Nobody likes to repeat themselves, but when it comes to marketing and sales, repetition is an important step to success. Repetition is necessary, especially in a world filled with so many distractions. Business owners understand how important it is to connect with their potential clients through various mediums. However, when we start creating content and areas of websites, often times we recommend to clients to repeat content.

Clients are concerned that the repetition on their sites is a no-no. Yet, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only will repetition help get you found on search engines, it can also help convert your sites’ visitors to customers. Outlined below are the three reasons why repetition helps rather than hurts!

1. SEO

Repetition of the keywords that you want to be found for is crucial to rank for organic searches. Frequently updating your site with fresh content, such as a blog, featuring these keyword phrases is an important way to improve your SEO. Of course, you must also be sure that you work the keywords in naturally to avoid sounding “spammy” and to choose blog topics that are of interest to your intended audience. This is a fine line to walk, and can sometimes be best left to the professionals.

2. Location, Location, Location

Not every visitor on your site is going to click through every page. Important content such as product or service descriptions, unique value propositions and calls to action bear repeating on several of your pages. When writing a page, ask yourself “if a visitor only saw this page of my site, would he know what my business does and why I’m better than my competitors?” If not, you should consider adding some content explaining your unique value proposition on that page. This is not to say that you should copy and paste the same words verbatim; slightly reword the message each time it is used.

3. Memory

Studies of consumer behavior have shown us that, on average, individuals need to see an ad at least 3 times to remember the product or brand. The same principle applies here. The first time a consumer reads a message on your site, they may just skim over it. The second time, they may read it a bit more closely. By the third time, the message starts to sink in. Thus, important messages should be repeated at least three times on your site, (if not more, to maximize its impact. Also, consider repetition within the page, as well as on different pages for your most important messages.

What does this all mean for your website? Don’t shy away from repetition completely, but do proceed with caution. Work the same five to ten keywords in throughout your website and repeat key messages in several locations. Also consider “recycling” old blog ideas. Search back a year or two in your blog history to see if there are any topics that have seen major changes since they were posted. As we discussed previously in our Business Blogging 101 post, you should take advantage of seasonal patterns for your business, giving you another opportunity for repetition. This strategy gives you a chance to post fresh content AND refer back to your past work, giving you credibility.

When this is all done correctly, your site looks trustworthy and valuable to both search engines and consumers. However, if this is not executed properly, your site will be off-putting to consumers and search engines alike. If you are not sure how to walk this tight rope, request a consultation with the Technology Therapist® to discuss a winning repetition strategy for your website.