Erica Ylimäki Shares Her SEO Insights on Isoline Communications Podcast
Erica Ylimäki, who works as a Growth Marketer at Trustmary, recently joined the Isoline Communications podcast to discuss her journey in marketing and her success with low-volume keywords.
Here’s a summary of the conversation, but a podcast episode is available through this link for those who want to listen to the whole interview.
From Teaching to Marketing
Erica’s journey to Marketing was not the most typical.
– I started out studying to be a German and English teacher. Near the end of my studies, I was searching for a part-time job and came across an ad for a German-speaking interviewer. At that time, Trustmary created traditional video testimonials for their customers around the globe, and needed someone to conduct interviews in German-speaking countries, Erica shared in the podcast.
Handling the tasks well resulted in further opportunities. Trustmary eventually created a role for Erica, where she managed content creation and video testimonials across Europe.
When COVID-19 hit, Trustmary transitioned from a project-based business to a scalable SaaS model. Erica played a crucial role, leading the content production process and learning SEO on the job.
Erica’s Zero to Hero SEO Insights
Having to learn SEO from scratch resulted in a lot of trial and error, and Erica has accumulated a lot of knowledge about SEO throughout the years. Here’s how she explained the journey in Isoline Communication’s podcast.
Mastering Low-Volume Keywords
– We decided to focus on low-volume, bottom-of-funnel keywords, Erica explained.
Competing with high-authority sites for popular keywords was tough, so the team targeted niche topics.
They created guides on:
- Adding Google reviews to WordPress
- Using Elementor for Google reviews
- Integrating Google reviews with Squarespace
These articles proved highly effective. Just before Erica’s maternity leave, Trustmary secured its first paid customer through organic traffic from these articles.
– It was a pivotal moment, she noted.
Localization and Language Nuances
Trustmary’s website is translated into multiple languages. Ensuring quality content in multiple languages has been challenging.
Despite initial oversights, like missing CTAs, localized articles performed well and continue to improve.
– Adding CTAs in local languages has boosted performance.
Erica observed differences in platform popularity across countries.
– Wix is popular in Germany, while Elementor dominates in other regions, she said.
Navigating the Impact of AI on SEO
– Generative AI has changed search engine results pages, Erica mentioned.
AI-generated responses often overshadow organic content. To adapt, Trustmary focuses on creating unique, valuable content and using AI tools to identify content gaps.
Erica highlighted the importance of targeting zero-volume keywords.
– We predict rising trends and address specific problems, she said.
This strategy has driven organic traffic and increased search volume for niche keywords.
The Value of Backlinks
– Backlinks are still important, Erica asserted.
High-quality backlinks from valuable content boost website authority.
Trustmary’s statistics posts, which get many organic backlinks, have significantly improved their rankings.
– We’ve even outranked HubSpot and Trustpilot a few times, she noted.
The Basics Still Matter
– Good content needs proper SEO practices, Erica emphasized.
Basics like titles and metadata are crucial. Without these elements, even the best content may go unnoticed.
– Ensure that SEO fundamentals are in place, she advised.
Thanks to Isoline Communications for featuring Erica in the podcast!
