Search engine optimization (SEO) may not be easy, and may require a heavy investment of time, but it’s the best way to increase your site’s web traffic. Here’s why.
Virtually All Online Experiences Begin With a Search Engine. – When people need to find a product or a certain service locally, they don’t look in the yellow pages, or drive around town until they find what they need. They go online. When they do, they’re more than likely going to a search engine. Research shows that 93% of all online experiences begin with a search engine.
Only the Highest Ranked Results Really Get Web Traffic. – Here’s the thing: you need SEO. Without it, you’re not going to get any web traffic from search engines, where people start their search. Only the highest ranked sites ever get any traffic. A 2013 study shows that the first ranked Google result gets 33% of the traffic. Second gets about 18%, and third gets about 11%. From there on out, it drops exponentially. The vast majority of people don’t ever even click past the first page of search results, which means that if you’re not ranked 10 or higher, you’re not going to get any web traffic.
There Aren’t Any Shortcuts. – Of course, you could always pay for sponsored results, which would put your site right at the very top of the search, or on the sides of the search as well. Although these ads do get clicks, and spread brand awareness, they simply don’t drive a lot of web traffic. Between 70 and 80% of users actually ignore the paid ads, focusing on the organic results instead.
SEO is the best web marketing strategy out there. While PPC, social media, email, and other online strategies can certainly help you build more web traffic, it’s SEO that matters the most in the long run.
If you have any questions about using SEO to increase web traffic, feel free to share in the comments.
