Is it possible to run a business without a high ranking in search engines?
Yes, you can run a business that way. The real question is if you want to depend on repeat and referral business all of the time or if you would like to have your leads come from another source.
Most businesses can survive on one source of business. If you could get leads on demand that converted at a higher rate than most forms of advertising and didn’t cost much, would you do it?
Read on to learn 7 reasons why you need to invest in SEO.
1. No One Uses Phone Books Anymore
Back in the day, everyone rushed to get the biggest display ad in the phone book. Locksmiths would change their business names to AAAAAAAA+ Locksmiths to get to the top of listings without spending a ton of money on display ads.
The fight to get to the top of listings still happens. It just doesn’t happen with the phone book anymore. That fight happens online every single day.
No one uses the phone book anymore. OK, maybe people will use it as a doorstop or prop something up. The vast majority of the time, phone books go right to the recycling bin. You can read more about this shift here.
Even phone companies have seen the shift. They suddenly went from selling yellow pages ads to being search engine experts.
2. Most Searches Don’t Go Past Page One
There could be fifty other businesses just like yours in your local area. If someone were to search for “plumbers near me,” they’d get pages of results.
They’re only going to look at the ones on the first page. The top listings will get the highest share of clicks and calls.
It’s not like the phone book, where you could turn a few pages and find a service you need. No one has time for that anymore.
About 75% of people won’t go past the first page of search results. You could have the best website in the world, but if no one can find it online, they won’t have any idea your business exists.
3. Diversify Your Lead Generation
The vast majority of businesses depend on repeat and referral business to pay the bills. That’s fine, but what happens to your business when the repeat and referral customers stop showing up?
Your business is doomed. It’s important to invest in other sources of lead generation.
4. Everybody Doesn’t Know You
You may have been in business for over 30 years and have had the same steady stream of customers come through your doors. You can’t seem to go around town without a customer saying hello to you.
When you take a look at how to grow your business, your first thought might be “Business is fine, everybody knows me!”
Well, does the new family that just moved to your area know you? Probably not. That new family is going to turn to one place to find services in your area, and that’s Google.
When they are looking for services nearby, they are ready to make a purchase. Google reported a 500% increase in searches that combined near me with can I buy or to buy over the last couple of years.
What does that mean for your business? When people are ready to buy a product or service, they will search online. You want to be sure that your business is at the top of search results.
5. Higher Conversion Rate
High rankings in search engines lead to better quality leads. When people are searching or a product or service, they know what they’re looking for. When they find what they’re looking for, they’ll buy it.
SEO has a conversion rate of about 14%. That will vary by industry. Wouldn’t it be nice to convert 14% of people who call your business into paying customers? What kind of difference would that make in your business?
That’s why you need to invest in SEO.
6. It’s Not Enough to Just Have a Website
In the 1990s, not every company had a website. Today, businesses can’t function well if they don’t have a website.
It’s like not being listed in the phone book. If you’re not listed, you’re not even giving yourself a chance to get new business.
You need to have a website and you need a way for people to find your website. Those websites with higher ranking will get all the customers.
Those who are on pages 2-200 on Google will continue to struggle.
7. It Is Possible to Do Yourself
SEO is a web of algorithms and variables, but they’re not too difficult to master. The hard part is finding the time to learn and keep up with changes.
SEO does change every day as search engines work to deliver more relevant results. That doesn’t mean that you should shy away from SEO.
You can do your business’ SEO and stay on top of changes. You don’t need to be a master at code to do it either.
You just need to focus on the core things well. In fact, the real key to SEO isn’t hidden in magical keywords or code. That helps, but if you provide valuable content to your readers on a consistent basis, you can win the SEO game.
If you don’t want to become an SEO expert, you can always hand that work off to someone else.
A High Ranking is Important to Grow Your Business
By now, you should have learned that a high ranking can mean big bucks to your business. You can get a lot of leads by being at the top of search results.
The best part is that these leads are ready to buy now. If you’re not putting in the effort to get higher in search results, you’re gifting these leads to your competitors.
Want more great tips to help you in your business? Check out these apps that are perfect for international business.
