subject: 14 Reasons Why Seo Is Still As Valuable As Ever [print this page] Im not sure what date SEO was supposed to have died. Rumours of its death hit the internet as far back as 2004 and were fairly persistent but like most deaths originating in the internet it was shown to be falsely premature.
SEO is alive and well and although some people may still struggle to describe what exactly SEO does or even what it stands for (Search Engine Optimisation) its importance in modern day business is still high. Disgruntled webmasters who lost money on failed SEO strategies may well deride its purpose but the key to a successful SEO strategy is in its adaptability.
1) Ranking Position is Crucial
Whilst there is more to SEO than just ranking positions there is no escaping the fact that your ranking position relative to competitors is of crucial importance.
Granted, a position is only as effective as the business it brings in but there is certainly a far greater chance of customers getting in touch if you are higher up the rankings:
Search users click the top-ranked link 36% of the time with only 12% clicking the second-ranked link, dropping to just 4% by position 6.
62% of search users click a link on the first page of search results
Less than 1 in 4 searches make it to the second page.
80% of unsuccessful searches are followed with keyword refinement.
2) Organic Is Best
You can gain traffic to your site through various means direct traffic through manually entering the web address, referral traffic from another site, a social media link or a pay per click campaign. But when it comes to securing business organic traffic via a search engine remains the best form:
Click through from an organic listing generates 25% higher conversion rates than an equivalent Pay Per Click campaign.
More than 3 out of every 4 search users pick an organic listing over a paid one, with two thirds choosing an organic search when making a purchase.
Lead generation through SEO costs 61% less than an outbound lead such as cold calling.
SEO leads also have a much higher close rate of 14.6% compared to outbound leads which have just a 1.7% close rate.
40% of SEO campaigns aware of their ROI achieve returns in excess of 500%, while only 22% of PPC campaigns were able to garner this return.
3) Content is still King and it must be shared!
Irrespective of the number of black and white animals Google can decide to throw at their search results there is universal agreement that the most important element of your sites web pages is content. Content remains King. What you do with your content is now of great importance. Sharing content socially and through blogs now has a stronger weighting in the Google algorithm. A properly coordinated content marketing strategy can do wonders for your traffic and your rankings.
A suitable content marketing strategy increases blog traffic by 2000% and revenue by 40%
When exposed to both the search listings and social media of a brand, consumers overall search CTR rose 94%
Companies with a blog have 434% more indexed pages than those who dont leading to more consumer leads.
81% of businesses consider their blogs to be an important asset to their businesses
Between 10 and 40% of companies win business through social media
SEO has changed what previously worked now doesnt whilst new factors are becoming increasingly important (such as social signals). SEO is changing, growing and evolving by the day but as long as there is are search engines on the internet there will be a means to optimise the web pages they display so they are better discovered and indexed.
Given these changes, it is now more important than ever that you use only the most appropriate and effective SEO techniques to ensure that you stay ahead of the algorithm, lest you risk the wrath of a Panda or Penguin strike.
Search Engine Optimisation, when done properly and ethically, can not only protect your site against Google updates or penalties but noticeably increase your brands search visibility online and consequently your traffic and sales.
