If you are wondering how to rank a website towards the top of Google or other search engines, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is your best bet. We are talking about both on-page and technical SEO, but also about off-page SEO, such as link building.
But there is more to SEO than search engines and websites. You can also use SEO in conjunction with email marketing to reach out to your customers and grow your business.
Let’s think about it for a moment.
Email marketing and SEO are similar in that they both utilize content to drive traffic to your website. They both drive people to your brand purely by using the power of content. Because of this, you can combine them and further improve your marketing efforts.
In this article, we’ll examine how digital marketers can utilize SEO and email marketing to rank higher in organic search results on Google.
The Role of Email Marketing in SEO
Google ranks content on the search engine results pages (SERPs) based on ranking factors such as:
- Content quality and relevance
- Links pointing to your website
- Page load speed
- Website performance
- Mobile Friendliness
- Technical SEO, etc.
But sometimes even though you have great content, best SEO practices, and links pointing to your website, you can still get buried in the SERPs.
Remember, Google only shows the first 10 results to a user. And the average click-through rate drops dramatically beyond position 3, according to a study by Sistrix.
To compete effectively for these coveted positions, you should try funneling targeted website content to the right audience. This is where email marketing comes into play.
Email marketing drives off-page SEO through high-quality traffic. This traffic is coming from “warmed up” leads who are likely to click on a call-to-action button (to open an article link).
In essence, email marketing improves the website’s ranking by stimulating user behavior such as:
- Sharing,
- Commenting,
- Liking, and
- Exploring other website pages.
A good email marketing strategy will help you:
- Convert prospects to buyers,
- Establish lasting relationships with customers, and
- Drive high-quality traffic to your website.
How to Rank a Website With SEO & Email Marketing?
So, how to combine the power of email marketing with SEO best practices (and social media) to rank a website higher in search engines?
Let’s dive in.
Discover Customer Intent Behind Search Queries
Google puts a lot of emphasis on improving the user experience. They do this by displaying results that are relevant to what a user is looking for. To provide searchers with the most relevant content, you need to determine the intent behind the search.
You can do this using email marketing. Simply create a survey and send it to your email list/s.
To maximize response, you’ll need to create an engaging subject line for survey emails.
Note that the survey should include questions asking your readers about their challenges, fears, desires, etc.
Of course, all those questions should be related to the topic.
From their answers, you will be able to understand what is going through their minds. You can then write an article answering the questions that the majority of your subscribers have asked.
Using this tactic, you can determine the state of mind of searchers based on their searches. Therefore, your content is more likely to match their intent.
Use Email List Segmentation
More and more marketers abandon the use of email blasts in favor of a more targeted email marketing approach.
And the sacred to targeted email marketing lies with email list segmentation.
Segmenting an email list involves categorizing subscribers based on their interests, preferences, and behavioral patterns.
Once you segment your list, which you can do with a tool like Mailvio, you can then send targeted emails to each group.
This will increase your click-through rate and channel high-quality traffic to your website. And that, in turn, will boost your website ranking.
But to deliver content to your subscribers that they need and want, you need their data. You can collect user data by using the email profile, the subscriber’s social media, etc.
As mentioned above, you can also ask for data via surveys and questionnaires delivered directly to their inboxes.
Using customer data, you can create segments based on any or all categories. You can also create separate campaigns for old and new users.
Once you have gathered information, you can create buyer personas and define your goals for each separate group.
Afterward, you create content that will drive sales of products that each persona wants and send them to each category.
Decrease Bounce Rates
Every website has its own bounce rate. While you can’t eliminate bounces, you can use email marketing to reduce them.
For instance, you can send your blog posts to various segments of your email list. Just make sure to include a clear call-to-action (CTA).
Your loyal customers are usually the ones who read your content and will likely click on the CTA button and visit your website.
Upon clicking through to your website, these highly qualified visitors tend to spend more time on it. This lowers your bounce rate. And search engines (who are all about boosting user experience) appreciate low bounce rates.
But why?
Because a low bounce rate indicates that your website features high-quality content that attracts people to spend more time on it. And that’s how you rank a website higher in the search results.
Utilize Email Automation
Email automation tools like Mailvio allow you to create automated email sequences and sit back while they handle the work for you.
Whenever a new subscriber joins, they’ll get to see your best posts automatically, without you having to put in any extra effort.
By using automated email sequences, you’ll be able to generate a steady flow of traffic that will keep growing as your list grows. Google will start ranking your site higher in search results when it notices this increase in traffic.
Recycle Old Newsletter Content and Post It on Your Website
Email marketers typically use newsletters to promote products or services. However, there’s another way you can use your newsletters to your advantage.
You can use your email newsletters to create website content that will lure site visitors to subscribe to your list. Give them a sneak peek to see what content they miss out on by not subscribing.
Growing your mailing list organically will increase your brand awareness and Google search results visibility.
Use Keywords in Your Emails
You should make it a habit to use keywords in your emails, especially long-tail keywords. These keywords are not only more memorable than short-tail keywords, but they are also more relevant to user intent.
Using tools for keyword research, you can optimize nearly all aspects of an email message. Starting with the sender name, you can also use these tools to optimize your subject line, and the content itself.
Remember, optimizing your emails with keywords will boost the performance of the website they are linking back to. This is because:
- Targeted content facilitates more clicks on links
- Better subject lines improve open rates.
- Subscriptions rise as recipients share your content due to its value.
Ask for Reviews via Email
Asking your subscribers for reviews is a great way to boost your SEO efforts through email marketing.
Using Mailvio, you can create email campaigns that ask customers to review your products. These “customer feedback” surveys can include a link that will forward the customer to your product review page. All you need to do is add a Google My Business page link that will allow them to click through and write a review.
Additionally, you can send emails with CTAs asking subscribers to write and submit reviews on third-party websites. In the long run, these reviews can help you rank much higher in search results.
Boost Social Media Engagement
Most email newsletters contain call-to-action buttons or links to social media sites. Various studies have shown that top-ranking websites tend to have robust social media activities.
Seeing as social media plays a key role in SEO, you need to get people to share your newsletter. Just make sure to follow these eNewsletter best practices to achieve optimal results.
Keep in mind that you can, and should, create and send a newsletter each time you have a new promotion.
As mentioned above, the newsletter should have a social link to allow subscribers to share the link.
You can also include a contact section at the bottom and a link to your social media pages and profiles.
All this will improve your social media visibility and boost your rankings as a result.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to rank a website higher on Google’s search results, double your email marketing efforts!
Although email marketing does not directly impact SEO, you can use it to boost traffic to your website. Relevant traffic can also help you reduce bounce rates, which is another important metric that Google takes into account.
Additionally, you can repurpose your old newsletters and create blog posts that can rank in search results.
Asking your subscribers for reviews can also aid your SEO efforts. The same goes for boosting your social media engagement by delivering personalized content and using eye-catching CTAs. All these things combined will boost your SEO efforts and improve your website ranking as a result.
Do you have any email marketing best practices that you use to boost your SEO? Let us know in the comments and sign up for a 7-day free trial to experience the power of Mailvio firsthand.
