Over 94% of people who use Google only look at the first page of search results, and most people only click on the first three results. 83% of people worldwide use Google, but this concept applies to every search engine. So what do you do if your small business website appears on the 12th page of results instead of the first page?
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of increasing your site position and page rank organically through quality backlinks and effective keywords. SEO is the most effective way to increase traffic to your website.
Ideal visitors
There are over 180,000,000 registered websites today, which means people rely heavily on search engines to find exactly what they are looking for. If they don’t find it on the first page, they prefer to adjust their search terms and start from scratch instead of searching on subsequent results pages.
People who search for exactly what you offer and see your site on the first page of results are considered ideal visitors because they are the most likely to convert into customers, subscribers, etc. If your website isn’t in the top few results, let alone the first page, it’s almost like your website does not exist. Which ultimately means it’s almost like your business doesn’t exist, either.
Site position and page rank
A site’s position is determined by page rank. Every website has a ranking for particular keywords or search terms. Originally, search engines worked by tracking all the words on webpages. If you searched for ‘California Sandals,’ you’d get back a list of websites containing those two keywords. The websites that contained those keywords most often would be ranked toward the top.
Now, websites are graded by search engines on two main criteria: backlinks and keywords. Websites that are referred to often by other websites, or backlinked, are more likely to be considered relevant by search engines. Websites are ranked by the number and quality of backlinks to it from other websites.
Keywords let Google see your website and know what it is about, while backlinks determine how much Google trusts your site to be relevant. Both keywords and backlinks are essential in moving your website up the search result food chain.
There are two corresponding components to moving up the chain: On-site and Off-site SEO. On-site SEO involves optimizing your website to contain relevant keywords. Off-site SEO involves you working to create backlinks to your website that originate from other sources. Links to your site can be created by using social media, articles, blog posts, discussion boards and more. The more influential or legitimate the website is that links back to you, the more effect the backlink from that site is going to have on your search result ranking.
Growing your business through SEO
SEO lets you focus your efforts on the exact people you want to visit your website. Because businesses are able to target ideal visitors instead of relying on broad ads, 72% of businesses say SEO gives them the most bang for their buck compared to newspaper or television ads. After running the numbers in new revenue, it becomes apparent why SEO is valuable – especially for small businesses.
You aren’t completely done when your page reaches the front page of search engines. Ideal visitors are even more likely to become customers or subscribers if your website is well-designed, has clear contact information and polite staff ready to answer any inquiries.
Good SEO takes time
Because almost everyone relies heavily on search engines to find anything online, SEO is the most effective way to increase traffic to your site. Good SEO takes time, so the sooner you start, the sooner you can move up the page rank ladder.
To learn more about SEO for your website, watch the video below. At Bluehost, we offer unbeatable SEO services and specialists who can help you improve your page rank. Give us a call at +1 888 401-4678 to speak with a website specialist for a free consultation.
What is SEO?
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