7 Reasons Why Businesses Should Invest in SEO

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Once, at a meeting with a business partner, one of the executives raised a question – Is SEO dying? His question was born from few articles he read that claim SEO is on its deathbed. My answer to him was that this is not true, and chances are SEO will be around for a long time.

The reason? People are constantly scouring the World Wide Web for information and things that are relevant and pertinent to them. And it is in the interest of search engines to provide these search results to them.

I had a look at those articles the executive read, and had a good laugh. They were written as articles of sensationalism. The authors were trying to get viewers and used this tactic to capture an audience. And the funniest part? They were using SEO to do that!

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In the past years while working in agencies, I have met many business owners who have heard of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) but seem to have vague ideas on why SEO should be part of their digital marketing strategies. Some even have a wrong or limited idea of what it is all about.

Search Engine Optimization is more than just being on top of search engine results. Many businesses fail to realize this, and hence, do not invest in it.

But before we go to the benefits most companies with great SEO strategy enjoy, you should be aware of what SEO is. This can be an entire topic and article. As such, I will just give a broad concept of what is SEO? SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process of analyzing how search engines work, what people search for, the most common keywords used and how each search affects the visibility of a website. SEO allows a business to have strategies on how to carefully influence the ranking of their websites in search engines results pages.

The goal is to rank on the first page of search engine results pages like Google. This is because findings by Chitika have shown that 91.5% of people searching online chose sites that are listed on Page 1.

91.5% Choose Businesses on 1st Page on Google. img src: Chitika

This means a higher chance of searchers clicking on your website (if it is on Page 1), and higher chances of acquiring sales leads that you can convert to customers. But as I mentioned, this is not all. There are more reasons to why businesses should invest in SEO, and here I present 7 of them.

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Builds Your Brand Reputation

SEO gets your website on the First Page of Google and other search engines. This means your website gets high online visibility. As mentioned above, chances of people clicking on your website then becomes higher. And this drives more traffic to your website.

As more traffic goes to your website, trust in your brand builds. Brand Trust can be a very powerful thing. In the World Wide Web there are millions of businesses competing, creating stiff competition for many businesses. As more searchers visit your website, it shows that people trust your brand. A definite major plus for your brand.

Building your reputation will result in satisfied clients, who can act as your brand ambassadors. They will share about your brand and products or services to their network who are your potential customers. The word-of-mouth is a powerful tool for most sites.

For example, someone once told me he heard about Lazada, an online marketplace, from a friend. He did not visit the site or make any purchase immediately. But when the time came for him to buy something he needed, he visited the site, and bought some furniture. Imagine that! Furniture!

Not something you would buy online usually. All this happened because he trusted his friend who mentioned a site that the friend trusted.

Adding to the above, in this day and age where anyone can write glowing reviews or criticisms on any online platforms, make sure you have an effective Reputation Monitoring Strategy that can help you improve your approach for SEO. Building your reputation in the industry does not just mean being recognized by clients and other companies. It also means you are respected and you have set a standard in your SEO efforts which other companies need to exceed.

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Low Cost Part of Digital Marketing

Working your way up to the rankings of search engines through organic search will ensure more traffic that can bring new and repeat sales for your business without costing too much. At least not as much as other digital marketing strategies.

Already, many digital marketing experts predicted that in 2016 as the competition in the digital world increased, so would the Cost of Online Advertising. And this has happened already. If your business already has a limited budget for digital marketing, particularly Online Paid Advertising, be ready to either struggle or buck up and increase the budget. Especially if you desire better ROI (Return on Investment). Alternatively, consider the lower-costing SEO.

Successful SEO strategy includes On Page SEO and Off Page SEO. While the latter can cost a bit more, of course depending on the amount of Off Page SEO you require, the former can be done at a much lower cost.

You need not have high end SEO applications; there are SEO applications that are free or has trial versions that you can choose from. These applications are relatively cheaper than other applications or subscriptions that you may have for your other digital marketing strategies.

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Drives Better and More Traffic

Search engine results pages show significant and relevant content to keywords that consumers search for. The more relevant the keywords, the more chances that your content and site will be featured and ranked in the first pages of search engines. This will make the possibility of consumers checking out your site higher and drive more and better traffic in your site.

But wait! What do I mean by Better Traffic?

It is better traffic because the people who click and visit your website would be those who are already searching for the product or service you are offering. Not some random stumble upon your website. This means that the person already has an interest in what you are selling.

