Franchise Essentials for SEO: Content Strategies

Search engine optimization is the 21st century's version of "location, location, location." If no one can find you on the web, your franchise will suffer. Your competition will bask in the spoils of the heavily competitive online kingdom.

Here are some tips for the SEO "newbie" out there. These simple guidelines are followed by some of the most successful franchises in Canada:

  • Calling the shots: The old adage of spending money to make money reigns true. You decide your own fate on the Internet. Now, it's not wise to get into "bidding wars" for keywords with your competition, but a steady understanding of hot search topics and how to make them relevant to your franchise will do wonders for your traffic and, ultimately, your business.
  • Research!: It's amazing how many franchises in Canada do not research anything on the Internet because they assume they know the internet as well as they know their industry. Looking at what your competition is doing on sites like Google and Yahoo! will work wonders for your SEO strategy.
  • Cheap but cheap: As long as it's not something too controversial that will get your franchise in trouble, search sites like Facebook, Twitter or trendsmap.com for the trends of the day in your location. Alter your online marketing strategies around top search terms. If the Grey Cup is trending on Twitter, you'd better be running some kind of Grey Cup special on your website. Some keywords are relatively cheap to purchase because they're not hot year-round and yes, it sounds a little cheap to rip off non-controversial breaking news, but it works!
  • The North American Way: Franchises in Canada shouldn't take a majority of heed of what they're doing in America, but we do live in a global economy. It's important to pay attention to not only American trends but global trends as a whole. After all, that's where this whole SEO thing started. If your company has franchises below the lines of longitude, check out what they're doing online and how they're directing traffic.

These are only a few ways to drive more traffic to your site and to optimize what you're doing online. If you would like more information, feel free to give us a call to discuss how we can help your sites SEO. As the old BeTheBoss.ca saying goes..."they are going to buy a franchise, but will it be your franchise?".