What is SEO and Why is it important?

What is SEO?

SEO is a term used in digital marketing which stands for ‘search engine optimisation’. Plain and simple, the ultimate goal of having good SEO is ranking #1 on search engines such as Google. It refers to the use of certain terms and phrases in one’s website which search engines utilise for page positioning, which generates traffic to the website. SEO targets organic traffic rather than direct traffic, meaning that it focuses on answering the questions asked on Google by ranking websites based on their relevance to the question, rather than directly searching for a website itself. For example, if you want to buy a fridge but are not sure where from, you would type ‘fridges Malta’ into Google, and various websites of Maltese companies who sell fridges would pop up. Through SEO, a company can ensure that their website is one of the first on Google’s list, giving them a much higher possibility of the searcher choosing their website.

How does SEO work?

In order to understand how to optimise the use of search engines to one’s advantage, you must first establish how search engines work. Search engines have three basic functions: crawling, indexing, and ranking.

1. Crawling: Look for online content which is relevant to a specific query or statement

2. Indexing: Organise the pages and store them in an index

3. Ranking: Rank the websites based on their relevance to a searcher’s question – pages which are most relevant are shown at the top of the first page

There are several important aspects which businesses should keep in mind which are essential to reach effectiveness for SEO. The ability to be found by search engines is the most basic one, thus crawl accessibility is vital. Using the correct keywords and having relevant content is also extremely important, as search engines rank websites according to these factors. The higher up on the SERP (search engine results page) a website is, the higher the probability that it will be chosen by searchers and the more exposure the company would get.

Why should you invest in SEO?

Especially in today’s world, people are constantly looking for the quickest and easiest way to get their results. When asking a question on a search engine, we as searchers do not scroll through each page looking for what could possibly be the best website to answer our questions. In fact, a large percentage of people don’t even reach the second page. The first few websites are typically the most popular for people to click on, which is why it’s so important for your business’ website to be one of them.

Once searchers choose your website to answer their queries, numerous things happen. Traffic is generated to your website where searchers may learn about your business and what you offer. It can also create traffic to your social media pages, where potential clients can follow your page and every time a post is published, be reminded of your brand. Your brand, including the products you sell and services you provide, therefore becomes more known, and searchers may share your brand with others through verbal communication and social media sharing. Brand exposure leads to more people choosing your company over others which results in higher profits.

Some interesting SEO Stats

• 53% The percentage of all trackable website traffic that comes from organic search. (BrightEdge)
• 32% The average organic click-through rate (CTR) the first Google desktop search result gets. (Advanced Web Ranking)
• 27% The average organic CTR, the first Google mobile search result gets. (Advanced Web Ranking)
• 92% The total worldwide search engine market share Google currently holds. (StatCounter)
• 68% Of online experiences begin with a search engine. (BrightEdge)

SEO Success Story

You may be saying, ‘this all sounds great in theory, but does it actually work in reality?’ Well, thousands of companies have benefited from SEO, noticing a spike in traffic and, as a result, a rise in sales. Orangetheory Fitness is one such business. Being a boutique fitness studio, it was difficult for them to get their unique brand out as not just another standard gym. After creating and employing an SEO strategy of using certain ‘gym’ related keywords, their SEO Branded search rose by 16.7%. There was also an increase of 9.9% in new organic users and non-branded organic search traffic increased by 104%. Their SEO aided not only with website traffic, but also with free trial signups which eventually led to paying clients, so much so that the company had an increased revenue of 9.7% from the previous years.

SEO, along with other digital marketing techniques, is not an easy concept to understand and implement, which means that if you run a company, you probably don’t have the time or energy to use it to your business’ advantage. That’s where we come in. At CB Content Creators, we can take care of all your digital marketing needs, including SEO. Contact us today to learn more about how we can work together to ensure your business’ success!