In the United States alone, over 12 billion internet searches are made by computer users every single month. Whether the goal is to buy online or to look up a local business’s phone number, about half of us choose to forego phone books in favor of a simple internet search. With about one in five local internet searches culminating in a sale within 24 hours, many businesses are hoping to capitalize on customers’ willingness to buy products and services online.
Search engine optimization, often referred to as SEO, has a much higher close rate on viable leads (14%) than traditional marketing leads that are generated by print advertising (less than 2%), experts say. Companies that are advertising and selling online tie their advertising campaigns directly to their websites and create advertisements with certain keywords that relate to their businesses.
SEO companies may be able to help companies that are seeking professional SEO services to optimize their webpages and to craft effective advertising campaigns. Raising a company’s ranking on internet search result pages is usually the stated goal of companies that want to advertise online; however, some companies want their advertisements to be seen by as many people as possible in order to build brand awareness among customers.
Businesses that contract with an SEO company for services should discuss the goals of their advertising campaign, any budget limitations, and their eventual goals. The stated goal might be to increase the rate of customer conversions — the percentage of shoppers who wind up buying a product — but the first step might be to create a brand awareness campaign to introduce customers to a business that they might not have come across in their searches.
The SEO services list may include advertising, keyword generation, and even website design. An SEO company should be aware of “best practices” when it comes to online advertising and should be able to help businesses craft long-term, viable plans for raising their online profits.