Why Search Engine Optimization is Critical to the Success of Your Site

We previously unpacked what SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, means and how to get started implementing it in your business.

But is SEO really that important? In short, the answer is YES! In fact, without a good strategy for optimizing your website, social media, and blogs, you could be missing out on valuable business growth.

Generating new leads from the internet requires more than just a great website — you also need an SEO strategy to drive traffic to your business. If you’re on the fence about whether or not you really need to utilize optimization tactics, read on to find out why SEO is actually critical to the success of your business website.

It Identifies (Indexes) Your Website on the Internet

Imagine you just wrote the next great American novel. Your book is impeccable, perfect and you’re excited for people to read it. You put your book on the shelf at the bookstore, the library, and internet retailers and you wait. And wait. And wait.

You realize that you forgot to index your book — it doesn’t have an ISBN number, genre, description, or any way for people to find it naturally unless they accidentally stumble upon it on the shelf. In fact, the bookstores, libraries, and web stores can’t even direct people to your book because it has no identifying information.

That is your website without SEO. It’s on the internet, and people can find it if they know exactly where to look. But without providing the right signals (your “ISBN”) to help search engines properly index your website, they aren’t likely to direct traffic your way.

It Helps People Find Your Website

Along the same lines, when you use SEO to help search engines understand what your website is about, who it’s for, and what you offer — you also help internet users find your website.

When you implement SEO concepts such as keywords, properly creating alt and title tags, and fine-tuning your copy, you’re telling search engines like Google exactly what topics are relevant to you and your business and why that matters to people looking for a business like yours.

When a visitor searches for a specific term, the search engine can then pull your website and include it in the list of options related to that search.

The more SEO tools and criteria you implement, the more success your website will experience. Anytime someone types something into a search engine, they are asking a question. The better your website answers the question, the more visible you will be on the internet.

SEO Improves Your Relevance

When search engines crawl your website, they are determining more than just what keywords or phrases you use. The algorithms that search your site are so advanced that they now evaluate how relevant, trustworthy, and valuable your content is.

When you use SEO tactics such as blogging (and even guest blogging), you continually add to the value and relevance of your website.

Guest blogging points new visitors back to your websites, creating links between you and another trustworthy business or blog. Those links tell search engines that your site is valuable.

Regular blogging on topics that are important to your audience builds up your credibility and the amount of helpful information that you have available to readers.

Relevance is also built through elements such as clear, concise website copy, headers and Calls to Action that are straightforward, and a website design that is easy to use. All of these things work together to indicate to your audience and search engines that the service or product you offer is relevant and valuable — improving your chances of getting in front of the right audience.

It Keeps Your Website Running Smoothly

When you take the time to optimize your site, it means you’re paying attention to things like site speed and responsiveness on different devices. The success of your website depends on making your website accessible and user-friendly wherever your audience is searching for you.

That means ensuring your site looks and works great on mobile devices, tablets, and computers. SEO prompts website owners to make their sites mobile-friendly, fast and running smoothly on all devices.

If you choose not to implement SEO, visitors will likely breeze past your website when it takes too long to load or looks jumbled on a smartphone screen. Taking the time to put even just some SEO into practice could radically improve your website traffic and your business growth.

SEO is an important tool to grow your audience and put your website at the forefront of key Google searches. If you need help setting up an SEO strategy to boost your website traffic, contact me to set up a free consultation today!