Building a Robust Digital Presence: Beyond Traditional SEO Tactics

As we approach 2025 marketers need to look beyond traditional SEO tactics. This article explores strategies for building a robust digital presence that encompasses multiple channels and leverages new content approaches.

The Importance of a Multi-Channel Approach

Franco Valentino emphasizes the need for a multi-channel strategy: "So really what's changed is instead of us focusing entirely on the website now we have to have website is one component of the entire digital marketing or PR mix." He suggests that the website might only account for about 20% of your digital strategy, with the rest spread across various platforms.

Joy Youell reinforces this point: "We need to be everywhere. How do we show up as many places as possible? Because we don't ultimately have a crystal ball. We don't know what the future will hold, and we need to be as visible as we can be to the right people."

This multi-channel approach includes social media, video content, and other digital platforms. As Franco notes, "Where are your customers? Are your customers on TikTok primarily?"

View the webinar this is excerpted from here:

Concept Clusters vs. Traditional Topic Clusters

Joy introduces an innovative approach to content organization called "concept clusters." She explains: "We essentially went like zoomed out and said like, what if instead of topic clusters, we do basically what we call, and I have no reason for calling it this other than that I think it sounds good is like concept clusters."

This approach involves creating a wider array of semantically related content. Joy provides an example from their website, which includes various blog categories such as business, social media, SEO strategy, storytelling, CTAs, creative writing, and technical writing. This diverse content allows the site to rank for a wide range of keywords, from "SEO agency to dystopian literature."

Consistent Branding Across Digital Touchpoints

While not explicitly discussed in the transcript, the importance of consistent branding across all digital touchpoints is implied in the multi-channel approach. As companies spread their presence across various platforms, maintaining a cohesive brand identity becomes crucial for recognition and trust-building.

The Role of Paid Advertising

Franco Valentino highlights the importance of incorporating paid advertising into the digital strategy: "You have to do that these days. And that could be as simple as a ten dollar a day budget, right? I mean, just to keep a branding play going. But you have to do those things these days, because otherwise, your competitors are gonna eat your clock [lunch]."

This suggests that a combination of organic and paid efforts is necessary for a comprehensive digital presence.

Creating Content That Performs Across Platforms

Ross Henderson discusses the need to adapt content for different platforms: "How can we take the kind of seed piece of content and how we generate that, whether it's from, you know, our own research, whether it's through AI, whether it's through an interview with someone from our client, how can we take that initial seed form of content and really make it suitable for all those distribution channels?"

Shannon O'Shea adds to this, emphasizing the importance of understanding the nuances of each platform: "So even in blog content, the application of blog content from a staging perspective, from a layout perspective, from a distance from hook to CTA, like all of that infrastructure is more important now because content is more competitive."

She further explains, "So the hook I can use on a TikTok video and the way that I have motion associated with the first second, blah, blah, blah, blah. All that infrastructure is different, fundamentally different from what works on YouTube shorts."

Strategies for Success

1. Diversify Your Digital Presence: Spread your efforts across multiple channels, including your website, social media, video platforms, and other relevant digital spaces.
2. Implement Concept Clusters: Broaden your content strategy to cover a wide range of semantically related topics, allowing you to capture a larger share of organic search.
3. Maintain Brand Consistency: Ensure your brand identity remains consistent across all digital touchpoints.
4. Integrate Paid Advertising: Complement your organic efforts with strategic paid advertising to boost visibility and reach.
5. Tailor Content to Platforms: Understand the unique requirements and user behaviors of each platform, and adapt your content accordingly.
6. Focus on Quality and Originality: As Shannon O'Shea notes, "With AI democratizing the content creation space, everybody can create a lot of content, even targeted and helpful content. But what everybody cannot do is provide original and relevant data."
7. Stay Agile: As Ross Henderson advises, "Let's remain nimble and let's always, you know, as always in marketing, let's keep testing and experimenting and iterating and tweaking and keep doing what works best."

Building a robust digital presence in 2025 requires a multifaceted approach that goes beyond traditional SEO tactics. By embracing a multi-channel strategy, implementing innovative content approaches, and staying adaptable to changing digital landscapes, marketers can create a strong and effective online presence.