Why Bother with Search Engine Optimization? | Five Minute Marketing
As a business owner, you’ve got a million things on your plate…you have clients to keep happy, products and services to create, a thousand emails to answer (per DAY!), fires to put out, employees and contractors to deal with…and it’s already tax season again somehow! When it comes to marketing, the big push is to be visible on social media, and for now even that may feel like too much to handle!
Today, I am making a case for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and why it is even more important than social media marketing. Almost every business has a website, but very few business owners prioritize key updates needed to make their business show up on Google to potential customers. These are the top reasons why SEO matters as you consider your online success.
1) Websites on the first page of Google receive 90-95% of total web traffic. (according to a variety of sources)
If that doesn’t make you drop everything and prioritize your website now, I don’t know what will! If you are not making strides toward the first page on Google, the simple truth is that you are falling behind. Think about your own search habits - how often do you make it past page 1 when you are looking for the answer to your question? In turn, how long are you hoping your potential customers will look before stumbling across your website? It’s proven that almost nobody goes past page 2, so your first priority should be moving up in the rankings…and fast!
2) People are often on search engines for the purpose of making a purchase.
Most social media traffic is for fun, engaging content, or connecting with other people online. If a purchase happens, it is because a business’ marketing made it past all the noise…but that’s difficult (and often expensive!) to do! If someone comes to Google searching for a particular product or service, they are far more likely to be ‘ready to buy’ than when they are scrolling Instagram for fun in the afternoon.
3) An excellent, up-to-date website is an expectation.
According to this article, 98% of shoppers have decided not to buy because of incomplete or inaccurate website information. That’s scary. Optimizing your website for Google is not just about making sure the right keywords are in place - it’s about making sure you have the right information available, and frequently updating your website to make it relevant, both to search engines and your customers. Having a great website is often a minimum for purchases to be made, so don’t put it off - your business could depend on it.
The Quick + Easy Guide to Google Success
You know that as a business owner, being found on Google is a game-changer...if only you understood how to get on that elusive front page. This guide will teach you my top 5 quick, easy strategies to implement so you can start making your way to the top of the pack.