So you think your business is doing just fine without SEO – short for search engine optimization?
Perhaps it’s time to rethink your company’s marketing strategy and, in particular, the online component of that strategy.
Although your business may very well be prospering without it, strategic use of SEO could help you to reach customers that you may be missing altogether now.
And if you’ve already made a commitment to SEO, you may need to consider ways in which you can fine-tune your SEO program to yield even more impressive results.
Internet Key to Marketing Success
It’s impossible to overstate the important role that online searches play in helping consumers make up their mind about the products and services they’re going to buy.
A survey conducted jointly by comScore and Group M Search revealed that 86 percent of the consumers interviewed said that Internet searches played a key role in their buying decisions.
Of all those relying on Internet research, nearly 58 percent turned first to one of the major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo or Bing, according to INC. Twenty-four percent went directly to company websites, while the remaining 18 percent began their searches at one of the popular social media sites.
Why Go for SEO?
To better understand the value of SEO, think for a moment about your own use of the Internet.
When you search for the information you need to run your business and your life, the websites that come in at the top of your search results are those you’re most likely to visit. Unless you’re searching for some relatively obscure fact or figure, you’ll probably never even get to the fourth or fifth screen of search results. You can safely assume that most Internet users, like you, go for the websites most prominently featured in search results.
SEO can help you customize your site’s content in such a way that search engines are most likely to showcase your website among their top results for all relevant searches.
Increase Your Online Profile
Hold on, you argue. You’ve already made a significant investment in setting up a website to represent your business online.
Well, if you want to protect that investment and ensure that it produces the maximum benefit for your company, you’ve got to do whatever it takes to drive potential buyers to your site. And a well-optimized website can attract the increased traffic you need to help grow your business.
Attract the Right Customers
No matter what product or service your business sells, it’s important to target the consumers that are the most likely customers for what you’re selling.
A sophisticated SEO program can optimize your website so that online searches pertinent to your specific product lines put your business’s name near the top of the results list. SEO allows you to tailor your content and other online resources to attract -- and appeal to -- the customer base you’re targeting.
Fine-Tune SEO to Attract More Business
Even if you’ve already adopted an SEO strategy, it’s important to revisit it from time to time to see if it’s producing the best results possible. Like everything else, your products, services and online marketing message may subtly change over time. It’s important that such changes be reflected in your website and, through SEO, to consumers who are most interested in your business. Consider calling in an SEO specialist to evaluate your existing program and give you suggestions for changes that will make it even more effective.
A Competitive Necessity
In today’s highly competitive marketing environment, increasingly driven by online strategies, SEO is not so much an option as a competitive necessity. Trying to do without it or skimping on your investment in it can be a risky proposition.
Rest assured that your competitors are probably well aware of SEO’s benefits and trying their best to make it work for them as well.