Why do we develop an SEO strategy and pursue a wide range of SEO activities for our website? If you were to ask most business and website owners that question, the answer would likely be the obvious, “So I rank higher in the search results and make more money.” The chances are that asking that question would actually get you many strange looks, too.
There is more to SEO than merely getting yourself near to the top of Google’s rankings. In fact, the ways it helps your customers and site visitors are probably more powerful, and a much bigger reason for actually ‘doing SEO’ in the first place.
Search Without the Search Engines
SEO is probably named incorrectly. The reason we say this is because the very best SEO strategies spend little time considering what the search engines are actually looking for. This is just the way Google and the others want it to be, too.
The best websites, and so the ones that enjoy the best rankings, are actually the ones that are put together solely with the customer in mind. You will find loads of old tutorials that talk about ‘optimizing for search engines’ versus ‘optimizing for human visitors’ and how to achieve both. The truth is that they are both the same thing; the difference is that the search engines are now closer to human than ever before.
SEO Directs Customers
A customer searches a term in Google, and the most relevant results appear on their screen. If you are one of those, then you have a chance of making a sale or receiving an enquiry from that customer.
A quality SEO plan will ensure that you are appearing in relevant search results, ensuring that you can connect with new customers and retain existing ones who might have bought from you but forgotten your brand name. If you rank well for what they bought, then they are going to find you once more.
SEO Engages People
Think about the things that you see being spoke about when you hear or read SEO top tips. The thoroughness of content, the value of using a variety of content including photography and videos, and producing regular content all rank highly on the list of great SEO factors.
Aside from that, it also engages your customers and makes them want to spend time on your site. An informative blog will build trust and strengthen your customer relationship. A video or photo gallery might be a refreshing change-up from your usual content, and remind people why they love your brand – it will also probably earn social shares, too. Regular content of any type, as long as it is good, brings people back repeatedly and helps your customers feel like they are a part of your brand.
SEO in 2013
The reality of SEO in 2013 is that it is more about people and customers than ever before. Everything you do should be with your target audience in mind. Who are you selling to? Joe Bloggs on the street, or a Google search spider?
Author Bio:
Bright Local are market leaders in delivering great SEO tools like their SEO analysis tool to help business with their online presence.a




