads.

When you don't have a lot of budget, you have to make sure that your organic game is on point. I talked more about that on last month’s blog and podcast. Check it out.

Here are 3 ways you could optimize your site and get more organic traffic:

  • Identify your internet search keywords and stick with it. First you have to get Google Keyword Planner set up. This tool is free but you obviously need a Gmail/Gmail-hosted email address for this. There are other free alternatives to this out there, but we like this tool best.
    • Go to Tools and Settings > Keyword Planner and type in your target keywords. Set the location to your target country and get started.
      • Tip: ALWAYS add the city/area before or after the service keyword if you’re a local business and have a play with it. The image below shows how many times the keywords ‘nyc martial arts schools, martial arts schools in brooklyn, martial arts schools brooklyn ny’ are searched monthly. It also says that there’s low competition for these keywords. So these may be worth targeting.

    • Google Keyword Planner also provides keyword ideas + their average monthly searches. Make sure to check them out
  •  
    • Lock down your final keywords. Start inserting keywords in your online content, blogs, online directory listings and website meta descriptions. Have 5-7 target keywords to start with.
  • Get your business listed on Google My Business and other major online directories in your country/area. Remember your final keywords from Step 1? Good! Make sure you add them in the description/about section of every local listing you create for your business. Do it with every local directory you list your business on. Google algorithm picks up all these little crumbs and will suggest your site every time someone searches for your target keywords. And yep, local citations include your social media accounts. Be creative with your copy. I talked more about dominating your local SEO here.
  • Keep your social media active. Staying active and up-to-date on social media will provide benefits for your company. Social media creates brand awareness and generates more website traffic. I talked about social media automation here and how you could keep it that way even when you’re on vacation. 😉

To recap, SEO is NOT dead.

Use the tips above.

Get dialed in on your SEO and also start dabbling on paid ads. Even if you have little budget, find a way to spend at least 3 bucks a day/ 90 bucks a month. That’s dinner for 2 people without drinks (in Texas, anyway). Cut out one dining out a month. Just do it. Do it anyway. Work your way up. We find that a good budget for martial arts academy owners is around $25-$30 a day. And then you’ll start seeing a lot of traffic. You'll start getting those conversions -- your paid ads are gonna help your organic reach. It is going to have a compound effect. You have your organic efforts and paid traffic working together.

Have a great week. Crush it!

And if you’re needing help with your marketing, I’m here to help out.

Click this link to schedule a call with my team.

Cheers!

Paul Halme | Combat Business