Can you remember the good old days when shopping was easy? Before the Internet changed our lives, there were probably only one or two outlets that sold what we wanted so we just patronised the one that was nearest.
Nowadays, we’re swamped with choice.
Do you want your roof fixed? Do a Google search and you’ll find ten companies vying for your business. In such an environment, how do we as Australian SEOs help our clients get found. And once found, how do we ensure they’re chosen from all the competition search results?
There’s no better place to start than with defining the client’s unique selling proposition (USP). Let’s examine each word to see exactly what the phrase means.
Unique: What are some special features of your client’s business that help it stand out from the competition?
Selling: This is essentially about an exchange of value. You need to clarify what value your client brings to the market.
Proposition: This is an offer. What benefits do clients or customers receive when they do business with your client?
Essentially then, we need to uncover what value your client offers that is different to the competition.
So as an Australian SEO, how do you go about discovering your client’s USP?
Let’s look at an example:
Imagine you’re creating an SEO campaign for a wedding photography business. You first need to investigate what makes this business different from all the others? A little interviewing can surely unearth some interesting facts. Perhaps he’s been in business for 30 years, or maybe he boasts a massive portfolio of celebrity wedding photo shots, or it could be simply that he carries out his work in a friendly, relaxed manner. All these factors help set him apart from the other wedding snappers in the area.
Remember, too, that all marketing begins with the customer. This means you need to closely analyse the needs and wants of your client’s target market. Defining how best to satisfy those needs is part of successfully unearthing a USP.
Armed with this information, you can craft a USP in the form of a brief statement that encapsulates the unique space your client occupies in the marketplace.
Defining a client’s USP right at the start is of enormous benefit in formulating your SEO plan. You can use the USP to:
- Define the website’s tag-line and meta tags.
- Craft relevant and engaging PPC or other types of ads.
- Drive the content strategy for the site.
- Power traffic generation by identifying partnerships and content sharing opportunities.
- Help persuade visitors that your client’s site is the right place for them.
As you can see, the time taken to formulate a client’s USP is time very well spent. Try adding it to your SEO strategy and see how well it works.
