Many business owners understand the importance of implementing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategies for their website.  Others may have no idea what SEO involves. Some may be unconvinced that SEO is important for lead generation.

Google is the premier search engine for online users. More than 70% of all users trust Google to serve up the best content based on the search intent.

Have you been caught off guard after finding out your website doesn't show up in your local market when you search for your services? We know a lot of business owners that aren't even sure if their website appears in Google Search results for their local market.

Lead generation is the art of leading customers to you so you can reach out to them based on their needs. This individual approach allows you to personally connect with a customer, so they're more likely to convert to an actual sale. 

Inbound marketing is a good way to drive traffic to your document shredding business. The concept is easy, but it must be done well for it to work properly. Inbound marketing means that your customers come to you instead of you chasing them down. The basics are to know your audience—which is nearly anyone since everyone must shred sensitive documents at some point. However, some may only shred sensitive documents around tax time and others may need your services throughout the year. Businesses may need your services on a weekly or monthly basis.

Inbound marketing is a way for your customers to come to you rather than your having to chase them down. It starts with having all of your ducks in a row online: social media, online content, branding, and communication. Common answers to search queries should be in displayed upfront and more complicated information should be easy to find. Shredding companies may not be glamorous but they are ubiquitous. Almost everyone will need to shred their sensitive documents at some point. Inbound marketing directs people to your company, so they have no choice but to find out more about you.

With online sales expected to grow exponentially by 2020, website marketing should be one of the more important pieces of your marketing plan and budget. According to Fitsmallbusiness.com, 9 percent of retail sales made in the United States was made online and that number is expected to grow by 12.4 percent by 2020. Statista.com reports that an April 2017 survey, 40 percent of those using the internet made online purchases several times per month. Of those, 20 percent said they bought products and services online on a weekly basis.

According to Wordstream, 2.3 million searches are completed on Google. If that’s not a good enough reason to use Google advertising benefits for your small business, then nothing will be. Setup properly, Google ads could be extremely effective in driving traffic to your website. Google has several tools to help set up your account, including Google keyword planner and Google Adwords Express.

How to Effectively Use Paid Advertising

Part of your advertising campaign is probably using free advertising through social media platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. However, you should also add these platforms’ paid advertising to your marketing plan. Using paid advertising Facebook places your ads on pages of people that are in certain demographics. Using paid advertising Instagram does the same thing.

Social media is a critical tool for modern marketing. The majority of today's companies hold a clear presence on at least one digital platform, be it Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or even Pinterest. Internet users are increasingly unwilling to seek out products or services from businesses not represented on social media.