There is one vital opportunity that stands equal for both a large, established business and a tiny, sprouting start-up, and that is Search Engine Optimization, or SEO.
It is an organic method that can help you establish an online presence.
It is an ever-changing way and takes a lot of time and effort, but being so dynamic, why is SEO an integral part of any business’s growth?
In this article, we look at what SEO is and why it is so relevant and important for any business.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” and it refers to a set of approaches for optimizing the look and placement of web pages in organic search results. Because organic search is the most popular way for people to locate and access online content, having a solid SEO strategy in place is essential for boosting the quality and number of visits to your site. The main difference between SEO and paid advertising is that SEO involves “organic” ranking, which means you aren’t paying to be seen in that location. To put it another way, SEO is the process of optimising a piece of online content such that it appears towards the top of a search engine’s results page when a person searches for something.
Why is SEO important and how can we use it for growth?
1. Cost-effective
Compared to other forms of advertising like social media marketing and PPC advertising, SEO is the most cost-efficient method. Although every method has its own advantages, like social media marketing, which brings in reputation, whereas PPC brings in revenue, SEO helps in keeping your site on top and is the best technique for the long run. The investment in it is minimal, i.e., paying for SEO tools and for freelancers or agencies, but the return is gigantic!
2. One step ahead of the competition
Because SEO is still rising as an efficient technique for organic growth, not every business out there is well versed in it. It is highly effective and it is not going anywhere. Having an ample amount of knowledge about how to use it for your business to increase its growth and visibility can keep you one step ahead of your competitors. If you want your business to thrive, then you need to take that extra step and try to be on top of the search results page.
Globalization has surely brought in cut-throat competition, and being ahead of the pack is the only way to survive. SEO is one of the few ways you can use to grow without paying a penny and strive to stay at the top.
3. Increases credibility
Paid pop-up ads are a new and easy trend that every other company is religiously following. It has grown so much so that people are now using different ad-block extensions to keep the pop-up ads in check. But if you are using SEO, then it won’t affect you as it works in the background and you have no business giving your customers fatigue. So, other than being cheap, it is also “ad-block proof.” At the end of the day, it simply increases your credibility as your site will be visible to people, thus giving them a sense of relief. The better the position of your site in the search results, the better your reputation will be.
4. Reaching out to the right customer base
Unlike most of the tools used for advertising, like television, Instagram and Facebook ads, and billboards, which are not entirely precise in pursuing the customer and bringing them to your site, a digital tool like SEO is a way that, if used correctly, can bring customers to your site and increase engagement and maybe sales without even reaching out to them. It allows you to target a very specific batch of customers by optimising your website. You can optimise your website to appear in very specific locations and search queries.
5. Improves ranking
The sole purpose of SEO is to improve your website’s search ranking because 75% of people never scroll past the first page. According to studies, 40% of the clicks go to the first 3 ranking results. If your site even manages to be in the top 40, i.e., in the 4th list, then you are as good as invisible. Therefore, the sooner a business pays heed to SEO, the sooner and better it will fetch in the long run.
6. A long-term plan
SEO is a slow and steady process. Unlike paid advertisements and social media marketing, SEO doesn’t provide quick results. According to research, it takes between five and twelve months to see significant results. This is especially true if your business is new.
But the brighter side of this is that SEO increases your visibility in the long run as your business remains consistently visible while your site goes up the ranks. In short, unlike paid advertisements, which are short-lived and expensive, SEOs have a fuller and more fruitful future.
7. The market share of search engines
People are becoming more trusting of online purchases, whether for groceries or electronics.80-90% of people now first check online reviews before making a purchase. These numbers are only expected to increase. You can easily appear in people’s search results if you use organic SEO correctly in such a rich environment. After all, who doesn’t want to be the first choice of customers?
Did you get an overall idea about how SEO works and can you implement them into your business for better organic growth? Or do you think it is a bit of hassle for you to do on your own? No worries, leave it to us and we can help you!