The social distancing guidelines that came due to the COVID-19 pandemic put many businesses in a precarious position. Even before the pandemic, experts advised businesses that putting their business online was essential in staying competitive. In 2019, 1.92 billion people purchased goods online, and global e-retail sales were projected to reach over $4.8 trillion by 2021. However, many business owners ignored the predictions and warnings, insisting that businesses could flourish even without an online presence. However, when physical stores had to close and people had to stay indoors, those too stubborn to accept the looming reality suddenly got a harsh wake-up call.
Now, most retailers had no choice but to migrate online to keep their business afloat. However, if you think a website or a social media page is enough to gain a steady stream of customers, think again. All your competitors have a website and a social media following. Additionally, shopping online means fewer barriers and more options for consumers. Your competition isn’t just the businesses in your city, but the businesses all over the world who offer the same product as you. How do you guarantee that you’ll come out on top?
A leading Sydney SEO company tells us that search engine optimization (SEO) is one way you can grow organic traffic to your website and gain brand awareness at the same time.
The importance of investing on SEO for businesses
Many businesses acknowledge the importance of SEO. Some of them even hire the best Tulsa City SEO companies to develop SEO strategies. They’re willing to put money into SEO, and it shows just how much it can positively impact a business. But how exactly does it do that?
If you’ve done even the slightest research on digital marketing, you may have heard of SEO. Simply put, it’s when a business uses several techniques to push their website higher up the search results ranking for certain keywords. How does this help your business? Search engine data reveals that the top 5 websites on a search engine results page get over 70% of user traffic, leaving the lower-ranked websites to fight over the remaining 30%. Site traffic is important because the more people that enter your site, the more chances you have to make a sale. While you can count on your social media pages to get you a few website clicks, SEO generates 1,000%+ more traffic than social media, so you should invest in SEO.
Additionally, improving your search engine results rank contributes to your overall brand awareness. 37% of people learn about new brands from using a search engine. That’s higher than print ads and TV commercials. This means that you should be prioritizing SEO over other forms of advertising since this is where most people are today. Furthermore, people carry the assumption that higher-ranked websites are superior. Thus, by improving your search engine results rank, potential customers are more likely to perceive your brand as more reputable and professional.
How do I get started on SEO?
Most businesses already know the benefits of SEO, but many aren’t adopting it into their marketing strategy because it is perceived as a complex, multi-layered strategy. To an extent, this is true. SEO is a long-term commitment, requiring a full-time team with significant expertise in the evolution of search engine algorithms and user search behaviors. Thanks to machine learning, voice search, and other technological developments for search engines, techniques that worked a few months ago may no longer be effective now. If you want to do SEO effectively, you constantly need to monitor the landscape and adjust your strategy. SEO isn’t something you make once and leave to run indefinitely.
Thus, to get started on SEO, your ideal choice would be to work with the best Tulsa City SEO companies to develop a strategy for your business. Remember that marketing strategies that work for a clothing retail business won’t work for a lawn maintenance service, so you have to tailor the strategy into one that fits you and your unique consumer base.
Another option would be to build an in-house SEO team. This requires a level of SEO knowledge on your part to ensure that the people you hire are perfect for the position. Know that there are SEO experts out there who use unscrupulous techniques known as “black hat” SEO to guarantee fast results for their employers. These techniques may give you visible search engine rank improvement, but they are against search engine guidelines, and if they discover that your site is using these techniques, they will demote or ban your website from their platform. If you’re an online store relying heavily on website traffic for revenue, having your website removed from a search engine will be devastating for your business. Screen your prospective employees and ask them the extent of their SEO experience. Be aware of what techniques count as black hat SEO and flag anyone who claims to have used any of these techniques.
The cost of SEO
Generally, conducting SEO means you have to do the following:
- Website optimization
- Keyword research
- Metrics monitoring
- Content creation
- Link building
There are other techniques, but these are the most common ones. Expect to pay for professional web design and content production services. A stylish, functional, and convenient website is key to coaxing site visitors to purchase your goods online. Well-produced content, on the other hand, is what encourages them to keep coming back. Statistics show that 82% of companies who blog daily acquire new customers through their blog. If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for all these services, the best Tulsa City SEO companies have all the in-house talent and tools to cover all your SEO needs.
Overall, SEO isn’t as costly as other marketing strategies like paid advertisements. The drawback is it generally takes months to a year to expect tangible results for your business. However, don’t let this turn you away from SEO. An effective digital marketing strategy harmoniously combines different techniques to ensure maximum impact for the business. The long-term benefits of SEO are undeniable, so consider adding it to your repertoire.
Source of statistics: https://ahrefs.com/blog/seo-statistics/
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