Why Should Your Business Bother With Search Engine Optimisation?

By Author: Raymond K Logan
Total Articles: 6
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What is SEO and what’s the big deal?
Search engine optimisation is a way of telling Google that your website is associated with certain keywords. If you own a wedding dress shop in Liverpool, for example, you may want Google to recognise that you offer wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, wedding hats, tiaras, wedding accessories and wedding shoes, and that you are based in Liverpool, Merseyside.

The more authority your website has for such words, the higher your website will appear on the search engine results pages. Surely this doesn’t matter that much though? Well, think of your own search queries. When using a search engine you don’t tend to venture to page 17 to find what you need. In fact, nearly 90% of people don’t click past page 1. The top website on Google’s results page attracts an average of 36% of clicks.

Your website traffic (and the amount of business you receive through your website) depends hugely on your position on Google and these keywords. Search engine optimisation works to give your website the authority which Google recognises, increasing its visibility.

This applies ...
... to huge global corporations and small and medium B2Bs and B2Cs alike. 67% of small and medium businesses planned to increase their website’s prominence with SEO and SEM (search engine marketing) in 2012. It is no longer a technique to give your business a boost; it is now essential just to stand on level ground with your competitors.

It sounds so complicated!
Of course, the average hairdresser, restaurateur, plumber or shop owner has little to no understanding of the complex tactics involved in search engine optimisation. Furthermore, even if they decided to read up on it to become knowledgeable, small and medium business owners often don’t have the time to invest to make a campaign work.

This is where a search engine marketing company comes in. Online marketing and SEO specialists can carry out the hard work for you; conducting the keyword research, optimising and adding website content and carrying out off-page link building through online press releases, article and blog posts. Their work will help Google associate relevant keywords and subjects with your business, giving your site more authority and increasing its prominence for those words in the search engine results pages.

How do I choose a search engine marketing company?
To reap the benefits of successful optimisation it is important you trust your provider 100%. Some SEO methods, called ‘black hat tactics’, can lead to a website being penalised by Google - dropping to an extremely low position or even being removed from the results pages completely. These risky techniques are often employed by search engine optimisation companies who want to show instant results despite the long term consequences. Therefore, an investment in low-quality SEO can do your website more harm than good.

Discuss tactics with potential agencies. If they mention hidden text, hidden links, cloaking, mirror sites or link farms, avoid them at all costs. Ask that they send their copy to you for approval. If their work does not read naturally, if there are too many keywords or unrelated keywords, don’t trust them. Keyword stuffing is a technique which can get your website penalised.

Over 50% of business owners have admitted they are clueless about SEO. You don’t need to understand the world of search engine optimisation, that’s what the experts are for. You simply need to understand the importance of investing in SEO to protect your website’s traffic.

KPI Business Services offer a range of online marketing services, including search engine optimisation and pay per click marketing. Their experienced technicians understand how to improve your website’s prominence to boost your traffic and business.
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