Brands need SEO first and foremost as it is the most viable and cost-effective way to understand and reach customers at critical moments.
This year, the need for SEO reached an all-time high. As consumers collectively went online, even the most traditional businesses realized they needed to accelerate the digital transition.
SEO is the most viable and cost-effective way to understand and reach customers at critical moments.
Many brands and businesses know (or think they know) that they need SEO for their digital properties and will profit from the SEO work done on their behalf.
SEO will certainly improve a website's overall searchability and visibility, but what other real value does it provide?
Why is SEO increasing in importance?
Regardless of the size of the industry or company, these 15 reasons should be clear why businesses need SEO to take their brand to the next level.
1. Organic search is the main source of most website traffic
Organic search is an integral part of most businesses' website performance and an important component of the buyer funnel, which ultimately drives users to complete a conversion or engagement.
As marketers know, Google has a bigger share of the search market than competitors like Yahoo, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and many others.
This doesn't mean that not all search engines contribute to a brand's visibility—they do. It's just that Google has a huge share of the entire search market.
Despite this, it is a clear leader, and therefore it is important to follow its guidelines.
2. SEO Builds Trust and Credibility
The goal of any seasoned SEO is to lay a strong foundation for a beautiful website with a clean, effective user experience that is easily discoverable in the search for trust and credibility of the brand and its digital attributes.
Many elements go into establishing authority with respect to search engines like Google.
In addition to the above factors, authority develops over time through aspects such as:
- Natural connection.
- Positive user behavior.
- Machine Learning Signals.
- Optimized elements and content on the page.
But establishing that authority will lead to a brand more than most, if not all, other digital adaptations.
The problem is, that it's impossible to build trust and credibility overnight - just like it happens in real life. Authority is earned and built over time.
It is important to follow Google's E-A-T guidelines for successful results.
Establishing a brand as an authority requires patience, effort, and dedication and depends on offering a valuable, quality product or service that allows customers to trust a brand.
3. SEO is the best way to understand the voice of the consumer
From understanding macro market shifts to understanding consumer intent in detail, SEO tells us what customers want and need.
SEO data and formats - spoken or word - give us clear indications about intent and user behavior.
This happens in several ways:
search query data.
SERP analysis.
Analytics data and AI insights.
4. Good SEO also means a better user experience
User experience has become the top priority of every marketer. Everyone wants better organic rankings and maximum visibility. However, few people know that optimal user experience is a big part of achieving this goal.
Google has learned to interpret user experience as good or bad, and positive user experience has become central to website success.
Google's Page Experience Update is something that marketers across industries should follow and is part of their longstanding focus on customer experience.
Customers know what they want. If not, there will be trouble. And performance will suffer.
A clear example of building a solid user experience is that Google has rapidly become an answer engine, providing the data you're looking for directly on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
The intention is to provide users with the information they are looking for, quickly and easily, with fewer clicks.
Quality SEO involves a positive user experience and uses it to work in favor of the brand.
5. Local SEO means more engagement, traffic, and conversions
With the rise and growing dominance of mobile data traffic, local search has become a fundamental part of the success of small and medium-sized businesses.
Local SEO aims to optimize your digital properties for a specific environment, so that people can find you quickly and easily, and get them closer to a transaction.
Local adaptations focus on specific neighborhoods, cities, regions, and even states to create a viable medium for a brand's message at the local level.
SEO professionals do this by optimizing a brand's website and its content, which includes local quotes and backlinks, as well as regional listings relevant to the location and industry a brand belongs to.
To increase engagement locally, SEO professionals should start by optimizing a brand's knowledge graph panel, Google My Business listing, and social media profiles.
Depending on the industry, there should be a strong focus on user reviews on Google, as well as on other review sites such as Yelp, Home Advisor, and Angie's List (among others).
I recommend following the local SEO tips here on the web.