Once again, governments around the world have taken measures to keep people at home to limit further infection. As a result, more and more people are turning to the internet to interact with their loved ones, discover and share information, and make purchases.

As brick and mortar stores may be forced to close down once more, digital marketing and ecommerce continues to become more vital than ever. The growth of online sales and search have spiked tremendously since the pandemic began and it doesn’t appear this will be slowing down, especially during the holidays.

Naturally, you want to be where your target customers are. Now more than ever, businesses need to establish a strong online presence to attract new customers and strengthen the loyalty of their existing client base. Whether you’re a startup or an established physical store, maintaining a digital presence will keep you relevant and thriving throughout the pandemic.

To strengthen your digital storefront, one of the most important steps you can take right now is to leverage Search Engine Optimization, or SEO.

What is SEO?

While SEO is not an entirely new concept in digital marketing, it has recently become a necessity for businesses, big and small – local or national.

Majority of the online experience begins with a search engine. Every day, millions of users go to Google, Yahoo, or Bing to access information or find a certain product or service. As a business, your goal is to appear on top of search results listings related to your industry. The higher your ranking, the more visible you become to your customers, and ultimately, higher growth of sales.

SEO is the process of optimizing content to improve search engine rankings and acquire more organic traffic. When done right, SEO can generate more qualified customers to your site and eventually improve conversion rates.

SEO also builds your credibility and brand awareness. Users are more likely to trust a website that appears on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs) compared to brands that do not. An effective SEO strategy will help you outrank your competitors and ultimately make you the top choice in your industry.

How do search engines work?

Search engine algorithms evolve frequently and successful SEO strategies adapt to those changes. But essentially, search engines are like digital libraries that store copies of webpages. They use “spiders” to scan and index webpages. This helps them appropriately rank a page for certain keywords and deliver the most relevant results to users.

When a user enters a query, the search engine browses through all the crawled pages in its index and deliver the most relevant and current results. To do this, it evaluates a page based on several ranking factors. There are no exact SEO blueprint search engines like Google ever announces, just releasing of major algorithm updates. However, fast-loading pages with fresh content, easy user navigation, and consistent site authority gains are often rewarded with higher rankings. Usability of pages, mobile-friendliness, and overall user experience are also considered.

In simple terms, SEO works by proving to search engines that your webpage is the most useful match for the search query at hand.

Why you need SEO now

Not a single industry is exempted from the devastating effects of the current global pandemic. With revenue declines and reduced consumer confidence for some industries, organizations are forced to adjust their goals and rethink their approaches to sales and marketing.

Businesses who adopt SEO strategies will not only thrive amidst the changing marketplace, but also set themselves up for future success.

Targets niche audience

In a time where every sale counts, smart keyword research will help you target your niche audience and outperform your competitors. By narrowing down keywords to a niche, you get to connect specifically with people who are actively seeking your products and services. Being visible directly to your target customers will increase the chance of you make a sale quicker and easier.

Keywords are chosen based on the consumer’s intent when performing a search. Keywords can be classified as:

• Navigational – Search terms that seek a particular brand, website, or person (“iPhone 12,” “Steve Jobs,” “Apple, Inc”)
• Informational – The intent is to find more general content that aims to educate the reader on a certain topic (“smartphone reviews,” “tips for buying laptops”)
• Transactional – These searches are meant to find help in accomplishing tasks (“get,” “subscribe,” “join”)
• Local – Search terms by consumers looking for specific servicing business or product within a town or city (“tile contractor in Seattle”, “property damage lawyer Los Angeles”, “gutter cleaner Seattle”)

Selecting the right keywords enables you to reach specific audiences and provide them with content that aligns with where they are in the buyer’s journey.

Provides better user experience

SEO is more than just optimizing for the right keywords and search topics. It’s about enhancing user experience, too.

There are several ways you can refine your website and maximize user experience. These can include providing your visitors with relevant information as well as a mobile-friendly website configuration. All of these can help generate more leads and improve brand recall which in turn, increase conversion rates.

Search engines tend to favor websites with faster load times, as they’re easier to crawl and index. Similarly, visitors are more likely to stay longer in clean and well-structured websites. If your website is slow, confusing or difficult to use, visitors will click the “back arrow” and quickly leave your site and do business somewhere else. As such, a website that combines aesthetic and a great call to action will not only increase the conversion rate, it does play a role in the success of the overall SEO strategy.

Boosts credibility and brand awareness

Users are more likely to trust brands that appear on the first page of the search results. Higher rankings will give your customers the idea that you are one of the leading players in your industry.  Being on top also demonstrates how Google sees you as a credible and trustworthy source.

On the other hand, lower rankings may suggest that you are not as “popular” or well-known as your competitors. Most of the time, users don’t even click past the first page of the search results. If you’re not on the prime real estate of Google, your business essentially can become non-existent for online users. And this is never a good thing if you’re a business owner trying to grow.

Future proof your business through SEO

In these unprecedented times, consumers are relying on digital markets to obtain their needs. With a successful SEO strategy, you can maximize the spike in online traffic and gain more loyal customers and repeat purchases.

Start optimizing your website today with Spike Interactive. As a leading provider of next generation SEO services in Seattle, we can help grow your rankings on major search engines and boost your conversation rates. Our team of web marketers use the latest methodologies and techniques to provide clients with high-quality digital marketing solutions.

For more information and inquiries, call us at 206-472-1141.