A steady stream of new customers is the lifeline that keeps your business going. But you can’t attract or convert those leads if they can’t find you online.
That’s why SEO matters.
Consumers are constantly scouring the Internet for information on new products and services. In fact, over 80,000 Google searches occur every single second. With numbers like that, it’s certain some of those people are searching for what your business sells. And, the only way to be sure they find you is through SEO best practices.
A strategic SEO plan efficiently connects today’s eager (and often impatient) consumers to your business. This results in increased traffic, higher sales, and a stronger bottom line.
SEO Builds Brand Credibility
All businesses need recognition to succeed. There’s no doubt about it: A high search ranking puts you on the consumer radar faster than other marketing tactics. So, does SEO matter? Absolutely.
Whether consumers admit it or not, they trust major search engines like Google to help them find what they seek. The sheer volume of searches is proof, and that credibility carries over to the businesses ranked at the top of search results.
Search engines routinely update their algorithms, but good SEO always involves the following two elements:
- Appropriate keywords: The terms consumers are most likely to use when searching for a product or service like yours.
- High-quality published information: Well-written content that includes keywords and answers a consumer’s burning questions about a particular product or service.
If your business strategically deploys keywords and quality content, search engines will rank it higher than those that don’t. When your business makes it to the first page, consumers view it as a Google seal of approval.
With that perceived endorsement, potential customers are more likely to open your links. Finding useful information in your content only further enhances that perception of you as a trusted resource.
This offers instant brand credibility. For the customer, it started with a Google search. For your business, it started with tailored SEO.
SEO Organically Drives Customers to You
Organic search ranking is another prime reason why SEO matters so much. Twenty-first century consumers want to control their decision-making process without undue influence. They immediately spot paid links and often eye them with skepticism. Alternatively, they’re likely to trust a business link that made it to the first page on its own merit.
Think of it this way: Fifty years ago, the storefront with the best location in town naturally enjoyed the most foot traffic. Today, it’s still all about location, location, location. But that prime real estate is now the first page of an online search. Better yet, it’s the first result that isn’t a paid advertisement. This is true for both brick and mortar businesses and ecommerce brands.
Getting customers to your website is just one step in the battle. You need to ensure that they land on a page that answers their question with knowledge and substance. Customers also need to be presented with user-friendly design that makes it easy to find what they’re looking for.
The effectiveness of your site’s navigation and information are what keeps customers engaged. In the same way that retail stores use product displays and merchandising to lure customers through the store, businesses need to create websites that keep shoppers engaged.
SEO Cost-Effectively Promotes Your Business
The marketing options for your business are limitless. However, business budgets rarely are—especially for small and medium-sized firms. The good news is that SEO doesn’t have to break the bank, and it offers a high return on investment (ROI).
Not only does SEO matter in business promotion, but it’s one of the most cost-effective marketing options available to any business. Compared to the cost of a traditional advertising campaign, a monthly SEO plan yields a higher return for your money. Even a relatively small SEO plan—such as $500 per month—can increase your website traffic and sales.
The affordability of SEO levels the playing field for smaller firms that have fewer marketing dollars to spend. At the same time, it uniquely and more intentionally focuses your efforts on customers who are specifically seeking your product. Employing the very keywords your prospects are typing in allows for more strategic and targeted marketing.
SEO Provides Ongoing Results
There’s another problem in disproportionate advertising spending. The impact of traditional advertising only lasts as long as the campaign does. Such costly and short-term investments may generate a temporary bump in sales. However, there’s no guarantee of higher sales after the campaign has run its course.
In contrast, the money you put into SEO keeps working for you. What you need is a marketing option that continues to bring viable customers to your website over an extended period of time. That’s the whole point of why SEO works. It’s a continual and cumulative process that adapts to the consumer’s evolving decision-making process.
The proper SEO strategies help you meet customer needs because you’re consistently watching and adjusting for shifts in keyword trends. Additionally, SEO strategies routinely publish unique content specifically directed to both anticipated and unanticipated consumer needs
Does SEO Matter or Not?
According to the business community The Manifest, investing in SEO is essential for small businesses that want to rank on the first page. In a survey of over 500 small businesses with fewer than 500 employees, only 30 percent were using SEO. That leaves an astounding 70 percent of respondents that did not have an SEO strategy in place.
This is just one more compelling reason to leverage SEO: It gives you a distinct competitive advantage over the vast majority of businesses your size.
Imagine if your competition didn’t take any steps to rank on the first page of a Google search, where 75 percent of people look. You’ll be there, ready and waiting to help a myriad of customers.
Using SEO strategies helps your business enjoy stronger brand recognition, increased web traffic, and more revenue.