Last Updated on October 24, 2017 by
Why is SEO Important for Business?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an invaluable element amidst today’s burgeoning business landscape. Simply put, SEO produces long-term results that, if implemented effectively, increases web traffic, generates sales and grows a brand. No matter how great a message, product or service is, the bottom line is that if no one can find it, it’s simply irrelevant. We’re going to address the basic WHAT SEO for business is, and answer the frequently asked question, “Why is SEO important for business?”
SEO is arguably one of the most important things you can do for your business, right along with a great value proposition and a great website. If all these are done well, you’ll dominate your competition with your online presence.
Search Engine Optimization Basics
Search engine optimization is a process that facilitates web traffic from the free and organic listings in search engine results. Search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo provide these results with web pages, images, videos and other content that is displayed and ranked based on which listings the search engine deems to be most relevant to the user.
Unlike paid search results, SEO requires no payment to feature listings on the results page. Successful SEO includes many factors from the text on a web page to the links it provides to other pages.
The problem is that search engine optimization can be complicated for those without vast knowledge in the area. Because of this, there are SEO Firms that provide search engine optimization services. Be very careful when selecting a company to provide SEO services because there are plenty of companies out there that will promise you the world, then simply never deliver.
We believe in a holistic approach to SEO, meaning we implement on-page & off-page strategies that include quality content that will rank and engage your audience. We believe this is the best way to approach SEO.
When starting any SEO for business campaign, a complete and comprehensive review of current web materials must be the first step – blogs, social media activity and websites pertaining to the specific business operation should be analyzed. Next, your SEO team will scrutinize the competitive landscape, further analyzing other key businesses in the client’s field. This knowledge of where you and your competitors stand is critical to developing an effective SEO plan.
Local Search Engine Optimization Basics
Search engine optimization isn’t just for large corporations anymore either. Smaller businesses benefit from local search engine optimization. SEO for small business is really an essential component to local businesses these days. Some studies have indicated that up to 95% of smart phone users access local search data on their phones. That’s just way to much to miss out on.
Local search engine optimization involves targeting consumers within a local range. Map listings and directories are a good start, but there is a lot more to it to rank for competitive niches. Also, depending on the availability of the service in the area, local content may take up the majority of the results page. For this reason, local listings can be just as important as standard results.
I Get What SEO is, but WHY is SEO Important for Business?
It is imperative for business owners to understand that if they’re not ranking on the first page of search results, they’re missing out on potential leads, sales and profits. A ton actually! With the right SEO team heading a company’s marketing efforts, your website traffic should increase exponentially. If you have a great value proposition and your webpages are optimized to convert, this can amount to thousands in extra income just by increasing your online visibility.
Also to be considered when asking oneself why is SEO important for business is on-page and off-page SEO tactics.
As I mentioned above, both on-page and off-page SEO is important and really both need to be deployed together. On-page SEO are elements of your web pages that impact search engine rankings such as content, proper tags and page speed, while off-page SEO focuses on optimizing web pages other than those found on a website such as link-building and web 2.0 properties.
The strength of on and off-page search engine optimization working together is a crucial element in maximizing ranking potential throughout SEO for small business and large.
So, Why is SEO Important for Business Again?
Just in case you still aren’t sure why you need SEO, here’s a couple stats to thing about:
- 61% of users click on the first 3 organics positions, and over 90% click on an organic listing on the first page.
- SEO typically has lower long term cost compared to PPC marketing, and it’s efforts are typically exponential.
- Organic search results typically out perform Paid Results (PPC) 94% or the time. (bounce rate, conversion rate, etc.)
- 89% of consumers use search engines to make purchasing decisions.
Search engine optimization allows a web page to achieve a higher ranking and position among the listings on a search engine’s results page. Content that appears on the first page is more likely to be clicked by the web user.
Simply put, if you’re not on the first page, of organic search results, you’re missing out on a lot of potential leads and sales.
So Why not just Use Pay Per Click (PPC)?
So Why not just Use Pay Per Click (PPC)?Well, it’s pretty easy to answer that. As I mention above, organic results almost always perform better. They have higher clickthrough rates, lower bounce rates, higher on-page times, and ll that means you are more likely to convert your visitors to leads or sales.
Statistics of SEO vs. PPC
(and which, consequently, also answers again the question, “Why is SEO important for business?”):
- 85-percent of clicks resulting from a search are on the organic links rather than the paid ads.
- 86-percent of web searchers trust organic SEO listings more than sponsored/paid PPC listings.
- PPC boasts instant results and can generate visitors as soon as you turn on the taps, as compared to SEO which needs to build authority for the site.
- You can manage your budget and measure your ROI much more easily with PPC, but SEO is normally cheaper and more effective.
- 50-percent of people arriving at a retailer’s site from paid ads are more likely to buy than those who came from an organic link.
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve implemented a great SEO strategy and have your self some traffic, you need to remember to constantly increase your website conversion rate so you can make the most out of your inbound traffic.
Utilize this powerful marketing tool and watch your online leads skyrocket! You’ll know exactly what to answer if you ever hear anyone else ask, “Why is SEO important for business?”
