By Jason Poulos
For me, it’s a simple question, but others might struggle when the above question is posed about search engine optimization (SEO).
If you want your website to be found through a search engine, your site needs to be optimized in a manner that search engines find friendly. From the content itself down to how the site is built, all factor into how well your site ranks in search engines. This process of tweaking a website to be more search friendly is called search engine optimization.
Years ago, simply having a web presence could yield high rankings in search, but those days are long gone. Today, being found through search is a much more extensive process. If you want to be found, having a web presence is important, but having an optimized website for search is even more critical.
If building an online reputation and driving traffic to your website is a priority, here are the most important reasons why to optimize when planning your digital strategy:
- People use Search Engines
If you use the Internet, you’ve probably used a search engine. More than 77 percent of mobile consumers use search engines to find information, and Google has about 3 billion daily searches. Optimizing your website will increase your chances of standing out from the crowd in the eyes of the search engines. - 1st Page Results
Only about 10 percent of web users venture past the third page of their search results. An optimized site can help you raise your site to the first page of results. - SEO Works
Assuming you follow the industries best practices and are not trying to trick the search engines, you will rank better. If managed correctly, and without any tomfoolery, your site will inevitably rank better than prior to optimization. - SEO is Measurable
Using tools like Google Analytics, you can measure the success of an SEO campaign and measure pre-site optimization search traffic to that of post-site optimization. Reports of this nature can be a valuable tool for you to track the origin of search engine traffic, measure “conversion” (how these searches have converted into sales), and in turn, demonstrate the return on investment of an SEO campaign for your client. Compared to traditional methods such as direct mail or banner ads, if done properly, SEO will have a significantly higher ROI.
With a degree in communication design from VCU as well as experience in web development and digital marketing, Jason brings a unique blend of assets to CRT/tanaka. In 2012 Jason helped win 4 awards for his SEO work on PureCanadaMaple.com. Outside of his digital work, Jason enjoys brewing his own beer and restoring his1970 Chevrolet Nova. Jason is a new father and enjoys spending time with his family and his 150-pound English Mastiff.
Because it works!