SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a term used daily in the web and marketing industry.

However, for those outside of the website development, social media, or digital marketing world, (aka most small business owners) the phrase SEO may not mean much. If you have ever wondered what SEO is and why it is important for your business, this is for you!

What is SEO?

Let’s start at square one: What exactly is Search Engine Optimization? SEO “…refers to techniques that help your website rank higher in organic search results, making your website more visible to people who are looking for your brand, product, or service via search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.” (source)

Developing good SEO for your company’s website depends on many factors such as keywords, user friendly and focused content, relevancy, consistency of posting…the list goes on and on! While there is no magic formula for improving SEO, one thing is for sure: curating content that is truly focused on your target customer and their needs will not lead you astray!

So, why is SEO important?

Come one, come all!

To put it simply, SEO is important because you want people to easily find you online! Did you know that the vast majority of search engine users are most likely to go with a business found within the first 5 search results? (source) Obviously, you will want to take advantage of this principle by doing what you can to make sure your business shows up as “near the top” as possible!

Ahh, what a lovely website. I think I’ll come back here again.

In addition to showing up higher in search rankings, proper SEO technique will naturally result in an overall more user friendly online experience. Content that has clearly been crafted with the user in mind will not only be more helpful in their time of need, but it may just attract visitors back to your site again in the future. One simple way to ensure that your website’s content caters to users is to walk a mile in their shoes. Forget the industry jargon you use daily. How do they talk? What sort of imagery will speak to them? Thinking like your user will make writing content with your target customer in mind that much easier.

“I saw this on Facebook.” = Today’s word of mouth.

Once upon a time, in order to research a company before doing business with them, people would simply ask the opinion of friends, family members, or others in a similar industry. Nowadays, such opinions are served up free of charge on our screens daily (for better or worse!). Just think about it, how many times this week have you heard (or told) a story that began with, “So, I saw this person/place/thing on Facebook…”? A website employing good SEO tactics illustrates that the company itself is more reputable, and is therefore more likely to be shared on social networks. (source) There is arguably no better “free” advertising than people talking about you organically online!

Are you intrigued by the principle of SEO, but don’t know how to go about cultivating good SEO practices for your business? Give us a call at Thrive Creative Group! From code to content writing, our team is capable of, and passionate about providing users the best online experience possible! Check out some of our website and design creations here or contact us to tell us more about your business’ specific goals today!