SEO is important for searchability and visibility, but it offers more real value than that. Here are 12 reasons why businesses need SEO to take their brand to the next level.
Many brands and businesses know (or think they know) that they need SEO for their digital presence and the benefits they get from SEO work on their behalf. SEO certainly improves searchability and overall website visibility, but what other real value does it offer? Why is SEO so important?
These 12 reasons should provide clarity, regardless of industry or business size, why businesses need SEO to take their brand to the next level.
1. Search is often the primary source of website traffic
Search is a huge part of most businesses’ website performance, as well as a critical component of the buyer’s funnel, ultimately driving users to switch websites or engage with yours. As marketers know, Google has a larger and more significant share of the search market than competitors like Yahoo, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and many others. This is not to say that other search engines don’t contribute to brand visibility – they do – but Google alone has 75% of the total search market. Google is the intellectual leader and therefore it is important to follow its lead. But the remaining 25% of the market belongs to other search engines, which is obviously very valuable for brands as well.
Google, the most visited website in the world (and also in the United States specifically), also happens to be the most popular email provider in the world (with over 1 billion users). Not to mention YouTube is the second largest search engine.
We know that a significant majority of the world with access to the internet visits Google at least once a day for information. A strong presence as a trusted source by Google and other search engines always works in a brand’s favor. High-quality SEO and websites put brands there.
2. SEO builds trust and credibility
The goal of any experienced SEO is to create a solid foundation for a beautiful website with a clean and efficient user experience that is easily discoverable in search thanks to the trust and credibility of the brand and its digital properties. Many elements go into building authority when it comes to search engines like Google. In addition to the factors mentioned above, authority and credibility occur over time as a result of elements such as:
- Quality backlink profiles.
- Positive user behavior.
- Machine learning signals.
- Optimized page elements and content.
But building this authority does more, if not all, of the work for a brand than any other digital optimization. The problem is, building trust and credibility doesn’t happen overnight – just like in real life. Authority is earned and built over time. Building a brand as a powerhouse takes patience, effort, and commitment, and it also relies on providing a valuable, quality product or service that customers can trust.
3. Good SEO also means a better user experience
Everyone wants to rank better and get more traffic. Few realize that an optimal user experience is a big part of getting there. Google has learned how to interpret a good or bad user experience, and a positive user experience is recognized as a critical element in a website’s success. Customers know what they want. If they can’t find it, there will be a problem and performance will suffer. A prime example of creating a strong user experience is how Google has increasingly introduced a responsive engine that delivers search data directly to users in the SERP (search engine results pages). The goal is to provide users with information that they can quickly and easily reach with fewer clicks. Quality SEO encompasses a positive user experience and uses it to work to a brand’s advantage.
4. Local SEO means increased engagement, traffic (passages and browsing), and conversions
With the increasing dominance of mobile traffic, local search has become an essential part of the success of small and medium-sized businesses. Local SEO is about optimizing your digital properties in a specific vicinity, so people can find you quickly and easily, bringing them one step closer to a deal. Local optimization focuses on specific cities, regions, and even states to create a suitable medium for a brand’s messaging on a local level. SEO pros do this by optimizing a brand’s website and its content, including local citations and backlinks, as well as local listings relevant to the location and business sector to which a brand belongs. To boost engagement at the local level, SEO pros should start by optimizing their brand knowledge panel, Google My Business listing, and social media profiles. Depending on the industry, you should also pay close attention to user reviews on Google and other sites like Yelp, Home Advisor, and Angie’s List (among others).