How (and Why) to Tap Fully into SEO

By Jennifer E. Dunphy

Content fuels search engine organic traffic and SEO. So, it’s no wonder 27 million pieces of online content are being shared each day. The question is: How do I ensure my business is among the top choices that Google serves up to its billions of searchers? The answer is simple: implement a comprehensive SEO strategy! But the process is complex.

I often speak with marketing execs who insist they can’t afford the time and money to insert SEO into their company websites because it’s not in this year’s budget. But with more than 2 billion people online globally and 31 million actively shopping online, the Internet is the most cost effective and efficient way for businesses to reach their target market.

Your business must be highly visible when consumers are searching online for what your company has to offer. U.S. businesses are projected to invest $3.2 billion dollars in SEO this year, up from $2.6 billion in 2011. Why such a high increase? Marketers are finally beginning to realize that if their business is not visible when potential clients are searching for their products and services online, they will not even be an option. If your company isn’t visible, your competition will be. It is not only about growing your business but staying relevant.

These days, you can’t read an article about effective marketing strategies without hearing about Search Engine Optimization, commonly referred to as SEO – the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” or “organic” search results. Statistics show the higher a site appears in the search results, the more visitors it will receive.

The top search engines’ main objective, aside from making money selling PPC ads, is to create the best possible user experience by ensuring people are finding high quality, relevant content. The best way to deliver high quality content is to create a website that is truly an authority coupled with a consistent and comprehensive SEO strategy.

A successful SEO strategy needs to not only be content rich, but relevant, unique, and diversified, integrating different types of content from a fantastic website, to creative videos, images, informative press releases and blogs. SEO is a science and an art. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something new comes along!

Internet usage and online spending will only continue to rise as consumers find more ways to access the Internet. Online marketing is directional marketing, meaning consumers are actively seeking out businesses and are ready to buy. The only question is: When they are looking, will they find you – or your competition? Despite the economic woes, online spending continues to grow.

Jennifer Dunphy, V.P. of Sales and Marketing, for SEO company Vayu Media, has provided her marketing and public relations expertise to the business community since 2005.