Hey Forwardies,
It is time to learn why your Small Business should focus on SEO. It is essential to helping your Small Business grow. Your soon-to-be customers can’t choose you if they can’t find you!
Think of it this way. What do we all do when we are looking for a solution to a problem? We Google it! It has become our first instinct! Search Engines have the answers, and you want to be one of those answers! Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can help you make that happen and we are going to tell you how.
VISIBILITY is key!
The first and most important step is being visible when consumers go to search engines looking for what you can offer! Regardless of what you are selling you want to be found.
How does SEO help? The answer is simple…. Keywords. Keywords are what link the consumers search to your website. For example, Let’s say someone is searching for a new necklace. If necklace is a keyword on your website it would alert search engines that your website sells or discusses jewelry. Now that the search engine knows that your website is relevant to the consumer’s search, they will index your site and display it somewhere in the search results.
Rank HIGH when it comes to PAGE AUTHORITY and DOMAIN AUTHORITY and build the Credibility of your Business.
Now that we have discussed how Keywords make you visible in the search results, Let’s talk about the importance of where you rank on those results. You obviously want to be listed on the first page of the search results so that it is more likely that you are seen by the consumer. Keywords are very important, but SEO isn’t just about Keywords.
Page Authority and Domain Authority also impact where you show in the search results. Think of these two things as a ranking system by search engines to determine if you are a trusted and/or influential resource.
Page Authority ranks a single page on your website and Domain Authority ranks your whole website. The higher your ranking, the higher you are in the search results.
The fact of the matter is when you appear higher on the search engine results consumers automatically consider you a more credible source than those ranked lower than you.
Out rank your COMPETITORS!
The internet is vast and there are so many businesses like yours hoping they will show up in that search. Of course, you want to be the business showing up first in the results. We want that for you too. If other Small Business are using SEO to their advantage and you aren’t, then you are already a step behind. A good SEO strategy can help you out rank your competitors.
If you are looking to expand your reach, SEO is crucial in making that happen. Like we discussed before Keywords help consumers find your website. By cultivating a list of keywords that describe you and your business you will reach the audience that is also looking for you!
Expand your REACH and attract RELEVANT USERS!
Reaching more people means more visitors on your website. The more visitors you have the better you start to look in the eyes of Search Engines. So not only do you get added traffic, which is great for your business, but you are also improving your authority. This will help you show up higher in the search results next time.
Grow your WEB TRAFFIC, ENGAGMENT, & CONVERSIONS!
There is no better way to grow your website traffic than SEO! Now, you are thinking…. I use Social Media to build my website traffic. Why do I also need SEO? The simple answer is Social Media will only get you so far. Social Media Management is important but you are limited to only those who interact on social media and even then, you might not find the right audience.
The whole point of having a website is so consumers can find you and learn about you, your Business, and what products you have to offer. Of course, you also hope they will make a purchase but first they need to find you. This is where SEO comes in to help you build your organic search engine traffic.
The more Keywords you use -> the more you show up in search engines -> the more organic website traffic will increase.
Also keep in mind that you OWN your website and YOU control all the content. You don’t own your social media account and it my not always be around. You want to make sure your website is getting that organic traffic in case social media fails.
Exert influence on the BUYING CYCLE!
I don’t know about you but before I buy something I like to do my research. Where is research done these days? Search Engines! By using SEO to make sure you are showing up in those research results you can impact the buying cycle.
This is where things like blogs come into the picture. Now I know not everyone wants to write a blog, but it is great content marketing. Blogs are a great way to get keywords on your website, tell your audience about your products and services, and show your expertise in your business. Once you use SEO to get them to your website you can use the blog to influence their buying decisions.
The best EXPERIENCE for your VISITORS!
Another important factor in your SEO is your visitors’ experience. The better their experience the better you look in the eyes of search engines. Keywords get them to your site, but their experience when they get there is what makes them stay and keep coming back for more. This is the part of SEO where you focus on speeding up your website and making sure all aspects of your website are responsive (meaning they look good and function properly across all devices).
If your website takes too long to load or they can’t view all the content on their phones, tablets, laptops etc. Then consumers will leave your site quickly. The rate at which they leave is called the Bounce Rate. Search Engines want to see people going to your website, but they also care about how long they stay there.
Anything you can do to improve that Bounce Rate will boost your SEO.
RESULTS can be MEASURED!
The final step to SEO is measuring your results. Since search engine algorithms are constantly changing, you need to be able to track the results of your efforts and make adjustments when needed. The good news is there are several methods you can use to measure your results.
For one, Installing Google Analytics on your website can help you track the traffic to your website and determine which keywords are leading consumers to your website. In some cases, you can even put a monetary value to those leads and compare that to your SEO costs.
