Why is SEO Important for Business? (Plus Helpful Tips & Terms to Know)
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Hey friend! If you're just starting your journey as a small business owner, entrepreneur, freelancer, etc., I know you’re trying to learn everything you can in order to build a lucrative, successful career.
I'm sure your brain is buzzing with a million different things you've learned so far.
And obviously...one of those terms buzzing around your brain right now is ‘SEO’.
You hear about it everywhere. You hear people shouting about how important it is for the success and growth of your business.
So you want to learn more about SEO and why it’s so important.
I remember just starting out as a freelance copywriter. Truth be told, I knew NOTHING about SEO.
I knew it was super important, but it sounded so complex and intimidating to me.
I wanted to learn more about it, but didn't know where to begin.
But here's the thing... it's really not that complex or confusing at all.
It's all about understanding the basics of:
What SEO is.
Why it's important.
And how to apply it to your own website, blog articles, etc.
So, in this article I'm going to give you everything you need to know as a beginner when it comes to SEO.
Towards the end, I’ll also share with you some easy tips and tricks that you can do for free to make your copy/content more SEO-friendly, before you decide to invest in any SEO tools.
So, let's get right into it.
What is SEO?
If you don’t already know, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
It’s the process of improving the quality of your website copy or blog content so that search engines (like Google) will rank it higher in search results.
Because writing informative, helpful content that targets all the right keywords (I’ll touch more on keywords later) your signaling to search engines that what you’re talking about is valuable.
Search engines will then rank your website or blog articles higher so your target audience can find it easier and quicker.
When you really think about it, all SEO comes down to are search engines trying to make the best possible user experience.
This is all for our benefit.
So that when users (like us) are searching for a specific topic, only the best results with exactly what we’re looking for will be presented to us on the first page.
Why is SEO so important?
The reason SEO is so important for the growth and long-term success of your business is because you want your website to show up on the first page of Google search results.
Because it’s been proven that over 99% of people don’t look past the first page of Google results.
I mean think about it, when you’re searching a specific topic on Google, how often do you continue to page two, or even three?
Most of us don’t.
So, the bad news is, it doesn't matter how amazing your business is, and how valuable your offer is if it’s not showing up in front of your target audince.
If you’re nowhere to be found on the first (or second or third or fourth) page of search results, your dream clients are most likely going to use your top competitors that *are* on the first few pages instead.
Which means in order to find clients and grow your business you’ll always have to rely on pitching and word of mouth.
But the good news is, as long as you learn SEO best practices (or hire someone who’s proficient in SEO) and then SEO-optimize your copy/content, you can beat your top competitors and attract your dream clients like never before!
Quick note: Keep in mind though, after officially making your website or blog articles SEO-friendly, it can typically take a few months or more until you start organically ranking higher.
And how quickly your site begins to rank higher depends on different things, like the age of your domain and website for example.
Regardless, I think it’s an important thing to know, so you’re not feeling discouraged when your site is not ranked on page one overnight (because that’s totally normal)!
Now let’s move on to important SEO terms you should know.
Organic website traffic.
‘Organic website traffic’ means that a website is getting visitors *naturally*, without paying for ads.
So, after making your website SEO-friendly, and it begins ranking higher in search results, your target audience will of course naturally start pouring into your site.
Next time you search something on Google, notice how some of the top-ranking websites have the word ‘sponsored’ above them.
That’s how you know they have paid ads boosting their rankings and generating them more website traffic instead of naturally ranking from SEO alone.
Example of a paid advertisement on Google
Keywords.
So, what are keywords and why are they so important in SEO?
Well… keywords are the bread and butter of SEO.
They are words or phrases that people are searching on Google, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.
Keywords are used throughout a site in order to give search engines a better understanding of the content and match it with the correct searches.
By using the *right* keywords throughout your website, search engines will recognize that your site is valuable in a specific topic, therefore ranking it higher for your target audience to find you (like we talked about above).
For example: I’m a website copywriter. So here’s some of the SEO-keywords I’ve used/targeted in my website (and blog articles).
Hire a copywriter
Website copywriter for creatives
Website copy
Hire a copywriter for your website
Etc.
These are keywords that help Google understand what I’m all about.
So when my target audience searches any of these words, Google will pull my website up in those search results.
It’s as simple as that!
