7 Reasons Why SEO Should Be Your Priority
The digital landscape has evolved in leaps and bounds over the last decade, but one thing hasn’t changed: search engine optimization is critical for online success. Many of us know this and continue to reap the benefits, while others do not, or feel that their dollars are better spent on paid advertising and other methods.
Are you one of those small business owners? Have you forgotten why organic search optimization is essential for profitability? Here are seven very good reasons why you should rethink your strategies and make SEO a priority going forward…
1. Guaranteed Increase in Web Traffic
Effective search engine optimization and SEO marketing are a definite way to drive traffic to your website. In most cases, it doesn’t happen overnight, but it usually does occur at a steady, incremental pace – this can easily be tracked and observed using reporting tools like Google Analytics. More hits means more leads, customers, and sales.
2. Search Engine Optimization Is Cheaper than PPC
Unless you have the time, skills, and desire to do what it takes to rank your pages, you will have to invest money into SEO. However, it still works out cheaper than pay-per-click campaigns. With PPC, your traffic stops the minute you stop paying. With SEO, your traffic is permanent and requires only a small investment for maintenance, if that.
3. Better Return on Investment (ROI) than Paid Ads
While PPC is effective and gets your site to the top of Google instantly, SEO marketing drives more traffic and sometimes converts better. Because we are constantly bombarded with ads, many of us have developed what is known as “ad blindness” and now ignore them. Also, it’s important to consider that paid clicks can be accidental.
4. Enhanced Brand Awareness and Credibility
People trust Google. And the higher up your website is listed in the SERPs (search engine results pages), the more inclined prospects are to trust your business. Additionally, if your site comes up for keyword queries often, there is a valuable brand recall benefit. Think Wikipedia: most us know and recognize it because it appears in results pages often.
5. Position/Page 1 Gets All the Traffic
The first listing in Google gets most of the traffic – 33% of it, according to a recent study by Chitika. That’s a big reason to make SEO marketing a priority. Furthermore, few people search past the ten results listed on the first page of Google. Can you remember the last time you clicked through to page two for a product or service? It rarely happens.
6. Improved User Experience
Search engine optimization doesn’t only make your site findable; it also makes it navigable for users. Correctly optimized pages are easier to locate. Therefore, your products are easier to find, which can have a major impact on sales. It’s simple: get users to their desired web destination as quickly and easily as possible to improve your bottom line.
7. Your Competitors Are Leveraging It
More and more businesses are realizing the benefits of SEO marketing, and there’s a good chance your competition has. If they are taking advantage, their website is probably ahead of yours in the SERPs. Is your product, service, or price superior to theirs? It doesn’t matter. If they’re ahead, they are almost certainly getting more traffic and sales.
Have you made SEO a business priority in 2014? Where have you been focusing your resources and why? Tell us in the comments.
