Raul Harman, Negosentro.com | SEO has become an indispensable digital marketing strategy, and according to a survey, 66% of marketers who use it say that it’s very effective, while only 7% report that it’s not very effective. Even if we approach it from another perspective, that of Google users who try to find information on the internet, the fact that 60% of them click only on one of the top three results speaks volumes about the importance of search engine optimization.
To put it in layman’s terms, if your website isn’t properly optimized, its chances of being found through Google search are similar to those of finding a needle in a haystack. Here’s a list of reasons why SEO is the only strategy your business can’t go without.
It can catapult your rankings
There’s no need to explain why putting your website on the Google’s first page is crucial for your business. The top and second spot get 33% and 18% of the traffic respectively, while lower positions have to share the remaining 49%. The math is clear. If you want to drive traffic to your website, you need to boost its exposure, and SEO is a surefire way to do that.
It can’t be denied that killer content is of vital importance for attracting your target audience, but it won’t do much without proper optimization. No matter how relevant, useful, and interesting your blog posts are, they still need help in order to be seen and read. We can only imagine how many exceptional pieces of content are buried in Google’s search results because they’re not optimized.
Consumers research products online before making a purchase
A recent survey conducted by Nielsen has shown that between 38% and 63% of people look up product information online. This means that your potential customers might be doing the research even as we speak, and if your website isn’t optimized, they won’t be able to find your products and take them into consideration. Many business owners believe that having a website is a sufficient promotional effort, and they usually avoid SEO because it’s too expensive.
Mobile searches dominate
According to Cisco, global mobile data traffic grew 63% in 2016, while it will increase sevenfold between 2016 and 2021. This is a strong indicator that mobile searches will overtake those on the desktop. If you want to stay relevant, your website has to be mobile-friendly. This is especially important for local searches, as people usually turn to their mobile devices when they have to quickly find something, such as a car shop in the nearby area or a good restaurant in a town they’re visiting.
Google says that 50% of consumers who conducted a local search on their mobile device visited a store within a day, compared to 34% of those who performed a search on their computer. If your business is on a shoestring budget, instead of building a mobile responsive site, it’s much more affordable and equally effective to opt for mobile responsive design. However, if you are still into desktop friendly business, start executing wisely with finding cheap domains online.
You can gain a competitive advantage
You can be absolutely sure that your competitors are doing SEO, and even if you’re satisfied with the traffic your website gets at the moment, that won’t last long if you don’t move forward and introduce any changes and improvements. A well-optimized website that has high rankings is a hint to your potential customers that you’re a leader in your industry, which automatically puts you in front of your competitors and gives you credibility.
SEO tools can be even used for spying on your competitors and unearthing some valuable information about their traffic, backlinks, search rankings, or keywords. This sneaky strategy can help you improve your SEO efforts and outperform them.
SEO is the X-factor that can make all the difference by increasing your website traffic and enhancing your business exposure.
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Raul Harman’s is an IT consultant and a writer who has a lot of experience about innovations in all aspects of digital technology and online marketing. IoT and the world of mobile devices have been his focus in the previous years. Raul is a passionate runner and adventure seeker. Every spare moment he loves to spend in nature. He is a regular contributor on Technivorz blog.
