What is SEO and Why is it Important
December 7th, 2009 // 8:42 pm @ Marnie Castle
Search Engine Optimization or SEO, is something that every business owner is looking into as a way to get the internet exposure they need as maintain and even increase their customer base. The topic of SEO can be confusing but there are really only a few basics every business owner must know.
SEO is the process of optimizing your business’s website for the search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. Although it is said that you are optimizing the website for the search engines, what you’re really doing is optimizing your site for the people who want to find it. Basically, when someone searches Google for a keyword related to your business, for example “restaurant in New York City” — You will want to show up within the first couple of pages of the search results, otherwise your people will be finding your competitors and not your business.
There are two ways to show up within the first few pages of the search results; one way is to set up a PPC campaign, where you pay for each click that you get to your website — but this method can get expensive. Then, there is the increasingly popular “Organic SEO” method, where an SEO specialist uses the power of keywords, link building and other factors to optimize your website so that it shows up in the natural, “organic” search results. This is when your website gets shown on the first few pages of Google for the terms your customers are searching for.
People strive to show up in the organic search results which are located on the left side of any search on Google, Yahoo, etc. The right side displays the “sponsored links” which are paid for by running a Pay-Per-Click campaign with the search engine itself and paying a set amount per click to display on the first or second page.
Search Engine Optimization is important for any website. Consumers and businesses are increasingly using the internet in lieu of the Yellow Pages and having a listing on the top search engines can bring a significant amount of site visitors and therefore potential customers right to your door.
Category : Blog
