What Is SEO And Why Does Your Business Need It?

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Although Facebook ads and Google AdWords are powerful web marketing tools, the next series of posts will focus on SEO and everything it entails. From basics to insider tips, this initial post will help you understand how search engine optimisation can help grow your business.

The Basics: How SEO Works

Consumers running a search on Google, Yahoo, Bing or another search engine will enter a few words, known as a keyword phrase. Based on these terms, the search engine can provide thousands of results in a fraction of a second. These results can include websites, blog posts, articles, social media profiles, videos, images, news stories and more.

The search engine ranks everything, such as websites, according to various terms, rules and algorithms. The rankings are designed to help searchers find the information they need. If you are a chiropractor and a consumer is looking for a local practitioner, for example, SEO is what will help them find your business.

In fact, keywords are the key to most successful web marketing campaigns. They will help improve your company’s online presence simply by bringing it toward the top of relevant search results. Using the right keywords throughout your home page, product information pages and blog posts will increase website traffic and lead generation. Still, there is a lot to learn before building a new page or launching your next campaign.

Requires Keyword Research

The right keywords will bring consumers to your website, but how do you know what the right words are? Keyword research will show which search terms rank highly for your market or industry. Most are highly relevant and targeted terms, but you should rank all of the keywords remotely related to your field. Using a combination of keyword phrases, including some of the less popular choices, will translate into less competition for some searches.

The trick is to find the right words, with the least amount of competition, which will ensure your site lands on the first one or two pages of the search results. Many consumers do not venture beyond those pages, and with good reason. Google algorithms reward the sites with the most relevant results, which means that the pages with the products, services or information the searcher needs should appear first.

With SEO, your goal is not to manipulate search engine results in a false way, but rather help consumers find what they need. If your services are up to snuff, the result is a win-win situation for both business and consumer. 

Search Engine Optimisation: Improve Local Search Results

Small practices rely on consumers being able to find their business. If your website is expertly designed and packed with valuable content but no one finds it, you are wasting your valuable time and resources. Not investing in SEO means sending potential clients directly to your local competitors.

To improve local search results, begin including contact information on each page or blog post. Next, develop your keywords with one or more geo-tags attached. Location-based keywords could include the city name, names of surrounding cities, state name and state abbreviation.

Web Marketing with Free, Targeted Traffic

Is your website traffic down? Does your blog rarely receive hits, shares or comments? Great SEO practices will allow people to find the content you post. Be sure to optimise your site for mobile screens, so as not to alienate a large sector of your clientele. SEO results are classified as organic traffic, not paid. It requires an investment of time and perhaps the supervision of an expert. Facebook Ads and Google AdWords are perfect to improve cash flow now and SEO is the best way to market all kinds of businesses for long term results.

Bad SEO Can Cause Damage to Your Site

With all the great things to say about search engine optimisation, what could go wrong? Unfortunately, poor keyword research or overstuffing content with keywords can destroy any progress you might have made. Google algorithms can reward or penalise websites depending on their SEO practices.

Another thing to keep in mind is that SEO is an ongoing process. It requires continuous monitoring, analytics and adjustments to remain effective. You must also stay on top of web marketing trends, as a single Google algorithm update can have a huge impact.

However, the good far outweighs the bad for businesses that put in place search engine optimisation. Improving your search engine rankings can speed up website traffic growth, attract new patients and increase profit.

If you want to take your health care practice to the next level, we can help. We are experts in keyword research, bidding, placement and analytics, with effective practices that will pull your website from the bottom of the heap. For more information, contact Alex Glusman Digital Marketing today by calling 0401 535 584 from within Australia or +61 (0) 401 535 584 from anywhere else or by submitting a short online form.

Did you find this article helpful? What action are you going to take because of it? Let me know in the comments.