Why is SEO such a hot topic for business owners?

You’ll often hear about business owners talking about website SEO. In case you wondered, SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimisation“. But, why is this such an important topic?

SEO is crucial because it influences how a website appears in search engines like Google. There are millions of websites just like yours on the Internet these days. Of course, you want yours to show up at the top of any search engine results pages. SEO can make the difference between being your number site being number one or 101!

Let’s face it, the last thing you want is for your site not to show up at the top of page one. You want people to visit your website, not those of your competitors. Here are a few more reasons that convey the importance of SEO in the business world:

Brand awareness

Let’s say that you are launching a new brand online. Unless you’re in a micro-niche market, you’ll have plenty of established competitors. It’s important that you get your new brand name out there. And it’s even more essential that people start visiting your site.

Brand awareness is one of the primary reasons business owners need search engine optimisation. It helps them to get found online. Don’t forget that people will be searching for the type of product or service you sell. Not the literal brand, product or service name itself!

SEO can help grab your audience’s attention when they search for the types of things you sell. It also helps to divert them away from your competitors. And you don’t need me to tell you the benefits of doing that!

Reputation

Do you sell something that is better than what your competitors offer? If so, SEO will help to forge a positive reputation for your brand. When people buy stuff, they will only do some from a brand they can trust.

Businesses use SEO to their advantage in that respect. It helps them to build credibility in many ways. Examples include product and service reviews, demo videos, testimonials and more.

Revenue

Are you planning to sell your wares online? If that’s the case, you need SEO like the air that you breathe! E-commerce is fast becoming an important revenue channel for today’s companies.

It allows them to sell products and services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Imagine making money while you sleep at night! That sounds like an amazing dream, yet it’s one that can get turned into reality with SEO.

DIY or expert SEO?

You might be wondering if you should carry out any site tweaks yourself or use a firm that offers SEO services. If you’re new to search engine optimisation, I recommend the latter option.

Sure, it’ll cost you money. But, it’s an important expense for your business. And it’s one that you’ll recoup when you start generating revenue on your site!

If you’ve some experience of SEO, there are plenty of things you can do to get started. I recommend reading Google’s Search Engine Optimisation guide for a primer.

There is also a plethora of blogs and even e-books you can download to help you get to grips with SEO.