We are all well immersed in the online world. The days of only having an in-shop presence are over and if a company wants to be successful, then you must be online. You can have a website and a business card but to be seen and be visible online to potential customers, you must use the process known as SEO (search engine optimisation). Back in 1990, the very first search engine was founded by creator Alan Emtage and it was called Archive but shortened it to Archie without the V. It made digital history and become one of the most influential inventions of the digital revolution. In 1998, Google search engine was born. Google is now very much the most known and established search engine in the world. In this blog, we are looking at the ways your business in London can benefit from SEO.
What is SEO?
SEO is short for Search Engine Optimisation. It is a strategic process that ranks your website higher on search engines like Google with the help of relevant keywords, on-site and off-site SEO. Ranking higher will increase your visibility, leading to a higher number of visitors to your site in turn gaining you profitable business in the long term. It is not something that happens overnight, it takes time and hard work and up to 6 months to see positive results for your business. On site SEO is in relation to optimising your site, meta descriptions, title tags, quality content, and more. Off-site is related to back links, pay per click, domain authority, social signals, and more.
SEO increases traffic to your business
Websites are generally searched through a search engine like Google, so if your website is visible in search results, you can then make business from customers. SEO is one of the most effective ways to bring traffic to your online business. By optimizing high quality content and relevant keywords on your site, this will make it easier for customers to find your products and service. Google search engine is most popular for ranking online websites. Websites in the top 3 positions on search engines will generally receive most of the clicks and impressions so if you are ranking in top positions, this will result in increased traffic to your site. Having optimized descriptions and tags will help increase click through rate which will help promote an increase in qualified web traffic.
SEO will help build credibility and trust
Every day people use Google search engine to find a product or service and most people trust Google. By ranking your website higher in search engines, your business will build credibility and trust with your audience. It is essential for your site to be found on the first page. SEO will help build your business and make people more aware of your brand. Awareness is important as with some visitors they may not purchase straight away but are aware of the products you provide and may purchase in the near future. If your site is ranking higher, users will have more confidence in your business. Effective search engine results will generate more visitors, readers, sales, and leads.
Better return on investment than paid ads
SEO has a higher return on investment than paid ads. Every business wants to see a return on the money that they are investing and SEO can provide this. The service can be affordable depending on your budget however the money that is put in will always payoff in terms of the benefits and sales that you will receive. Good SEO implementation will have long lasting results. It will provide quantifiable and trackable results, regardless of whether you are non-e commerce or e-commerce there is no doubt when it comes to your return on investment. By utilising an SEO company, they will be able to keep track of every aspect of your business, like traffic, conversions, and rankings. SEO in bound can help a business save money as opposed to outbound strategy like cold calling. Things don’t happen overnight, generally, ROI becomes noticeable from 6 months onwards.
Gives you a competitive edge
In the business world, there is always competition and there is always a company trying to compete with you. Two businesses may be selling the same products and sometimes at the same prices, but the site that is optimised will grow quicker and become more successful in the long term. SEO gives you a head start and a competitive edge over your competitors. The more popular keywords that you rank for, the more visitors you will attract. These visitors will start to notice your brand and keep your business in mind. As a small business fighting to share the market with another competitor, it is essential that you leverage anything possible to grow, that’s where SEO comes in. SEO provides smaller businesses with the opportunity to compete on a large scale even without the same financial resources as a bigger company. It can help you build relevance and reputation in your area.
Gain a better user experience
The user experience is a significant factor for building your brand. The search engines want to see a good integration of relevant videos and photos, low bounce rates, high time on site, and a mobile friendly design. These elements are essential for giving a positive and better user experience for your visitors. Optimizing your site will have positive effects and improve your overall user experience. A great user experience also means more trust, increased brand loyalty, and higher conversion rates.
Creates Brand awareness
Another benefit of gaining higher rankings on search engines is creating more brand awareness. When your website is showing up on the first page of all major SERPS such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, your potential customers will trust your brand more compared to other brands that may not have a strong web presence. Small businesses that are seeking to build a better brand awareness either nationally or locally you must invest in SEO to potentially gain top rankings for the KEY terms related to your business. Being present on social media, as well as customer reviews, and getting your business featured on other valuable content, will encourage potential customers to return to your site and convert to leads and sales. Only by being recognized, will you then become an industry leader and attract new customers on a day-to-day basis.
SEO is one of the most used and most effective ways of promoting your business and gaining new customers every day online. With the right SEO strategies and techniques, this can provide exceptional results for your business. Above all, search engine optimisation drives traffic to your site and influence’s visibility of your site on search engines like Google. The costs of SEO can be flexible however, the benefits will be visible for many years to come. It is a long term investment and results don’t happen overnight; however, it is undeniable that SEO is one of the best ways to promote your business online.