Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a concept that many business owners are not as familiar with as they need to be. Especially for those who opened shop before the Internet became so powerful, many are overlooking this important part of a digital marking strategy. To learn more about why SEO is so important to the success of any small business, keep reading.
1) Get Found One of the most important reasons to understand the power of SEO is that at its core, SEO is what will allow new (and old) customers to find your business. More than 90% of all internet experiences begin with a visit to a search engine. If your business isn’t being found as a result, you can never hope to gain new customers online. Many businesses think that paying for advertisement on these search engine results is the key, but research actually suggests that a majority of people ignore these paid results. SEO can help you show up where people are actually looking.
2) Keep Up Another important aspect of search engine optimization importance is that it is becoming more and more common-meaning that your competitors may already be beating you to it. No matter how much you invest in website designing, if your competitor is showing up several results before you on a search engine, your customers will never find you to even appreciate your website design. Make sure you don’t get lost in the crowd.
3) Stay Current Another important factor about search engine optimization marketing is how it intersects with the use of mobile phones. When it comes to shopping online, around 80% of people do so from their smartphone. SEO is especially important in this setting because of how people tend to surf online while on their phone. If you aren’t coming up in one of the first results they can see on their small screen, it is likely you will never get connected with this important group of shoppers.
4) Create a Presence It’s also important to think of SEO as a part of an overall internet strategy. No matter the nature of your business, it can benefit from a little professional web design. Professional web design can help make sure that the digital experience of your company matches the look and feel of your brand. It can also make sure that users have a positive experience on your website, both from a computer and their mobile device. This is important because while SEO may help drive customers to you, a positive website experience is what will keep them coming back.
5) Bang for Your Buck There are many things that as a small business owner, you may try to save money on. Making sure that your online presence is in order, however, shouldn’t be one of them. Many times, you will get enormous pay-off for your investment in things like SEO and web design, and you will notice a change in the base and experience of your clientele. Make sure that you don’t skimp on this absolutely essential part of advertising.
