Why You Need SEO

By Megan Pritts

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the most natural way for a website to get to the top of search engine results. For example, if you are a plumber in Santa Monica, California, and I am reviewing the results on my chosen search engine for a plumber in that location, I would hope that your website would appear in the first few pages. If not, you need the help of a company that specializes in SEO. Carefully consider the following:

1) SEO is an investment.

Imagine what would happen to your numbers if your website showed up on the first page of the search results. Your business would grow pretty fast. Think about it; when you search for something, how far do you search? Maybe the first three pages, if that? If your website isn’t appearing in search results, the likelihood of anyone finding your company is slim. If you can raise your ranking to the first three links, which is where most clicks happen, you can provide a huge return on your SEO investment.

2) SEO increases your impact.

I bet you have had marketing brochures and flyers designed and printed to help promote your business. All of that promotional material was carefully reviewed before it went out to hundreds or thousands of prospects, too.

Did you get anyone to review your website content for optimization? Your website is your star employee. It works 24/7 to answer questions, provides samples of your work to prospective clients, and allows anyone to find out how to get in contact with you. I would want that employee front and center. What is your website doing for you if no one can find it?

3) SEO builds trust.

One of the reasons that certain websites are at the top of their search results is because people know the brand and trust the name. The majority of searchers will click a link to a trusted company before finding a company two pages later that they have never heard of. If your website falls into position above one of those trusted names, the searcher will click on your link. The mindset is, I’ve never heard of this company, but they must be better than XYZ Company because they are above them in the search results.

Getting prospects to your site is only half of the battle. Once they land on your homepage, you need to provide them with a solution. This is where content changes come in. You have to break it down for them so that they understand who you are, what you do, and how you do it. When you accomplish this, you will gain more trust and credibility. SEO can help you establish this trust.

4) SEO is measurable.

All aspects of SEO can be measured, reviewed, and corrected. Your SEO professional can give you reports to show you how their SEO work is improving your business. This is not something you have to trust. You can see it. For example, I can show you which words people are searching to find your site and how those keywords are improving, how they found your site, how long they stayed, how much better your competitor’s website is and why, how many of your links are dead links, etc.

5) SEO is cost-effective.

SEO is one of the most cost-effective methods of online promotion, and provides a high ROI (Return On Investment). SEO has the potential to target hundreds or thousands of potential clients to your website, and increase your numbers and ratings.

SEO has a long-term effect. The impact continues far beyond the primary campaign for months or even years. Eventually, search engines’ algorithms change, but your SEO professional will know when that happens and how to update your site quickly, preventing your ratings from dropping.

Overall, SEO is the perfect online marketing tool. It naturally brings targeted prospects to your site, allowing your business to grow. Different SEO strategies work better for different companies, so contact a company specializing in SEO and talk about setting up a campaign. You could be way ahead of your competition with a little help.