Why is SEO important?

A friend and colleague recently asked me why SEO is so important. I sent her to a series of articles I recently wrote that starts with the basics of “What is SEO“.

She read it, and came back asking the same question: “Your article says WHAT Search Engine Optimization is, but… I’m still not sure WHY it’s important, or if I should even bother.”

Now I was the one scratching my head. I thought the answer was obvious. But, maybe you have the same question. So I tried approaching the topic from her perspective, and realized there is more you may need to understand about online marketing.

First, let me say, you may already be using some SEO tactics, and not even know it!

There are 3 (three) main ways to get traffic going to your website. The first is personal contact. You meet someone, hand them your card, and say “Visit my website”. (This is simplified, of course, but the basic gist.)

The second is — you place ads or pay for traffic (paid ads, email marketing, etc.)

The third is SEO.

The problem with the first two is that they work only as long as you are working. As soon as you stop handing out business cards, or stop paying for ads, the traffic to your website stops. That’s why SEO is so golden — when you stop working, the elements you have set in place keep working to attract new traffic to your site. And new traffic means potential income.

Question for you:
Would you rather use marketing techniques that you have to continually work, or techniques that continually work for you? {pensive pause}

Hopefully you choose the second. You are going to market your site anyway, right? Why not market in a way that will actually increase your website traffic, not just maintain the status quo.

Don’t fret, SEO isn’t the big mysterious monster people make it out to be. It’s not just meant for big businesses or internet gurus. You can do it, whatever your budget, whatever your niche. In fact, as I mentioned before, you are probably already employing some SEO on your own.

We want to help you refine and expand your efforts, as well as help you understand what you are doing, and why. We will continue writing articles to help you understand SEO better, and show you steps you can take to solidify your presence on the web.

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Here are the first articles in the series. These lay the foundation for SEO:

What is SEO?
SEO: Plan for success
SEO: Building a solid foundation
SEO: Executing your blueprint
SEO: Our Technique – get more traffic, starting today

As always, we’re here to help. Contact us anytime with questions!