Does SEO really work for Business Growth?

The question is: does SEO really work?

In the vast landscape of digital marketing strategies available this year, one stands out with remarkable potential for organic online growth: SEO.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, involves optimizing a website’s content and structure to boost visibility on search engine results pages, aiming to improve its ranking and drive organic traffic. Achieving this involves strategic use of keywords, enhancements to website architecture, and improvements in user experience, aligning the site with search engine algorithms. This optimization not only increases the chances of ranking higher in search results but also contributes to long-term success by attracting targeted audiences and fostering sustainable organic traffic growth.

You’ve likely heard how important SEO is and may wonder, “does SEO really work for busines growth?” It’s an important question to ask, especially in our digital-first world. Read on to learn if SEO really does work and how to use it to your advantage. 

Does SEO Really Work?

Yes, SEO really does work. SEO is essential for organic online growth and if you do it right, you’ll have an incredible number of internet users find your website quickly. This increases brand awareness and the chances that these users convert to customers. 

It sounds simple, but there’s more to SEO than having an optimized website. Read on to learn:

• What SEO is 
• Why SEO is an important marketing strategy 
• Common SEO mistakes (and how to avoid them) 

What is SEO? 

SEO, short for search engine optimization, is the process of optimizing your website so it ranks higher on search engines. The higher a website ranks on a search engine, especially on the first search engine results page (SERP), the greater the chances are of people finding your website when they search. 

There are numerous factors that influence SEO, including: 

• Page speed 
• Domain authority 
• Site crawlability 
• Mobile-friendliness 
• Quality of content produced 
• Number of relevant inbound and outbound links 

These are just a few of many factors to keep in mind when thinking of your SEO strategy. It comes technically as the goal to create the best user experience possible. 

Why SEO is a Critical Marketing Strategy

SEO is an incredibly important part of your marketing strategy because it helps build brand awareness, drive organic traffic to your website, build authority and trust within your industry, and nurture relationships with new and existing audiences. Let’s discuss how exactly this happens. 

Building Brand Awareness

The more you focus on SEO, the higher your website will rank on search engines. The higher your website ranks, the more people find your brand. The more people find your brand, the more likely you’ll gain brand fans who, eventually, could turn into brand enthusiasts. That’s why it’s also important to have your brand messaging strategy in place online. 

Driving Organic Traffic to Your Website

If you’re not trying to spend a fortune on paid advertising, focusing on your SEO strategy is a key way to create organic inbound traffic. Instead of paying to appear to internet users, you create a strategy that provides them with the best user experience so they come to you naturally. 

Building Authority and Trust Within Your Industry

A big part of SEO is creating relevant content that’s valuable to users. Typically, this valuable content aims to solve someone’s problem, which means it requires some expertise to write about. The more you produce high-quality content that shows your expertise, the more you’ll build your reputation among your audience and your competitors. 

Google will reward you, too, if you produce valuable content for people. The better quality content you produce, the better your chances are of ranking highly on search pages. If you get on the first SERP of a highly-searched term, your website could get a lot of organic traffic. 

Nurture Relationships With New and Existing Customers

SEO helps you nurture relationships with new and existing customers because it helps them find you and your content faster. The more they see how your content helps them, the more trust you’ll build with them. The greater the trust, the more likely they’ll eventually convert to customers. 

SEO can also help you attract and convert new audiences. The more keywords you rank for, the more opportunities there are for people to find you. The right webpage or piece of content can help you tap into an audience you couldn’t before. 

Common SEO Mistakes

There’s great potential with SEO, but there’s also room for error if you aren’t careful. Here are some common SEO mistakes to avoid and why. 

Targeting The Wrong Keywords

When you create content, you want to target relevant keywords. Targeting the wrong keywords, (keywords that aren’t relevant to your business or content), can confuse Google and have you reaching the wrong audience altogether. Instead, do keyword research and figure out which ones are most relevant to your business and audience so you aren’t wasting your resources. 

Keyword Stuffing

How often you use a keyword in a piece is important for SEO purposes, but trying to use the keywords as many times as possible in your content, known as keyword stuffing, can actually hurt it. Google is smart enough to know when you’re trying to trick it, so if you keyword stuff in hopes of ranking higher, it’ll only hold your content back. Instead, use the keyword where it’s relevant and natural for the user to encounter throughout the content. 

Linking to Random External Sites

Linking to external sites helps with SEO, but you need to think of the quality of those external sites. If you’re linking to random websites that aren’t viewed as legitimate, it could hinder your content. Instead of linking to random websites, link to quality external sites that rank well. That way, Google knows you’re linking to reputable websites and legitimate content. 

Missing the Meta Description 

The meta description, which is the small paragraph of text that appears under your website link on the SERP, is a valuable piece of real estate. It provides important context to users about what your content is about and if it’ll help them get the answer they’re looking for. Don’t ignore it; instead, write a clear and concise meta description that’ll tell Google and your audience the content is worth reading. 

Should I Hire an SEO Agency? 

If you’re thinking of hiring an SEO agency, do it. An SEO agency will take the guesswork out of your SEO strategy and get you the results you want. At MediaBoom, we’re dedicated to helping clients maximize their SEO efforts and experience incredible growth. Head here to schedule your consultation and meet the team—we’d love to help expand your reach.