If you’re at all involved in marketing, or spend any amount of time online, you probably know a bit about SEO. SEO helps you rank higher on search engines. That in and of itself is a pretty big benefit, but how can that actually help your business? Here are just a few reasons SEO matters.
People don’t search beyond the first page
When people utilize search engines, they don’t like to scroll through pages and pages of results to find what they’re looking for. Most of the time, people do not click past the first page of results. To be seen by the online audience, your company needs to be on the first page of results. Even if there are major competitors in your field that you are unlikely to ever be able to eclipse for the top spots, there is so much value in at least being on that first page.
Brand awareness
It makes sense that if your SEO game is strong, you’re ranking high on search engines, more people are clicking on your link and ending up on your website. That’s a pretty obvious benefit of investing in SEO. However, even if you’re not getting a ton of clicks, it is still adding value to your company to rank highly on search engines. Just having your name appear in front of more people’s eyes near the top of search results helps build awareness for your brand. Maybe there are viewers who are not interested in your offerings in the moment, but when they need your product or service down the line, they remember your brand name and seek you out. Investing in SEO will almost certainly help build your brand, regardless of how many conversions it is bringing in for you.
Keep up with your competitors
Your SEO prowess can set you apart, but a lack thereof can also hold you back. You may think it is not worth investing, and prefer to devote your budget and resources elsewhere. However, if your competitors are focused on boosting SEO and you are not, you will quickly fall behind, and rank far beneath your competition. Not only will people be less likely to find your site then, but it will also cause you to lose authority and make people question your business. If it is not coming up on par with the competition in search results, people may wonder why and assume there is something wrong.
Sales, sales, sales
Finally, the ultimate goal of pretty much any form of marketing is of course sales! Strong SEO can do all of the above: It can increase your brand awareness and prove to consumers that you are a strong competitor in your field. More directly though, it can also increase sales for your business. The more people who are seeing your site in searches, the more people will click, and the more people who will ultimately buy. SEO helps sales in the short term, and also in the longer run. If someone visits your site, you can then retarget advertisements to them on various platforms. With effective ads, you can up your sales substantially, and many of those viewers will have originally been brought in thanks to your investment in SEO. Thus, for a variety of reasons, it really is worthwhile for your business to invest in SEO. You don’t want to have devoted time, resources, and money into a stellar website that nobody is going to see. Increase website visits, brand awareness, and ultimately sales, all with SEO.
