Why is SEO So Important?

We often have posts that repeat the basics of SEO because it is something you cannot go over enough. Even the most experienced SEOs can do with a refresher now and then. Similarly, everyone is a newbie at some point and can use the extra help getting started on the right foot.  SEO means nothing at all to someone who doesn’t even understand that you have to optimize for search engines. For those people, let’s break it down in simple terms.

SEO = Search Engine Optimization

Before there was such a thing as SEO, the web was full of pages that search engines began to index and catalogue in a long tedious and often haphazard manner. Eventually, algorithms were developed to try and categorize web pages so search queries could bring up relevant results and save users tons of time sifting through pages of possibly correct results. This led to many people trying to figure out the algorithms so they could manipulate their web-pages to rank higher – and search engine optimization was born of that.

Now, SEO is a multimillion dollar industry that no one that is serious about rankings can ignore. A good SEO Firm can help you achieve high rankings, leading to more traffic to your site, leading to more conversions and higher profits. That is the goal of anyone on the web whether it be immediate or a slow building process toward it.

Implementing SEO on your site is best done at the build stage. Trying to go back and fix omissions can take valuable time and money and delay your site from reaching its full potential. No one has time to waste doing work twice.

First is content. Content can be optimized with keywords, so the search engines recognize what your site is about. This sounds like a basic, and it is, but it is not as easy as it sounds. It’s like overhearing bits of a conversation between two people seated next to you on a bus. You hear ‘skiing’, ‘ski instructor’, ‘skis’, ‘ski lift’, and you can be pretty sure the conversation is about skiing. Your web-pages are part of a conversation on the web, and you need to make sure your message is coming through loud and clear so people know exactly what you are all about.

Imagine a room on top floor of your house, with no staircase to reach it, no windows and no door. Links are the way you get to one page from another, so a page with no links is like that room – inaccessible. Make sure all your pages can be reached by the search engine ‘spiders’. There needs to be multiple points of entry to get the most out of this.

Keep in mind  that a #1 spot doesn’t automatically mean you are the winner and get all the conversions. Top ranking is like being the closest store off the interstate. It can lead to a lot of traffic, but if your store is dirty and the layout makes people get lost, and they can’t find what they need, you won’t sell anything.

Conversions are the ultimate goal of SEO, not traffic. You want people to not only come in your store, but do their shopping and pay at the register on their way out. A conversion can be a comment on your blog, a download, a subscription to a newsletter, or even just the typing of an email address into a contact box. The point is, you need to get something from whoever is visiting – that is your conversion.

Understanding basic SEO is key to making it work for you. Don’t let gurus fill your head with nonsense – have a reputable SEO firm lead the way, helping and educating you! Use common sense and start on the right foot with the right SEO firm and you will be swimming in conversions in no time!

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