Should I go in for Search Engine Optimization?
What is SEO?
SEO is the acronym for Search Engine Optimization. It is a technique whereby a website is redesigned in a manner wherein it is able to attain higher rankings in a search result page. The redesigning can be carried out in the content of the site, the design and the navigation of the site, the tags including the title, meta and the description tag etc
Importance of SEO
Helps in getting targeted customers: SEO is a vital ingredient in attracting the target audience. It is a fact that most of the customers, searching the net are seriously interested in the product, service or the information that they are looking for. If the website of the company manufacturing that product or offering that service or information makes it into the top rankings (i.e. the first twenty search results), chances are that it might attract a prospective customer.
e.g. if a customer is searching for three star hotels in Scotland, he will enter the same in a search engine. If the keywords (in this case the keywords can be Scotland and three star hotels) are repeated and placed in strategic position, i.e. the website is optimized for search engine, chances are that the site might appear in the top search results and become successful in its endeavor of attracting the prospective hotel guest
Great way of attracting targeted audience: In the existent mediums of advertising, the ad that is put by a company reaches to all and sundry. This leads to wastage of resources of the company and reduces the rate of returns on that particular advertisement. In reaching to non-potential customers, the ad ' gets wasted'.
This does not happen in case of websites. A person searching for cookie manufacturing company will not click on site dealing in automobile spare parts. If a website is optimized for search engine, it will only get targeted customers.
Alternate source of advertisement: If a website is optimized for search engine, it can serve as a great tool of advertisement. A website optimized for search engine attracts prospective customers at no extra cost. A little tweak to a website can do wonders for the company in increasing the number of visitors to its website.
Many people, who use the search engine option for their queries, do not tend to pay attention to the sponsored links and advertisements. Research has also shown that people do not tend to go beyond the first two pages. Hence it pays to make the website optimized for a search engine.
Search Engines: A survey carried out by Forrester Research Inc showed that 81% of the people found out website of a company via a search engine. This survey thus highlights the need for SEO. If a site is made website optimized for search engine, it will be able to generate more traffic. This high traffic translates itself into higher sales for the company, which in turn increases its profitability.
Increases site accessibility: By SEO, the accessibility of a website can be increased. This is because whenever a website is optimized, it will tend to rank higher in search results. This will increase its accessibility and help it in getting more traffic.
Many people, many needs: The number of people using the Internet is growing in leaps and bounds. As the number of people who use the net for their research requirements increases, there will be an increase in the variety of products and services for which searches are carried out.
In such a situation it is better to have a website and make it website optimized for search engine. This will ensure that even if your fir is involved in producing an obscure product, it will certainly find customers for itself.
Increase in the volume of sales: The power of the Internet can be successfully harnessed to increase the volume of sales. Nowadays website hosting has become more affordable than can ever be imagined. Hence even SMEs (Small and Medium sized enterprises) can have a website of their own.
It will work to the advantage of the SMEs if they work on SEO and try to enhance their search rankings.
Ensures brand building: If the company follows the SEO process, it ensures brand building. A website optimized for search engine website have the chances of making it into the top search results. Hence whenever an Internet user types a related search in, the name of he company will always make it into the search result. This will lead to constant hammering into the mind of the customers, which will ultimately result in brand building.
Online sales person: A website is like a sales person who is available 24 hours X 7 X 365. If the website is optimized for search engine, a business house will be able to able to squeeze more out of this sales person.
Turns expenses into investment: A website requires money for its set-up and maintenance. However if search engine optimization is followed, the expenses will be recouped from the sales it will be able to generate. One has to remember that a website will only become an expense if it receives less or no visitors. Otherwise, it can be deemed as an investment.
Other advantages:
Since online marketing is a cheaper option, SEO only makes it cheaper as customers and the resultant increase in the sale average out the cost.
It ensures marketing round the clock. This is because in case of the traditional advertising media the number of time the ad (print, TV, radio) appears is fixed. Whereas in a search engine, if he site is website optimized for search engine and if it is kept that way, the name of the company will appear, every time a related search is made.
Analysis of whether a website needs SEO or not: It is important to find out whether it is necessary to undertake the SEO process for the website. A few things must be considered before one makes the final decision.
Nature of business: It is important to analyze the nature of the business. One has to find out whether the business will be generating queries and interest. For e.g. if it is a website related to a hospital, one might not feel the dire need to feature in the top search result.
Benefits of additional traffic: One has to bear in mind of the impacts of the additional traffic generated by making the site search engine friendly. Also whether such traffic will prove beneficial or not. Ice-cream maker based in India will not benefit fro queries, which are generated from Japan.
Cost benefit analysis: It is necessary to keep the cost factor in mind while opting for SEO. That SEO is a costly procedure is a common fact. But if the returns are going to be substantial, it will be worth going in for SEO. One also has to bear in mind that compared to other forms of promotion and advertising such as TV, print and Public Relations, SEO turns out to be the most cost -efficient.
Type of customers: One has to analyze the kind of customers the business is able to attract. For e.g. a local burger manufacturer might not feel the necessity to attract customers from abroad. No one from Liverpool is going to place an order for a burger from a takeaway in Los Angeles!
However, a beef Liverpool exporter might feel the necessity to attract customers from Los Angeles and might opt for Search Engine Optimization.
Level of business: This is another factor that needs to be considered when going in for a search optimization. One has to decide whether the site should be optimized for the local or regional traffic. Similarly, a site might have to be optimized for national or international level. For e.g. a behemoth like Adidas needs its site to be optimized for all levels, whereas a local shoe manufacturer might have his site optimized for the regional or national level.
Website optimization is thus important as it generates more business for a firm and helps it to increase profits as well as customer base. But as the saying goes ' one size does not fits all', so does optimization. One has to carefully weigh all the options before going in for optimization.
