Recent YouGov figures tell us that 89% of opinion formers now research new contacts online. With Google more of a superpower than a search engine, there’s never been a better time to enhance your online presence.

Amidst a rise in fake news, the same survey showed that an organisation’s website is the most used and trusted source in search results. While investing in a good website is important, it’s even more critical to feed it regularly with optimised content.

Digital marketing and advertising strategies have evolved along with online viewing patterns, which have shifted from the ‘Golden Triangle’ to spot scanning. This new age of Performance Marketing was the subject of Cognito’s latest Breakfast Byte event in London.

The panel discussed the journey from keyword research, through content to successful performance. It featured:

• Martin Duffy, Principal Communications Specialist at SWIFT
• Camilla Greene, Head of Media Relations, EMEA & APAC, at Northern Trust
• Ben Heayberd, Operations Director at KAU Media Group (a Google Premier Partner)
• Liz Lumley, FinTech commentator

Here are some of the panel’s tips to winning in Google’s world:

Be led by behaviour rather than technology

Who is your target audience, where are they, what are they doing, and what do they need? Good businesses know this and communicate with integrity rather than spin. Technology gives you the ability to then measure the impact and ensure that money is well spent.

SEO is not a replacement for good content

Are you targeting fund managers? Then start writing informed pieces about what fund managers care about.

Look at the FT paywall model. It has strengthened the publication’s relationship with its audience through quality, reliable content that people will happily pay for. It also still appears at the top of Google feeds.

And be mobile friendly. Video allows you to reach your audience quickly, but make sure your videos are now ‘square’ to better fit mobile devices.

Don’t forget to communicate!

It’s impossible to stop bad reviews, but it’s vital to respond. Have a thorough review strategy in place to maximise positive reviews and counter negative ones.

Interaction is key. Too often organisations ignore Twitter questions, forgetting that it’s a two-way channel. If you don’t respond, a competitor might.

You also need to communicate internally. Build close relationships with legal and compliance to smooth sign-off processes.

Brevity is your friend

Draft one subject sentences when you write. Always edit out what you don’t need. And speak in soundbites.

People have increasingly short attention spans. So be concise and memorable.

Dare to fail

There’s a plethora of digital channels out there. Many are low risk and low cost, so try things out. To produce useful feedback and learnings, you should apply appropriate analytics whenever possible when testing.

A final soundbite to take away? Performance Marketing varies from business to business. Find the right combination of content, channels and analytics to get the best performance out of your digital activities.