Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a hot topic today for business owners. Getting clear on why it is important, what are the benefits versus cost, and identifying best practices is essential before embarking on an SEO journey.
Defining SEO
SEO is a series of practices which helps identify website keywords and how to organize copy so a business can rank higher with search engines. It also provides guideposts on what people are searching for so businesses can produce high-value content. Our advice is to use SEO to curate messages that are most valuable to reach target clients.
Why businesses need SEO
Increase rankings in search engines. The #1 spot on a Google search gets nearly 32% of clicks.(1) Research indicates a businesses’ traffic can increase if it appears on the first search engine results page.
Obtaining expert status. Obtaining external links from credible and highly-trafficked sources, a company can increase its Page Authority (PA) ranking, meaning its site provides high-quality, relevant information.
Can locals find you? Tailoring SEO to focus on location is important, particularly for small businesses. Often searches happen on mobile devices and are local queries. A business in (insert your city) should claim directory listings, create location-specific pages, and doorway pages on Google My Business(1).
Enhance the user experience. Google interprets a good or bad user experience and through its Google’s Page Experience Update a business owner can greatly enhance the user experience. (2)
SEO is a long-term PR strategy. Be sure to ask for website links in any media coverage, include links in press releases, and optimize images with alt tags and file names with relevant keywords and/or brand names.
SEO is for the long-haul, it's here to stay, and will continue to be worth the effort.
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