Search engine optimisation (SEO) connects potential visitors with websites. It helps regular internet users find answers to their online queries, but it also helps companies by allowing potential customers to locate them.
If you have a solid SEO strategy, customers are directed to businesses’ online stores, websites, and blogs.
SEO is continuously evolving, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for business owners to keep pace with all updates. However, there is one crucial component that remains constant. Every SEO strategy must be user-centered with top-quality content.
The Beginnings of SEO
The first search engine, Archie Query Form, launched in 1993. Since then, seven other prominent search engines have emerged. And Google is the most used. In fact,
Google accounts for about 92.59% and 72.87% of mobile and desktop search respectively.
Google’s made many changes to its algorithms over the years and this impacts SEO strategy. Some of the most remarkable updates include:
- RankBrain (2016). This helps search engines determine the best results for a given query.
- Mobile-First Indexing (2018), which ranks sites according to their level of mobile-friendliness.
Currently, 39% of the e-commerce traffic is generated by search engines, 35% of which is organic.
This is an important stat, considering that more than 70% of search engine users skip the paid ads and focus on organic results.
SEO Keeps Changing
It’s expected that by 2020, 50% of total queries will be carried out using voice searches. Due to the sheer volume of people who use search engines on their mobile devices, Google has recommended that:
Website owners must make their sites mobile-friendly or risk removal from search results.
Businesses ranked among the top 10 on Google search results gain high-quality leads. And search traffic is 10 times more likely to convert than social media on a desktop, and a 30% lift in brand perception. So, if you want real results, your SEO strategy must include more than the odd post on social media.
Factors that influence the ranking of your site include:
- Load Speed – recommended average load speed for a top site is 1,900ms
- Content Quality – informative content with an average word count of 1,890 ranks higher on Google’s search results
- Backlink Profile – top ranked sites have as much as six times the number of backlinks of a rank 10 site
- SSL Security – 27% of top-ranked sites use ‘https’
Local SEO For Businesses
Recent statistics which reveal that 46% of the total Google searches are local.
As well, 18% of local smartphone searches resulted in a purchase within 24 hours, compared to the 7% of non-local searches.
It’s reported that by 2021, mobile devices will influence about $1.4 trillion in local sales.
Whether you’re a business owner wanting to improve your brand awareness through your SEO strategy, or an aspiring digital marketer wanting to know more about this subject, the following SEO tips will have you covered.
Check out the infographic below for more details.
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