Creating a website is just the beginning; the real goal is to attract a wide audience. The most effective way to make your site known and drive traffic is by ensuring that people frequently find your site through search engines, which is where SEO comes into play.
In this article, we will get to know SEO from the ground up. What is SEO, why is it important for online businesses, and all the key points you need to know about SEO. I am confident that by the time you finish reading, you will have a better understanding of SEO and be able to implement it on your own.
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the process of optimizing a website to align with how search engines work. This enables search engines to easily understand what the website is about and how it provides valuable information to users.
The goal of SEO is to ensure your website appears at the top of search results, resulting in an increase in organic traffic. This means a surge in website visitors without the need for excessive promotional spending. Consequently, the likelihood of your online business succeeding grows significantly.
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In addition to SEO, we have various website promotion techniques that can help increase your website traffic sustainably. Check out 9 Ways to Promote Your Website and Attract Traffic Consistently.
How SEO is Important for Online Businesses?
SEO marketing is the process of online marketing that focuses on optimizing websites through SEO strategies. The goal is to ensure that our website or online media (such as images and videos) appears at the top of search results. The higher the ranking—preferably number one on the first page—the better.
Today, search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing are among the most widely used websites in the world. They have a significant impact on consumer behavior.
3.5 Billion
Today, people rely on Google searches more than 3.5 billion times a day, which is over 40,000 times each second. (Internetlivestats, 2020)
90%
Over 90% of internet users won’t make a purchase or engage with a brand until they’ve done their research. (Status Labs, 2018)
14.6%
Achieving a conversion rate of 14.6% with SEO, compared to just 1.7% with traditional marketing. (serpwatch, 2020)
Imagine if, when people search for products or services related to what you offer, your website appears at the top of the results. This could significantly enhance your business opportunities and create remarkable Brand Awareness.
It’s no surprise that SEO is a crucial strategy for online businesses, as it significantly boosts website traffic.
Fundamentals of SEO Marketing
To truly grasp SEO marketing, business owners and online marketers need to understand two fundamental concepts.
- Organic Traffic vs Paid Traffic
- Understanding the difference between SEO and SEM
Let’s dive into the details of both topics.
What is Organic Traffic?
Organic traffic refers to visitors who arrive at a website through search engine results, specifically Google. The advantage of organic traffic is that website owners do not have to pay a single baht for advertising to Google.
When people search for information on Google, they see a list of related websites beneath the ads, known as Organic Search. When users click on these websites, Organic Traffic is generated.
The amount of organic traffic is directly related to search rankings. The higher your website appears in search results, the more organic traffic you will receive.
One downside is that if you want to significantly increase your organic traffic, you need to dedicate 3-4 months to continuous SEO efforts to achieve your goals. This means that if you’re looking for an instant boost in website visitors, solely focusing on organic traffic may not be the best solution.
What is Paid Traffic?
Paid Traffic refers to website visitors who come from purchasing advertising space on search engines like Google. This may involve buying rankings on search results pages, which can appear higher than organic search results. Websites that pay for these placements typically display an “Ad” label next to their URL, indicating they have invested in search engine advertising.
The advantage of Paid Traffic is that it allows us to rapidly increase the number of visitors to our website. When we purchase ads, our site appears in prominent positions where people are most likely to see it, or even at the top of search results immediately.
However, the downside is that the increase in audience size will require a corresponding increase in advertising budget. Additionally, when we stop advertising, our website will drop in rankings or disappear from search pages.
In summary, Organic Traffic refers to website visitors who come without the need for paid advertising, while Paid Traffic consists of visitors generated through purchased ads on search engines.
SEO vs SEM
The next topic marketers need to understand is the difference between SEO and SEM, or Search Engine Marketing.
Why is it important to understand the differences between these two terms? SEO and SEM are not the same. Marketers or business owners need to choose the right approach that aligns with their goals and timelines.
SEO focuses on driving organic traffic through search engines, while SEM encompasses both organic and paid traffic strategies to enhance visibility in search results.
