If you expect your business to be around and thriving for the next 3, 5, 7, or more years, there is no better inbound marketing method for your business than search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO is the only traffic strategy that improves your lead and customer acquisition over time, with the age of a website and its pages directly correlating to improved website rankings in the search.
In this article I’ll discuss why every business must use SEO as part of their marketing strategy.
Future customers are looking for you…
…But will they find you?
As many as 81% of consumers start their journey online (source), with the vast majority using search engines such as Google or Bing. Whether you need to repair a leaky sink, find a local car garage, or a new cotton t-shirt, almost everyone will turn to search engines first.
If you’re not using SEO to increase your online presence, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to place your business in front of large customer base.
“But I run a local business, so what use is SEO to me?”
Even if you’re a small business that only serves your local city or state, you can optimize your website for local SEO to ensure consumers in the right location see your business.
Local SEO prioritizes local businesses above global corporations allowing you to get the upper hand, which is not possible on paid mediums like Facebook or Instagram.
SEO is Free
Getting your business listed on the first page of a search is 100% free. You do not have to pay search engines a fee per click or month to list your business in the search.
Implementing SEO strategies such as content creation, on-page optimization, and link building can all be done by your in-house marketing team after reading a few guides and videos.
After email marketing, SEO was voted by marketers in 2014 as the second best channel for driving ROI.
(Source)
It Works 24/7
Unlike a Facebook advert or a paid ad placement, which stop running as soon as your budget has been reached, SEO works 24/7, 365 days of the year.
Once you have created your content and ranked your website correctly in the search, you don’t need to check your page every day to check various metrics, such as your cost per click or budget spend.
SEO works even when you don’t. All you’re required to do is to take a quick look at your analytics every fortnight to ensure your pages are ranking as they should.
Why aren’t you using SEO?
Ranking for industry keywords may be worth tens of thousands of dollars of revenue each year for your business, and it is the number one reason why so many businesses are focusing on content creation and improving their website SEO in 2017.
If you don’t have the expertise or time to work on your SEO strategy, there are dozens of guides that in-house marketers can follow, or you could use the help of a proven SEO agency if they don’t have the time.