Search engine optimization is kind of like Vitamin B. Everybody knows about it, and understands that it’s good for you, but if asked to explain what it does, they could be at a complete and utter loss. If you own a website, you know that you need someone to do your SEO for you, but why?
Here’s why SEO matters.
SEO helps to increase your page rankings. You want your website to show up at the top of the list in queries your customers use when they look for goods and services like yours. The first five search results make up more than 67% of total clicks for a query. But there’s more to this than meets the eye. You want your website to be strong enough to show up for new searches by real potential customers. Some SEO companies that promise to get your website to the top of Google searches essentially put a muscle suit on your website. It might look like your site is in a strong position, but that suit can come off to reveal a week website. Tricks that manipulate rankings by gaming the system usually provide temporary boosts that can actually lead to long-lasting drops in rankings.
When was the last time you sat in your car wishing for more traffic? If you own a website, it probably wasn’t all that long ago. SEO helps increase traffic to your site by improving the visibility of your pages. Regular posting in social media, consistent and unique content, and thoughtful action based on analytics are all essential to a good SEO strategy that builds traffic to your site.
Increased, properly targeted traffic at your website will help generate more leads and increase the number of conversions you have. Making your website easier for your customers to find is good for business, no matter what your business may be.
SEO is also important because it is measurable. Unlike a flyer tacked up on a burrito stand, the effects of search engine optimization can be measured. Sure, you can ask all of your customers whether or not they learned about your business while enjoying a burrito, but SEO tools such as Google Analytics constantly track and collect valuable information on your customers and their path to purchase. This helps you allocate resources effectively.
“Because everyone else is doing it” isn’t normally a good reason to do something. It’s that herd mentality that’s had people jumping off metaphorical bridges in droves for years. However, SEO is different. If you decide to be the hip non-conformist who refrains from search engine optimization, you’re going to get left behind.
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