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SEO. Search engine optimization.
You've likely heard the phrase and know you need it, but you may not know why.
You may even have a current SEO strategy in place but aren't sure exactly how it's benefiting your business. Or if it is at all.
Before you decide to scrap your SEO efforts, keep reading. This article will explain exactly why search engine visibility is not only relevant but necessary for success.
Google experiences over 40,000 searches every second. That means if your customers need an answer, they're turning to Google to find it.
By typing just a few keywords into the search bar, they instantly receive a detailed list of relevant sites and companies. SEO is what guarantees your site is one of the first they see.
Organic searches generate websites based on specific keywords. This means users are getting instant gratification and companies (like yours) are getting more clicks and conversions.
Organic SEO also leads to our next point – the importance of earning your customer's trust. The more relevant content you have on your site, the more successful your organic SEO efforts will be.
In time, your company and brand will be synonymous with reliable, useful information. Then it's your job to offer the best products and services to keep customers coming back for more!
Customers trust Google and if Google trusts you, you're already ahead of the game.
As skewed as this dynamic might be, website browsers click on first-page results 92% of the time. The stronger your SEO game, the more likely you are to be one of these sites.
But showing up on the first SERPs page isn't the only benefit of a strong SEO strategy. Building a website that is clean, professional, and user-friendly creates a positive customer experience – increasing the chance that first-time visitors will become repeat customers.
These loyal customers are also more likely to refer friends and family to a company they trust and rely on. Your company's credibility and reputation are the foundation of success – and it starts with search engine visibility.
The whole reason companies create websites and invest both time and money into building them is to gain traffic and boost business. Don't let all your hard work go to waste.
A website without SEO is an undiscovered one. Without adequate search engine visibility, you won't get the type of traffic, engagement or conversions you're hoping for – and deserve.
We already explained that a quality organic SEO strategy will help your site rank well on the SERPs and put you on the frontlines for your target audience to see.
But if you're looking to bring in new customers and close deals, local SEO is where it's at. More often than not, people searching for services and products will end their search with two, very powerful words – "near me".
You want to rank for both organic and local searches, which means focusing on both types of SEO. Local SEO also allows you to target specific demographics, helping you reach your desired market.
While the increase of Google searches is pretty reliable and steady, Google algorithm updates are all over the map.
The search engine giant is constantly updating, changing, and revamping the rules and regulations that apply to SEO. If you want to stay at the top of the results page, you need to stay on top of the ever-changing Googe requirements.
What worked last year may not be relevant this year. Staying up-to-date on changing SEO trends helps guarantee you stay relevant and in Google's good graces.
More than ever customers are doing ample research about your business, your products, and reading reviews before ever making a purchase.
The consumer buying cycle consists of four steps:
A well-crafted, optimized website that follows SEO best practices improves your chances of following the customer through the entire buying cycle – ending with a sale.
Anything in life worth having takes time.
Seeing results from your SEO strategy won't happen overnight and that can get discouraging. But don't give up!
Search engine visibility is about making small changes that result in big, long-term gains. When you think of all the elements of SEO, its clear that these things take time to cultivate and foster.
You need to build your brand reputation, gain authority in your field, and remain at the top of the SERPs. While it may take more than a year for you to see the fruits of your labor, the positive effects will last for several more years.
This isn't to say that you can ignore trends and changes in the market. You still need to closely monitor what's happening in your niche to guarantee you stay relevant.
Don't get complacent.
No one wants to throw their money into pointless marketing efforts that yield little to no return. One of the best things about SEO is that it's quantifiable.
With the right analytics, you can closely monitor which SEO strategies are working and which need improving.
Google Analytics is a useful tool to track where your traffic is coming from, which pages visitors are spending the most time on, and from what regions your traffic is generating.
This gives you solid facts and figures to work with and plan accordingly.
You already know that your company needs to rank on the first page of Google results or you're virtually dead in the water. But what elements of SEO help get you there?
Honestly, it's a collective effort but content and relevant keywords are two fast tickets to the top.
Even in a digital world ruled by video streaming, keyword-rich content is still relevant and crucial to search engine visibility.
Rember the organic and local SEO discussed earlier? Without content on your website (generally in the form of a blog), your page won't rank when potential clients search a specific phrase or keyword.
Don't discount the power of blog posts that not only boost your ranks but also your credibility. When you offer customers useful and relevant information, it helps build their trust and gain their business.
Keep your blog posts relevant and consistent. An outdated blog is almost as bad as no blog at all.
There are plenty of ways to pay for online visibility including PPC ad campaigns. And while these are viable options, if you want continued results you need to continue paying.
When you rank well on Google thanks to your SEO efforts, it's a long-term investment. You don't need to continually pay to remain at the top of the SERPs.
Instead, you've earned your spot at the top through well-crafted content, relevant information, credible backlinks, and other SEO best practices.
As long as you continue to offer visitors a user-friendly experience that Google recognizes as credible, you'll continue to reign supreme.
That's not to say that SEO doesn't cost you anything but the results are much more sustainable over time.
If you're not currently ranking at the top of the SERPs that means someone else is. And that someone else is likely your competition.
An effective SEO strategy isn't just about pushing your website to the top but, in the process, knocking your competitors down a few notches.
The closer you are to the top of the page, the more likely people are to visit your website first. If you offer what they need from the start, they may not scroll down far enough to even see the competitor site.
In fact, 31.7% of website browsers click the number one result that comes up on their Google search. That means if your site is listed first, it's 10 times more likely to gain traffic than all the sites that follow.
And SEO is the tool you need to get to that coveted spot.
In the competitive world of business, it can be tempting to ditch marketing efforts that seem fruitless. While some companies are backing down on their SEO efforts, don't be one of them!
Search engine visibility is more important now than ever. As more and more people are searching the Internet for products and services, SEO is the key to appealing to your target audience.
It's all about giving the people what they want.
Are you ready to craft a winning SEO strategy that keeps you at the top of your market? Contact us today and let's get started!
