Why Your Site Needs SEO

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization,” which is the strategy we use  to increase your website’s search engine rankings for the specific keyword terms for which you want your site to be found.

We All Start with Search

Search engines are the controllers of website traffic. People typically won’t even find your site unless you’re ranked in the first SERP, or search engine result page. Some studies claim you need to be one of the first three links, since the first three organic (not paid) search ranking positions garner almost 40 percent of all click-throughs, and up to 30 percent of results on pages one and two don’t even receive any clicks.

Google is still the king of search engines, serving up approximately 75% of all searches. Sites like Bing, Yahoo! and other smaller engines comprise the rest. These companies employ ever-evolving, secretive algorithms to determine which sites should rank highest when specific keywords are typed in the search field.

So What is SEO?

It’s impossible to turn every algorithm to your advantage, but you can boost your site’s ranking through SEO. The term encompasses a number of diverse (and also evolving) strategies that help increase your site’s ranking on SERPS.

To achieve SEO, you’ll want to create a site that is easy to use and provides all of the information your customers seek. You can do this with a content and keyword strategy using relevant content plus meta tags, title tags, image tags and other backend features that include your most searched keywords. Your site must also have a sound internal link structure and inbound links (called backlinks) that direct traffic your way from quality sites. Your outbound links must also go to well-traveled sites. And your pages should load quickly.

SEO vs. PPC

It’s also important to understand SEO’s distinction from PPC (pay-per-click). With PPC, companies pay search engines to serve up your ad in a top position when someone types in your keyword; this is done through a bidding system. Even though SEO may take longer (approximately 6-12 months) to show results, it’s more affordable and the results last much longer than PPC. Since SEO costs are all upfront, you can skip the ongoing $1 – $2 per click and get your cost per acquisition down. When you stop buying keywords through a PPC campaign, the higher click throughs immediately end; not so with SEO.

With SEO, you’re adding long-term value and establishing a strong brand. And since the inbound leads that come from SEO are the primary drivers of website traffic, SEO is key to boosting your business. In fact, organic search provides 51 percent of all website traffic, whereas PPC contributes only ten percent, social media five percent, and the remaining 34 percent come from other sources.

SEO boosts your business in many ways.
Here are the leading ones »

So SEO is a no brainer for many reasons. We implement SEO best practices into every website we build. The resulting rankings and other intangible benefits pay dividends for years.

Are you ranking as high as you’d like? Let us help you make a big difference with a smart SEO strategy.