Organic search results are the listings you see in Google below the paid ads. Advertisers pay every time someone clicks on their ad, often anywhere between 10 cents to $5, depending on how competitive an industry they operate in. Advertisers have an incentive to make the ad relevant and interesting, but there are obvious advantages to organic search engine optimization, including:
People Ignore Ads
Seven to nine out of every 10 people ignore the paid ads and choose one of the organic listings. Studies have shown it is mainly younger adults who ignore the ads, worrying that they can get a virus or click on a phishing website. They also mistrust ads in general. If you want to reach people 35 and under, you need a prominent place in the organic search results. You can run ads too, but SEO should be your bread and butter.
Be On Page One of Google
More than six out of 10 people use Google to search the web. Search engines drive far more traffic to websites than social media. If you want to take advantage of this, you need to appear on the first page of the search results for your desired keyword or phrase. Searchers find what they want on the first page 75 percent of the time. They never even get to page two because Google does such a good job of providing relevant results.
If you use an SEO agency to optimize your website, they will do keyword research. The agency will find keywords and keyword phrases that will drive sales and which you have a chance of ranking well for. SEO agencies look for opportunities that you may have overlooked in your quest to rank for highly competitive keywords that the major brands have a monopoly on.
Organic SEO Gets You the Better Leads
Inbound marketing performs better than outbound marketing. Inbound leads from organic search results cost less and have a much higher close rate than cold calling or direct mail. The people who searched for your products or services on Google have already have an interest in them. If you optimize pages of your website for buying keywords, you’ll attract people who want to make a purchase today. You can also gather more qualified leads with keywords people use when they want more information.
Organic SEO Helps You Dominate the Search Results
Agencies who perform organic SEO can help you dominate the search results by having more than one listing on the first page of the search results. For example, you could have a page of products and a buying guide. Companies that have more than one listing get more clicks because people see them as authoritative and the place to go for in-depth information. You could also get featured in Google’s Knowledge Graph or as a snippet.
SEO for Local Searches
Local searches are where you need SEO the most. Nearly eight out of 10 local searches result in a consumer making a purchase at a local business. Google has a local pack with only three results, so it’s essential to get in there. An SEO agency specializing in local SEO can help you get in the highlighted box that draws searcher’s attention first. Google wants to serve mobile users, so having consistent name, address and phone number information in local directories is essential. Having a responsive design is also essential to getting in the Local Three Pack.
E-Commerce Organic SEO
E-commerce websites, especially smaller companies, need SEO to compete with major retailers like Amazon and eBay. In this article, you will learn why SEO is important for Ecommerce websites. Unique product descriptions and page titles, along with unique meta descriptions, are important. An SEO agency will suggest adding a blog or buying guides to increase the amount of keyword-rich content on your site.
As you can see, creating an effective organic SEO campaign is the key to driving more traffic to your website. While PPC marketing, email marketing and social media have their place, SEO is the most cost-effective, long-term solution for businesses.