Listen to Audio |
More than 90% of searches for products and services happen on search engines and if a brand or a business is unable to feature on their top page lists; there is a seldom chance for them to make it big in the digital world.
This is also one of the major reasons behind all frontline digital business companies like Amazon, Make My Trip, PayTm, etc. have employed complete teams for the task and do not shy away from spending a bomb in terms of user acquisition costs that includes effective SEO services. But, if you are a small business or a new startup building a small business app, spending a lot of funds on user acquisition might just not be very feasible.
Instead, spending on SEO or search engine optimization regularly will ensure your page traffic grows organically, and you climb the Google pages for your industry-related keywords. Your tentative clients will then be able to come looking for you, rather than you targeting them through continuous paid advertising.
What is SEO? What does it include?
SEO is search engine optimization or inclusion of factors within a website page that enables it to be swiftly found and enumerated by ‘Google’ and other search engine bots. Higher the business listing on their result pages, the better it is for sales and page traffic.
Various factors affect these rankings, including:
- The inclusion of well-researched keywords, especially targeting searches related to your brand name and business is key for any digital setup. Since most of the common keywords are expensive in terms of brands vying for them (pay-per-click), small businesses should especially be targeting larger keywords (4 to 5 words long) to achieve a better ranking at lower costs.
- Impressive content is the foundation of developing user interest in your website and its listings. Thus, it is more than pertinent that your website interestingly provides all the requisite information, and does not anyhow bore the reader. Also, the content herein includes not just text, but images, gifs, blogs, infographics, white papers, ebooks, and videos as well. The more the merrier!
- The majority of offline SEO occurs through effective backlinks, wherein other websites and digital platforms provide links to your content, enabling the search engines to rank you higher in terms of content, and thus, search.
- Local SEO is also an important factor that can lead to higher sales for small businesses, as most people now search for all physical stores as well as their products and services online, before even going to the store.
- Digital Marketing ensures all the relevant information about your brands and services gets highlighted to your intended customers, time and again.
An effective SEO strategy includes all the above-stated points in varied ratios (as per business requirements and funds).
Why is SEO so important for all businesses?
Search Engines are the #1 way in which millennials and that includes your intended customers; find their required products, services, and brands these days. Even their mindsets are influenced by the manner you are positioned and reviewed by other customers.
We all know that viewers hardly have the time or patience to search through pages and look out for your brand on search engine result pages. So, it is important that even if you are a small business, you should rank as high as possible on them.
Let us analyze these benefits in detail:
A better User Experience
SEO inclusions shall help you create a website that is faster and much more efficient in its working. Search Engine Optimization includes several aspects of a website, which when improved leads to a better and faster website experience for the user. For instance: the inclusion of a sitemap (.xml file) on a website, makes it much more navigation friendly. Also, impressive content and videos ensure that users stay engrossed with the brand for a longer period.
Lowering of User Acquisition Costs
As per global reports, attractive websites double the chances of users visiting a page and making a purchase with a particular brand. As website development costs and website maintenance costs are not too high these days, SEO ensures that your overall user acquisition costs go down significantly. Once done, it can enable users to find you easily, whether in a brick-and-mortar store or through your online site and app.
Opening Up of Newer Markets
A physical shop in a town can only cater to customers from a certain locality, town, or city. But, a good-looking website can attract a global viewership. Moreover, payment gateway inclusions can enable it to become a global store where your business’s on-demand products and services can be sold easily and efficiently, without any additional cost of maintenance and sales staff to be paid.
Developing a Brand Name
The first step nowadays for customers to look for a brand includes searching for its website and going through its content. Effective SEO services ensure your website not only looks great but also feels wonderful while navigating. Moreover, effective blogs and posts on social media handle to ensure your brand comes up in various conversations online; making its presence felt and noted by one and all.
Better User Targeting
The inclusion of effective search engine optimization strategies ensures that you have the requisite targeted keywords in your website content to ensure that more of your targeted audience effectively looks out for your online presence options including your website, mobile app, etc. SEO is required to reach the people you intend to reach. Let’s take an example of top money making apps, apps such as these are going to be helpful for users involved in financial activities.
Cutting Competition
If your website is the foundation of your online presence and brand identity in the digital world, it needs to be made effective enough. With mostly all businesses (however big or small) now vying for user attention in the online space; this is an edge you just cannot afford to miss. The inclusion of effective SEO ensures you stay ahead and higher in the ranking than your competitors in search engine pages.
SEO ensures long-lasting Results
Search Engine Optimization is not a one-time task. Rather, it required continuous work, growth, and evolution in terms of strategies and their effective employment. However, the good part is that since it enables organic growth and organic increase in page traffic; its results and benefits can be harvested by businesses for a long time as well. SEO should thus, feature as a necessity amongst your website development and updating plans.
Author Bio: Jason Camaya loves carrying his camera wherever he goes. When he doesn’t click pictures, Jason loves to write, play video games, and procrastinate. He has been writing for the technology vertical for quite some time now, and as talented as he gets, he is giving tough competition to his fellow writers. He has been featured in many websites and blogs.