SEM includes advertising through Google Ads, such as advertising via Google Search Ads, Google Display Network (GDN), YouTube Ads, and Shopping Ads. This is a marketing strategy where website owners pay for ads to Google.
In summary, both SEM and SEO are strategies for marketing through search engines, but SEO specifically focuses on organic traffic, while SEM encompasses both organic and paid traffic.
Read more: What is SEM? A Basic Guide to Performing SEM
SEO takes time. Can we solely focus on SEM through paid strategies?
One of the frequently asked questions is whether we can focus solely on SEM with paid traffic. Since SEO takes time to show results, many see paid advertising as a faster option.
The answer depends on individual perspectives, but Shifu suggests that marketers should implement SEO alongside SEM. Both strategies can work in tandem, allowing for adjustments in marketing practices that align with current goals.
For example, using Search Ads to promote a specific webpage can yield immediate results, such as for a product page or an event. In contrast, SEO is a long-term strategy focused on developing the website and content to consistently and sustainably increase organic traffic. Not only is this traffic free from advertising costs, but market research also confirms that organic search is perceived as more trustworthy by the general public, leading to higher click-through rates compared to Search Ads.
Benefits of SEO for Websites and Online Businesses
In addition to the importance of SEO mentioned above, SEO actually offers several other benefits for websites and brand businesses. Here’s a quick summary to help you see its significance even more clearly:
- Help businesses or brands build brand awareness, along with their products and services
- Continuously and sustainably increase website traffic
- Attract the right target audience that matches the products/services or content of the website through keyword selection
- Improve the desired outcomes such as sales, form submissions, and follower sign-ups, as the audience searching already has interest or need (Quality Traffic)
- Save on marketing and advertising budgets, as costs are significantly lower than other marketing strategies
- Establish credibility for the brand and enhance its expertise in its field
- Foster business growth and increased profitability through higher results and reduced expenses
To rank high in SEO, what should you do?
At this point, I believe you’re interested in optimizing your website for SEO. The question is, how do you get started with effective SEO to improve your site’s ranking? What steps do you need to take?
Whether you handle SEO yourself or hire an agency, understanding the overall picture of what SEO entails is essential. With this knowledge, you can set clear objectives for your SEO efforts and communicate effectively with your agency. This clarity will ultimately lead to a successful SEO campaign that meets your goals.
The process of SEO consists of the following steps
- Understand the principles of how search engines work
- Conduct keyword research to find and select the right terms for your website
- Understand site structure or what makes a website SEO-friendly
- Optimize webpages for better ranking (On-Page SEO)
- Engage in link building to acquire quality backlinks
- Monitor rankings on search engines
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If you want to learn how to do SEO that will get your website to rank at the top of search results, follow this step-by-step guide starting from the basics until you can do it yourself. Even beginners can master it. Check it out.
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Hiring an SEO expert vs doing it yourself: which is better?
The final point and a frequently asked question is whether we should hire an SEO agency or do SEO ourselves.
The answer depends on resources and goals. For some companies, if the owner or employees are already skilled in SEO, they might choose to handle it in-house to save budget and easily control the SEO process.
Some companies may have no prior experience with SEO, while others might have some but lack sufficient resources. In such cases, they might choose to hire an experienced SEO agency. By investing in professional services, they can effectively improve their website’s ranking without having to manage the process themselves.
You can explore the pros and cons, as well as various details of hiring an SEO service versus doing it yourself in the comprehensive articles below.
Summary
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the process of optimizing a website to align with how search engines work. This enables search engines to easily understand what the website is about and how it provides valuable information to users.
Currently, SEO is crucial for online businesses as it is a powerful marketing tool that helps increase organic traffic, resulting in a significant rise in website visitors without the need for heavy advertising spend.
I believe that once you finish reading this article, the knowledge about SEO you gain will empower you to apply it effectively and significantly increase your chances of achieving success in your online business.