Why is SEO Important for Businesses?

Well, 72% of marketing experts agree that SEO and Content Marketing are the most beneficial marketing effort and generates more leads than any other marketing initiatives. So, is SEO worth it? Short answer: YES. Long answer: Keep reading!

Here’s the Data:

 

1. 75% of people never look past the first page of search results.

Translation: If you’re not on the first page of search results, you’re not being found online.

 

2.  The first 5 organic search results receive 68% of clicks.

3. Out of all online activities, 93% began with a search engine.

76% of people only use Google (Instead of Bing, Yahoo, etc.)

 

4. 80-90% of people conduct online research before making a large purchase.

5. Before reaching out to a company, 47% of consumers view at least 3 pieces of content by that company. (Hello, content marketing!)

It doesn’t matter if your business is brick & mortar – ALL businesses are influenced by their online presence.

 

6. Leads from search engines are targeted, high-quality leads, with a 14.6% close rate.

Compare that to the 1.7% close rate of strategies like cold calling! (Yikes – no thanks!)

 

7. About 75% of people ignore paid ads altogether, and just scroll to the organic results. (I’m guilty of this!)

8. If your website takes more than 2 seconds to load, the Bounce Rate increases by 50%

 

Curious about how long your page takes to load? We can let you know!

 

Is SEO Important for Small Businesses?

Local SEO helps your local business appear in the map at the top of the search results when users are looking for the product or service you offer. If a user is searching for a local business, Google uses the searchers physical location as well as local seo signals to decide which local businesses to rank. Your website should be optimized to rank locally, and you should also be implementing off-page SEO, like citations, to increase your rankings. Here’s the local search marketing statistics that prove why rising to the top of local searches is so important.

 

Local SEO Statistics

1. 88% of consumers who search for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours

2. 73% of people lose trust in a business if it’s listing information is incorrect

Citation signals are one of the top local ranking factors.

 

3. 82% of people say they engage in ‘near me’ searches and click on one of the first results

4. The Local 3 Pack shows up in 93% of local searches

5. 46% of all Google Searches are local

6. Google My Business (GMB) listings are the foundation of your Local SEO.

Surprisingly, 56% of local businesses have not even claimed their GMB profiles

 

7. 33% of clicks go to the top 3 listings on the maps (the local pack)

8. 72% of people who conduct a local search end up physically visiting a business within 5 miles of their location

9. Online reviews can also be classified as the new “word of mouth” since 88% of people trust online reviews by others just as much as a personal recommendation from a friend or family member.

10. Most local searches, or 78% to be exact, end up in an offline purchase

Conclusion

Since 90% of people now conduct research online before making a purchase, digital marketing has become a necessity for all business owners. Working with a digital marketing company means that you have a team of digital marketing experts behind promoting your brand online. Our services will help you navigate online advertising, get your business found online, and efficiently deliver your message to the right target audiences.