Many marketing agencies often assume that people who read their content already know what SEO (Search Engine Optimization Marketing) marketing is, but what we have discovered is that not everyone understands the basics of SEO and why it is important. for your web presence. Due to the increasing importance placed on social media marketing, many believe that they can implement SEO OR social media. That is simply not the case anymore; SEO goes hand in hand with social media for a good website strategy. Let’s go back to basics and discuss: What is SEO marketing?
SEO Marketing Defined.
According to Search Engine Land:
SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization.” It is the process of getting traffic from “free,” “organic,” “publisher,” or “natural” listings on search engines. All major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing, have such results, where web pages and other content, such as videos or local listings, are displayed and ranked based on what the search engine deems most relevant to users. Payment is not involved, as it is with paid search ads.
Let’s break it down.
It is the process of getting traffic from “free,” “organic,” “publisher,” or “natural” listings on search engines.
When you search on Google, you usually find what you’re looking for on the first page or go back and change your search query. Let’s look at an example search. Search for “seo marketing appleton wi”.
The top of the search results are usually the paid results. You can tell because they have a little orange box with the word “Ad” next to it. Unpaid results are what are called “free”, “natural”, “organic” and “editorial” in the definition. When a user clicks on one of these links, the website has successfully captured their attention and is now a potential solution to whatever they were looking for.
All major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing, have such results, where web pages and other content, such as videos or local listings, are displayed and ranked based on what the search engine deems most relevant to users.
These results are displayed on all search platforms, be it one of the main ones: Google, Bing and Yahoo; or lesser known platform options. However, none of these platforms KNOW that you have the best product and automatically rank you first. You have to prove it with your online presence.
Payment is not involved, as it is with paid search ads.
As mentioned above, the results above the organic links are paid. That is a topic for another article, just know that you will never see an organic result ABOVE the paid search results.
Why is SEO important for your website?
So now that you understand what SEO marketing is, how is it relevant to your website? Can SEO work for you? Why can’t you just promote your site on social media? Great questions. First of all, how is SEO marketing relevant to your website? 75% of people click on one of the top five results on Google and few (about 25%) will go to the second page of search results. If that’s not reason enough, consider these SEO statistics as well:
- 75% of Internet transactions start with a search engine
- An inbound lead (someone who finds your website and fills out a “Contact Us” form) costs 61% less than an outbound lead (a sales call)
- SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate while outbound leads have a 1.7% close rate
- 93% of online experiences start with a search engine
Search Engine Optimization vs. Social media marketing?
Some say that search is no longer limited to a search platform because you can find companies on your Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook feed. This is true. However, when someone comes across your business on Facebook, for example, they’re most likely there to seek or get support, they’re not necessarily looking for you because they’re ready to buy your product or service.
Your potential customers are probably sitting on social media out of curiosity and/or boredom. When someone is ready to buy or in research mode, they are specifically looking for something that you can provide, which increases the likelihood that they will get a customer. This alone is reason enough not to ignore SEO in your web marketing strategy.
SEO marketing and social media work hand in hand
Becoming a brand leader on social media will show your potential customers that you know what you’re talking about. Search engines see how much your content is shared, how many people are engaging with you, and how well you manage your brand. This allows your business to gain trust and could therefore increase your website’s search engine rankings. If you only learn one thing about SEO and social media in this article, it’s this: you can’t have one without the other if you want to be competitive online.
