The Benefits of Search Engine Optimisation - 2

Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 08:26

1. 64% of Internet users said that search engines were the main way they find things on the Internet (source: The Kelsey Group)
2. More than 80% of Internet users rely on search engines as their preferred method for locating websites. (source: Graphic, Visualization, & Usability Center: 10th User Survey)

People use search engines - a lot! Even back in the year 2000, 57% of web users searched the web every day. The only thing they did more often when they were on the Internet was to check their email - 81% checked their email everyday (source: Statistical Research Inc, Feb 2000). In the 11 years since then, the percentage of people searching the web has increased exponentially.

There are millions of searches done daily As early as 2003, there were over 300 million searches carried out per day, every day (source: Shari Thurow - Search Engine Visibility3). That figure is likely to have multiplied manifold today. Even in 2002, Google alone had over 55 billion searches.

There are billions of web pages online today. Literally billions. As the explosive growth of the World Wide Web continues, people are increasingly reliant on search engines to find what they are looking for. In the vast forest of websites that make up the Web today, search engine optimisation is the only real way to ensure that your website - your tree in the forest - can be found.

It is a fact that 5 – 6 times more online purchases are made by people who find websites using search engines. The cost of search engine optimisation is significantly lower than the cost of banner advertising and other forms of online advertising. Not only are search engines highly effective online marketing tools – they’re also cost-efficient.

A report by Forrester Research states, "Search engines reach valuable, motivated, and ready customers. To capitalize on search as a marketing tool, marketers should shift acquisition email and ad dollars to search" ( Forrester Research, April 2002)

Focus on User Focus

Optimising your website for search engines also makes your website more user-focused. This is because the process of search engine optimisation includes:

• Discovering the words and phrases your potential clients are using to find services and products in your industry
• Placing these important words and phrases in prominent places in the code - and text - on each page of your website
• Writing search-engine-friendly code or optimising existing code, so that search engines can easily sift through the content of your website and index your site properly
• Re-writing text so that your website is informative and interesting to visitors and search engines alike
• Great text content attracts links from other websites - this makes your site even more attractive to search engines

The rewards

Above all other considerations, optimising your website for search engines like Google will bring you these rewards:

• Motivated customers who are already convinced that they need your product or service - before you’ve met them or exchanged a single word. They search for you, not the other way round!
• Your website becomes more user-focused and offers your customers and potential customers exactly what they want
• Optimised websites generate quality leads - and, therefore, have a much higher conversion rate
• The ultimate reward is the difference all of this will make to the bottom line for your business

Crucial Questions

Keeping in mind the significant sales potential of your website, the crucial questions are:

• Is your website found in the first 5 pages of Google’s search results for keywords or key phrases that are crucial to your business?
• Are there aspects of your website that can be enhanced and improved, to make it easier for Google and other search engines to find it, and make it easier for potential clients to find your business, service or products?

You might have heard that optimising your website is a time-consuming, tedious process. While it's true that the process takes time and energy, think of all the rich rewards you - and your business - will reap!

There is no doubt that search engine optimisation yields one of the best returns on investment in advertising. Done correctly, it will future-proof your business so that you remain competitive in the brave new world of Google.