Interview with Alanna Gerton, CEO of LANA

Alanna Gerton is the CEO/Founder of LANA, a marketing company that leverages her knowledge and experience to empower individuals and businesses to make informed decisions.

In this interview, she shares her journey into the marketing field, her perspective on successful leadership in the industry, the challenges faced as a founder, and her process for creating high-quality content that stands out from the competition.

Alanna discusses the current state of SEO and how it’s evolving, her approach to developing an effective SEO strategy, and the metrics used to measure success.

Let’s dive in!

Can you tell us about your journey into the marketing field?

My career journey began as a Data Scientist at Roche.

I realized I wanted to pursue my entrepreneurial ambitions, so I started a blog and self-taught myself marketing and technical SEO. After gaining knowledge in these areas and acquiring more industry experience, I decided to take a leap of faith and build my own company – LANA.

By writing blog post content that teaches our readers about data analytics, AI, machine learning, tech, career, and entrepreneurship, I can leverage my knowledge and experience to empower individuals and businesses to make informed decisions, deliver powerful insights, and unparalleled customer experiences worldwide.

What do you believe sets successful leaders apart from those who struggle to make an impact in the marketing industry?

Successful leaders in the marketing industry can harmonize the art and science of the craft, seamlessly weaving creativity with analytics to produce compelling content that resonates with their audience.

But what truly sets them apart is their relentless drive to experiment and accept failure, for it is in these moments that true innovation takes flight.

Can you share some of the biggest challenges you faced as a founder and leader of a marketing company?

My first hire transformed the trajectory of my business. Weighed down by an ever-increasing workload, I realized that my vision for growth required additional talent, skills, and unique perspectives.

My first hire was a game-changer, offering a fresh perspective and bringing a new level of energy and enthusiasm to our operations. Their unwavering commitment, willingness to take calculated risks, and dedication to our values and goals allowed us to push past our limits and smash through glass ceilings.

Together, we changed the business trajectory, inspiring us to take bold steps into the future confidently, and I’m forever grateful.

How do you create high-quality content that stands out from the competition?

A deep understanding of your audience is the key to creating high-quality content that stands out from the competition.

The most successful content creators take the time to understand their audience’s needs, pain points, and aspirations and tailor their message accordingly.

With this understanding, you can curate content to inform, educate, connect, and inspire. Keeping up with the latest trends and technologies is also crucial, as it provides opportunities to leverage different mediums and platforms to engage with your audience uniquely and creatively.

What’s your perspective on the current state of SEO and how it’s evolving?

SEO constantly evolves, and stay updated with the latest trends and algorithms is crucial.

SEO is no longer just about optimizing keywords and driving traffic; it is evolving towards a more holistic approach that emphasizes the user experience. With Google’s focus on trustworthiness, high-quality content, and authority, SEO practices must align with these values to be effective.

Furthermore, the rise in voice search and machine learning technology is changing how people search for information, and SEO practices must adapt to this shift.

To stay ahead in the game, you must prioritize quality content, user experience, and a deep understanding of the searcher’s intent.

Can you walk us through your process for developing an effective SEO strategy for your clients?

Developing an effective SEO strategy is not about following a single formula. Instead, it’s about understanding clients’ unique brands, goals, and audiences.

It begins with research and analytics, which helps us to generate a deep understanding of target users, analyze competition, and identify the most effective keywords. Then, by focusing on the most relevant keywords and audience, I work to develop tailored and comprehensive solutions that are well-suited to the client’s needs.

I then move on to on-page optimization, creating content that provides value to users and drives search engine rankings higher. Finally, continuously focusing on monitoring and analysis, I diligently track feedback and iteratively optimize our content to serve users’ needs better.

The key to an effective SEO strategy is to view it as a living, breathing entity, constantly evolving while staying on top of the industry’s changes and trends.

How do you measure the success of your content marketing and SEO campaigns?

Measuring the success of any campaign is of utmost importance, and content marketing and SEO are no exceptions. Therefore, I focus on two key metrics – engagement and ROI.

With engagement, I closely monitor metrics like click-through rates, time-on-page, and the number of shares and comments. These metrics help me better understand user behavior and identify what content resonates with our audience.

Return on Investment (ROI) is also a critical metric that helps me evaluate the monetary value of our efforts. By tracking conversions, customer acquisition costs, and revenue generated from campaigns, we can hold ourselves accountable for creating strategies that achieve essential business goals.

It’s not just about quantitative metrics but also assessing our content’s qualitative impact and ensuring it aligns with our client’s core values, mission, and goals.

Can you tell us about some of the most effective marketing tools and software you use to streamline your workflow and boost productivity?

Regarding productivity, having the right tools and software plays a huge role.

I use tools like Ahrefs and Google Search Console for SEO analysis, WordPress for website building, and Mailchimp and ConvertKit for email marketing.

I also rely on analytics platforms such as Google Analytics to track performance metrics like click-through rate, bounce rate, etc. I also use SurferSEO to automate SEO tasks and generate a competitive analysis report. It helps prioritize our keyword targeting efforts as well as optimize content quickly.

And, of course, there is also Jasper.ai – our AI-driven writing assistant that can help us create content ranging from tweets and blog posts to social media posts.

Powered by proprietary AI models, this tool makes producing quality content at scale easier.

How do you stay up-to-date on the latest marketing trends and techniques?

I rely on sources such as industry blogs and podcasts and top marketing websites like Moz, HubSpot, and Social Media Examiner to stay informed on what’s happening in the marketing world.

Additionally, subscribing to newsletters from marketers I admire also helps me keep my finger on the pulse. Trend monitoring tools such as Twitter Trends & Exploding Topics are also essential to determine which topics can be used to create timely content that resonates with my target audience.

What advice would you give aspiring marketers?

Aspiring marketers should start by developing a solid understanding of digital marketing principles such as SEO, SEM, content marketing, email marketing, and social media advertising while also mastering the fundamentals of design and data analysis.

Real success in the marketing industry can only come when you combine what you have learned with creativity and a passion for discovering new opportunities.

Always remember to stay sharp, be curious, and think outside the box – that’s when you make breakthroughs.