What are search engines and why do they matter to your business? In a remarkably short period of time, consumers have come to rely on the internet for information, entertainment and advice. Online shopping has grown exponentially, and people who shop in stores will still research products and businesses online before making a purchase. This is why it is essential for businesses to have an online presence, so they can connect with customers.
Digital marketing companies that specialize in local seo can help businesses to connect with customers in new ways.
Search engines: why they matter
It seems that everyone spends their days staring at a tablet or iPhone screen. Among online activities, the two most popular are search and email. In other words, people are discovering things online and sharing them with their friends. In fact, 27 million bits of online content are shared every day.
For businesses, having an effective online presence is a way to get information about their products and services out to a very large audience. Further, the internet offers not only a large audience, but also one that can potentially be pinpointed and targeted by geographical area, spending habits, preferences etc. This makes online marketing a powerful tool for any businesses, whether it is completely online or a bricks and mortar store.
How they work
Search engines are the beginning of the process. It’s how people finds things they’re looking for on the internet. About 93% of all internet experiences begin with an online search. People could be searching for a new ethnic restaurant, an auto repair shop, or the nearest post office. Since many search engines can bring up hundreds and thousands of results, its important for companies to feature at the top of the search.
At the same time, it can be difficult to figure out the criteria by which results are ranked in search engines. Google, which leads the world of search engines with a 65 to 70% market share, uses a complex and constantly changing system to call up search results. Digital marketing professionals focus on optimizing websites so they will feature at or near the top of search engine results.
Search engines and online marketing
Search engine optimization or seo is the basis of social media marketing. More than a third or 34% of marketers consider it to be very effective, making it the most effective lead generation strategy.
Search engine firms use content marketing to help business websites rank higher in online searches. Content marketing differs from traditional advertising in many ways. Most fundamentally, it seeks to inform consumers rather than persuade them. In the Information Age, even marketing is data driven, at all levels.
In a very short time, digital marketers have come to accept the benefits of seo. Even for real world businesses, having an effective online can drive traffic, attract new customers and have a positive impact on the bottom line.