Tag Archives: search engine optimization

5 Reasons Why SEO Matters for Business Success

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Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 16 seconds. Contains approximately 456 words.

What role does search engine optimization (SEO) play in the grand scheme of online business success? Does it even matter anymore?

The answer is: Yes, more than ever.

Does SEO matter?

5 Reasons Why SEO Matters to the Success of Your Business

COST

Compared to other forms of traditional print media, online marketing, specifically search engine optimization, is cost-effective. It is also highly relevant as more people are using the Internet to search for items, information, business and various other services. The cost also yields a better return for investors and businesses as they can more specifically target, measure and track exactly where money is being spent and what is working versus what isn’t working.

Being able to track and pinpoint exactly how and where conversions come from can help to plan a better budget to help keep overhead down. Additionally, let’s not forget about the fact that while brick and mortar businesses still do exist, there are even more businesses that are saving overhead costs by simply setting up shop online.

INTEGRATION WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media seems to be the wave of the future as recent research indicates a higher drive towards social media ad spend. Facebook alone has more than 1 billion users who are logged in at any given time. Optimizing content, creating appealing ads and integrating social sharing is all a part of putting together a comprehensive, social media plan.

CREDIBILITY

Google+ is the perfect example of what it means to have credibility on the Web. Taking the above point a step further, social integration and SEO go hand in hand. Optimizing content for the web and integrating that optimized content in the form of a blog post, for example, that has your business name and face attached can add tremendous value to your brand. On the Internet, your business (and those who work for your business) have the opportunity to leverage brand awareness and drive customers to your website. By integrating SEO into your online content strategy, you can help establish (or reinforce) credibility and help your business stand out as the go-to resource for those in your industry.

COMPETITION

All of your competitors are on the Web. All of them have some sort of search engine optimization strategy in place. All of them are using SEO and keeping a finger on the pulse of the various algorithms and studies that come out each day. If you don’t believe it, you’re missing the boat.

IT WORKS

At its core, even the most basic SEO-employed techniques merit some sort of recognition for the value they can add to an existing website. Whether this involves the correct use of Meta Tags and Titles or the implementation of a keyword strategy, creating content that is relevant without overdoing it, matters, and search engines are still taking notice.

Using AdRank to Improve Relevancy

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Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 28 seconds. Contains approximately 495 words.

As Internet search has become more prominent over the years, relevancy with regards to search has also increased. People now want to be able to type in a search term or phrase and receive a specific set of results related to their search. This is where Google AdRank comes in.

Google Ad Extensions

Using Ad extensions, users are able to see more specific information that is both relevant to their search as well as useful to them. By providing more relevant information, business owners have the opportunity to capitalize on attracting more potential customers via search. Take Google +, for instance. By providing more information about your business and including relevant hashtags, someone could search for keywords or search terms pertaining to your business, find your business and be provided with a wealth of information from your Google + page. They can call your business, see where you are located on a map and even see what other customers have had to say.

Google ad extensions can (and usually do) improve your click-through rate as well as boost campaign performance. Why? They make advertisements more useful.

Improvements  to Google Ad Rank

Ordering advertisements on search results pages involves using a type of calculation, referred to as ‘Ad Rank’. It used to be that  Google Ad Rank was calculated using your max cost-per-click (CPC) bid and your Quality Score. However, Ad Rank has recently updated and now takes into account a third component:

Google has also increased the importance of Ad Rank in determining whether your ad is even eligible to be displayed with extensions and formats.
Details as well as the implications of these changes are summarized below:

  • Ad Extensions and Formats – now influences the position of an ad on the search results page. Ex: The ad with the more positive expected impact from extensions will generally appear in a higher position than the other.
  • Expected Impact of Extensions and Ad Formats – Google now considers click-through rates, and the prominence of the extensions or formats on the search results page.
  • Quality Score – Because Ad Rank is now more important in determining whether your ad is shown with extensions and formats, you might need to increase your Quality Score, bid, or both for extensions and formats to appear.
  • Auctions –  Your highest performing and most useful combination of extensions and formats among those eligible will be displayed, removing any guesswork over what extensions work best for you.
  • CPC – You may see lower CPCs if your extensions and formats are highly relevant, and Google expects a large positive performance impact relative to other competitors in the auction. In other cases, you may see higher CPCs because of an improvement in ad position or increased competition from other ads with a high expected impact from formats.
  • Who it Affects – For now, this update only affects search ads appearing on Google Search.

For more information about AdRank, make sure you check out the following page about Understanding Google Ads.

PPC vs. SEO Which Should I Start with First?

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Estimated Reading Time: 1 minute, 24 seconds. Contains approximately 282 words.

This is a question I am often asked in sales meetings. The answer really depends on two things:

  1. Your budget
  2. The time frame in which you desire to see results

Pay Per Click = Instant Gratification Solution for Online Marketing

Pay Per Click (PPC) is your ‘instant gratification’ solution when it comes to Internet marketing. Most agencies and consultants can get your PPC ads running in a very short time – as in days.

Search Engine Optimization As A Long-Term Solution

On the other hand, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is usually a 60-90+ day range before seeing rank changing. With SEO/organic rankings, you typically receive more traffic over the short and long term. However, it takes a while for your SEO provider to get up and running, implement changes, add/edit online content, etc. Afterwards, it then takes even more time until Google indexes the completed work. Only after all of this is complete will you then see rank fluctuation.

Simplified Explanation of PPC vs. SEO

Still unsure of which to start with initially – PPC or SEO? Check out the following “cheat sheet” of bulleted items to figure out which one is right for you at this stage in the game.

  • Great Budget and Long Term Outlook: Start with SEO & PPC immediately
  • Okay Budget and Long Term Outlook: Start with PPC & Smaller SEO budget
  • *Small Budget and Need Short Term Sales: Start with PPC only. Track Results. As sales increase add budget to PPC and allocate some for SEO soon after.

*Disclaimer About Budget

Small Budget, as stated above, is relative to your competition, NOT your internal % of revenue. In our opinion most successful companies are spending 5-15% +/- of revenue on marketing/advertising. Your digital marketing budget is a percentage of this. See What Should My SEO Budget Be? for more help on budgets.