Five reasons why you need to work on your website’s SEO right now

Love more web traffic, recommendations and business? Here are five reasons why you need to work on your website’s SEO right now.

“I’ll look at it tomorrow.” How many times have you said something similar when thinking about your company’s SEO? If so, you’re not alone. And we get it – there’s so much competing for your limited time, and SEO is such a big, complicated beast.

But there are many, many good reasons why you need to shift SEO up your list of priorities. In many cases, right to the top.

Because in today’s digital world, where it’s quicker and easier to ask Google a question than it is to phone a friend, we increasingly shape our experiences around what Google decides to show us.

Need to find a local restaurant? Search on Google and check out the reviews. Want to know how long a chicken takes to roast? Search Google. Want to convert 5 feet to metres? Check Google.

We’re so used to relying on search engines for pretty much everything, which means that your ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) counts for everything – especially if you’re a small business with no ad budget.

And the good news is that SEO doesn’t have to be complicated. As we teach in our one-hour SEO Masterclass, the basic principles of SEO are simple when you understand the psychology of it. And spending just a little time in the right areas every week – plus help from some of the best SEO tools online – can make significant difference to your ranking.

So, to help inspire you to get started on your websites SEO, here are five key benefits.

1) SEO improves user experience

It is important to consider what people are searching for when planning your website, and ensuring that it’s obvious how they can find it.

Why? Because if they can’t easily find what they are looking for on your website, they will quickly click away and not return. And Google takes note of things like dwell time and bounce rate to check how ‘successful’ your pages are when ranking them.

If people have a positive experience on your site when clicking through from a search result (i.e. they spend time on you page and navigate through your site rather than quickly clicking away) it tells Google that your page is the right one to serve, and will increase your ranking as a result.

User experience is one of SEO’s most important Google rating variables and should not be overlooked. So make sure your website is well-designed and easy to use.

2) Good SEO increases trust and credibility

Being listed among the top search results on Google indicates that you are viewed by the search engine as a important, valuable and legitimate source of information or content. This helps to build trust.

To gain a top spot on Google’s SERPs must mean that your website is doing something right; that top spot doesn’t just help more people to find and click on your site, it also indicates that you are trustworthy and well-established.

Being seen regularly also helps build the mere exposure effect, and help increase your brand recognition and familiarity. Basically there’s no downside for your company in appearing top for your chosen search terms.

3) Great SEO will increase your website traffic

One of the easiest ways to engage in inbound marketing is by building your SEO. Ranking high on Google’s SERPs for your chosen search terms will, as we’ve already explained, naturally increase your website traffic.

Do you know the click through rates for the top search positions on SERPs? It’s 45%. So pick the right search terms for your business (the ones your ideal customers are using) and you’re virtually guaranteed a steady stream of potential customers on your site if you get your SEO right.

All you need to do then is ensure your website is doing its job, and you have a fully functioning sales funnel to capture leads and nurture prospects through to sale.

4) SEO can help save you money on ads

One of the greatest advantages of SEO is that it doesn’t have to cost you money to implement. You can hire an agency if you are time poor and have the budget, or you can choose to learn the basics and apply it yourself.

With great SEO for the right search terms, you don’t need to pay for ads to ensure a steady stream of the right traffic to your site.

Although paid ads accounts for around 15% of website traffic on average, there not necessarily a good idea for a small business starting out. To get an ad campaign up and running with a decent ROI takes some trail and error – something your budget may not stretch to at this stage.

SEO on the other hand simply requires understanding the principles and practicing them day in, day out over time.

5) You’ll attract local customers

If you have a local business, quite simply you can’t afford to ignore SEO. It’s so quick and easy to search for local businesses on our phones that we often don’t even bother asking friends for recommendations if we’re looking for a local service – we just Google it.

This means that if you don’t rank for local search terms for your business type, and you don’t have a Google My Business listing, you’re missing out on valuable business. You’re leaving the goal wide open for your savvier competitors who are happily reaping the rewards of appearing top of Google searches.

Is your SEO winning you business… or losing it?

The difference between businesses who have mastered SEO, and those who have ignored it or implemented the wrong strategies is enormous. In many cases, ranking on Google can make or break your business – especially if you’re a local business with no established reputation or loyal customer base yet.

And even if you are established, you can’t afford to rest on your laurels. Competition always exists, and if you fail to cement your lead, or get found by new generations of customers, you could find your margins eaten into by businesses with better SEO.

Quite simply, there are very few businesses today who don’t need SEO. So if you don’t yet have an SEO strategy, we recommend fixing that, and quickly!