22 Mar Does SEO Matter For Your Business? Here’s What You Need to Know

Posted at 20:33h in Blog by Matt McWilliams

What You Need to Know About SEO for Your Business

SEO – it may seem like that’s all anyone talks about when it comes to the online presence of your business. But few business owners truly understand what SEO is and how it could impact their business!

So, does SEO matter for your business? In short, YES! SEO, or search engine optimization, is the best way to ensure that your business appears in relevant search results. This will increase traffic to your website, and in doing so, improve your bottom line. Local SEO, in particular, is one of the most effective ways to advertise your business to potential customers in your immediate area!

While not many people dispute the importance of SEO for businesses, few understand how to take the next step to implement this effective marketing strategy. In this post, we will provide an in-depth explanation of SEO, along with the different types of strategies. We will also share some impressive statistics on the importance of utilizing local SEO.

What is SEO?

SEO Statistics Before diving into statistics regarding the importance of utilizing SEO to your advantage, we must first establish a baseline knowledge of this marketing strategy. So, what is SEO?

SEO, or search engine optimization, is an effective method of increasing traffic to your website organically. Through the use of proper SEO techniques, the visibility of your website is boosted on popular search engines including Google, Bing, and others. SEO allows you to ensure that your website is in front of prospective customers who are searching for exactly what it is that you offer!

A recent Forbes article emphasizes the importance of SEO, “SEO is a crucial component in creating online visibility. It holds a lot of value when creating online content. When used strategically, SEO can help businesses drive organic traffic, optimize user experience and increase revenue.”

In today’s online environment, search engine optimization must be part of your marketing strategy, regardless of the industry in which you work.

Basic SEO Strategies

Like everything else on the internet, SEO best practices are constantly evolving. However, there are a few basic SEO strategies that are used to improve the visibility of a website.

Some of these basic SEO strategies include the following:

Consistently adding valuable, high-quality content.

Utilizing backlinks properly throughout the pages of your website.

Using specific keywords to optimizing your website content, thus boosting visibility.

Depending on your level of comfort working in an online environment, you may be tempted to implement these basic SEO strategies on your website. However, it is important to work with a team of SEO professionals as search engines are constantly updating their terms of use regarding search engine optimization.

Understanding How SEO Works for Businesses

Local SEO Stats We now know that SEO techniques boost your business’s online visibility. But how exactly does this work? Popular search engines like Google, Bing, and others use a unique algorithm to determine the web pages that rank highest in any given search.

Google, the most popular search engine in North America, updates its unique search algorithm an average of 500 to 600 times each year! As you can imagine, these changes to the algorithm impact the efficacy of any given SEO technique.

While this algorithm is constantly changing, it is based on several key factors including page authority, relevancy, and usefulness. Page authority refers to the accuracy of the content that is found on your website. This includes things such as the value of the information you provide, the number of backlinks found on your site, and the age of the website.

Relevancy is determined by the specific keywords used in any given search that are found on your website. And finally, usefulness refers to how useful the content on your website appears to be. When someone visits your website, do they find information that is easy to read in a user-friendly format?

By prioritizing these factors, among others, through the use of proper SEO techniques, your website will rank higher in the final search results for that given search. Did you know that 75% of people never scroll past the first page on a given search?

For this reason, it is important to work towards having your website appear on the first two pages of search results. While this may take time and effort, an SEO strategy will prove fruitful in the long-run in providing greater traffic to your business’s website.

Organic SEO vs. Local SEO

Of course, not all SEO is created equal. There are two general approaches to SEO strategies- organic SEO and local SEO. So what is the difference between the two approaches? Will one provide better results for your business?

Organic SEO utilizes techniques that are not tied to the immediate result of increased traffic to your physical location or business. The primary goal of organic SEO is to increase traffic to your website through the use of keywords. Organic SEO strategy is most effective for businesses that operate entirely online. In short, the goal of organic SEO is to provide relevant and trusted content for search engines.

Similar in many ways to organic SEO, local SEO focuses on providing relevant and trusted locations for search engines through the use of SEO strategies. Local SEO has a strong geographical component that aims to direct potential customers to your physical location. Local SEO is highly beneficial for businesses that provide a service or sell products from a brick-and-mortar location.

The good news, however, is that you don’t have to pick just one type of SEO on which to focus! A well-rounded SEO strategy will have elements of both organic and local SEO, providing your business with the best of both worlds.

The Importance of Local SEO

The majority of businesses rely on individuals in their immediate community for sales. However, entering the world of online marketing often feels like a complex way of reaching those in your immediate vicinity. This is simply not the case! By implementing local SEO techniques, you can ensure that your business appears in the search results of interested customers in your area.

Local SEO Statistics

As a business owner, you are likely wondering how much of an impact local SEO can have on your business. Here are some fascinating statistics regarding local SEO in 2021:

46% of all searches on Google are seeking local information.
72% of consumers performing a local search visit a store within 5 miles of their location.
78% of local searches result in an offline purchase.
91% of adults use search engines to find information online.

Of course, these are just a few statistics based on research and studies. We have had the privilege of experiencing the impact that a properly-implemented local SEO strategy can have on businesses first hand!

By investing in local SEO, you can not only increase your online visibility but also increase physical traffic to your location. This, of course, should be the goal of every business owner.

Why Should Businesses Invest in SEO?

If you are not yet convinced that SEO is crucial to the success of your business, let us share a few of the reasons we believe it is of great importance.

SEO Provides a Better Experience for Your Customers

In today’s digital world, potential customers will likely generate an opinion of your business based on their visit to your website! A website that is effectively optimized will contain high-quality content and user-friendly navigation. Through these additions to your website, you can create an incredible first impression on potential customers!

SEO Boosts Your Credibility

Every business owner understands the importance of credibility. Regardless of the industry in which you operate, customers are looking for a business they can trust! If your website appears on the first pages of a given search and contains educational and useful information, customers will be able to more easily trust your business.

SEO Improves Your Bottom Line

Finally, as business owners, we must always consider every investment carefully. Will this investment improve your bottom line or prove to be a waste of valuable funds? SEO can directly impact your bottom line by driving interested customers to your website or physical location at a time when they are searching for the very product or service that you offer!

While SEO may require a bit of patience, the results will be well worth the investment of your time and resources.

Implementing Local SEO for Your Business

As we have mentioned, SEO is an ever-changing field. To be effective, your SEO strategy must remain up-to-date, consistent with the current algorithms. The majority of business owners have neither the time nor the desire to continually educate themselves on the latest SEO techniques.

Working with a team of SEO professionals is the best way to implement effective SEO techniques that provide your business with the benefits of this marketing approach! At McWilliams Media, we are proud to help countless businesses in virtually every industry implement a comprehensive SEO strategy. Contact us today to schedule your free strategy session and learn more about how local SEO can benefit you!