If you’ve landed on this blog, chances are you’ve already heard about SEO and perhaps even come across some success stories that sound almost too good to be true—whether from a colleague, a competitor or just by doing your own research on the best ways to grow your business online.
Well, you’re in luck, as SEO is one of the most cost-effective ways you can grow your business online; whether you’re an underdog e-commerce store looking to find a way into your market, a niche B2B software provider offering bespoke solutions or simply a sole-trader plumber expanding their local business.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. Simply put, it’s about making your website more visible on search engines like Google and Bing to increase brand awareness, drive clicks to your website, and ultimately increase sales.
Let’s break down some of the biggest benefits of SEO.
One of the biggest and most obvious benefits of SEO is increasing your website traffic. With the right SEO strategy in place, your website will appear higher up on search engines like Google, which ultimately increases the chances of someone clicking on it.
It’s only natural to get caught up in the aesthetics and usability of websites, particularly when refreshing or building a new one. Of course, these are hugely important elements, but if no one can find it, there’s a lot of time and effort wasted.
This is a common rabbit hole to get lost in, so a good SEO campaign is the key to highlighting your presence on the digital map. Which leads us to point 2.
Good SEO makes sure your website is showing up for relevant searches, great SEO helps drive those users to click your search result.
If a user sees your website but doesn’t click on it, it’s not the end of the world. No website achieves a 100% click-through rate (CTR)—in fact, a good CTR in SEO is, on average, anything above 2%.
The more often your website appears in search results, the more opportunities you have to catch users’ attention. Each time your site shows up, it puts your brand on their radar. Over time, as people become more familiar with your brand, the likelihood of them clicking through increases.
One of the great things about SEO is its ability to reach new audiences and markets.
Using SEO tactics like in-depth keyword research, you can uncover new ways to market your products effectively.
For example, if you have an online mattress store and only categorise mattresses by size (like twin, queen, or king), you’d be missing out on significant market potential. This is because people would also search by type (such as memory foam, pocket spring, or gel) or by comfort (very firm, medium, soft).
Google prioritises showing users the most relevant results for the phrases they search for – in this example, you wouldn’t be able to rank for terms like “memory foam mattress” if you only categorised them by size.
We encourage you to search it yourself and play around with different phrasings, but if you’re short on time, we’ve included an image below:
By creating targeted landing pages, you can cater to unique search intents from different customers and ultimately reach new customers who may never have encountered your website before.
Do you run an online e-commerce business and feel like you’re not tapping into the true market potential? Find out how we can help with our eCommerce SEO services.
Effective SEO can be as simple as adding relevant, useful, and trustworthy content to your website.
Google’s main goal is to provide its users with the most relevant and valuable information possible, so by creating high-quality, original content that speaks to your target audience’s needs and queries, you increase your website’s value in Google’s eyes.
Effective content isn’t just useful for Google—it’s also useful for your users. By creating high-quality content that addresses and answers your customers’ pain points, you can build a trusting relationship.
Building trust can be done in many ways:
→ If you’re a B2B business, it’s essential to have service pages that are clear and comprehensive, leaving no stone unturned. Users should be able to go onto the pages and find out everything they need to know before making an enquiry, eliminating any ambiguity.
→ If you’re an eCommerce business, your content should address both new and familiar customers. Go beyond stating the obvious and talk about things that matter – if you sell multiple brands, highlight what sets them apart from each other. If you sell products designed for specific purposes (e.g., heavy-duty applications), discuss the features most relevant to the customer purchasing it.
→ If you’re establishing your business as an industry thought leader, creating in-depth, insightful blogs addressing all the questions is essential. It concerns your customers might have to keep them engaged and reduce the likelihood of them turning to competitors.
We write content that’s right, relevant, consistent and results-driven. Find out more about our SEO content marketing services today.
Paid advertising, such as PPC management, is great for short-term results when you aren’t ranking highly, but it does have its drawbacks as it requires constant investment to stay visible.
On the other hand, while SEO takes a few months to kick in, it’s great for long-term results and is generally considered to be ‘evergreen’ on your website.
A well-optimised website attracts traffic for months and even years, with little maintenance needed. Whilst your content will need a refresh every now and then to keep it relevant and useful to the reader, the required upkeep is far less than a constant investment in paid advertising.
This is why SEO is a perfect choice to use alongside PPC.
SEO is a great way to attract customers if you’re a local business or offer nationwide localised services.
One of the most common ways people search is by including a location in the query—such as “boiler repair in Wimslow,” “IT support Newcastle,” or, in our case, “seo agency Manchester.”
As has been a common theme throughout this blog, Google’s biggest aim is serving users with results that best match their search query. So, if a user includes a location, Google will want to show them localised results.
Building dedicated location landing pages for your services will allow you to appear for those localised search queries and ultimately attract more customers to your business.
Local SEO isn’t needed for every business, but many will thrive from it including:
SEO can be a great way to gain the upper hand on your competitors, especially if you operate in a crowded market.
Think about it: if there’s a way you can appear higher up on Google search for the right keywords, your chance of bringing in new leads and taking ones away from the competition will only increase.
If you’re a small business and trying to compete against the otherwise known “top dogs” of the industry, SEO can be incredibly effective. Whilst your chances of ranking on the first page for broad, general keywords are low, SEO will help you target lower-search, yet higher potential-to-convert keywords.
If you aren’t doing SEO, but your competitors are, there’s a high chance they appear higher on Google search than you are. At First Internet, we’ll conduct a complete competitive analysis and create an effective SEO strategy to best position your brand in the market. Get in touch with us to find out more.
A better user experience means happier users and an increased chance of conversion.
Google wants to provide users with the best possible experience, which means ensuring a seamless journey from landing on your website to navigating through it and ultimately converting.
In recent years, user experience has become a cornerstone of SEO. Google prioritises sites that are mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and quick to load, as these factors contribute to a positive user experience.
Looking to improve your website user experience? Get in touch with our expert designers and developers to find out more.
Like “The Tortoise and the Hare”, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.
We don’t, and will never, promise instant results. At First Internet, we take the time to understand your business and goals and map out the best strategy to achieve them.
If you’re a small business, it’s essential to have realistic expectations. You won’t outrank household names and industry leaders overnight for general keywords.
Instead, as mentioned earlier in the blog, focusing on long-tail keywords relevant to your specific niche will help you achieve better results.
SEO is a powerful tool for any business, boosting visibility, building trust, and enhancing your online presence.
With the right strategy in place, you can drive significant traffic and reach new audiences that would’ve never found your business before.
At First Internet, we offer bespoke and scalable SEO packages designed to suit businesses of any size. Contact our team today to see how we can support your business growth.
Our News
4th September, 2024
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