SEO is one of those buzzwords that it seems every business has been discussing lately. Unfortunately, many companies aren’t quite sure what this means to them: or what SEO really is. If you’re new to the term and not sure how it can help your business, here are the facts you need to know about it and why it’s beneficial for any business.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it is a process that ensures your business is ranked at the top of the results when searching for specific keywords. Not many individuals go to the second page of a Google search. With SEO, you ensure that your business appears in the top five results when prospects or customers search for keywords that inextricably link you to your business. There are dozens of ways to make this work for any business, but it’s a huge benefit that many are looking for.
Who needs?
Any business looking to build an online presence or attract more people to their website should invest in SEO. Even if your business is just brick and mortar, SEO can ensure that people in your area know about your business and can find you when they need to.
This isn’t specifically for small or large companies; Any business can benefit from using SEO to improve their results.
Does it increase sales?
Short answer: Yes! Long answer: it’s not very easy. Search engine optimization can only bring people to your website. This means they can attract potential customers and show them your brand value.
From here, it’s up to your business and website to show people the value. SEO consulting may lead people to your site, but it’s their job to close the deal. If your business website is poorly designed or not set up to close sales or encourage people to buy, your sales will not increase.
So yes, you’ll increase sales, but you’ll need to put in some time and work to make sure your brand gets as many sales as possible.
How do I implement it?
You can increase your business’s SEO in many ways. The most common is link building, but you can also encourage it through customer retention, social media, and increasing your business exposure on other local websites. Consider your goals when it comes to what your business achieves, and then build on them.
The higher your business appears in a search engine, the better. Therefore, proceed carefully and research which route works best for your brand.
Anything to avoid?
When building links and working on SEO, there are a few things to avoid. The biggest problem is keyword stuffing. While you should use them sparingly in almost every article or guest blog post, avoid using them excessively. Keyword spamming causes Google to consider you an untrustworthy source that should trick the system into ignoring your business or possibly prevent you from climbing up in search results.
