My sister is coming into town for a visit this week. She’s bringing her daughter (aka my niece) along with her. And, as luck would have it, the visit coincides with my niece’s birthday.
We already have an evening of super-competitive, glow-in-the-dark, putt-putt golf planned as part of the festivities. This was easy enough to arrange, as the miniature golf course is a fairly regular (and conventional) hangout for my own kids and their friends.
Of course, it’s not that easy, mind you. My beloved niece made a special request of her Uncle Jeff.
She wants me to bake her a “tie-dye cake.”
Yes. You read right. A tie-dye cake.
Maybe you already know something that I didn’t…because I had no idea what, exactly, she was talking about when I received this rather random request.
But hey, I’m in the search business, after all. So I looked it up on Google.
What happened next is a great example of why it’s important to make sure that you have some sort of asset or content to cover every part of a search result. Note the image results at the top, which informed me of just what it was that my niece was talking about. However, the real kicker was the “how to” video from the cake’s creator, Duff Goldman (often known as simply “Duff”), who was previously an unknown celebrity chef who has gained some real notoriety since inventing this modern marvel of baking.
At this point…all I know is there’s a “how to” video to help me make this cake happen. Of course, I gladly watch said video, because I have a feeling I’m going to put in some extra work with food coloring to make this thing happen for my niece, who owns me regularly with each and every smile and giggle…just like my own daughter has me whipped.
After watching the video, I discover not only HOW to make the tie-dye cake…but also that there is a READY-MADE MIX available from the man himself. Now, I’m not usually into cake mixes, as I prefer to do things “from scratch” whenever possible. However, given the complexity and oddity of this particular cake, I have a feeling it’s best to go with something that’s already been pre-packaged.
So at this point, I return to Google to search for (and find) said cake mix.
While the distributor of the Duff’s cake mix ranks at the top, I actually end up moving a little down the page for the Amazon listing…thus disproving the current prevailing “wisdom” that holds the “top ranking spot in search results” as some kind of Digital Holy Grail – and Must-Have Accessory.
Not that I have anything against the original site, mind you, but I can get free shipping from Amazon via my Prime membership. While I’m sure the original manufacturer makes a bit more when I buy it direct, good old-fashioned familiarity and brand loyalty wins out in the end. The free shipping helps too.
So what’s the overall point of this little tale?
Well, it’s simple, really.
The point is that SEO and digital marketing are simply NOT all about optimizing your own page. In fact, each involve a multifaceted, multi-layered process that can include video, images, and a myriad of pages where your product is available for purchase. And in my particular tale here, ALL of these touch points worked in harmony to land me as a customer this time around the digital block.
It’s not the first time things worked out this way, either. And it certainly won’t be the last. And I am far, far from alone here…no matter what high-ranking digital marketing gurus might try to tell and sell you.
So…let’s shift the focus onto YOU (and your business or brand) now, shall we? Let’s bring you into the proverbial mix when assessing just how this colorful, sweet SEO cake is made.
At the end of the day, ask yourself this one simple question:
Are you doing EVERYTHING you can to cover all the touch points in the sales process…to ensure that you can, in fact, have your cake AND eat it too?
If the answer is, “Yes”…keep up the good work.
If the answer is, “No”…well, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, roll into the kitchen and cook up something special.
Feel free to drop us a line if you want a helping hand. We hear Duff’s schedule is all booked up these days.
