Blogs
The case for SEO
Mark Knight
15 June 2010
A prospective client said to me the other day that he didn’t need to optimise his company’s website for search engines (SEO) as he put his web address on all their regular communications tools like business cards, compliment slips and emails. Then I asked him how would he find a plumber if he had a burst pipe. Hopefully the penny dropped.
The days when people just used search engines like Google to find a plumber, book a holiday or buy a CD are long gone. There is clear evidence to confirm that people now search for all types of business services, including PR consultancies, accountants lawyers, insurance companies as well as joint venture opportunities. But how do your ensure your company’s website rises to the top of the search engine pile?
Content is the key to attracting users to your site. It engages the reader, it increases search engine rankings and traffic and promotes the likelihood of quality links from other sites. With cost per click campaigns costing over £20 per click for frequently searched phrases it’s fairly straightforward to see the return on investment for improving your site’s SEO. Businesses that ignore SEO and just view their web design in isolation are missing a vital sales channel.
Integrating digital techniques to your PR campaign can add valuable additional content to your website. Just by adding a blog on topical business issues to your site will provide text that will build site traffic and add valuable search terms. Submitting your company press releases to PR websites which have access to Google News is also a valuable exercise in promoting your company’s name and attracting site traffic.
If you cast your eye around your office today I bet you will find that most people use Google as their home page. The reasons are fairly straightforward. It’s very quick to load and it’s the search engine of choice for 70 per cent of internet users.
Fact number two. When people first log on to a website first thing each morning will they key in the URL or search on Google for the name? With the exception of a very few sites that are memorable, I suggest most people use their trusted friend Google.
So if you link these two simple conclusions, the premise that anything that appears on the web needs to be easily found on Google and other search engines is easily proven. SEO is not a luxury, it’s a business essential.
