In today's business world, everything needs to be optimised to fit the online market.

Besides the potential for reaching a larger, global market, companies that make the transition from traditional marketing strategies to digital ones one-up the competition by simply appearing on Google's search results.

One of the most popular methods of digital marketing is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). But with everyone else doing it, should you hop on the bandwagon? Does it even produce benefits? Or is it just a fad?

In this article, we will get into the truth about SEO and if your business actually needs it to thrive in today’s digital market.

Are you sceptical about the benefits of SEO for your business? Speak to us at Smarter Media for more information about SEO.

Why do you need SEO services?

The internet is being used in a variety of ways. Almost every person with an internet connection uses search engines to find what they need. One use that stands the test of time is search engines that help you find anything you need from baby items to the best restaurants in towns you've never even heard of.

This means, whatever your products or services are, having an online presence will be beneficial for any business in any industry.

But with the competition out there, simply creating a website isn't enough for potential customers to find your content. This is where SEO comes in - a way for your business to show up first on the search results page.

So, is SEO a good investment for your business?

The answer is yes. 100%.

And if a business doesn't use SEO and has a website, you'll be able to find your website… after 15 pages of clicking.

Here are 8 reasons why your website needs to be optimised using SEO strategies:

1. It helps build your brand. Branding methods can now be a combination of traditional marketing strategies and digital marketing strategies. SEO falls into the digital marketing category and is a powerful tool for building your brand. It helps establish your online presence and be able to develop it even further since you can track the audience that views your website.
2. Websites that are optimised gain more foot traffic. SEO's main goal is to improve the rankings of your website to attract more traffic in order to convert them into sales. It’s simple: with SEO, your website gains more viewers, further increasing the chances of someone purchasing a product or service.
3. No paid ads required. Unlike Google ads, SEO organically enables your website to appear on top of the search results page - without having to pay Google!
4. Helps you identify your target audience. Because SEO monitors a website’s stats as a basic function, you also get a peek at your target audience’s search information. When you know what your audience is searching for, you are able to customise your content so they find your products and services.
5. SEO boosts credibility and authority. Consumers today have a plethora of information they can consult before making a purchase. But even with all the information at their hands, trusting online websites can be scary. With SEO, you can create informative, value-adding, trustworthy content that your clients can rely on.
6. Stay on top of the competition. Besides improving your website, SEO helps you move beyond your competitors. Think about it this way: most search engine users are more likely to click on the first entry (after the ads) than the second, third, or fourth entry. This means that the higher you move up the search engine rankings, the better chances your website has of gaining traffic.
7. Improved user experience. Google wants to provide the best results for its users. This means pushing the best, most relevant, and most accurate content on the web. SEO helps you get a hold of what audiences want and dislike, allowing you to make the necessary adjustments to gain leads.
8. Easier to measure. It's easy to spot where you're doing well and where you can improve with SEO statistics.

Why does SEO cost so much?

The benefits of SEO seem too good to be true, it’s impossible that it doesn’t come with a hefty price tag, right? So, your next question might be, how much should you spend on SEO?

Contrary to popular belief, SEO isn't expensive. It's actually one of the cheapest ways to advertise your company, especially compared to traditional methods. That's the beauty of SEO - you can temper the services and analytics based on your budget. So SEO can be as cost-effective and as expensive as you want it to be.

Why would SEO be perceived to cost so much, then?

Here are 3 reasons why SEO can be expensive:

1. Results take time and you pay on a monthly basis. With SEO, organic growth is key. This means overnight results are nonexistent with SEO. And if an agency promises overnight results, they're likely lying. But, the time you spend cultivating your website pays off as SEO has long-term benefits.
2. SEO requires work. In reality, SEO takes a lot of work and manpower. From building a website, monitoring monthly analytics, creating content, keyword research, making adjustments, keeping on top of algorithm changes and conducting audits - it takes a lot of effort and skill for SEO to work efficiently.
3. SEO requires experts. Speaking of expertise, SEO requires a ton of it. Digital marketing is no joke and takes as much skill as traditional forms of marketing.

Why is SEO important for eCommerce?

SEO is essential for eCommerce websites as your products need to rank higher compared to your competitors, making sure that clients will click on your website over theirs. If you’re in the eCommerce business, here are the essential SEO strategies you should definitely have in your arsenal:

Keyword research

It all starts with keyword research to ensure you are targeting the right search phrases to input in your product descriptions. Incorrectly inputting the wrong keywords can negatively affect your impressions thus, not be able to convert traffic into business.

Look into product-focused keywords, buyer intent, and tools such as SEMrush and Amazon Suggest.

Longtail keywords

These keywords are another important factor for eCommerce websites as they are able to boost the traffic of your website. It provides a greater opportunity to differentiate yourself from existing listings while still keeping within the same thought.

For example:

Head keyword: buy chocolate

Long-tail keyword: buy organic almond dark chocolate

Same idea, just more refined.

Site architecture

In order to create usability and crawlability, your website’s structure needs to be sleek yet straightforward. This means that any user should be able to navigate through your website with ease.

Most SEO agencies have the expertise to do just that!

User-focused strategy

The best strategy is the one that prioritises your clients. But because Google is difficult to predict, there is only one thing you can count on in terms of the algorithm: Google prioritises user experience.

This alone should motivate you to improve every aspect of your website including SEO. So even when Google shifts their algorithm, you are sure to provide a great experience for your users.

Use tools

There are tons of tools you can use to monitor SEO and its effectiveness on your website.

To optimise keyword research, you can try:

• Google Keyword Planner
• Ubersuggest
• KeywordTool.io

Simplify on-page optimisation through:

• SEMrush
• Screaming Frog
• Redirect Path

Improve off-page optimization using:

• Ahrefs
• Open Site Explorer

Monitor results through these tools:

• Google Analytics
• Google Search Console

Improve conversion rates,

• GTMetrix
• Crazy Egg

Why SEO is important for small businesses

SEO helps you create a user-friendly website that allows businesses to generate website traffic to convert lurkers into leads.

In other words, when you get more people to click on your website, it’s more likely for people to purchase a product or service - simply because they know of your existence.

Although big businesses and conglomerates make use of digital marketing to no end, it’s actually the smaller businesses that thrive with SEO. This is because the advertising playing field is somewhat levelled when SEO is in play.

Small businesses thrive when they embark on their local SEO journey.

Are you interested to learn more about how local SEO can help your business thrive? Give us a call at Smarter Media today.

Why you need SEO for your business

Overall, any business of any size and industry will benefit from having an excellent SEO strategy. More than that, a company will truly thrive with the help of an expert SEO agency that guides them towards the right path.

Besides being able to build your brand, trust, authority and increase sales, SEO provides a beautiful way to increase the longevity of your brand.

Smarter Media is a digital growth agency using our Smarter Approach to help your business grow digitally. Working side by side with our clients, we use our 'Smarter Way' Process to create a plan that delivers results and our 'Smarter Promise' to do what we say we will. For a more comprehensive look at SEO, or to find out how you can achieve a better ROI with SEO & Paid Media working side by side, set an appointment with Smarter Media today!