For the first time ever I got sucked into watching the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) this year. It all started when I was feeding my 2-month old son, Emmett, on the couch and there was nothing to watch on TV. I settled for a softball game and was quickly hooked. I think part of it was the fact that the smaller softball diamond reminded me of playing baseball as a kid. Unlike watching the MLB games, I could more easily trick myself into thinking I could get out there and compete. :)
Regardless of why I did it, I ended up watching the finals and saw Florida beat Michigan to earn the title for the second year in a row. That’s pretty amazing when you think about how hard it is to get through all the games in the WCWS. In this article, I want to take a closer look at why Florida won that final game and how this can be applied to your digital marketing.
Why Did Florida Win Last Night?
One word sums up why I believe Florida won the final game last night. This is the same one word that the best coaches from t-ball to the pros focus on every single day. It’s not flashy like hitting home runs, stealing bases, or making diving catches in the outfield, yet it’s the usually the reason why one team comes out on top.
Can you guess it?
I’m talking about the fundamentals. The simple acts of throwing, catching, making contact with the ball, and equally importantly making the correct decisions. Last last point is where Michigan struggled early in the game and I would argue they were never able to overcome the mistakes.
For example, in the first inning, the pitcher hit a batter with a pitch. Everyone knows that’s a fundamental mistake. Next, there was a routine bunt and instead of getting the out at 1st base, Michigan tried (and failed) to get the lead runner at 2nd base. Again, a fundamental mistake that coaches grill into players at a very young age. Both of those mistakes led to 3 runs scored in the first inning, and again, Michigan never recovered.
What’s the key takeaway here?
Fundamental Mistakes Sabotage Marketing
I already mentioned that the fundamentals are not glamorous and they can feel mundane at times. But when you look at success or failure in sports, then the fundamentals are usually to blame. A simple mistake like throwing to the wrong base can start a chain reaction that ultimately leads to losing the game.
This is also true in your marketing. Mistakes or missing fundamentals will always sabotage your marketing success.
What Are The SEO Fundamentals?
In the world of search engine optimization (SEO), there are a lot of shiny objects, but what are the fundamentals?
Well, when you boil it all down, it all starts with your website. If you don’t have your website set up properly for your target search phrases, then that’s the equivalent to ignoring how to field a ground ball in softball. You’re simply never going to excel if you don’t first learn the fundamentals like fielding and throwing the ball.
That’s why the first step in any SEO campaign is to conduct a website SEO audit. This must be completed first before moving on to tactics like blogging and social media marketing.
As you probably know, there are a lot of factors that come into play when you’re optimizing your website to rank higher in Google. To help you stay focused on what really matters, I created The Ultimate Local SEO Checklist. Use this checklist to ensure you’re not making any fundamental mistakes that could be preventing your website from ranking #1 in Google!
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