First of all, what in the world is SEO? Here’s a quick crash course for dummies on SEO: it stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the practice of improving both the quality and quantity of website traffic and increasing brand awareness through search engine results. Understanding what people are searching for online, the problems/answers they’re looking for, the words they’re using to search for their “problem” and how they want to consume that content (blog, video, social media, website, etc.).



Basically, you don’t want your website to end up on page 863 of a Google search because no one will ever find your website/business.



Great, now that you know what SEO is, let’s get on to WHY you need it for your website.



How to use SEO for your business.

Organic search is usually the primary source of website traffic. Whenever you type a question into Google or any other search engine (let’s be real it’s most likely Google), the results you get (below the ads) are what’s called organic search. Organic search is a huge component of a businesses’ website performance and plays a critical role in getting users to complete an action or engagement on a website, and you definitely want your website to make it on the 1st page of that search.

It’s cost-effective

SEO is relatively cheap. Sure, it costs money, doesn’t everything? The saying “you get what you pay for” is applicable to this situation. Compared to other forms of online marketing such as PPC, social media advertising, or purchasing leads, SEO has a pretty good ROI (return on investment). While PPC may drive more revenue and social media establishes an image, SEO is the foundation of your online presence.

It’s here for the long-term

SEO isn’t the boyfriend you dated for 2 weeks in high school who you planned to spend the rest of your life with and wrote his name all over your notebook. It isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so might as well learn it and use it *insert shrugging emoji here.* Even using basic SEO practices on a website will improve its traffic. Think of it this way, the more time and effort you put into SEO, the better and longer a website stands to be a worthy opponent within its industry.

SEO builds credibility

Have you ever stumbled upon a website that isn’t really a website but a page of 1 blurry photo and 3 sentences? First of all, you must have been deep in the trenches with your Google search. Secondly, we have all just about happened upon a website like this and the majority thought is probably “this business isn’t real it’s a scam.”

Every brand wants to gain the trust of their customers. With good SEO implementation on a businesses’ website, an aesthetically pleasing design that is easy to navigate, and an overall great user experience, the foundation for credibility and trust will be established.

Remember, like in anything, it takes time to build trust and credibility. Having patience and commitment is key, as well as an awesome product or service that encourages customers to trust a brand.

Search engines take about 80-90% percent of the market share

The majority of customers check online reviews before purchasing a product or service, 80-90% to be more exact. That’s a huge percentage of people, and it’s only expected to increase. So if you want customers to find you through organic SEO, make sure it’s BEASTLY or they’ll just find your competitors instead.

Your competitors are doing it, and you should be also

This just goes back to not being on the 1st page of a Google search. You don’t want to be on page 983 while your competitors are all on the 1st page. SEO, like many other forms of online marketing, is a never-ending process. Keep up-to-date, or have whoever you hired to do your SEO keep up to date, and keep moving forward. Don’t let your competitors beat you to the punch!

In a nutshell, SEO is super important and it’s not going away anytime soon. SEO is critical to a brand’s web presence and is an important tool that you can use to attract customers. Try it out, hire someone [hint, hint] and make it a goal to be #1 on that Google search.