The Value of SEO For Your Business

If you ever glanced into some digital marketing techniques, chances are high the term SEO came up. With some light research, you probably found that the term is tied to search engine rankings which you know are essential for being found by potential customers. But what does it stand for, and how do you use it? SEO is a simple term, but its impact on your business on the web is far from simple.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization and is tied directly to how you use keywords and backlinks on your website to rank higher on search engines like Google. Businesses know that if their business is not on the first page of a search engine, the chances of customers finding you is next to none. With the correct use of SEO, your search engine rank will steadily increase resulting in more traffic to your website and a higher chance of securing a sale.

Keywords are specific sets of words or queries, your target audience is typing into search engines. Knowing what your audience is searching for and what drives them to need your products and services is crucial to implementing these words into your site. These keywords can either be local, national, or even global based on what kind of business you are.

Backlinks refer to linking other credible websites into your content or earning links to your site from high-quality sources elsewhere. Backlinks greatly increase your site’s credibility in the eyes of search engines which works to rank you higher. Be careful not to overuse backlinks on your website as too many backlinks will have a negative effect on search engine rankings, so be strategic when placing links on your site to not claim other work as your own.

Why SEO Should Be a Priority

Good SEO can do many favors for your business. From increasing your rank across search engines, attracting more visitors, gaining a competitive advantage, and boosting credibility with your customers, SEO constantly works to improve your business online. SEO also has no associated cost unless you outsource the services as it’s organic-based.

As stated earlier, it’s important to rank highly on the various search engines your audience is using. When was the last time you entered the second, third, or fifth page of google? Probably never, and it’s safe to believe your customers aren’t as well, as a little over 90% of Google traffic happens on the first page. In the ten or so spots on each page for organic searches in search engines, there is almost always enough content to satisfy the original search query entered. If you’re not on the first page, chances are your traffic will be drastically low.

Your SEO quality also factors into your digital competitive advantage. If your site has more relevant keywords and operates faster than your competitors, there’s an increased chance that search engines and your audience will favor your site over the competition. There’s no doubt that any serious competitors will be focusing on SEO, so be sure to constantly update yours. You should always identify competitors in your market to find their strengths and weaknesses to expose the latter and counter the former.

SEO Optimization

Maybe you have quality keywords, backlinks, and an appealing visual appearance on your website, but you also need to investigate any technical issues your site may be experiencing. Your website should be optimized to run smoothly across computers, phones, and tablets. Speed is one quality your website needs for search engines to rate you higher. A slow and unresponsive website will not receive a good reputation, no matter your keyword placement. Don’t let your efforts go to waste, build and maintain a solid structure from which you operate your website.

Updating your site content regularly also works to optimize your SEO. Strategically place keywords in blogs and other descriptive content found on your page to achieve higher rankings. Note that it’s vital to have multiple pages that each focus on different keywords as it’s next to impossible to include enough keywords on one page to cover all areas of interest to your target audience. We recommend you post new content weekly to maintain a fresh look at search engine algorithms.

As we’ve discussed above, SEO plays a substantial role in your digital marketing efforts. If done right, it can be a great asset to your business for garnering more traffic, increased sales, and credibility. While SEO is a long-term strategy, starting early and maintaining consistency will pay off (literally) in the end as your site climbs search rankings and helps your business achieve success!