For example, if you are a hairdresser in Seoul, Korea. And you chose the keywords – Award Winning Hair Salon in Seoul Korea – and you managed to rank it on First Page of Google and other search engines.

So when someone is searching for an award winning hairdresser, they may type the exact keywords. They find your website on the First Page, they click on it, and if they like what they see, they may make an appointment. Voila! You get sales from a very targeted audience! Better Traffic!

For a website to survive the competition, generating the right type and amount of traffic is a must. Not only will it increase the ranking of the website, it will also ensure a high possibility of sales, new and repeat sales, and return on investment will be much faster. The number of click throughs will reflect on your ranking and you will be able to determine the type of traffic your site gets using analytics.

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Makes Your Business More Visible

As I mentioned earlier, being on the First Page of Google and other search engines is equal to having Online Visibility.

Imagine opening a store and not advertising or marketing about it. Worse, what if the store is at an area with low human traffic? You would open your new store, and find that no one steps into your shop. It is the same in the World Wide Web.

Online Visibility is having your website seen by millions in a web space that is filled with millions of websites. Being visible allows potential clients to notice your website, check on it and have easy access to your products or services when needed.

It will give you a head start against your competitors when it comes to reaching your customers and potential customers because they can Recall Your Brand instead of others. This Online Visibility also increases Brand Awareness and Brand Recognition.

There can be opportunities to merge, affiliate or even acquire investment from larger companies when your SEO strategies make your company visible. You never know who may be on the lookout for a business to invest in.

There may be large companies who are in the same industry or have an interest in the industry you are in, who will definitely be able to find your site because of SEO efforts, and consider if your business is worth their investment. Something that you might consider.

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ROI on SEO Can Be At Par With Other Strategies

In order to measure how much a business have progressed and how effective the strategy is, ROI or Return On Investment is measured and scrutinized.

ROI can help you determine which of your marketing efforts are working, which strategy looks promising and may lead to further sales, and which strategy is not working. The reason why I advocate SEO so much is because it is relatively low cost (compared to other strategies) and brings a significant result on ROI.

SEO allows your company to have a direct impact on your customers’ will and need to purchase. With content that will convince them of your company’s authenticity and effectiveness in terms or answering their needs, direct purchase will definitely happen. With more purchases made, your return will visibly show how operational your SEO effort is.

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Ongoing and Long Term Strategy

As long as you have the right keywords and continuously provide quality content on your site, your ranking and visibility to clients will not decline. SEO is a long term strategy that you can use in order to achieve more than just your current goals. SEO can be used in whatever season and trend that may appear over time.

Maintaining a strategy for a long time can cost effort and money. But in the long run it can be one of your most cost effective strategies. Keeping SEO on check on the other hand is relatively easier than other strategies.

You will definitely notice any decline or improvement of your ranking in Search Engine Results Pages (also known as SERP). The ranking can change dramatically overnight; for example when any of your content gets viral on the web, you may find your site’s ranking rise drastically. And that is a very good thing to happen.

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Most Businesses are Doing SEO

Yes, this is true. If you have been having your head in the sand, it is time to face the truth.

You may not be doing SEO, but your competitors are doing it. And they are getting to the First Page of Google and other search engines, capturing more of the same target market as well as new market, and getting more and more sales every day.

So if other businesses and your competitors are doing SEO, why aren’t you? Nowadays, you will barely see companies without SEO in their Digital Marketing Strategies.

It is an indispensable strategy that companies closely monitor. And keep as a closely guarded secret. Most companies, if not all, want to stay on top of any field against their competitors, and SEO is no exemption to help them achieve that goal.

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Conclusion

People are constantly searching for products or services like yours. And they do it through search engines, whether on the desktop or mobile devices. If you have a business and want to improve your ranking on search engines, then finding a digital marketing firm or an SEO Consultant Singapore and expert that offers a flexible rate and holistic approach for your SEO and digital marketing needs is a must.

Investing on SEO provides a better solution together with other approaches that you already have. Many companies have experienced the power of SEO and recognized its importance as they personally witnessed the growth of the business through it. Isn’t it time your business invests in SEO?

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If you have ANY questions about this article, ANY at all, please submit your questions as comments below. I will be happy to help you out.

Thank you for reading this.

Best wishes to all!

Timotheus

Digital Marketer, Lecturer, Amazon Bestselling Author & Cancer Survivor