As organizations switch to digital platforms, search engine optimization has become essential for online business survival today. Smart Insight’s statistics show that over 80% of consumers search online for services/products. Google alone – being the largest search engine out there – processes more than 3.5 billion searches for customers daily. That’s why your business requires digital visibility. If consumers can’t find your business on the internet, it’ll remain invisible to targeted audiences.
Unfortunately, 91% of pages receive no organic traffic from Google since they don’t have enough backlinks. So, how can you ensure that your website is searchable? We suggest investing in SEO – more than your competitors – to flourish digitally.
Eight reasons why your business needs SEO
Why don’t small-sized businesses understand the importance of SEO? They assume that Google naturally discovers their website and connects them with potential consumers. Unless your webpage appears among top-ranking SERPs, your targeted audiences won’t even know you exist. Moreover, 9 out of 10 users will never visit Google’s 2nd page. You can realize how investing in SEO makes you a part of people’s online experiences. Also, 70-80 percent of consumers neglect advertisements – therefore – SEO ascertains that your organic following continues to develop. That’s why we believe that search engine optimization has become imperative for business success and survival. However, there are other compelling reasons too.
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Digital Recognition
In 1996, Bill Gates described “content” as the emperor of the digital world. Therefore, SEO enables websites to produce optimized content that educates people and convinces them to buy your stuff. A cleverly-designed website requires interactive content and high-quality backlinks. However, some business owners often question: “Is link building worth it in today’s world?” Well, high-quality links allow search engines to discover your website and determine its ranking. That’s how your site gains digital recognition. You can contact professionals to produce quality content for your website while creating reliable hyperlinks to support this content. All these efforts give your site enough visibility.
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Visibility
Enhanced visibility makes your brand more recognizable, thereby creating a faithful following of your website. Many well-known websites on Google have established themselves as authorities only by investing in search engine optimization. When your site appears as the first result on SERPs for targeted keywords, it makes random visitors trust your brand. However, you must stay relevant on search engines to continue attracting digital traffic. That’s why SEO remains a continuous process.
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Traffic
More customers are searching for services/products via their smartphones today. Statistics indicate that 97% of people now have a mobile phone. Hence, SEO serves as a matchmaker between these users and your webpage. It is not about tricking the search engines; instead, you show them how your site is relevant to the searched keywords. That’s how your content appears before visitors who are more likely to conduct business with your company. Thus, SEO connects you with relevant people.
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Insights
Digital marketing has transformed the modern-day marketplace. Today, organizations depend upon analytical decisions and data-driven policymaking. That’s why we recommend investing in SEO and using Google Analytics to discover where your targeted audiences are present. For instance, you may choose to show ads on Twitter before Analytics helps you realize that your audiences don’t even use that platform. These accurate consumer insights enable you to create a strong SEO strategy.
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ROI
Many business owners find solace in generating traffic organically. However, surveys have revealed that organic research produces a better return on investment than paid search. It seems that – even though paid ads aren’t still irrelevant – they are less trusted by potential customers. Instead, organic searches are more reliable. Also, organically generated traffic comes with long-term ROI that does not just fade away after some time. Hence, investing in SEO helps your business maintain its status.
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Cost-effective
Is SEO expensive? It’s cost-effective when compared to traditional marketing methods. For instance, a survey shows that cold-calling strategies cost 61% more than inbound strategies to generate leads. So, it’s relatively inexpensive and promises long-term benefits that outshine your initial investment. Consider it an essential business expenditure that ensures your organization survives in the industry and retains its competitive edge. And it’s equally good for your brand’s reputation as well.
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PR
When your website constantly ranks high on SERPs with high-quality hyperlinks and entertaining content, your brand’s profile starts elevating. That’s why SEO remains a crucial aspect of your entire PR strategy. It ensures that your brand isn’t merely seen but accepted as an authority among your niche. With higher authority comes a more attentive audience. Your message is spread across borders, bringing in repeat customers as well. And that’s how your local brand turns international.
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Evergreen
Will SEO ever become obsolete? Experts believe that search engine optimization will continue to rise in popularity – especially in the post-COVID marketplace. Customers won’t stop demanding digitally available services/products, and brands won’t stop creating meaningful content for their followers. The decline of SEO – if it’s even possible – isn’t imminent. However, the role of SEO might change with time. The advent of IoT and machine learning will heavily impact how SEO works in the future.
Conclusion
Experts have compared SEO with 401K accounts – they require preliminary investments but create long-term benefits for your business. Unfortunately, only a handful of ventures invest in search engine optimization. At the same time, most don’t trust its long-term viability. So, what are these businesses missing? Well, unless your website ranks higher on SERPs, you won’t gain enough visibility to reach your potential customers. The higher rankings your website enjoys on Google, the more credible it becomes. You can beat your competitors by investing more in SEO, thereby getting more backlinks and producing great content. So, SEO has become the backbone of modern-day marketing.