Search Engine Optimization….What is SEO Anyways?
Think about the last time you went to Google to search out a product or service. You typed in your search term, and browsed through the results that showed up on the first page.
Most people never even bother with clicking past the first page of the search engine results. This is EXACTLY why business owners are so passionate about achieving the highest page rank possible online. They understand that a great ranking could be the detrimental difference between an increase in sales and shutting down their business for good. But how do top websites secure such a high ranking so consistently? Well, a vast portion of their success boils down to search engine optimization. It’s alarming knowing how many business owners have no clue that their website is not being seen. Majority of these cases are due to not putting effort into optimizing their website’s on-page and off-page SEO.
Benefits of Showing Up Higher in Search Engine Rankings
There are two MAJOR benefits of showing up higher in search engine rankings: One of them is the amount of website traffic you get. According to a report by Bing, websites on the first page of the search engine results get 91% of the traffic. The more traffic you have, the more people are exposed to your brand, the more likely you are to experience an increased sales volume and converted leads.
The other awesome benefit of being at the top is that your business gains more credibility. Users tend to not click past the first page of the search engine results because they trust the first page more. They assume that these pages hold more value. This means that you can get an edge on your competition, no matter your domain age.
Elements Involved in Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization involves providing valuable content. Business owners often assume that search engine optimization is focused on keywords. To some extent this is true, but it’s also important that you focus on providing content that your target audience needs and wants. Once you have ensured that your content is valuable, you can then go back over it and add keywords to the text, the title and descriptions. Is determined by the theme that is being given, the text on the page, and the titles and descriptions that are given.
Search engine optimization involves ensuring a quick load time. Focus on making sure your website loads quickly. Most people tend to leave within the first couple of seconds of visiting a website. This means you only have a short window of time to get their attention. If your page loading speed is below average, they will likely never return. It’s no secret that search engine optimization involves ensuring a quick site load time.
SEO is geared towards perfecting the user experience. Once you’ve understood that content and load time are critical, you can structure your actual website design. This involves asking questions such as: Does the site make it easy for users to navigate? Does the site provide a safe connection? Is the site properly optimized for mobile devices of all sizes and shapes? Each of these answers will have a direct effect on the site bounce rate.
Why Would a Company Hire an SEO Expert?
There are several reasons as to why a company should hire an SEO expert, but one of the most important has to do with time. Sure, you could dedicate months or even years of your life slaving away on late nights to learn the ins and outs of SEO, but this would take quite a bit of time away from other important tasks that could be done for your company. When hiring an expert, a company should be assured that the expert has already done the groundwork and is always up-to-date on the latest trends.
If you need more traffic and would like to build credibility, then the simple truth is that it’s essential that you take time to optimize your content! If you are unsure about how to go about this process, consider hiring someone who has a significant amount of experience/results at it.
