Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become a prominent aspect of business in the digital age. It is a multidimensional approach that businesses use to enhance their online visibility, attract more potential customers, and achieve business improvement in varied ways.
SEO is a set of strategies and techniques used to increase the quantity and quality of traffic to a website through organic search engine results (Moz, 2021) [1]. What distinguishes organic traffic from paid traffic is that it is earned rather than bought. When users type keywords related to a specific service or product in search engines like Google, businesses that have optimized their website content may appear on the first pages of results, hence attracting more users to click on their website.
SEO is an essential element of digital marketing, helping businesses of all sizes to become more visible among online users (Forbes, 2020) [2]. Great visibility on search engines often translates to more traffic and opportunities to convert prospects into customers. Moreover, unlike most traditional marketing strategies, SEO is an inbound marketing strategy that targets active seekers of information related to your business, hence more likely to engage.
Another crucial aspect of SEO is the improvement of user experience on your website. A major factor that search engines consider when ranking websites is how user-friendly they are (HubSpot, 2019) [3]. If your site is easy to navigate, has relevant and quality content, and is responsive across multiple devices, it is likely to rank higher on search results, improving the chances of attracting and keeping potential customers on your site.
As Google makes up a significant share of the search engine market (NetMarketShare, 2020) [4], its best practices often dictate how other search engines operate. Therefore, businesses that optimize their sites following Google's SEO standards could invariably improve their visibility across all search engines. Moreover, SEO also helps build trust and credibility among online users. A site that appears at the top of search results often gives the impression of a credible and trustworthy source of products or services (Forbes, 2020) [2].
The integration of SEO in modern business strategy, therefore, leads to improved business performance in several ways. Businesses with effective SEO strategies tend to have better engagement with their customers, a higher ranking on search engine result pages, and more conversions which can lead to increased sales and business growth (Search Engine Journal, 2020) [5].
In conclusion, SEO plays an instrumental role in driving business improvement. Given the increasing online activities and competition, businesses that do not consider SEO risk losing potential market share to their SEO-conscious competitors. To remain competitive in this digital age, businesses must, therefore, prioritize SEO and continuously improve their SEO strategies.
Reference:
1. Moz. (2021). What is SEO? [Online]. Available at: https://moz.com/learn/seo/what-is-seo.
2. Forbes (2020). Why SEO Matters More Than Ever. [Online]. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2020/06/05/why-seo-matters-more-than-ever/?sh=60d463464449
3. HubSpot (2019). Here's Why Google Cares About Website User Experience, and Why You Should, Too. [Online]. Available at: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/google-algorithm-user-experience.
4. NetMarketShare (2020). Search Engine Market Share. [Online]. Available at: https://www.netmarketshare.com/search-engine-market-share.
5. Search Engine Journal (2020). How Does SEO Help Your Business Grow? [Online]. Available at: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-101/how-seo-help-business/.
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