If Search Engine Optimization can talk, it would probably scream by now. The reason is simple: It has taken a lot of flak from critiques and skeptics who don’t believe in what it can do for businesses. Some say it’s a form of black magic you can use online; others say it’s a common practice of geeky “thugs” with no morals. Some reasons have become so absurd it’s not even worth mentioning, but one thing you should never say is that they DON’T WORK. Believe it or not, they do. And they can be one of the best things that will ever happen to your business.
What is SEO? In its simplest term, SEO (or Search Engine Optimization) has only one goal–to make your website rank higher than the other websites on the internet. Suppose you’re looking for companies who sell the plant, Siam Aurora. You type “Siam Aurora plant” on the Google search box and voila: along comes 2,000,876 websites related to the plant. Now, if the searcher starts on the first page, how long do you think it will take before he stops searching? Probably around 7 pages, or maybe the 35th page if they have eyes of steel. But the real question begins: What happens to the rest of the 2,000,841 then?
Nothing. They all go down the drain.
Of course, this won’t be a problem if your company’s website can be seen on the first to third pages; however, the possibility of being seen dwindles after the next succeeding ones. So the moral of the story here is to make sure your site ranks on the first couple of pages, because you’ll have a better likelihood of being seen by people.
And the best way to do this is by using SEO.
Think of it this way: around 30.4% of the global population are internet users; which is around 2,110,000. Google gets an estimated 2,262,000 searches everyday. Now, let’s say you’re a company that sells Siam Auroras. If your business can get only 2% of this internet population, that would be a whopping 42,200 customers already. And if there are around .05% of searches for Siam Auroras everyday, you’ll be getting around 1,131 qualified prospects for your business each and everyday.
But alas, you’re on the 7,994th page…
Can you see the logic now?
SEO will do what it does best: to help your site move from that 7,994th page to the top five to ten pages. There, your website will be highly visible, which increases your chances of being seen by your target market. And if they can see you, the possibilities of getting them as customers will definitely increase tenfold.
A word for the wise: before you decide to hire an SEO expert to do your job, make sure they know what they’re doing. Many people claim to be SEO’s when in fact, they’re not. Always choose wisely – and you’ll soon realize how optimizing your website can help your business grow to its fullest potential.
