Different Ways to Rock Your SEO Strategy

If you're wondering why your SEO strategies aren't nearly as effective as they used to be, you may be missing some important, yet obvious reasons for that.

SEO used to be all about written content. That is not the case anymore! We have graduated far beyond merely writing web copy for our company sites. SEO now needs to be all-inclusive. Today, we will focus on all of the different ways that SEO can work for our theme parks and FECs.

Effectively Utilizing SEO 

The trick is to maximize the efficiency of your SEO strategy. Right now, we have at our fingertips a plethora of options to make SEO work for us! It's a real shame if we waste the opportunities that we have. 

1. Be Mobile-Friendly!

Smartphones are the most popular way to access the internet in any given situation. Statistics show us that in 2021, the number of unique mobile internet users stood at 4.32 billion. This means that over 90 percent of the worldwide internet population uses their mobile devices to go online.

If you know how Google works, you know that one of the key criteria for Google and its rankings is mobile-first indexing. Most companies usually have two versions of their SEO mission. One would be desktop and the other would be mobile. Google has long relied on emphasizing the desktop versions first and mobile versions second. With the new statistics over the last few years that have shown without a doubt that most internet users are increasingly getting online via their mobile devices instead of their desktop, Google has had to change some things around. That means that you do too if you want to maximize your SEO efforts. 

It is a good idea if you make sure that your company website is mobile-friendly that way you can create a better and more quality user experience. This will help boost your rankings on Google since mobile-first indexing has become their primary format. 

2. Video Content is a MUST!

If you have unlocked the secrets of Experiential Marketing, the value of video content is like gold! 

• Well over half of internet users value video content and seek out relatable content daily.
• 54% of internet users would like to see more video content when deciding to choose the right businesses to support.
• 72% of people expressed that they would rather learn about products and services through video content.
• 84% of consumers say they’ve been compelled to buy products or services after watching a video rather than merely reading about it.
• Visitors retain 95% of the CTA or primary message of content when they watch it in a video.

This means that you need to make video content a serious and permanent part of your SEO and marketing strategy. 

3. Do You Have A Voice Search Strategy?

Voice Services have come so far in the last few years. In the beginning, a lot of people did not expect that they would have such an impact. But, today we rely on them so much!

Did you know that most of the questions people have are actually conducted through voice search on their phones? It's true. When you are lost, when you want a place to eat, when you want to buy movie tickets, when you want to do anything at all and you have a small window of which to discover the possibilities – you use the voice search tool on your mobile device. 

Over half of mobile users use their mobile devices to issue a voice search for what they need most at the moment. So, Google has risen to the occasion. They have employed every opportunity to use a voice or verbal search as a serious SEO measure. Everyone should want to optimize their website for voice search. If you choose not to, you are missing out on great potential for added revenue. 

How?

• Make your content scannable.
• Use conversational text.
• Use long-tail keywords.
• Understand how people search.
• Make your content highly relatable to popular search queries.

4. Expertise, Authority & Trust, aka “E-A-T”

Bottom line is that Google values authoritative and expert content. Informational pieces are great. However, the more authoritative the more trust it inspires with visitors. 

Don't worry, you don't have to prove that you are an expert in any way shape or form! But when you are delivering content for your company website, you want to be able to provide well-researched data. 

5. Long-Form Content

When you're talking about the written word as far as your SEO content, you have probably heard mixed reviews. Blog posts of 300 to 800 words are super! Why? Because Google believes them to be short, quick to the point and informative when you are talking about quality content.

However, long-form content mixed in with the shorter texts are very important. You want to use the short quick and to-the-point, keyword-optimized content for your website or blog posts. But, when it comes to how Google is going to scan your content, you really want to have long-form pieces in there. They should be filled with certain keywords, but also have a lot of authoritative measures such as statistics or expert data. 

Customer satisfaction is the key, If your content is user-friendly and easy to search Google is going to snatch it and place it high on the result list. If it is a whole lot of fluff talking about nothing much at all but having all the keywords in just the right places, sorry, Google will pass it by. 

6. Analytics & Data 

Google Analytics is the new system where the interface uses tracking in a cookie-less manner. 

