If you’re a business owner with a website, odds are you’ve heard of the term “SEO” before. But what exactly does that term mean? And is it as important to the success of your business as people tell you that it is?
First, let’s briefly address what SEO is. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the act of creating a website and website content with search engine traffic in mind.
Safari SEO Agency explains that search engines like Google have certain rules and regulations they want sites to abide by based on providing the best experience to web users. By following these rules and guidelines, you can improve your rankings which will lead to more web traffic by doing so, which is the goal for any website owner.
But is SEO really necessary for your business to succeed? And is it something that you have to have in 2019?
If you’re asking yourself these kinds of questions, wonder no longer, because we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll tell you 13 reasons why SEO is critical for all business owners, especially those trying to grow or get their businesses off the ground.
Now then, let’s get started!
1. SEO Isn’t Going Anywhere Anytime Soon
SEO has been around for years now and isn’t going away anytime soon. If anything, it’s only become more important over time. So if you want to establish an online presence, and have success with your website, it’s important that you master the skill that is SEO… and quickly.
Simply put, it’s not an internet fad. It’s going to be around, and continue to evolve, for the foreseeable future.
2. Your Competitors Are Doing It
It’s safe to assume that your competitors are most likely already implementing good SEO practices and have been for some time now. Again, SEO isn’t some new thing, and it isn’t going away, so it’s necessary if you want to succeed online.
So if you want to rank above the competition, and be the first thing potential customers see after a Google search, SEO is an absolute must.
3. You’ll Improve Your Site’s User Experience
It’s important to note that, at its core, SEO revolves around user experience. Because if Google is always sending users to bad websites, users will stop using Google, which isn’t what Google wants.
That’s why Google only ranks sites that offer a good user experience, so they don’t lose credibility with their users by recommending them. And if you want your site to rank highly for a search result, you have to make sure the user experience you’re offering is up to par.
So by practicing good SEO, you’ll be forced to improve your site’s user experience. And things like good navigation, fast loading times, and mobile-friendliness can go a long way in helping you stand out above the crowd.
4. SEO Forces You to Make Good Content
Again, if you want to rank highly on sites like Google, you have to offer a good user experience. And a crucial part of doing that is creating good content that users are going to enjoy reading.
Google’s algorithms have the ability to scan your site and determine if your content is legit or not. Things like keywords in certain places, overall length, and spacing play a crucial role in determining if your site passes the test.
A pro tip? Do some research on creating SEO-friendly content. Master the skills needed to do so, and write with SEO in mind, so you can improve your chances of ranking at the top of search results.
5. You’ll Get More Web Traffic
Obviously, the overall goal of creating a website is to actually get people to click on and browse your work. Well, with SEO, you’ll notice a pretty significant spike in web traffic in a short amount of time.
This increased traffic, due to folks finding you via their favorite search engine, can help you grow your business or get it off the ground if you’re just getting started.
6. It’ll Help Your Business Grow
Regardless of what kind of business you have, in order to grow, you have to have a massive online presence. And simply put, that’s not possible without SEO.
So if you’re in the early stages of launching your business, or trying to grow and increase in size, good SEO is crucial.
7. Ad Revenue Is a Real Thing
If you’ve been on the internet for a while now, you’re most likely already familiar with how programs like Google Adsense work. But can you really make a ton of money just by putting ads on your site? The short answer: yes.
All of that traffic can turn ad revenue via your site into a major stream of income for you and your business. And of course, with that new stream of income comes the freedom and the ability to try new things and grow, which is ideal for any business owner.
8. You’ll Make More Money Online
Ad revenue isn’t the only way to make money online with your website. Things like eCommerce stores, subscription-based services, and even sponsored posts are a great way to make some cash.
And as we touched on earlier, this extra stream of income can really change your business and give you the breathing room that you need to grow. And if you’re just starting out, this can help get you off the ground and allow you to do what you need to do to stay afloat in the early stages.
9. You’ll Look Professional and Credible
There’s nothing worse than looking like an amateur online. And sites like Google won’t even rank a website if it’s not legit, which means if you want to rank you have to have a professional and credible website.
Besides actually ranking high, SEO can help you stand out to potential customers, too. They’ll trust that you and your business are legit and want to do work with you as a result, which of course is a good thing.
10. You Can Rank for Google My Business
If you’re a local business, getting at the top of the Google My Busines rankings should be a huge goal for you. And with SEO, you can take one huge step forward in making that a reality.
It goes without saying, but being at or near the top of local search results can change your business for the better. And again, if you’re trying to grow, it’s an absolute must-have for your business.
11. SEO Increases Your Brand Awareness
Brand awareness is a big deal in 2019 and for good reason. Big brands rule the world nowadays, and odds are there is at least one major brand that dominates your niche, too.
All of the eyeballs that your business and your website will get thanks to SEO can go a long way in helping you increase your brand awareness. That can make things like advertising much easier, especially if you can manage to grab a large share of your market.
12. You’ll Gain More Social Media Followers
The social media website Twitter has over 120 million users each day. That’s a large audience, and one you should be trying to capitalize on.
The increased traffic that your business and its website will receive thanks to SEO can lead to you getting more followers on social media. You can then use these platforms to promote your products, services, and brand, which is a nice resource to have.
13. SEO Isn’t as Hard as You Think
Oftentimes, people over-complicate SEO, which leads to them avoiding it completely. This is the worst thing you can do, especially because of how simple and easy SEO is to master.
Again, it’s all about offering users the best experience. By doing that, search engines will take note, and then rank you and your business accordingly.
So don’t over-complicate it and you should be just fine. And if you still need some help, the folks over at SEOExplode can help get you started!
Why Business Owners Shouldn’t Ignore SEO
Well, there you have it! Those are 13 reasons why business owners shouldn’t ignore SEO, especially if they want to grow their brand or business online.
As you can see, SEO isn’t complicated or hard to understand. Simply focus on offering a good user experience, and master those skills, so you can create a site with content that meets those requirements.
Above all else, don’t avoid SEO, and at least implement a few key SEO practices on your site to improve your chances of ranking on sites like Google.
Looking for more advice on how you can get your startup business off the ground? Check out the rest of our blog!