“What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?” We get asked that question all of the time. The end result is very simple, the work to get there is not.
SEO Defined
SEO is a process that helps to improve and promote websites to increase qualified traffic the site receives based on search engines. There are many factors that all play a role in how your SEO Strategy is determined. A very important thing is the structure of your website itself. Don’t worry if you are confused about this still, we are here to help bridge that gap.
Why is it Important?
A vast majority of online visitors are generated by the major search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. The higher you rank for you keywords and phrases, the more likely your site will be found. Simple, but it makes sense. How often do you click to the 10th page on Google when you are looking for something? Hardly ever, so the closer you are to the top the more people that will click on your site. We found this picture online. It’s funny but true.
Search engines are helpful because they provided you with targeted leads that searched what you have to offer. If your site can’t be found by the search engine or people can’t find the information they are looking for, all your hard work could be lost.
The Real Different Between Organic and Paid
Roughly 80% of all clicks are from organic results, with the remaining 20% from paid advertisements. That means majority of users click on organic non-paid results than the ones that pay for advertising, but why? People know that companies pay to be at the top of the advertising section or on the side where they can be seen. This also means that people know that the other companies have “earned the right” to be at the top of the page in the organic search results. This is not to say you shouldn’t use paid advertising because there is no silver bullet.
It’s NOT Just a One Time Thing
Just like you prefer your news to be current; that is how Google prefers ranking sites to be. You need to be constantly updating your site to attract people, which will give you a consistent traffic flow to your website. People change how they search for things which means that keywords you use will also change. Another major factor playing into this is occasionally Google will change their algorithm for how different sites rank, which will also change how you manage your SEO Strategy. Keeping things fresh on your webpage and thinking of ways to improve are important things to keep in mind rather than: I already did it once, why do I have to do it again?