Close your eyes and take a walk down the memory lane where you had to order something online but were not sure which brand to go for.
Like most others would have done, you probably ran a quick search for the product you wanted and were greeted by links of thousands upon thousands of webpages selling the same product.
Now, you had the option to choose any one of these several webpages to buy from. Nobody was restraining you from visiting one link or telling you that you must attend the other. But chances are, that you probably took your business to one of the top-most results Google spewed out for you. In a nutshell, this is what SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, achieves for a business.
SEO is an indispensable digital marketing technique
In the modern era of digitization, you cannot turn your back to digital marketing tactics. These techniques are what’s keeping many of the contemporary startups today in business. Dissing SEO and other ways to advertise yourself digitally today can be considered synonymous with corporate suicide. In this article, we will discuss how SEO has become one of the best ways for a business to up its sales.
1. Most website traffic – and online business deals – start with a simple, utterly organic search today
Let’s carry on from the example at the beginning of the article. Other than the small number of times that a customer knows exactly where they want to buy a particular product from, they will search for the stores that sell what they want. In other words, most of the online purchases made today start with a simple, utterly organic search.
With so much of the business being generated with a simple Google search, what corporation – big or small – would not love anything that promotes it on this platform?
2. Most of the business today is going to whoever is on the top
According to studies, it is the first five search results that Google returns on a query that gets clicked most of the times. And between these five, it is the first one that has the lion’s share – an enormous 44.64% of all clicks. Moreover, 89% of the total clicks go to the webpages listed on the first page of search results.
This means that if you are ranked later than the very first page, you might not get visited at all! And, of course, it is who is getting the most traffic which gets the most business too!
This is where SEO comes in. SEO bumps up your position on the search results page so that you are one of the first ones that a user sees when he searches for a product or service that you offer.
3. A good ranking on a search engine promotes feelings of goodwill and trust
It is not just the user’s laziness or out of convenience that so many of the clicks are going to the first few listings on the search results page. There is a lot more at play here that contributes to the top results getting the most website traffic.
Being on the top of all the thousands of results that Google generates gives you a certain kind of credibility. It makes the users think that your business is doing something right – that is why Google must have recommended you to them! It builds your reliability and promotes feelings of goodwill among your audience, encouraging them to trust you with their money.
4. Effective SEO strategies are a win for both sides
SEO does not only manage to gain you the visibility you so desire but also helps the users that are looking for you find you easily. Hence, it is a win-win situation for both buyers and sellers.
The reason that Google has a ranking system for the search results is to enhance the user’s experience. Google wants the user to find exactly what they searched for.
If you, as a business employing SEO, are intelligent about the keywords you use, it will help Google cater to its users better – making your business conspicuous to the ones searching for you, even if they do not know or remember your name.
5. Local SEO makes it easier for the people around you to find you
If you’ve got your location settings off, and search for a product or service without specifying the area you want them in, the chances are that you will be bombarded with links of companies from all around the world. To prevent this from happening is where local search comes in.
Local search enables you to look for the commodity you want within a particular area. If you need a plumber in Dallas, you wouldn’t want to be looking at companies based in China, would you? Local SEO eliminates this from happening and brings you one step closer to the business you would want to hire – that is, one that’s located in your area.
6. SEO gives higher returns on a minimal investment than most marketing strategies this effective
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for small scale industries to love SEO is that it does not cost all that much. Couple that with the potential it has and how effective it is at promoting a business, and you have found a marketing paradise.
Many businesses are initially attracted to its low cost, high returns character. Some of the top SEO companies today are offering some great bundles and deals for a competent and smart SEO strategy that is customized to your business.
7. The effects of a smart SEO strategy last for years to come
SEO keeps you in business for a long time. It is not just a get rich quick scheme, but it is a marketing strategy that keeps on giving. This is only one more reason to invest in SEO practices, and take measures to enhance its efficiency.
Hence, SEO prevents you from closing down prematurely and gives your business a real chance at becoming a legacy. What’s not to love?
8. The struggle to remain at the top motivates you to keep making yourself more appealing
Besides directly generating more business for you, a good SEO strategy has lots more to offer. Staying at the much desired top position on the search results page is not an easy feat. It requires you to edit and polish your website and the content in ways that are the most beneficial to the audience. In this way, as a consequence of striving for the top position, you get to have an excellent website that is optimized for conversions.
9. Smart SEO helps you to become a brand
When you want to grow a business that customers return to – and tell their friends about – you need to work on your branding. SEO is just another way to help you on your way there.
With the considerable website traffic that SEO will generate, you will be talked about more and more. Your business will become memorable and a viable contender in the field you operate in. In short, a high ranking on the search results page can get the ball rolling for you to build your brand.
10. Great SEO helps you get the most out of a social media presence
We all know the importance of a social media presence for businesses today. However, contrary to what you might think, connecting with people and building relationships is not its only use.
With the right SEO agency, you can leverage your social media to drive your SEO. Your content that people like, share, and comment on can be seen on other platforms besides the social website that it is on. Add hashtags and get trending everywhere!
The final verdict
According to Search Engine Journal, with so many benefits to gain from SEO, it is no wonder that industries are predicted to be spending a total of $79.27 billion for this operation in 2020.
Do you think you are investing enough money into SEO? What are the other ways you are marketing your business?
Comment down below and let us know!
