SEO is more than just a way to increase your visibility and searchability online. As more people turn to online search engines to find products and services, SEO is becoming increasingly important for businesses of all sizes.
SEO is the process of optimising your website to perform well in organic search results. While the quality of your products is important, it’s not the only factor that determines your success online. Other factors such as web design, customer engagement, relationships, and strong SEO all play a role in your online business’s success.
The ultimate goal of SEO is to rank on the first page of the search engine results page (SERP). This tells search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing that your web store and business deserve the attention of consumers and searchers.
Why SEO Matters for Your Business
Still not convinced that implementing an SEO strategy is a good idea? Here are six good reasons why you should consider including it in your marketing strategy:
Increase Brand Visibility
Statistics show that 80% of users ignore paid ads and click on organic listings instead. This means that your website needs SEO to rank organically for relevant searches. If your website doesn’t appear for brand-specific searches or keyword searches for the products and services you offer, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to reach potential customers. It’s no secret that to get the best return on investment, your website needs to be on page 1 of Google. In fact, the top result in organic search results gets 31.7% of all clicks. When your website ranks higher, more people will see it, and more people will click through to your website. This means more traffic, more leads, and more sales.
Beat Local Competitors
SEO is an online marketing strategy, but it’s also relevant for businesses that operate locally. This is because many people start their search for local businesses by entering a query into Google. They then click on the first few links and compare the offers presented there.
If you want to beat your local competitors, you can use SEO to help your website rank higher in search results for queries that include your location. For example, if you own a restaurant in San Francisco, you would want to target keywords like “best restaurants in San Francisco” or “authentic Mexican food in San Francisco.” This helps you attract customers who are most likely to benefit from your offer.
And with Google’s continuous development, there are far more opportunities to promote your company than just ranking high in the “natural” organic listings. Now, you also have Local Pack results, Rich Snippet boxes, Business Knowledge Packs, and other search engine listings. This creates more potential opportunities to promote your business to customers in your location!
Good Value for Money
If you’re working with a tight budget, SEO is the way to go. It’s a more cost-effective option that provides flexibility in terms of spending.
SEO encompasses a range of techniques, some of which are completely free, while others require a financial investment. What makes SEO particularly appealing is its adaptability and ease of financial control. On the other hand, if you need to draw quick attention to special offers and generate immediate results, setting up an ad campaign with platforms like Google Ads can be done within hours (or even minutes). The choice depends on your specific goals: Do you want quick sales, a surge in visitors for a few days, or long-lasting effects?
A survey by Search Engine Journal revealed the huge impact of SEO on businesses. Results showed that 49% of businesses recognise that organic search delivers higher returns. The survey also revealed that fewer than 19% of businesses reported impressive returns on investment from paid search campaigns. In the same survey, 18% of businesses reported a high return on investment from social media, while 19% claimed email marketing had a higher return.
Increase Sales
SEO is a powerful marketing tool that can help you increase your website traffic, brand visibility, and sales. A well-executed SEO campaign could easily accelerate your company from obscurity to top-of-mind awareness. As a business owner, you don’t need to be a marketing or copywriting expert to enjoy the benefits. SEO consultants handle the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus on growing your business with minimal effort.
What sets SEO apart is the level of control it provides compared to other marketing methods. With social media, you’re at the mercy of the platform’s algorithms. If the algorithm changes, your traffic could plummet overnight.
With SEO, you’re not at the mercy of anyone else. When you hire an experienced SEO company in Sydney, you can be confident that your website will continue to rank high in SERPs, even if the algorithms change.
Build Trust and Credibility
Ask yourself this: How often do you actually go past the first page of a Google search? If you’re like most people, the answer is probably “rarely” or even “never.” Research shows that 75% of searchers never go past the first page of their given search results. That’s just how much trust the majority of Google users place in the listings that appear on that all-important first page.
SEO will help your website rise in local search result rankings, adding more trust and credibility to your brand. When Google’s algorithms and site crawlers analyse and assess your website for optimisation, a well-optimised website will stand out to Google and rank higher in search engine results pages. The higher your business ranks on local, relevant SERPs, the more trustworthy and credible it will look to potential customers. This is because people are more likely to trust businesses that appear at the top of search results.
Improve the User Experience
Online shoppers have more choices than ever before. If they have a bad experience on one website, they will leave and look elsewhere. This emphasises how important user experience (UX) is in influencing how well your website performs and ranks on search engines. It’s worth noting that approximately 88% of internet users are unlikely to revisit a website after encountering a subpar user experience.
Advanced search engine algorithms have built-in metrics that can measure how many visitors interact with a website. If your bounce rate is high and the time spent on your page is low, search engines will assume you are not providing visitors with a good user experience.
Finding and fixing issues on a webpage isn’t always easy. In many cases, these issues can only be addressed by advanced SEO tools or experienced professionals who have seen similar problems with other clients. SEO experts with the right tools and know-how can thoroughly evaluate your entire website, and identify and fix issues that affect the user experience. The insights from an SEO agency help you make informed decisions about your website’s design and content.
Contact Us Today for Your SEO Digital Marketing Needs
Having a strong SEO team on your side is critical to the success of your digital marketing. When you rank high in search engines, everything else can come together a little more easily. SEO experts can ensure that your website remains at the top of search engines for the long term.
Creativ Digital is a leading digital marketing and SEO agency that has helped businesses in Sydney and across Australia. We can work with you in creating and executing a customised SEO strategy for your business.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation today.