SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization’. It’s the practice of optimizing your web pages to make them reach a high position in the search results of Google or other search engines.
SEO focuses on improving the rankings in the organic. un-paid – search results. If you have a website and you want to get more traffic, it should be part of your marketing efforts.
Search engine optimizations “It is the process of getting traffic from the “free,” “organic,” “editorial” or “natural” search results on search engines.
How Google Search Works
Google Crawling:
The first step is finding out what pages exist on the web. There isn’t a central registry of all web pages, so Google must constantly search for new pages and add them to its list of known pages. This process of discovery is called crawling.
Google Indexing:
After a page is discovered, Google tries to understand what the page is about. This process is called indexing. Google analyzes the content of the page, catalogs images and video files embedded on the page, and otherwise tries to understand the page. This information is stored in the Google index, a huge database stored in many, many (many!) computers.
How Google Search WORKS: Video
What is Google’s algorithm?
The rankings of these search results are determined by Google’s algorithm. Although Google’s algorithm remains secret, years of experience in SEO have resulted in a pretty good idea about the important factors. In our view, the factors in Google’s algorithm can be divided into two categories:
1. On-page SEO
- On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. On-page refers to both the content and HTML source code of a page that can be optimized.
1. Off-page SEO
- OFF Page SEO Refers to actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within search engine results pages (SERPs). Optimizing for off-site ranking factors involves improving search engine and user perception of a site’s popularity, relevance, trustworthiness, and authority.
| On-page SEO factors | Off-page SEO factors |
| · Content quality comes first | Business Profile Creation |
| · Page titles and meta descriptions | Press Release |
| · Content SEO | Articles Submission |
| · Headings and content formatting | Social Bookmarking |
| · Images and other multimedia elements | Social Media profile creation |
| · URL optimization | Google My Business “GMB” |
| · Internal links | Blog Posting |
| · External links | External Back links |
| · Page loading speed | |
| Mobile friendliness | |
| Comments and on-page SEO |
Many benefits of SEO for your business.
There are many benefits of SEO for your business. By improving your SEO, you can work to expand your visibility on the search engines. This helps you reach and engage more potential customers. By creating more engaging and effective SEO-focused content, you can increase your chances of bringing in more targeted organic traffic.
1.SEO Leads to Better User Experience
There are many ways you can improve your website and maximize user experience. This includes providing your audience with relevant information, related photos or videos to support text, easy to navigate web pages or a mobile-friendly website configuration.
All of this leads to a better user experience. This results in more clicks, more leads, better brand recall and higher conversion rates. This is what search engine sites are looking for, thus improving your search ranking.
2.SEO Is a Primary Source of Leads
Inbound strategies are the most effective and successful source of leads among Business to Business (B2B), Business to Customer (B2C) and non-profit organizations. Inbound includes search engine optimization, social media, content marketing, referrals and others.
If you are not getting leads from your SEO tactics, then you must revisit your activities. Another player in the market might be getting your share of the pie.
3.SEO Brings Higher Close Rates
Statistics showed that an average of 14.6% close rate is achieved from SEO leads, compared to 1.7% close leads from outbound leads. Reaching out to customers (outbound or cold leads) often results in lower conversion rates.
Whereas SEO leads, where a customer makes the actual research of your product or service, results in higher conversion. These individuals making their research online already have a specific requirement and purpose in mind.
4.SEO Results to Higher Conversion Rate
The good ranking of your site on any search engine websites can guarantee you high conversion rates. Your target market will become more aware of you as long as you maintain your top position.
As customers are becoming more familiar with your brand and as their knowledge about products/services increase, there is a great possibility for customers to close the deal with you.
5.SEO Promotes Better Cost Management
The Search Engine Journal reported that inbound leads can actually lower the cost of lead generation by 61% versus outbound leads.
SEO lowers advertising costs. When you already have a top ranking, there is no need for you to pay per click or advertise your page. You will continue to stay above the rest of the search results as long as Internet users click your search links.
To add to that, activities pertaining to inbound lead generation include search engine optimization, social media management, blogging, referrals, etc. All of these have little or no cost at all.
Outbound lead generation activities include making cold colds, visiting clients, or direct selling. Better cost management is just a few of the benefits of SEO to your business.
6.SEO Encourages Local Users to Visit the Physical Store After the Search
After conducting a local research, there is a high tendency for customers to visit the local store or shop. For example, an internet user keys in “Best Seafood Restaurant in Singapore”. This will then show a variety of options. The internet user will then visit his or her top choice and becomes a customer of that restaurant.
