The internet has revolutionized business over the past couple of decades. Consumers do a significant part of their shopping online, and a strong online presence is essential for a business to succeed. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is one of the most important tools to improve online visibility. Read on to learn more about SEO and to find out how it can benefit your bottom line.
What is SEO?
Search engines use algorithms to show users the most relevant results. When a person searches the internet for a product or service you provide, you want your website to be one of the first results they see. Search engine optimization is the work of making sure your site shows up on that first page of results (1). There are many factors that make a site rank higher or lower on a search engine. A few of these include use of keywords in site content, site organization, and links to other authoritative sites.
Benefits of Optimization
While navigating Google’s rankings can be a daunting task, the work is worth it. Good SEO practices can bring major benefits for your business. Here are some ways optimization can help your business succeed.
More Overall Traffic
An optimized site has the potential to be a high-traffic site. If a user makes a search and finds your page useful, they are likely to spend some time on your site. In the world of online commerce, getting customers to click on the site is everything. Time spent on your website leads to interactions with your business.
Lower Bounce Rates
The bounce rate for your website refers to how often users land on your website and then leave without navigating within it. Many times, this happens because the site is not relevant to what the user wants. It can also happen when the website is not very user-friendly, or when there aren’t clearly relevant links to click through.
High bounce rates can lead to fewer meaningful interactions from customers on your website. Search engine optimization can help you make sure your website shows up when it’s relevant. Best practices in SEO also focus on making the site readable and easy to navigate for users. Ultimately, this leads to more contact with your business and more sales.
Mobile Traffic
Most consumers these days carry sophisticated computers in their pockets. People do their online shopping from their smartphones, so mobile site optimization is incredibly important. In fact, Google started ranking sites based on their mobile version in 2018 (1). Mobile-optimized sites make your business more accessible, and this drives sales.
You have probably experienced the frustration of clicking on a site from your smartphone to find that it does not run well on mobile. Most likely, you didn’t stay on that site. Effective SEO practices must focus not only on your desktop site, but also on your mobile format.
References
1. ‘What is SEO & How it Works’. Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-101/what-is-seo/#close