An up-to-date and innovative marketing strategy is crucial for a business that wants to remain relevant. Considering that organic search is behind 53.3% of all website traffic, you can’t afford to just adhere to the search engine guidelines sometimes.
You need to include search engine optimization in your strategy if you want to grow and improve your brand’s online presence.
Considering that more and more companies have gone digital, a SEO marketing strategy has become a necessity. After all, 75% of users don’t scroll past the first page of search engine results.
So, it’s safe to say that search engine optimization is a cornerstone of an effective digital strategy.
Still not sure if you should be incorporating SEO in your digital marketing strategy? Then, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the importance of SEO.
What Is SEO?
SEO or search engine optimization encompasses practices that help with optimizing your website in order to rank higher in organic search results.
While Google has over 200 ranking factors, increasing organic traffic and ranking higher in SERPs (search engine results pages) is easier with white hat or good SEO techniques.
An effective SEO strategy consists of three elements:
- On-page SEO: consists of on-site techniques such as conducting keyword research or incorporating target keywords in the meta description and title tag or adding alt text to images.
- Off-page SEO: focuses on practices outside of your website, like enhancing your website’s reputation and authority by building high-quality backlinks.
- Technical SEO: aims to create a website that is easy to crawl for search engines , but also easy to navigate for users. So, it is mainly concerned with elements that improve the user experience such as page speed, site architecture, and mobile-friendliness.
Want to find out more? Then, check out our guide on mastering SEO-friendly content!
Why Is SEO Important for Marketing Strategies?
From expanded target audience to increased brand awareness or higher search engine rankings, these are just a few factors that constitute the importance of SEO.
Think about it, when integrating SEO tactics into your strategy, the chances of driving highly targeted traffic to your web pages increase.
So, are you ready to find out more about why SEO efforts are fundamental for successful marketing strategies? Then, keep reading!
- Improves Credibility
Prioritizing SEO also means constantly improving your website’s health and authority. After all, in order for a site to rank high on search engine results pages, it has to be considered high-quality and trustworthy by search engines.
So, if search engines perceive a website as trustworthy… chances are it probably is.
Remember, 75% of users don’t even scroll past the first page of results. So, showing up on the first page of Google will gain users’ trust and position your website as a credible source.
- Gains Visibility
Marketing campaigns are usually focused on a determined target audience. However, with a SEO strategy, you can target multiple audiences simultaneously.
Think about it, SEO focuses on keywords instead of demographics. Therefore, you can target users based on their search intent, no matter where they are in the buyer’s journey.
You can start by creating a list of relevant keywords that you would like to rank for and then by using keyword research tools you can expand it.
- Improves User Engagement
When users arrive on your website through an organic search, they are probably looking for what your business has to offer. So, these visitors did not randomly click on an ad; they intentionally searched for something related to your business.
That being said, if your content matches search intent and your website is user-friendly, visitors will spend more time browsing. Besides, those visitors who spend longer on your website, are more likely to form a connection with the brand and, also, more likely to convert.
- Helps with Local Searches
Did you know that 46% of Google searches are related to location?
Having said that, unless you are in e-commerce, your business will most probably benefit from local SEO. So, by optimizing your business’s description with relevant keywords and by claiming your business listings online, not only can you grow a local following but also attract more leads.
After all, through SEO practices you are informing search engines about who you are and the type of information and services you offer, and, this way, attracting your target audience becomes easier.
Eager to find out more? Then, read our article on the benefits of local SEO.
- Works Together with Content Marketing
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Since Google’s aim is to deliver “useful and relevant results in a fraction of a second”, informative and quality content is key for a valuable SEO strategy.
For example, by writing evergreen content, you can provide users with useful and high-quality content while also ranking high in search engines. Essentially, timeless or evergreen content does not go out of trend because it offers users valuable and consistent information. Hence, this type of content delivers long-term traffic.
In fact, evergreen content can bring about overall growth for a company as it builds backlinks and drives traffic consistently.
- Enhances Website Usability
Usability and SEO may seem quite different, but, in fact, they complete each other. While SEO is all about attracting visitors to a website, usability focuses on what happens after visitors land on your website.
Therefore, your SEO performance may be great but if you don’t also prioritize website usability, visitors won’t turn into customers.
However, since Google and other search engines take factors such as linking structures or site speed into consideration, when you are optimizing your website for search engines, you are also improving your website’s usability.
So, website usability and SEO go hand in hand and by improving both, chances are that not only traffic will increase but also conversions and satisfaction.
Take Your Marketing Strategy to The Next Level with SEO!
Are you ready to drive more quality traffic to your website? To increase your chances of ranking on the first search engine results page? To establish brand awareness and increase your brand’s credibility?
Then, you cannot afford to neglect SEO.
Your marketing efforts will skyrocket once you commit to making your website search-engine friendly. In fact, 61% of B2B marketers stated that SEO drove more traffic than other marketing activities.
Still not sure where to start? CadenceSEO is here to help your company achieve its vision and drive high-converting organic traffic to your website. From the technical SEO audit to keyword research, optimization, ongoing content creation, and, the final authority development step, our five-step process will offer you guidance and result in long-term results.
Don’t wait another minute! Book a free SEO consultation with us today!
