Why Every Business Needs an SEO Strategy to Stay Competitive Online - SEO

An SEO strategy is one of the most cost-effective ways for a business to capture high-intent traffic from Google and other search engines. With more than 3 billion searches conducted online daily, sites that rank well for relevant keywords can convert visitors at roughly 25 cents on the dollar compared to paid channels, while also benefiting from higher customer lifetime value and lower acquisition costs.

What does an SEO strategy actually do?

Search engine optimization is the process of organizing a website’s content so that it ranks well for the most popular search engines in a target market. While there are hundreds of SEO techniques, most are tailored to the market share of each search engine. In 2006, Google was the world’s leading search engine with 77.5% of all searches, and by June 2008 it held close to 90% of the market in the UK and 85% in Germany.

Practical elements include incorporating relevant search terms into pages, using XML sitemaps so search engines can crawl and index the entire site, and conducting keyword research that maps to what customers actually search for.

How does SEO help a business grow?

SEO drives more relevant traffic, more sales, and more leads by making a site visible at every step of a customer’s journey. When a user searches for a topic on Google, he/she is most likely looking for a specific page on your website, and by incorporating search terms your page will be better organized for the search engines and visitors.

Because the average person doesn’t spend more than 5 minutes a day online, the visitors who do arrive from search are highly targeted. SEO also helps businesses capture television advertisement traffic when viewers search for the products or brands they just saw. As a result, SEO can help sell more ecommerce products, generate more leads, and boost brand awareness.

What results should a business expect from SEO?

Compared to paid channels, SEO delivers customers for only 25 cents on the dollar. In 2006, there were several hundred SEO companies in the US, reflecting how widely the practice had already been adopted. A keyword-research-driven strategy, including analysis of competitors, helps a business decide which keywords to target and how to make the site relevant to a consumer’s needs, which in turn improves conversion rates.

Without the right keywords, a website gets lost in the crowd, since 90% of the web’s traffic is non-targeted. With an SEO strategy in place, a business is more likely to attract and convert the visitors who are actively searching for what it offers.

FAQ

Why is SEO important for every business?

SEO captures the more than 3 billion searches conducted online daily, delivering highly targeted, high-intent traffic. Compared to paid channels, it brings in customers for only 25 cents on the dollar and lowers customer acquisition costs by improving lifetime value.

What should a basic SEO strategy include?

A basic SEO strategy should include incorporating relevant search terms into pages, using XML sitemaps so search engines can crawl and index the entire site, and conducting keyword research, including analysis of competitors, to decide which keywords to target.

How much of the search market does Google hold?

Google was the world’s leading search engine in 2006 with 77.5% of all searches. By June 2008, it held close to 90% of the UK market and 85% of the German market.