Chances are you have heard it time and time again – search engine optimization (SEO) needs to be a significant part of your digital marketing plan. You may know this, and you may understand the basics of what it entails. However, it doesn’t mean that you have a solid understanding of this multifaceted and complex process.
SEO comprises many elements. Knowing what these are and how they work is essential to understand the importance of SEO better.
The short answer to why SEO is important is because it helps increase your website’s visibility. When your site is more visible, it means more opportunities to turn prospects into customers and more traffic.
It’s also an invaluable tool when it comes to building relationships with potential customers, increasing brand awareness, and positioning your business as a trustworthy and authoritative expert in your industry or niche.
Now that you have a better understanding of SEO, it’s time to learn more about why your website needs it. Keep reading to find out.
The Most Common Source of Website Traffic is Organic Search
Organic search makes up a huge part of the performance of your website. It is also an important part of the buyer funnel and getting people to convert.
Most people visit Google daily. In fact, Google owns over 90% of the search market. This doesn’t mean that other search engines don’t matter, but Google is clearly the one with the most clout regarding website traffic.
When you use the right SEO tactics, your site will be highly visible and considered a trusted resource to Google and the other search engines. This is going to work in your brand’s favor.
SEO Builds Credibility and Trust
The ultimate goal of your SEO efforts is to create a strong foundation for your site and to provide a superior user experience that can be easily discovered in search.
Several elements go into building authority related to search engines, such as Google. Also, it is important to note that authority is built over time and because of elements such as:
- Optimized on-page content and elements
- Machine-learning signals
- Positive user behavior
- Quality backlink profiles
However, when you have established this authority, it will do more for your brand than most other types of digital optimizations. The biggest issue is that it is virtually impossible to build credibility and trust overnight. Authority is something that you can build and earn as time passes.
If you want to establish your brand as an authority in the industry, it requires patience, commitment, and effort. It also relies on you providing quality and valuable service or product that helps customers begin to trust your brand.
Improves the User Experience
When you have a website, achieving better organic rankings and maximum visibility is likely a goal you have. What you may not realize is that the user experience plays a huge role in achieving this.
Google now knows how to determine if you have created a good user experience. Today, providing a positive user experience is an essential element to consider.
Modern customers know what they are looking for. If they cannot find it, it means there’s an issue, and site performance will suffer.
One example of Google’s dedication to providing a good user experience is that answers to many questions can be found right in the SERPs. The purpose of this is to provide people with the information they need with minimal clicks.
When you invest in SEO, it helps provide a positive user experience. In the end, this is going to work in your business’s favor.
Increased Conversions, Traffic, and Engagement with Local SEO
Mobile traffic has overtaken traffic coming from traditional desktop computers. Because of this, local search is an important part of your business’s success.
With local SEO, you are optimizing your digital presence to a specific area. This means that people in that area can easily and quickly find you. When you are easy to find, you are that much closer to closing a deal or selling something.
Local optimization means you are focused on a specific state, region, city, or town. It will help you get your message out to people in your area.
When you hire an SEO service provider, they will work to optimize your website and content by including local backlinks and citations. They will also utilize local listings that are relevant to your location and the business sector that your brand belongs to.
If you want to grow engagement locally, you need to optimize your Google My Business listing, social media profiles, and Knowledge Graph panel.
It would help if you also put a strong emphasis on reviews posted on Google, along with other review sites, including Angie’s List, Home Advisor, Yelp, and others. Where you seek reviews is dependent on your business and industry.
Improve the Buying Cycle with SEO
Customers today are more informed than ever before. They do their research before making a purchase. This is one of the biggest benefits of the internet from a buyer’s point of view.
By using SEO tactics to get your message out there about new products or services or good deals is extremely effective and a game-changer for many businesses and brands. It will also impact your business’s buying cycle positively if you do it the right way.
You need to be visible where people are searching for what you offer to make a worthwhile connection to potential customers. Local SEO will help enhance this visibility and help potential customers get the answers and what businesses are offering the answers to.
SEO Methods Are Updated Constantly
Having SEO tactics in place on your website and across other digital properties is important; however, if it is short-term engagement due to budget constraints and other issues, and you don’t re-evaluate what has been done over time, you may reach a plateau. At this point, you will no longer see improvements because of other issues you encounter.
Google is in charge (for the most part) of how the search world evolves and changes. You have to constantly monitor these changes and updates if you want to stay ahead of your competition and remain (if all works out well) on page one of search results.
When you are proactive and monitor for ongoing algorithm changes, it will help benefit your brand. Remember, Google makes changes to the algorithm all the time. If you get too far behind, it is going to be almost impossible to come back. Hiring SEO professionals will help you avoid this situation.
Better Understand the Online Environment
When you understand SEO and learn how to use the tactics properly, you will also better understand the online world. Remember, the World Wide Web is constantly changing. Because of this, it’s often difficult to remain on top of everything going on.
However, staying abreast of what is going on with SEO means that you keep up with the biggest changes occurring in the search realm.
Understanding the internet, including the tactics used by your competition, will be helpful to your brand in the long run.
SEO Is Affordable
Yes, SEO does cost something. However, in the grand scheme of digital marketing tactics, it is a relatively cheap option. The payoff will be significant regarding the benefit it offers your business or brand.
While you may look at SEO as a marketing cost, you shouldn’t. It should be treated as a business investment. Using SEO the right way is going to pay off for many years. Also, it will only get better as you get more attention and continue investing in the latest tactics.
SEO Is a Long-Term Marketing Strategy
You should see a noticeable impact within the first 12 months of investing in SEO methods. Even better, many of the things you do will have an impact that will last for multiple years.
As the market continues to change, it is important to keep up with what is going on. However, even if you don’t invest in all the SEO tactics implemented on your site, engaging in basic SEO best practices will help ensure an adequate user experience, which is a must to rank well today in SERPs.
The more time and money you put into SEO efforts for your site, the better results you will eventually see. While the results are not going to be instant, they will happen.
Now Is the Time to Invest in SEO for Your Website
When it comes to investing in SEO for your website, this is something you should not put off. The longer you wait to do this, the more your competition will get ahead, making it even more difficult to catch up.
Hiring a quality SEO company now is going to help your website achieve one of those coveted top spots in Google. Remember, though, SEO is not a set-it-and-forget-it effort. It is a long-term investment and one that will help you gain more visibility and conversions. Being informed is the best way to ensure the desired results for your site and SEO efforts are achieved.
