Is it really necessary to do SEO?

Search engines are not perfect. If you don’t counter their shortcomings, your website will pay an expensive price for this. For example, when search engines cannot index your website properly. You can’t expect to be found well.

Spending money on SEO is often a big decision. On the one hand, you want to save time and money. On the other hand, you don’t want to risk the reputation of your website and therefore your business.

You may have heard hundreds of times that SEO is an essential marketing tool. But it costs a lot of money. That is why the question is whether it is really necessary to do SEO.

The elements of search engine optimization

Do you actually know how SEO works? Many think so. But even with the basic knowledge in-house, everything can still be too complex to execute.

SEO consists of several elements. It can be roughly divided into three categories such as content, technology and backlinks. Within these categories you will find different techniques.

SEO is a valuable tool to make your website visible. When you are highly visible, you attract more traffic and convert your visitors into paying customers. It is also good for building brand awareness and valuable relationships.

I use SEO to position myself as an expert. Not only with my business website but also with my other sites. When the public sees you as an expert, they trust you and are willing to buy products or services from you.

Image: I am in position two in Google with the Dutch search term ‘SEO copywriter’.

The effects of SEO

Now that you know what SEO is, you naturally want to know whether it actually has an effect. My simple answer to this is yes, it has a big effect. But only if you use the various elements in a professional manner.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is publishing bad content. For example, content with over-optimization of search terms. But there may also be duplicate pages, coding errors or other things that prevent search engines from properly assessing your site.

But when you do it all right, the different tactics yield a good position in the organic search results. Imagine that you are number one in Google for a certain search term. You then attract up to 45% of the search traffic to your web page. What if a search term is searched for a thousand times a day? That’s right, then you can expect up to 450 visitors. Your competitors will be jealous of this.

A high ROI

SEO has a high ROI. This means that it has a high return on investment. You do have to take into account the different parts of SEO. Link building has a lower ROI than content. You can say that content marketing has the highest ROI, namely one in 35. That’s about it, because when content marketing is poorly executed, it has a low ROI.

Many of my clients work that the ROI of 1:35 is correct. This means that every dollar they spend on content at my company will pay for itself twice over. Each dollar yields approximately 35 dollar. Sometimes more and sometimes less. This depends on several factors.

Authority of your website plays a major role. Have you built up a lot of brand awareness over the years and are you seen as an authoritarian? New content will therefore score better. But when you have a new website, you have to earn your spurs in the online landscape. Then it will take much longer for your investment to pay for itself.

Explaining the different elements of SEO

Maybe you want to know what SEO exactly means. Is it really the case that it generates a higher turnover for your company? As I explained to you earlier, this depends on several factors. You cannot expect quick results. This is because search engines need time to evaluate your web pages.

Even when they have reviewed your web pages, they keep an eye on them for a while. When the public is happy with the search results, search engines know they are doing a good job. But when you are at the top and you get few clicks, this is a signal to search engines that the search results are not correct.

Your rankings therefore depend not only on the SEO elements, but also on the behavior of the audience. You can certainly exert some influence on the latter.

Keywords on web pages

Gone are the days when keywords were an important ranking factor. But this does not mean that they have completely disappeared from the SEO picture. Keywords or keywords serve as support. They are intended to let search engines know on which terms you want to rank.

Google scans the content of web pages. It also looks at the words used. When a certain keyword stands out, Google knows that the topic is written around this keyword. This keyword is stored in Google’s database. Until someone enters that same keyword into Google. Then Google knows that the user is looking for content with that keyword simply because the user wants to read more information about that topic.

It is important to research keywords carefully. But also to use them wisely. Keywords or keywords allow you to connect with potential customers through your content.

High search rates, little competition

It is more difficult for a new website to rank in the organic search results. This is because they have not yet built up authority and trust. That is why it is important to conduct keyword research beforehand. Look for keywords with high search percentages and little competition.

This is easier said than done. Often high search rates have a lot of competition. It is quite an art to find the right balance. But when you are experienced in SEO, it takes little effort.

In addition to a primary search term, you also choose a primary and a tertiary search term. A primary search term is an important keyword that represents the core of your search. A secondary search term is an additional keyword that further specifies your search, and a tertiary search term is an optional keyword that further refines your search.

Here are 5 examples of primary, secondary and tertiary search terms:

• Primary search term: “coffee maker”
• Secondary search term: “with bean grinder”
• Tertiary search term: “espresso function”
  
  
• Primary search term: “holiday Spain”
• Secondary search term: “all-inclusive”
• Tertiary search term: “Costa del Sol”
  
  
• Primary search term: “smartphone”
• Secondary search term: “watertight”
• Tertiary search term: “Android”
  
  
• Primary search term: “healthy recipes”
• Secondary search term: “vegetarian”
• Tertiary search term: “gluten free”
  
  
• Primary search term: “running shoes”
• Secondary search term: “damping”
• Tertiary search term: “for women”

Write the content

Content is an important part of search engine optimization. It is the best way to reach and engage your target audience with your business. Many companies choose to publish blogs. In one of my articles I show you how to go for a perfect structure of your blog.

You can also have blogs written. I focus on SEO blogs, which are found better in search engines. I’ll show you why SEO blogs are so important.

Suppose you are a furniture maker. You have a website and you want to increase your visibility. You have a few blogs written about choosing the right wood, tips for renovating antique furniture and the benefits of handcrafted furniture.

When someone wants to know more about one of these topics, they search the internet for information. It’s nice when this person ends up on your blog. You immediately build a relationship with the potential customer. This is because you provide valuable information.

Readers, not customers

When you publish blogs, you will notice that, if you score well in search engines, you will attract many readers. But not all of those readers can be converted into paying customers. This is because most people are just looking for information.

It may seem strange to write a blog about renovation of antique furniture as a furniture maker. You want people to buy furniture, not to renovate it. But remember that the law of reciprocity applies here. You have offered valuable tips and advice. The next time the reader wants to have a piece of furniture made, you’ll be the first to come to mind.

Of course, this does not work if the reader has only visited your website once. He must have visited your website at least three times before he remembers your name, brand or company. That is why it is important to rank high in Google with multiple articles, texts or blogs.

So: is it really necessary to do SEO?

You can see that content is an important element of SEO. It helps you to better online visibility. This will attract more traffic, gain attention and build authority. You satisfy all those people on your website, so that they will remember you.

The conclusion is therefore that every company, large or small, should definitely do SEO. Especially when you want to grow.

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