A particular study backs this up, stating that 81% of shoppers conduct their research online before going to the store and making the local purchase.
7.SEO Builds Brand Credibility
Ranking first, second or third may give your customers the idea that you are one of the top players in the industry. It shows that you are popular and many users have researched you, too.
On the other hand, customers may think that you are not yet well-known or even a new player in the industry if you are at the bottom of the search engine results. This may also lead some customers to think that you have no budget to boost your website for better search results.
8.SEO Helps Establish Brand Awareness
Brand Awareness is the extent to which the target market recognizes a brand. This refers to how familiar your customers are with your product or service. According to Investopedia,
“Creating brand awareness is one of the key steps in promoting a product.”
Search Engine Optimization ensures that your product is easily found by search engine sites through regular and organic search. Once you remain at the top of the ranking, Internet users will be able to see you more.
This leads to a higher tendency for your link to be clicked, which leads the users to your website. One of the benefits of SEO for your business is establishing your brand’s awareness even further.
Search Engine Optimization ensures that your product is easily found by search engine sites through regular and organic search. Once you remain at the top of the ranking, Internet users will be able to see you more.
This leads to a higher tendency for your link to be clicked, which leads the users to your website. One of the benefits of SEO for your business is establishing your brand’s awareness even further.
9.SEO Ensures Mobile-Friendliness of Your Website
SEO improves user experience because Google Search has included another parameter as a ranking signal and this refers to the friendliness of websites to mobile devices.
Last April 21, 2015, Google Search stated that mobile-friendliness has a significant impact on websites’ rankings on Google Search. This change will result in better user experience and easier navigation of websites.
If you want to make your website mobile-friendly, Google will help you in getting it started.
10.SEO Can Be a Long-Term Marketing Strategy
Just as how long it took you to reach those top ranks, pulling you down the list also takes time. SEO is a long-term marketing strategy. Six (6) months is the minimum duration for a website to maintain optimal ranking.
Unless Google algorithm is changed or other competitors have fueled their SEO strategies, it is not easy to pull you down the search rankings.
11.SEO Helps You Gain Market Share
Being on top of the search list means a high tendency for your website to be found by Internet users. These users are now considered as your leads. Once they’ve found their required information from your website, these leads may turn into your customers.
Customers may either make a purchase, sign up for a membership or subscribe to a newsletter. Bottom line, your conversion rate increases. Once this happens, you further gain a share of the market.
12.SEO Creates Synergy of All Marketing Activities Online
All of your marketing strategies conducted online will contribute to the success of your search engine optimization efforts. Marketing activities such as content marketing, direct e-mail, social media marketing, blogging, web management, e-commerce, and others will help you get better rankings on several search engine sites.
When all of your marketing activities are integrated and aligned towards a common goal, you will definitely achieve success in your marketing strategies, including SEO.
13.SEO Increases Your Followers on Social Media
By the time, you land on the first page of search engine sites, more and more people will know about you. Your brand’s awareness can go along way, even to various social media channels. As users visit your website, they are more likely to click on your social media icons and eventually follow you.
14.SEO Improves Website Speed
The speed of your website can affect your rankings on various search engine websites. Do you know that a two-second load time delay for your website will cost you 4.3% of sale? Speed matters to avoid reduction of customer satisfaction and to further promote better user experience.
15.SEO Takes You Ahead of the Competition
You will grow as a business once you’ve implemented digital marketing strategies to your overall organizational plan. These strategies include search engine optimization. Integrating all of these together will help you take the lead amidst competitors in the market.
Imagine how far you’ll have aced the competition if all of your competitors are just using traditional marketing? Keep up with the advancements in the digital world and you will stay ahead of the competition. This era is constantly changing, make sure you adapt well to the changes.
SEO Conclusion
The opportunity for your brand, in terms of awareness and brand equity, is limitless. The digital world has provided us with a myriad of options to explore with the aim of achieving overall organizational goals.
Search Engine Optimization is one of the strategies that will help you ace the competition. SEO refers to the ability of a website to gain quantitative and qualitative website visits through organic search engine results. Make sure to take on the challenge and use SEO to your advantage.
Now you can register SEO course in E-business School.
More about SEO:
- What is Search Engine?
- What are types of Search engines?
- Why SEO ‘Search engine optimizations’?
- SEO Ranking Factors?
- Keyword research tools?
- Google Keyword Planer
- SEO OFF Page?
- SEO on Page?
- Content Optimizations
