Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, is a well-established strategy for improving your site’s rankings in online search results and earning your website more traffic. With 91% of all website traffic coming from links on the first page of the search results, it is clearly important to get your website in front of search engine users.
However, one of the most important benefits of this marketing strategy is the fact that the web traffic it generates tends to be qualified leads who are easier to convert and more likely to engage with your business. Why does SEO provide such high-quality traffic? Here are a few reasons.
Search engine optimization brings traffic from organic search results.
Organic search results are the non-paid website links that show up when you search for a certain term on a search engine such as Google. On Google, they typically appear below the paid advertisements and go on for many pages.
“Even though sponsored listings are often more visible at the top of a search page, up to 80% of individuals who use search engines not only prefer but exclusively pay attention to the organic search results instead of the paid ads.”
Organic links have long been recognized for their ability to deliver high-quality traffic. Even though sponsored listings are often more visible at the top of a search page, up to 80% of individuals who use search engines not only prefer but exclusively pay attention to the organic search results instead of the paid ads. And of all the website traffic that comes through search, 89% of it originates from organic search results.
When it comes to earning website traffic from organic results, the best approach is search engine optimization. Search engines use their crawlers to determine the value of each webpage for each search term. The crawlers then rank each webpage based on its perceived relevance to a user’s query. And because 91 percent of all organic search traffic comes from links on the first page, getting your website positioned favorably can make all the difference in how much traffic it attracts.
Search engine optimization strategies, such as exceptional content, keyword research, and linking, are designed to communicate a webpage’s worth to search engine crawlers. As a result, a strong SEO campaign can play a large role in improving your website’s position in the search results and, therefore, in the amount of organic traffic it enjoys.
Search engine optimization brings in visitors interested in your business.
However, not all website traffic is created equal. Some individuals may land on your page accidentally while looking for something else. They may be interested in browsing but not in buying (i.e. Thinking about engagement but not ready to purchase a ring yet). They may think your business is too far away (i.e. They live in Chicago and accidentally land on the website for your store in TN).
The best website traffic is that which finds your content relevant, and engaging, traffic that is ready and willing to convert. Search engine optimization helps you to attract this kind of traffic by ensuring that only visitors who are interested in your business see your website. For example, if you create search engine optimized content and build your SEO campaign correctly, you will be targeting search terms and phrases that are being used by your target audience. As a result, your website will be more likely to show up in front of individuals who will find your business to be relevant. And that means that not only do you enjoy more website traffic, but you enjoy interest from people who are ready and willing to convert.
Search engine optimization brings in local traffic.
For businesses that depend on local support (i.e. restaurants, small businesses, florists, etc.), getting found by far-flung individuals can be detrimental to their efforts. For example, a florist in Pittsburgh, PA, is not likely to receive orders from a funeral home in Wilmington, VA.
In order to earn qualified traffic, these websites must cater to the local audiences who are interested in their products and services. That florist, for example, wants to get seen by individuals and businesses in the Pittsburgh area. Anyone else is unlikely to be a qualified lead.
Search engine optimization meets this need by allowing businesses to position themselves as local offerings. Local SEO is a branch of search engine optimization that uses certain techniques to ensure that a company’s location is kept front and center when it is being considered and used in the search results. This may include more presence of geographical keywords on the site, customized schema code, and optimized map listings. With a robust local SEO campaign, businesses can target local audiences and earn local traffic that will more readily convert.
Search engine optimization improves overall brand awareness and reputation.
Finally, search engine optimization can contribute to qualified traffic by improving a company’s overall brand reputation. Central to any successful SEO campaign is the creation of meaningful and compelling content, especially through blogs.
This content can serve not only to position a website more favorably in the search results but also to build a company’s reputation by demonstrating its expertise within its industry. The better people feel about a company, and the more they know about it, the more likely they will be to choose that company over others when doing business in that industry. It’s about building trust and positioning your company as an expert.
In addition, a greater understanding of a company can combat misconceptions about a business that might lead individuals who are not interested in the company’s products and services to stop by the website. Instead, a strong SEO campaign brings in people who know what they are looking for and who know that your company is the best place to find it.
Search engine optimization has a great deal of potential for attracting qualified website traffic. From drawing traffic in through organic search results to attracting your target audience, creating local SEO options, and improving overall brand awareness and reputation, SEO allows companies to attract, and keep, loyal and qualified customers for the long term.
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