What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it encompasses several processes to ensure that your site appears on the top spot of search engine results. It means that the algorithms of various search engines will be able to pick up your site when users utilize a particular keyword. As a result, your website becomes more discoverable to online users, even with highly competitive keywords. However, you need to develop a solid SEO strategy to achieve this. Some of the best Sacramento SEO experts suggest that you need to make some changes to your site if necessary, to make it more attractive to the algorithm of search engines – and this is the base of it all. You will be able to do this more seamlessly with the help of SEO experts who will assist you in developing your content and fixing any technical errors that you may encounter. They are also well-adept in the new trends that search engine algorithms employ as these tend to get updated from time to time.
Benefits of SEO
SEO will ensure that you rank high on search engine results. But why is a top spot in these results so important? Well, there are several reasons why and below are some of the SEO benefits that you, as a business owner or marketer, need to know.
1. More Traffic
One of the primary reasons why the ranking of your website is important is because a higher spot on search engine results can lead you to acquire more organic traffic to your site. Some surveys show that almost 90% of visitor clicks are received by the sites that land on the top spots of search engine results. It means is that the rest of the websites that land on the second and consecutive pages only get to have a 10% chance of being clicked or opened by users.
2. Increased Chance of Traffic Conversion
Aside from generating more organic traffic to your site, one of the important benefits of SEO that you should not overlook as a marketer is the high probability that your site’s visitors will be converted into paying customers. It can be attributed to the fact that they intend to acquire the product or service that you are offering because they searched for something similar in your field. In this case, you also have a greater chance of getting a fair share of the market and earning a positive revenue.
3. Larger Business Exposure
On the first page, the first site that appears on the search results tend to get almost half of the click-through traffic. It means that the rest of the sites on the first-page share 45%, which is the rest of the click-through rate that is left. Now, if you have a business that is run through an online platform, being on the second or consecutive pages already means a lost opportunity. On the other hand, while you may land on the first page, you will find that the first spot still gets a bigger exposure or more traffic.
4. Expanded Business Opportunities
Getting the first spot in the search results can translate to expanded opportunities for your business. But keep in mind that landing the top spot is only the first thing you need to accomplish. An even more challenging feat is maintaining to be on the top spot once you have reached it.
5. Improved Branding
Another SEO benefit that you should be aware of is that it paves the way for improved branding. When your website appears in the first position, the users are given a certain impression of authenticity. Perhaps, the reason behind this is that most website visitors tend to believe that the first site presented to them is credible. It follows that a better ranking can also create an improved business image in the eyes of your target market. It is one of the psychological effects that you need to take advantage of.
6. Reduced Marketing Cost
A higher ranking in search engine results can lead to reduced marketing costs. It is because you no longer need to allocate funds for paid advertising since most of your clicks already come from organic traffic.
7. Optimized Website
With SEO, you need to concentrate your efforts and allot your resources in optimizing your page. You may not instantly realize the benefits of an optimized website on the upfront, but in the long run, your efforts will be worth it.
8. Competitive Edge
Being on the top spot of the search engine results will give you a competitive edge, regardless of whether your competitors are big or small. The reason behind this is that most online users still prefer to click on the links suggested by the search engine results, rather than clicking on paid advertisements. As a result, when you exhaust your efforts in making sure that your site is in the first search result position, then you will most likely be ten times better than your competitors.
9. Adds Substance to your Ads
Large companies and businesses can invest in paid advertisements to acquire more visibility. However, users will still tend to put their trust in the sites that occupy the top position in the search results. In this case, your website becomes more informative with the help of an SEO strategy.
10. Long-term Marketing Strategy
Part of your SEO efforts should be to keep your position as soon as you reach the top position. In this case, your marketing efforts can be considered as a long-term marketing strategy that is worth every penny of your investment. It means that even if you are not actively advertising, your SEO technique continues to keep working, benefiting you well into the future.
