A large billboard stationed in the middle of a busy business district was how businesses used to introduce their services to potential customers in the past. Others used television and radio but they didn’t come cheap either. The internet has changed how marketing works for businesses. Let’s go over how search engine optimization can help businesses.
Lead generation
SEO is an excellent lead-generation tool that is relatively less costly than traditional marketing. How does this work? When potential customers search keywords, the search engine redirects them to your website. For example, if people search for “Injury lawyers SEO,” they can find businesses that specialize in SEO services for injury lawyers.
One great thing about SEO is that it is localized. The search engine uses the location of the users. So, each search leads directly to you if you’re in the same location. This gives you a chance to convert the leads to paying customers.
Reduced cost
SEO is an affordable option for most businesses. However, it may take a while to build the ranks. There’s an option to pay known as pay per click. It simply means that you bid for specific keywords and only pay for the ad if it converts to a click on your website. This option is still more affordable because it guarantees that you get your money’s worth.
Trust building
A potential customer is likely to trust your site if it pops up on the first page. First-page search websites are often considered authoritative sources. It shows the potential customer that your business has a good reputation as more people click and patronize you.
This makes it a beneficial tool to use in advertising as well as maintaining a good brand.
Retaining customers through good UX
An element of SEO is a good user experience. SEO focuses on making the website faster so users don’t have to wait for minutes to see the homepage. A slow loading page can kill retention. Also, if the business website is not mobile and desktop friendly, it will hurt the site. Most people use mobile devices to access the internet so it’s a no-brainer.
Other factors, such as internal linking and seamless navigation, can greatly affect its retention. So, with SEO, you’re killing two birds with one stone.
Should you consider implementing SEO best practices for your business?
Whether or not to implement SEO practices depends on what you want for your business. SEO is the way to go if you want to build a credible presence online in a digital world. Things are constantly changing with Google guidelines each time, but one relatively consistent thing is SEO.
Google has always emphasized building a good website with quality content, good navigation, faster loading times, and more. So, regardless of future changes, your business will still benefit from the guidelines.
Cost savings are another major consideration, especially for smaller businesses without a huge marketing budget. It may work slowly, but the result is worth it.
