Do you know why I love TaxTim?
Because if I didn’t know what amount to pay myself each month in terms of UIF, PAYE, and all of that, they have a free calculator that does it for me!
Well, that is the good reason (JP Morgan always said ‘People give a good reason, and then the real reason’) and the real one is that it’s perfect SEO strategy at work! If you are in South Africa, do a quick Google search for ‘PAYE calculator’ or ‘salary calculator’ or ‘tax calculator’ and they are sure to pop up tops. So, two questions:
1. How did they do that? They created a calculator that works, so people refer to them (via links, which is the way of the internet) and so that page ranks. In addition, of course, their website is pretty awesome and full of good, helpful content and so it has what is called great “authority”. Good time to point out: Google loves to “EAT” good content, EAT standing here for ‘Expertise, Authority, Trust’ and so through producing valuable content people want to use (and refer others to) this is a sign that they are experts, with authority that people can trust. Boom! Success.
2. Why would they do that for free? Because, down the line it provides such good SEO value that it’s well worth the investment of building the tools and writing the content. Best of all, that content will stay largely unchanged for years to come – with small modifications each year as tax rules change – but still continue to be of use, and to rank well.
Do you know why I love the AA rates calculator?
Well to spare (tyre) you reading the long version, basically the same as above, but it’s for calculating my AA rate per km for my car. It’s a little painful in that you have to insert all the details – year, make, model, number of doors, etc etc etc. But, I do it once a year and it’s not really such a nightmare annually, is it…?
So, I’ve written my thesis statement, and then I’ve added two arguments (Tax Tim and AA), which means it is time for a conclusion to my thesis, and so:
My wonderful SEO insight, and conclusion:
These two epic pieces of “content” – if you can call a calculator content, which I certainly do – are amazing ways to bring people to your website, and also help them!
For me, this is the pinnacle of SEO: that you would create such wonderful content that it benefits society, and as a reward the page of your website with it ranks far higher. Over and over again I suggest to clients to try and serve their customers with amazing content that is of value for this very reason. Sometimes, it’s not that easy. And that is why you need someone creative – like me – on your team.
In closing, some made up ideas to get you thinking along these lines:
What if you’re a physiotherapist, how do you create content?
Well, after I go to a physio they always give you 42 exercises to do, twice a day, for a month till you can see them again, which of course you don’t because you’re lazy, and they are so hard to remember, and you can’t do them correctly because their stick man drawings are always so horrid. So, why not create videos of each exercise, and name and categorise them so it’s clear what is what, and then tell the client – go to the website and do exercises #4, 17, 22, and 81 twice a day until you reach retirement age and then come back to me?!
Great video content is likely to go viral, and is easily shareable, and Google loves YouTube content because it owns YouTube. From YouTube you link back to your website, and you are winning. Biggest benefit to the physio: you no longer have to draw stick men, and waste all that time. All you need to do is have a grasp of the videos, their numbers, and a simple digital way to send them to your client. This saves your physio practice a lot of money, and your clients a lot of frustration. Plus, it is much easier to share with others, who will likely end up knowing about you, and potentially coming to your practice.
What if you do roofing?
- Create a cost comparison on all the types of roofs available to purchase.
- Create another comparison on what to get based on your location – coastal or inland, summer vs winter rain, humid vs dry, etc etc.
- Create a calculator based on the money you will save if you get solar cells on your roof, that works out the electricity savings multiplied by the square metrage, with inflation built in, and mention how load shedding is going to ruin your lives, as well as the frozen lamb shank in the freezer.
- Link out to key studies done by experts at Stanford and MIT backing up your data and theories, and make your website a resource par excellence that oozes authority on the matter of roofing.
- Make it so good that when I go to yours, and then to a competitor’s website that I go away thinking “Wow, this guy must watch roofing videos on Friday night for fun, while his competitor looks like a guy who couldn’t get a job and decided to try throwing tiles on someone’s roof and gets away with it”.
What if you aren’t either of these but want amazing content that helps the world and ranks?
Well, then arrange a meeting with me and we can brainstorm something and win the internet over.