Success in organic search means search engines are finding, reading and evaluating relevant website content. If that content is hindered in any way, organic search performance can be impacted significantly. What does this mean for your site ranking? Search Engine Results Page (SERP) will place your listing further and further back from your competitors. With over 90% of all website conversions occurring organically, the importance of Google & Bing interpreting your business as an authority cannot be understated. Not to mention 90% of all SERP engagements happen on Page 1, with 5-8% on Page 2. Should your site fall behind Page 2, you are out of the consideration set.

A ‘brand search’ for your business name (shows as a ‘direct search’ on site analytics) will absolutely return your site near the top of the page. The role of a search engine and its algorithm is to help the user find what they are looking for. This was once the coveted role of the white pages in business directories, coming from referrals or consumers who knew your name. However, today’s online consumer is busy and tends toward the easiest methods of search – topic or short form queries (e.g., walk-in clinics near me), that can take up 1000’s of keyword combinations. Add in voice search (e.g., “Hey Siri – find a walk-in clinic near me”) and you may have just ONE opportunity to be served up as the top result.

As per initial research, keyword click costs for paid ads on Google can be competitive or costly on a per click basis. That can eat up a sizable budget quickly, especially if the audience has not been exposed to branding from your business previously and are researching or ‘tire kicking,’ and not converting. A strong SEO strategy enables your company to be found organically, relying less heavily on paid search ads and allowing for more awareness tactics such as programmatic display to find audiences and encourage them to search, then find your listing on a SERP and book a consultation.

There are over 100 key technical components to strong, ongoing SEO maintenance, from managing search engine algorithm changes (thousands last year alone on Google) to content and analytics. Without a strong strategy in place, you simply ensure a consumer not seeking your brand directly will not find you – your door may be open, but no one will be entering. SEO optimization takes time, it takes patience and it takes investment to see results and is the most essential element to the marketing of any business in this digital age. Without it, ANY marketing dollars invested are at risk and are more than likely doing more to benefit your competitors than your own brand.

Once a strategy is in place, the foundation is rock solid for growth, your ability to stack further marketing requirements is now set. Adding highly advanced, data-focused messaging such as programmatic display, video, streaming audio, social, connected-TV and more will further help drive qualified visits to your site from audiences with greater interest and opportunity to connect, which is not missed by search algorithms either. Blending data with engagement with organic authority equals success to your business, and we love seeing these results with happy and profitable clients!

AMF Media Group can help develop your SEO strategy and put a plan in place to promote your business and your brand. Contact us to learn more at [email protected].