What is SEO?

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.

The Crucial Elements of SEO

To understand the true meaning of SEO, let's break that definition down and look at the parts:

• Quality of traffic. You can attract all the visitors in the world, but if they're coming to your site because Google tells them you're a resource for Apple computers when really you're a farmer selling apples, that is not quality traffic. Instead, you want to attract visitors who are genuinely interested in the products that you offer.

• Quantity of traffic. Once you have the right people clicking through from those search engine results pages (SERPs), more traffic is better.

• Organic results. Ads make up a significant portion of many SERPs. Organic traffic is any traffic that you don't have to pay for.

Why is SEO important for your website?

89% of shoppers conduct online research before making big purchases. (Retailing Today, 2019)

93% of online experiences begin with a search engine (Techjury, 2019).

Below are 3 benefits of SEO:

1. Your website needs to be on the first page of Google organically Most people never scroll past the first page of search engines. This means that if your website is not ranking on the first page of Google, or other search engines, you are missing out on potential clicks and overall organic brand awareness. By getting the top spot on first-page search engine results, you are guaranteeing yourself a continuous stream of organic website visitors.

2. You can move ahead of the competition Today, SEO is widely considered a staple of any marketing strategy. In fact, 61% of marketers say that improving their SEO and improving their online presence is a top priority. This means that your competitors are likely already taking steps to establish high rankings in search results. And with an SEO strategy of your own, you can keep up.

3. Brand Awareness – Since top position rankings result in significant impressions, having your website in these top positions on the result pages translates to more exposure for your website. Plus, being on the first page for your targeted keywords not only helps users to associate your brand with those keywords, but it instills trust since companies on the first page are generally perceived to be more trustworthy. The more your pages and content rank in high positions in the search engines, the more chances you have for users to see your content and associate with your brand.