Here’s the situation: you Googled something. (According to Ador SEO, the average person makes at least 3-4 Google searches per day.) Google arranged the results according to its SEO algorithm, and now you’re ready to see what it found for you.

Now, can you remember the last time you went to the 10th page of search results?

The fifth?

The second?

This, dear friends, is the definition of why search engine optimization – SEO – is of utmost importance. If your brand, your blog, your business isn’t showing up on page one, or as close to the top of search results as possible, you’re simply not going to receive the traffic you want.

Besides this, there are plenty of other reasons why SEO is crucial to any business’s marketing strategy.

In this post, we’ve rounded up some of the top reasons from the experts to help you understand the numerous benefits of SEO for your business.

Who should be using SEO?

Miromind poses the question: is SEO important for all types of businesses? Even if the business is not conducted online? They go on to answer: yes and yes.

Whether you’re a small business, local business, national business, mid to large enterprise, B2B company, or eCommerce site, you need SEO to be competitive. Of course, strategy and benefits may differ depending on the business type, but Miromind goes on to break down the various techniques and approaches they recommend.

While a lot of people still think of SEO as some kind of hocus-pocus, those, who properly work SEO into their online marketing strategy, enjoy such benefits of SEO for business as increase in traffic and conversions, visibility, credibility, brand awareness and better understanding of the customer behavior. — Miromind

Important benefits of SEO

According to CrazyEgg, one of the most useful benefits of good SEO is the fact that it helps bring your target audience directly to your website. You don’t have to do the work to seek them out – SEO brings them to you. 41% of consumers use search engines when they’re ready to purchase, and if they’re able to easily find you when searching, chances are good that “buy” action will be taken on your site.

Having a strong online presence will not only help you reach your marketing goals but will also enable your target audience to research and buy in a way that works for them. — CrazyEgg

CognitiveSEO takes this one step further – SEO is live 24/7, meaning it’s working even when you’re not. They compare it to a physical store. If your consumer is searching the internet, the search engine results are like a bunch of stores where they can walk in and try to find what they’re looking for. The ones on the first page are like nearby, open, and well-known shops. Your consumer is likely to check there – and find what they’re looking for – first.

SEO doesn’t sleep. It’s alive. If done right, it keeps your website alive, too, right there on the first page of Google, getting the attention of someone that might buy something from your site or recommend it to others. — CognitiveSEO

Beyond just keywords

A Google search isn’t just about the title of the result that appears – equally important is the “snippet” below it. As DA-14 points out, this limited-length snippet gives the consumer additional information about your website or service. If that snippet isn’t appealing and to-the-point, the consumer won’t click. A good SEO strategy includes not just keywords, but snippet optimization as well.

Optimized snippets are very clear and to the point… If you use the so-called “rich snippets” showing not only a short summary but also a thumbnail and rating, the degree of trust gets much higher. Your users will be much more inclined to click your address when they see the preview. — DA-14

SEO snippet

An example of this blog post’s snippet optimized for SEO

PracticalECommerce also recommends optimizing your website. It should be mobile-responsive, since more than half of Google searches come from smartphone users. Also, Google ranks organic search results based on a variety of factors, such as mobile experience and page speed. Even if you have the best keywords in the world, your site won’t rank as highly if it’s slow.

A mobile-friendly site is important for two reasons. First, according to Google, more than half of searches come from smartphones. Make sure that the experience of those users is seamless and engaging. —PracticalECommerce

Finally, one often-forgotten step of SEO is optimizing images and videos. ReliableSoft describes how media simply makes your content more interesting, which in turn makes your visitors more likely to stick around. Just like other types of SEO, media SEO has specific best practices to help give your content the best chance of ranking. ReliableSoft even provides an image-optimization step-by-step guide and checklist.

It’s another easy way to enforce your SEO by giving search engines the right signals on what your content is about through images. — ReliableSoft

Also, don’t forget to make sure your SEO keywords are found in the names of your media files, ALT text, description, and captions. It can even help your images rank higher on Google Image Search.

SparKCade says…

SEO can certainly seem overwhelming and confusing, for everyone from the small-business startup to the corporation CEO. But it really doesn’t have to be.

Many popular website content management systems, such as WordPress and Squarespace, come with built-in SEO tools and plugins to help anyone get started. These tools, such as WordPress’s Yoast plugin, guide users through different steps of SEO and provide them with a score and suggestions to improve it.

Reach out to us if you want to learn more about how to take your SEO a step further to benefit your brand – whether you already feel comfortable, or you’re just getting started.

Bio: Brent runs Sparkcade Marketing. Equally adept in industries from entertainment to highly regulated verticals, Sparkcade puts the “fun” in sales funnel and knows how to weave a compelling story for even the most daunting assignment. // sparkcade.com // brent@sparkcade.com