There are numerous ways to boost your business visibility both online and offline. When you’re divvying up your marketing dollars, you may be tempted to push more towards techniques with a faster turnaround time like pay-per-click advertising and to ignore the more infrastructure-related search engine optimization (SEO). However, the utility and importance of the search engine aren’t going away anytime soon. Ignoring SEO is a huge risk that business can’t afford to make. Why? Because SEO still matters.
People Continue to Search
The biggest reason why SEO still matters is that search has become an indispensable tool. Search engines remain popular and not just for finding out obscure facts. Search capabilities allow individuals to locate the nearest Indian restaurant, the best green cleaner, or a reputable nursing home. Local search is increasingly important for service providers thanks to the domination of the smartphone. Google and other search engines have made themselves into invaluable tools for consumers—and businesses. Listing your business with Google is a must—as is maintaining an active web presence.
The Algorithms are Frequently Altered
No one gets to the top of their game by standing in place, and no search engine comes to dominate the market without constantly improving its search algorithm. Google is well known for consistent updates to ensure they serve users with the most appropriate results. That means businesses intent on maintaining good standing in search results need to keep up, too. Now, Google’s algorithms are understandably secret, however, they do clue in SEO experts and webmasters on some of the things that help determine page rank.
For a site to show up during a Google search, it must be relevant to search users, meaning it should contain useful information that the user wants to find. It should feature healthy internal and external links to authority sites and have the appropriate metadata. Basically, it needs to appeal not only to human metrics of readability and usefulness but to a search crawler, too. This doesn’t happen on its own. It’s part of a process of content creation and continual optimization.
(We’re focusing a lot on Google here for a reason—they are still the number one search engine and the number one PPC platform. While Bing and Yahoo! still own a chunk of the market, the things that will get you a good ranking in Google will also likely get you ranked well on Bing and Yahoo!)
Often Results in Higher Quality Leads
People who are searching for your optimized keywords are already interested. That’s part of the appeal of inbound marketing. By focusing on offering useful, relevant information around the keywords your target audience is likely to use, you can help them find you more easily. How do you get those keywords? There are various tools you or a local Tampa SEO company might use to locate which keywords are being used to find your site, what keywords your competitors are using, and which keywords may be underused. Consulting with a local SEO company can help you discover how you can take advantage of your industry keywords and what possible paths you might take to expand your customer base.
Yes, SEO Still Matters
SEO isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it quick fix to get your company page ranking better. It’s a long-term engagement that can result in a better page rank for your website and a more useful, relevant site for potential customers and clients. While tactics have evolved, SEO remains relevant and necessary, especially for those who rely on the internet to generate business.
If you’re ready to focus on your SEO and create a digital strategy that will help propel your business, Digital Neighbor is ready to lend a hand. With years of experience crafting and running SEO campaigns as part of a customized digital strategy, Digital Neighbor is committed to helping you connect with potential customers and clients online. Ready to learn more? Drop us a line today!
