If your business has an online presence, then you’ve most likely heard about SEO or you already have a strategy in place. If you haven’t, then don’t worry – you’re in the right place. 

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a collection of techniques that help you rank higher on search engines like Google and Bing. This means that if you have a good strategy in place, every time a user looks up something related to the field you are in on the internet, your website or social media pages appear at the top of their search results.

SEO aims to increase your visibility on the internet, so your potential clients don’t have a hard time finding you. It isn’t common that a user’s search will lead them to the second or third page of Google, so your content must appear at the top, or at least the first page of a search, otherwise you narrow your chances of reaching clients exponentially. In fact, according to Hubspot, 75% of internet users never scroll past the first page of their search results, showing just how important ranking highly on search engines is.

Another statistic that highlights the importance of SEO is this one by Search Engine Journal, which claims that the sites listed on the first page of Google share 91.5% of all the traffic on the internet. Imagine that! The pages that don’t rank on Google’s first page have to contend sharing less than 10% of the remaining internet traffic among themselves. This is why businesses are investing their time and resources to improving their rankings on search engines, which in turn leads to higher conversions and more profits.

But SEO isn’t something new. It’s been around for a while. So if you haven’t made an effort to build a strategy, here’s why you should do it now:

• E-Commerce is on the rise

You may have been doing okay selling your products in a brick and mortar store in the past but now, with the pandemic raging all over the world, you may have had to make the switch to selling your products online. As a result, you may be struggling to meet your KPIs or attract clients because of this change in your environment. But, if you make an effort to rank higher on search engines, new and old clients may find you with ease, therefore protecting your business from the harsh conditions caused by the pandemic. According to Smart Marketing, 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine, which goes to show how indispensable investing in SEO is.

• SEO builds trust and credibility

In this age where consumers are looking for experiences, not just products and services, it is necessary to assert yourself as an authority in your field. With engaging content that ranks highly on Google, for instance, you show your audience that you’re a credible source and many people have benefited from your website and services. This may also occur when other websites add backlinks to your site and if your on-page elements are optimized for SEO and maximum user experience.

• SEO benefits are long term

Ranking highly on search engines requires you to be in it for the long haul because it doesn’t just happen overnight; it requires consistent, dedicated efforts. According to research done by Ahrefs, only 1% of pages that appear on Google’s first page are less than a year old.  So if you want to be ahead by, say, the end of the year, the time to start is now. 

• Search engines have become an essential part of life

2020 stats show that 81% of internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 searched the internet before making a purchase, 90% visited online retail stores and 74% purchased an item online. But the use of search engines isn’t limited to this demographic alone. Another statistic reports that 70% of seniors in the US are now regular internet users, and 94% of teens have access to the internet. So whatever your target audience may be, they are most likely using search engines in their everyday life, so you need to be visible to them when they search for you.

• SEO is universal

If you are holding back on SEO because you think your business is too small or your industry too obscure, you couldn’t be more mistaken. At whatever stage of business growth you may be at, or whatever kind of field you’re in, you need SEO. Since you have no control over when competitors will enter the market, or how a product may be received by your audience, you must make sure you stay on top of your ranking. Because this is an aspect of your business you can control, ensure you exploit it to the maximum.

Using Freelancers to Step Up Your SEO Game

Despite the numerous benefits that SEO has, it isn’t that easy to implement a winning strategy. It is not something you can go at alone, especially if you’ve just created an online presence for your business and have no prior experience. Unlike in the past, the competition for rankings is now stiffer, the rules keep changing, and search engines like Google keep updating their SEO policies constantly. So with these shifting goalposts, you may find it hard to implement a system that will meet all your goals. This is why you need to hire an expert to help you fine-tune and review your SEO plan as often as is necessary.

With a freelancer, you can scale your strategy easily depending on your budget and the size of your businesses and still enjoy value for your money. Additionally, they work on a gig to gig basis, so you can hire a different one the first couple of times until you find the right match, without any hassle. To make your search even easier, you can also create an SEO audit to determine your needs to ensure that you pick the right expert for your business.

These are some of the freelancers you can hire from Ureed.com to help you optimize your SEO plan:

SEO content writers: to create engaging, informative, and authoritative content that is centered around keywords that will help you rank higher while encouraging your customers to purchase your products.

Analytical experts: You need someone with a hand on the beat on your strategy to see how it’s performing. These experts use data analytical tools to monitor your performance and keep your strategy up to date with Google’s changing criteria.

Technical SEO specialists: These freelancers know the ins and outs of the rules governing SEO and can help you wade through penalties and other technicalities that may arise.

In Conclusion…

SEO is an integral part of any online strategy. Whether you’re new to the internet, or a veteran online user, you must be sure you’re positioned so that your client base can access you with ease. At Ureed.com, you can hire a wide range of SEO experts to elevate your online strategy to new levels.