11. Upgraded Digital Marketing Method
As a marketer, you should have the flexibility to adapt to modern marketing trends, particularly those that leverage technological innovations such as SEO. In this case, when you implement SEO in your marketing campaign, you are adapting to the trend that is most likely what will bring in the revenue to your business. It is because you will be able to reach a wider range of your target audience.
12. Inclusive Marketing Funnel
The proper SEO strategy will ensure that you don’t lose customers at any stage of your buying funnel. In this way, you are sure to captivate the attention of new potential customers and keep your existing clientele. You can achieve this by regularly posting high-quality and informative content that should be a part of your SEO efforts.
13. Measurable Metrics
Another benefit that you get from SEO as a marketer is that you will be able to analyze your marketing campaign through measurable metrics. In this way, you will have a good idea which aspect of your campaign needs your attention for further improvement. In parallel, a metric analysis will also give you a good insight on which of your efforts are working and needs to be maintained. Some of the metrics that you can look into include how many clicks your website is getting and how long your visitors tend to stay on your website. You will also be able to know whether your clicks are leading to purchases or your call to action. The great part is that you will also be aware of how well your website is doing compared to your competitors in the field.
14. Better ROI
An effective SEO technique will lead to a better Return on Investment (ROI) because of the greater chance that your site’s visitors will be converted to purchasing customers. Aside from this, if you land on the top spot of search engine results, your site tends to be more discoverable to those who are actively looking to acquire your products or services. In this case, your target market is coming to you, rather than the other way around.
15. In-depth Customer Understanding
When you implement an SEO strategy, the first thing that you should do is get to know your customers. This entails the need for you to put yourself into their shoes to understand how they perform a search. Not only this, but this also requires you to go deeper to understand their purpose in searching. For instance, if you are selling back pain products, then you need to have a good idea of whether a person would search for your product because they want to manage their pain, or whether they want to prevent back pain in the first place. Thus, with an SEO effort, you tend to have an in-depth customer understanding.
16. Enhanced Social Media Presence
The best SEO strategy works in conjunction with other marketing techniques, such as social media advertising campaigns. In this case, take the extra effort to get to know which social media platform is being used the most by your target customers and make sure to build a reputable profile on that platform. It means that you should make exceptional quality posts in each of your social media accounts so that your potential customers can learn more about your products and services. As a result, you will have an enhanced social media presence for your brand.
17. Greater Chance for Referrals
Indeed, people are now more reliant on the internet when it comes to making purchasing decisions. But alongside this, they also rely on what other people recommend to them. In this case, with an SEO technique that ensures that your content is easily shareable, then there is an excellent chance that people who find your brand credible will share it with their network. It effortlessly earns you a greater chance of paying customers through referrals.
18. Wider Content Ideas
When you are implementing SEO, then for sure, you are always searching for the appropriate content to post to keep your website regularly updated. It means that you exhaust your efforts to research what can pique the interest of your target audience. As a result, you tend to get a wider range of content ideas that you garner through your research.
19. Support to your Physical Presence
SEO doesn’t only help you establish a strong online presence, but it can also support your physical store, particularly if you are also running a brick and mortar shop. Local SEO, in particular, will help your physical shop earn foot traffic as your online shop earns organic traffic. It is because, with a successful local SEO technique, your site will most likely come up when people search for stores offering your products and services near them.
20. Business Longevity
Last, but perhaps the most important of all, your SEO efforts can pave the way for your business longevity. This is because as more and more people discover your brand, your business will most likely grow and scale. This means that you need to explore in adding more products and services to cater to their demands, which in the end can generate a greater profit, enabling your business to withstand the test of time.
Landing on the top spot of the search results when people try to find any information or product in your niche is very important if you are looking into establishing your online presence. This is because there is a greater chance for you to reach your target audience when you are more visible whenever they enter the keywords that can lead them to your page. In this case, make sure to exert the extra effort to optimize your page for it to appear higher in the search result rankings.
