Organic Search Content Strategy

Organic Search / SEO

Here’s How Smartwerks Increased Traffic to Their Website

In the highly competitive industry of retail management software, Smartwerks’ in-house marketing department needed to improve their organic search strategy for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Essentially, they wanted more visibility to drive their sales.

Five years ago, they approached us to become an extension of their marketing department to increase organic search and expand their digital profile. We became a cost-effective writing and editing resource by consistently delivery the following:

• Articles
• Blogs
• Press releases
• Case studies
• Newsletters

Within six months, many of the Smartwerks blog pages and other resources found their way to the top of Google’s SERP (Search Engine Results Page). Several pages were displayed as featured snippets. Below is a great example of a Smartwerks article that placed at the top of the page and with a snippet.

The right keywords can get your article at the top of the SERP and with a snippet.

Opportunities for Organic Search

The Smartwerks brand needed to increase its online visibility among major competitors, while also differentiating itself as a leader in software functionality and support. Marketing activities, such as social media and blog updates, were limited due to internal resources devoted to core marketing activities.

613Creative was hired to create written content for their website. We delivered continuous and reliable updates that were repurposed for social media. Also, as our relationship grew, press releases and case studies were added to the website for potential clients to see the latest news about Smartwerks and how their software performed through real-life examples.

First Stage: Blogs and Articles

A series of initial meetings developed a plan of high frequency posts to educate current and potential customers on Smartwerks functionality and small business best practices. The blogs focused on the following criteria:

• Target keywords embedded within the copy.
• Links to reliable outside media resources that do not conflict with the Smartwerks brand.
• Intelligent content offering business advice and resources.
• Reflect the professional and customer-centric Smartwerks brand.
• Approachable and conversational tone to maintain reader’s attention.

Each blog offers pertinent information for readers to learn how to turn problems into opportunities and rise above the competition.

“613 Creative has been invaluable to our content marketing efforts. The high-quality articles, press releases, and case studies have improved our overall SEO, and helped us establish credibility with prospective customers.” Chris White, Smartwerks 

Here is an example of a Smartwerks article landing at the top of a SERP for specific keywords.

This blog post continues to appear at the top of the SERP for its keywords.

After 6 months of frequent posts, Smartwerksusa.com search results moved to the front of the pack, surpassing many of the Fortune 500 corporations that are direct competitors, proving that small companies can compete in any marketspace.

Second Stage: Case Studies and Press releases

Smartwerks continuously improves their software functionality to meet the growing needs of their loyal clients. To make others aware of their customer service and support, they needed marketing materials to promote these success stories. We developed case studies (a digital and print version) focused on how their software made their customers’ businesses become more competitive and grow.

“613 Creative’s attention to detail and responsive, personalized service has made the entire content development process painless and productive.” Chris White, Smartwerks

We also developed a series of press releases to feature important news, their new business relationships, and the latest updates to the software. Each release is a paired down version of a larger story for media outlets to publish or investigate further on their own. Getting press coverage is very difficult, especially for a small company, but they understand the need to have press releases for their customers (current and potential), as well as prospects. And, press releases improved their SEO.

Collaboration is the foundation of a successful content marketing plan.

Keys to a Winning Content Strategy

The whole process started with a content strategy focused on improving organic search. Without this strategy, we would have been wasting our time and energy to get the results we wanted. The following are key to any successful strategy:

• Goals – What do you need your content to do? Smartwerks wanted more better SERP visibility and website traffic.
• Keywords – This takes lots of research and analysis to find the right keywords and long-tail keywords. Definitely not something that is intuitive. With Smartwerks, we had to step away from a lot of the industry specific keywords.
• Planning – A good plan keeps everyone organized and on track.
• Scheduling – Frequency, timing, and deadlines are important. Sticking to the schedule keeps the plan in motion.
• Communication – Making sure everyone is on the same page and expectations are being met, which is crucial to the success of any plan. Over time, this will actually reduce the amount of meetings and phone calls – saving time!

Smartwerks knew that it took more than just writing a blog. They needed quality articles that would make their pages more “sticky” to improve their SEO. Plus, they knew their visibility wouldn’t grow over night. It takes months for a good strategy to take hold and produce any tangible results.

Contact us if you need help with organic search and SEO.