How important is SEO to the success of my business?

I think we can all agree that getting more leads and more people noticing your brand are good things for building a business. That is exactly what SEO can provide for your business. Maybe I am biased, though, seeing as Firestarter SEO is a top-rated SEO company in Denver, and I have seen the amazing impact SEO can have on a business’s bottom line. I have watched as companies grow from a small team to large fleets, largely thanks to increased website conversions sourced from organic search.

Google’s Impact on Business

Every day, there are hundreds of people in your local area searching for products and services. Think about how many times a week, or even per day, that you search for a product, service, or information via Google. The actual data is even more staggering. On average, Google is estimated to process some 70,000 search queries every second. If one of the most important goals of business marketing is to expand the audience you reach, you won’t find a wider audience from other marketing sources. By the way, 88% of searches for a local business either call or visit the business within 24 hours.

Why is it important to be at the top of the search results?

If you want people to click on your website rather than a competitor’s, it is essential to rank first. 92% of searchers who click will pick businesses on the first page of local results. According to a study by Internet Marketing Ninjas, the #1 ranked website on a search results page receives a 21% Click-Through-Rate. The second position drops to half that at 10% with the remainder receiving 7-3% of the clicks. The remaining searchers either found the information they were looking for in a Google snippet or ended the search without a click. Getting your website to the top of a search results page means maximizing your reach, and once you get there, it’s a lot easier to stay at the top.

How do I get to the top of a Google search result page?

Google’s number one mission as a search engine is to get searchers to where they want to go as quickly as possible. That makes it improbable for your website to be at the top of a search page if Google can’t understand what the website is about. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of manipulating how Google understands a website and who to guide to it. SEO in itself is not that hard to understand, depending on the industry and scale. It does however take a lot of time, tracking & analysis tools, and networking to form an effective strategy. Request a proposal from Firestarter SEO to get a specific strategy for your business.

Local Listings

56% of local stores have yet to verify their local listing on Google. That means a little over half of your local competitors might not be taking advantage of a free Google My Business profile. Google My Business might be the single most important part of a local business’s online presence. It also might be the easiest way to boost your Google ranking. It allows Google to verify a business’s address, phone number, and hours of operation. It will also give you the opportunity to interact with customers that leave Google reviews, which Google encourages for local ranking. Because a local listing has such an impact on bringing in new customers, getting listed is essential for small businesses. Google considers factors such as proximity to the searcher and review ratings, as well as the normal position of your site in web results. Once Google has verified your service area, it may position your website ahead of your competitors if the searcher is nearby. The time spent creating a Google My Business and getting listed in free local directories will pay for itself many times over. 

Conclusion

When a business is just starting out, is SEO more important than developing a solid foundation? Probably not. Just keep in mind proper SEO takes time and the earlier you get started on best practices and building links, the sooner your website will start ranking. Think of how much you pay each salesperson on your team. Now consider how many hours they are marketing for you in a week. 46% of product searches already begin on Google. A website is available 24/7 to sell to your potential customers. To find out how Firestarter SEO can get your business’s website to the top of a Google search page, request a proposal. It’s totally free. At worst you’ll spend 45 minutes learning how to market your business from industry experts.