Search engine optimization (SEO) is the hot phrase on everyone’s lips these days, and if you’re trying to grow your business, you might be asking yourself, “Does my company even need SEO?” The fact is, in today’s cutthroat digital marketplace, social media marketing and paid advertising simply isn’t enough. Search engines crawl the web to find the pages that are most relevant to their users. SEO makes sure that your business’s website ranks highly as an organic result on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). The right SEO strategy can catapult your company from little-known nobody to all-star somebody.
If you’re doing everything right but your business still isn’t attracting engaged customers, then poor SEO might be the culprit. There are many reasons your business should invest in SEO, but here are four to start:
SEO drives traffic to help grow your business
We’re all leading busy lives, and a top-tier SERP placement ensures that your company will be one of the first ones people find when placing a search. But why not just invest in pay-per-click (PPC) – those sponsored results at the top of the SERP? Well, in our current age, authenticity is critical, and studies show that users are more likely to engage with organic search results. One study even found that the top three organic positions on Google’s first page receive over half of all clicks from users! This means that not only will good SEO result in an increased quantity of traffic to your site, but increased quality too. SEO increases meaningful clicks from interested potential clients. That’s how you start to grow your business.
It gives your company credibility
Let’s say you’re looking for a good accountant in your area. Would you choose the one you found digging through the tenth page of a Google search, or would you likely opt for someone on a higher ranking SERP? SEO is a mind game. People are more likely to view the brands they find on the first or second results page as trustworthy and authentic. Improving your SERP ranking will improve potential clients’ perception of your business and build your brand reputation. Think about it – in a way, when you invest in SEO, you’re investing in a PR strategy too. Now that’s what we call a smart investment!
SEO and content marketing strategies go hand-in-hand
You might already be using content marketing as part of your digital strategy (if not, check out our article on the topic). Content marketing helps build your brand’s unique identity and voice. As a wise man once said, content is king. But content marketing is nothing without the right SEO. Maybe you’re pouring blood, sweat, and tears into writing engaging blog content, but you’re just not seeing any returns or increased traffic. Investing in SEO will help your business define and target your content so that it reaches and influences the right audience, ultimately helping you improve your relationship with your customer base and create long-lasting relationships. This brings us to our final point…
SEO creates a lasting impact
PPC is a short-term fix for a long-term goal. If you want to continue to accumulate a loyal customer base over time, SEO is the way to go. Building credibility with search engines will deliver ongoing, long-term, organic results – for free. BrightEdge found that over 40% of revenue is captured by this organic traffic. This means that SEO also offers a great return on your initial investment.
Conclusion
Your company needs search engine optimization, and when you’re building your company’s digital marketing plan, make sure you include SEO strategy in the mix. Ready to get started? Give us a call! We’re a creative digital marketing agency in Brantford, Ontario, and we’re here to help you grow your business.