If you run a business with any kind of online presence at all, you’ve probably been told you need to start paying attention to your SEO.
But what is it, really? And, more importantly, why should you care?
The term “SEO” stands for search engine optimization, the process of using a number of different strategies to help your website rank higher in search results.
If you are not using SEO as a part of your marketing strategy, you are missing out! This article will give you an overview of the top 10 benefits search engine optimization can bring to your business.
1) Low-Cost Results
Think about it: organic search listings are essentially free.
When you are listed on top of search results, you don’t need to pay for AdWords or spend your money on thousands of PPC ads across the web. You’re right there in front of the people who matter – your potential customers.
And the best part? SEO is a gift that keeps on giving. Unlike paid advertising, SEO will not stop working for you when your marketing dollars run out.
With a little bit of effort (and a relatively small upfront investment to cover initial SEO costs), you can watch your website get consistent, high-quality traffic without ever having to post another ad again.
2) Definite Increase in Traffic
If you use a reporting tool like Google Analytics (and we hope you do!), you will see a clear-cut, definite increase in traffic soon after you begin optimizing your site for search engines.
The results won’t be immediate, but they will be rather quick. As soon as you begin working on your SEO, you will start seeing a steady increase in traffic. That increase has the potential to go on indefinitely, and produce exponential benefits in terms of conversions and sales.
Get started now, then sit back and watch as more and more people come to your site (and your sales go through the roof)!
3) Increased Brand Credibility (People Trust Google!)
The further back you are in Google’s search result rankings, the more skeptical people will be about you and your services.
But if you can snag the top spot?
Your website becomes THE brand name for your offering. You become the guy that all your competitors want to beat.
If Google has dedicated the top search result spot to your website (with subpages listed, like in the screenshot above), it gives your website the kind of credibility that no ad can top.
Plus, many people use ad block software, which means they may never see that ad you posted at all (even if it is technically located above the first search result).
4) Increased ROI
The ROI (return on investment) SEO brings to the table cannot be matched by any other form of marketing.
For example, if you get 1000 visitors from a paid ad, 2% of them might convert to paying customers. However, if you get them from organic search traffic, the number goes up to 4%.
Why? Because the people who clicked on your website are people who were actually looking for your product or service when Google decided to show them your site.
Ads aren’t always perfectly targeted, and many people misclick them. If you are using PPC ads, this could drive your costs way up, without giving you the ROI you are looking for.
5) Beat Your Competition
Many people are beginning to understand how valuable SEO can be to a business, and are starting to incorporate advanced SEO tactics into their marketing strategies.
If your competition is focusing on SEO, they will soon start appearing in search results before you do. They will get all the traffic and all the sales – not because their product is better, but because people saw them first.
This applies even if your pricing or product is objectively better than theirs. Very few people will comb through pages and pages of search results to find the absolute best option possible, so you better make sure your business is one of the first ones that pop up.
6) Stand Out from the Crowd
And that number is growing every single day. It can be pretty difficult to make a name for yourself online, especially if your field is highly competitive.
SEO can give you the competitive advantage you need by making your brand stand out from the crowd.
First isn’t always better… But when it comes to search engine rankings, being first is what really counts.
7) 60% of Clicks Go to the Top 3 Results
The first result page gets 89% of all clicks. Which means that only 11% of them have the potential to go to the second result… And the numbers get even more bleak the lower you are in Google’s rankings.
SEO isn’t just a good way to get more traffic. It’s a necessity for almost any business.
A small upfront investment in getting your SEO right has the potential to generate millions in sales, but neglecting it is an almost surefire way to guarantee that no one even finds your website.
8) Take Your Business to the Next Level
If you’ve been in business for a while, and are looking to take things to the next level, SEO might be the push your business needs to do just that.
An influx of thousands of new visitors could push you to expand to a larger web server to accommodate the new volume of traffic and sales. If you’re looking to step up your game, SEO is where it’s at!
9) More Data = Better Results
When you start taking SEO seriously, you will get access to customer data you didn’t even know you needed.
You can look at keyword data to see what people are searching for, and discover new products (or new ways to market your existing ones) that you may have overlooked before.
You can also look through your data to find a high volume search keyword that your competition has been ignoring. It’s not easy to do, but if you get lucky, it could get you thousands of new sales per month!
Customer data is extremely valuable to any business, and knowing how to analyze and use it will generate exponential growth benefits for yours.
10) SEO Results are Permanent
Unlike advertising, the effects of search optimization are permanent.
They won’t stop if you stop paying for PPC ads, or if your marketing budget gets a cut next quarter.
You will, of course, need to do a little bit of SEO upkeep to keep that top spot in search engine rankings. But if you managed to get there in the first place, chances are, it’s going to be pretty difficult for anyone to beat you.
Do the work once, and reap the benefits forever. Sounds good?
Final Thoughts
If you’re just dipping your toes into search engine optimization, we recommend you give our ultimate guide to SEO a read.
But if you think your business might be ready for a little investment (and a lot of new customers), we’ve got you covered here at Handmade SEO. Just shoot us a message!
