What SEO Opportunities Are Often Missed During Mergers and Acquisitions?
During mergers and acquisitions, companies often overlook SEO opportunities that can significantly impact their online presence. These missed opportunities include consolidating digital assets, maintaining existing rankings, and aligning SEO strategies with new business goals. Proper attention to SEO during this process can prevent traffic loss and enhance brand visibility.
The Overlooked SEO Asset
Mergers and acquisitions are like a corporate version of a wedding. Two entities come together, bringing all their assets, strengths, and quirks. In the digital world, your website is one of those assets. Ignoring SEO during this process is akin to forgetting to invite a key family member to the wedding. It can lead to awkward silences and missed opportunities.
Consider a B2B software company acquiring a smaller competitor. The acquired company has its own website, complete with a solid backlink profile and decent organic traffic. If the acquiring company fails to integrate these digital assets properly, they risk losing valuable SEO juice. Worse, they might end up cannibalising their own search rankings.
Key Steps to Seize SEO Opportunities
To make the most of SEO during mergers and acquisitions, you need a plan. Here’s a simple guide to ensure you don’t miss out:
- Audit Both Websites: Start with a thorough audit of both websites. Identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. Look for pages with high traffic and valuable backlinks.
- Consolidate Content: Merge duplicate content, and ensure the best-performing pages from both sites are preserved. Redirect old URLs to their new counterparts to maintain link equity.
- Update Keywords and Metadata: Revise keywords and metadata to reflect the new business direction. Ensure consistency across the newly merged website.
- Monitor Rankings: Keep an eye on search rankings throughout the transition. This helps you spot any sudden drops in traffic and address them quickly.
- Communicate Changes: Inform users and search engines about the changes. Use 301 redirects and update sitemaps to guide search engines through the new site structure.
By following these steps, you can mitigate the risks of losing traffic and ensure a smoother transition. It’s like having a detailed seating plan for your wedding — everyone knows where to go.
The Human Element in SEO
Let’s be honest. Mergers and acquisitions are stressful. There’s a lot going on, and SEO might not seem like a priority. But here’s the thing: SEO is not just about algorithms and keywords. It’s about people finding and connecting with your brand. It’s about ensuring your digital presence is as strong as your business strategy.
Think of SEO as the unsung hero of your merger. It’s working behind the scenes, ensuring that everything runs smoothly. Need help? Consider working with a search engine optimisation expert to get better rankings and guide you through the process.
At the end of the day, SEO is about more than just numbers on a screen. It’s about maintaining the trust and visibility you’ve worked so hard to build. Don’t let it slip through the cracks during a merger. Embrace it, and let it be part of your success story.