Nothing drives organic web traffic quite like search engines. That’s because most internet users begin their online sessions with something like Google. Search engines make it possible to filter through hundreds of millions of active websites to find exactly what you’re looking for online. It’s hard to imagine the modern internet without them. If that were the case, you’d need to know the exact URL of every single site you’d want to visit. Luckily, websites that employ search engine optimization (SEO) strategies are easy to find, even for first-time visitors. Let’s take a closer look at what SEO is, why it matters, and how you can improve yours with a little effort.
What Is SEO?
Websites form the backbone of the public-facing internet. They are especially important for companies that wish to grow and reach new people. A professional website with a meaningful domain name is like a form of digital real estate. Around here, we refer to business websites as digital storefronts because they function much like physical property did in the 20th century.
If websites are digital storefronts, then search engines are digital yellow pages. Except, these online phonebooks immediately open to the right place almost every time. No more flipping through countless pages to find the address and phone number of stores, retailers, and restaurants. Nowadays, a single search often points you directly to a relevant company’s website or social media profiles. This saves users a lot of time and effort, and it’s why search engines direct so much organic traffic on the internet.
Search engines do this with the use of AI. They frequently crawl websites’ content and index it according to specific keywords. That’s why keyword research is such a major part of any good SEO strategy, but more on that later. For now, just know that for any website to be visible on Google, it needs to be optimized in many ways. Basically, optimized websites are fast, functional, and informative on all devices. They receive the largest amount of high-quality, organic traffic, and they tend to produce the most leads, sales, and revenue.
Why Is SEO Important?
It’s well-known that the average internet user spends nearly 7 hours online each day. They often use a mobile device and begin their session with a search engine. These facts say a great deal about the average user’s online experience. Users expect websites to appear on search engines and function on their smartphones, and if they don’t, many users will simply leave.
SEO and user experience go hand-in-hand. That’s why optimized websites contain the same content on both desktop and mobile versions. This is critical now that Google has shifted to mobile-first indexing. Mobile optimization ensures that smartphone users can easily view and browse a website on the go. That way, they’re likely to spend more time clicking, reading, and possibly purchasing products or services. Users who have a great experience on your website will likely return and recommend your company over competitors.
Another major component of any SEO strategy is content creation. Content is king, as the saying goes, and a website is one of the best places to share it with the world. Whatever you provide, whether it’s products, services, or information, there’s probably an audience searching for it. Search engines rank websites based on how often they publish new content. They also prefer those that cite their claims with links back to credible sources. Regular content updates signal that a webpage is more active, current, and authoritative than similar pages. This is important because search engines aim to serve the most trustworthy sites to their users first.
How to Improve Your Website’s SEO
The best SEO strategies are long-term and multi-faceted. They follow various on-page and off-page best practices including regular website updates, keyword research, and Google Business Profile management.
In our opinion, every business website needs a blog page for many reasons. Regularly publishing high-quality blog posts signals that your site is active and authoritative, especially if other websites link back to it. Posts can also be included in email and social media campaigns to encourage audience engagement. Give users an excuse to visit your website by including eye-catching, thought-provoking content, and you’ll reap the rewards that come with more web traffic.
Much of SEO hinges on keywords. These are the terms and phrases that users type into search engines to find certain content. Optimized websites feature keywords that attract the right audiences to them. There are plenty of online resources available to aid in the research process. In fact, anyone can find keywords relevant to their business, and we’ve detailed how to do so in the past. Including popular and relevant keywords will improve your website’s SEO and the quality of its traffic. Remember that search trends change often, so keep an eye on each of your webpages’ rankings and revisit your research monthly.
Google also offers businesses various useful tools to improve their SEO. One of the best is a Google Business Profile (GBP). We’ve also covered this topic in detail before, so here’s a quick overview. Simply put, a GBP is like a social media profile. It’s a great place to include key company details like addresses, products or services, contact information, hours of operation, and a website link. You can even track insights like web traffic and phone calls through it. Be sure to create and claim your company’s GBP, and update it as often as possible.
Enter the Digital Age
Optimized websites nurture both new and returning users from the very first click. These digital resource hubs provide unmatched value and are dependable enough to make secure online purchases. They also capture almost all organic search traffic because most internet users never click past the first page of Google results.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of optimized websites in the digital age. Of the nearly 8 billion people on the planet today, over 5.2 billion or about 62% can access the internet. Hundreds of millions of new users come online every single year and this trend will continue. What’s more, there were just over 6 billion smartphone users in 2021. This number may grow to about 8 billion by 2030. What does all of this mean for companies? It means they’d better be online if they hope to stay competitive in the future.
Not long ago, it was possible to start and grow a successful business with little more than hard work, good will, and word of mouth. While that still may be possible today, it will become tougher each and every year. The simple fact is our world is becoming interconnected at an alarming rate. The internet lowers the barrier to entry for entrepreneurs and allows them to efficiently reach millions of people. This opens up countless new opportunities for next-generation companies that provide innovative products and services. However, a digital world also creates many new risks in terms of security. Criminals employ various scams, phishing attacks, and computer viruses to take advantage of the unprepared. Although simply being aware of these threats is often enough to avoid them.
Don’t Get Left Behind
Websites, search engines, and mobile devices are quickly transforming our world. Companies that understand and accept this fact can better position themselves for long-term growth. If your business needs a new website or SEO support, we hope you’ll contact us today. We’d be honored to help you successfully navigate the digital frontier.
Originally published on June 3rd, 2020
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