In today’s always connected, “Internet of Things” world, digital connections play a role in just about every aspect of our lives. And not just in our offices anymore. Its in our cars, our family room TVs, and even in our kitchens! So let’s face the facts – if you are not using digital marketing, you’re just not really marketing. So what does search engine optimization have to do with it, and what exactly does that mean to your business?

SEO, or search engine optimization is the process of making small but impactful modifications to your website so that it becomes easier for both the search engines (Google, Bing, etc.) and your users to access.

In simple terms, SEO is all about optimizing your website for the search engines so that it becomes more visible in search results.

People search for a lot of things online. And when they’re looking for something your business can help with, you want to be found right where they are.

Here we outline the top 5 ways SEO can positively impact your site’s online presence:

#1 Organic search results placement

Start any Google search, and you’ll see that the SERPS or search engine results pages show both paid ads results and well-ranked sites.

But did you know that the majority of website traffic comes from organic search results? This means people are more likely to click on websites that come up organically in searches instead of paid ads.

Of course, paid marketing strategies are still advantageous especially in terms of putting your brand out there, but the bulk of traffic coming from organic results tells us a lot about how important search engine optimization is  for your website.

#2 Site user experience enhancement

At the heart of search engine optimization is the aim of making the search experience more beneficial to your users. According to Google’s best SEO practices, any effort done for optimization should have the improvement of user experience as its goal.

When you do SEO for your website, you are making it easier for your audience/ prospects/ customers to find what they need through you.

In fact, Google emphasizes on this enhanced but simplified user experience by posting direct answers on search engine queries though the SERPS.

#3 White hat SEO

Not all SEO practices, however, are welcomed by Google. There is a differentiation between white hat SEO and black hat SEO practices.

White hat SEO or ethical SEO relies on optimization techniques that aim to increase rankings by keeping the needs of users in mind. Some of these strategies include utilizing relevant page titles, quality backlinks, well-written content, etc.

Black hat SEO risks Google penalty through the use of ranking tactics that fail to provide real user value — content automation, hidden text or links, negative SEO, and others.

Getting the expertise of an SEO professional can help ensure the use of ethical optimization strategies for your website, whether you’re targeting Google, Bing, or users of other search engines.

#4 Increased conversions through local SEO

Local search has revolutionized the way people find the things they need, want, and love. This requires optimizing your website for local searches now more than ever.

With more and more people utilizing mobile devices for everyday tasks including online searches, local SEO can make your website more visible and accessible to customers nearest you.

And in these trying times of the pandemic where people are staying put and putting travel on hold, local search engine optimization can help your website reach out to your neighborhood or your target niche more effectively than before.

#5 More than just keywords

And yet SEO is beyond keywords and content. According to Neil Patel in this article, other pertinent elements that factor into optimization include but are not limited to page loading speed, linking back to quality sites, and writing unique and relevant meta descriptions.

In a recent study, 40% of web users tend to abandon a site that loads for more than 3 seconds, while a whopping 80% will no longer revisit it.

By making sure that your website adheres to SEO parameters, you are not only taking care of rankings.

More crucially, you are ensuring a positive user experience every time someone clicks on your site, browses its pages, and completes a transaction.

So how important is search engine optimization?

Not only is SEO important, it is indispensable. This is why one of the biggest decisions you can make for your business is to invest in effective SEO or the right professionals who can do the work for you.

And Google even goes as far as saying that hiring the right SEO expert can save resources and improve your website for the long term.

You know how hard you’ve worked to get your business up and running. Employing the best SEO practices makes sure that all the hard work on your website, and ultimately your business, will not be put to waste.