To achieve the top rankings in the SERPs you have to understand the data. When you spend the time to track and understand this data, then you can comprehend how users are navigating through your site and then predict the upcoming trend in usability. That increases your revenue, by drawing in the demographics according to their usage.

7. Local or Statewide Searches

Local searches are important for Google. Zero-click searches are becoming very popular. Google wants to provide answers using the SERPs because of their increasing popularity. If you don't take this measure into consideration, you are most likely going to be invisible to Google. 

8. Predictive Searches

In 2021, predictive searches were huge. App usage, calendars, and browsing history, all of which alluded to the overall functionality. This is an all-inclusive measure. At work, at home, and on the go, everything is taken into consideration and gives you access to different areas that can be GREAT for your theme park or FEC. 

9. Optimizing Your Images

Images were once a novelty. They were something that could incite a reader to want to click on the content that you had written. Yes, still you want to entice that reader to want the information that you provide and the quickest way is through a visual appetizer. But, did you know that you can make all of your images SEO-friendly? 

It's true. Images are much bigger today than they were a few years ago. When you optimize your images with alt tags or meta descriptions you can provide your high-quality content with an added boost. 

In our industry, it is best to create marketing exposure. You want to offer to select individuals a “Paparazzi Experience.” Let them know that they are special enough or they have earned the privilege to be followed around by cameras to watch their every move. You are going to create a huge customer experience by doing this one simple thing. The guests are living the dream, you are being afforded a great opportunity to market everything that they experience. Videos, pictures, audio! It is Limitless! Keep what is going to drive your sales and delete all that is not beneficial. 

When you have a good solid bank of these are highly marketable items, you can use them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and any other social media that you may have. Google will strategically place them as unique content. 

10. Semantically-Related Keywords

Don't feel bad if you are not familiar with this concept. These are basically words or phrases that can be related to each other conceptually. This is Google's effort to try to personalize searches. They want to get as close as possible to giving a user the information and data that they would get if they were talking to a human being rather than a computer. 

Keep Up, Keeping Up

Google's main focus is to always move into the future. And it's not just Google, every search engine and internet giant wants to be able to make groundbreaking SEO changes. They want to keep up with the growing trends.

If you want to stay on top of your SEO strategy and your internet marketing, your goal is to stay on top of every emerging trend in this area. This starts by optimizing your website to meet every need that your visitors may have. It is, after all, essential to your overall sustainability. 

07-09-22

Tim Murphy is CEO of APX Operating Company, dba Boomers Parks, under the ownership of Cerberus private equity ($55B assets). Boomers Parks owns six family entertainment centers and two water parks with locations in California, Florida, and New Jersey.

As CEO of Boomers Parks since 2020, Tim took these eight parks from bankruptcy to profitability in just a year – in the middle of a global pandemic. When Boomers acquired these parks, they were operating at a $10 million loss. Tim transformed the customer experience and added new revenue streams to generate a 180% increase in revenue in 2021 (and on track to be a 250% increase in 2022).

Tim launched his 35+ year career at Walt Disney World and has since served more than 150 entertainment, restaurant, and food & beverage brands across more than 10,000 locations in C-suite and senior positions.

Additionally, Tim is a Board Director with Coney Park, Happy City and YuKids - Family Entertainment & Amusement Parks, part of The Carlyle Group ($275B assets), a private equity firm that operates 150+ family entertainment centers and amusement parks in Latin America. 

Tim has worked with top-tier entertainment and restaurant brands including Disney, Rebounderz Trampoline Parks, Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, etc.), Red Lobster, Jimmy John’s, Applebee’s, Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, Denny’s, El Pollo Loco, Hardee’s, Golden Corral, and Firehouse Subs.

Tim has overseen more than 35 purchase transactions involving over 1,200 restaurants, stores, and park locations.  With extensive experience in buying and selling businesses, handling negotiations with buyers and sellers, and creating strategic partnerships to build strong brands, Tim has facilitated deals ranging from $11 million to $350 million+.

Tim is a member of IAAPA, CAPA, FAA, AAMA & WWA. He is a licensed commercial real estate broker in the State of Florida. Tim earned a BS/BA in Accounting from the University of Central Florida and an MBA in Finance from Orlando College.