Just remember, when you’re using a specific keyword in your content, use it in your H1 tag (heading 1), use it naturally, and focus on writing high-quality content that’s valuable.
Those are the three main factors when it comes to making your copy/content SEO-optimized.
And search engines will reward you for it!
How to find the right keywords for SEO.
Now that you understand what keywords are, why they’re so important for SEO, and how to properly use them, I’m going to tell you how to find the *correct* keywords to use.
Or in other words, keywords that will actually benefit you and help your rank higher in search results.
If you’re completely new to SEO, I’m sure the idea of finding keywords probably sounds confusing.
So, let’s break it all down!
In order to find keywords that are actually going to rank your website higher and increase your organic traffic, you need to apply the ones that have a 'high search volume' and a 'low competition score'.
What does this mean? Well…
The search volume tells you how many people are searching for that specific word or phrase a month. The search volume can be anywhere from 0 – 70,000 or higher. Obviously, the more people searching for your keyword the better.
The competition score tells you how difficult it’s going to be for you to rank number one for that specific keyword. The competition can be low, medium, or high, and ranges anywhere from 1-100. So, of course you’re going to want keywords that have a low score, and will be easy to rank number one for.
Here’s an example of what this looks like (using my go-to SEO tool ‘KeySearch’). ↓
The keyword research tool from KeySearch - The SEO tool I use for finding keywords.
If you want to find the right keywords, you need to use an SEO tool.
For example, a very popular SEO tool people use is ‘Semrush’.
But I personally use ‘Keysearch’ for all my keyword research and more.
It's much more affordable (which is more important than ever in today’s economy), easy to understand, and has everything you need.
Making it perfect for beginners and seasoned SEO experts as well.
However, if you would like to dip your toes in and use a free SEO tool instead, you can try using google keyword tools.
I will say though, compared to Keysearch and Semrush, you are much more limited on what you can do, and the set up is not as organized and easy to understand from my own personal experience.
But it’s good for getting a general feel for using SEO tools and it’s better than nothing, that’s for sure.
Here’s another helpful tip for finding good keywords without using an SEO tools.
As you now know, keywords are the words and phrases people put into search engines when looking for a particular answer, product, service, etc.
So, here’s an easy, free way to get a general idea of popular words, phrases, and questions that your target audience is searching for (however you will not know the search volume or competition score).
Go to Google and type in a common phrase or question that YOUR target audience would most likely search for when in need of your product or service.
So, let’s say you’re in the business of making desserts and other baked goods.
You could try typing something in like ‘custom made desserts for events’.
Look at all the recommended options that drop down.
Then scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page where you see the ‘Other people search’ section.
All of those words and questions that pop up will give you a good idea of the popular keywords that your target audience is currently searching for the most.
So that can be a quick, easy way to get an idea for keywords you can use in your content (at first of course).
Try this out as many times as you want using a different word or question related to your niche/industry each time.
Get an inside peek at what your target audience is searching for and what they need/want to know.
Quick Tip: Try clicking on some of the first page results that pop up. Because those are your top competitors that are ranking on page #1 for the keyword your just Googled. Browse their websites to see how their content is structured and written.
Pay attention to their H1 tags, H2 tags, etc., and the whole of their content. See where and how many times they used that target keyword they’re ranking #1 for.
Also take note of the way in which they wrote their content. What about it seems high-quality to you?
In other words, what about it catches your interest or keeps you engaged?
What do they talk about? What makes it valuable information? What kind of questions are they answering?
Take note of these things for your own website or blog.
‘Why is SEO Important for Business?’ Conclusion...
SEO is essential for the growth of your business. Though it does take the time, tools, and knowledge necessary for it to work.
However it’s easier than you think!
All it truly takes is:
Understanding your industry and target audience like the back of your hand.
Using the right SEO tools (like Keysearch).
Finding the right SEO keywords.
Writing high-quality copy/content based around that target keyword.
It’s truly that simple friend!
However… I know if you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or freelancer, you probably have a million things on your to-do list as is.
If you don’t want to put in the time and energy it takes to learn SEO, purchase/learn an SEO tool, and write long-form copy/content, then you should consider hiring a skilled copywriter/website copywriter that’s proficient in SEO.
Feel free to check out my services!
I offer SEO-friendly website copywriting and blog content writing.
I even offer DIY SEO for blogging if you want to write your own content but need more help with the SEO side of things.
Remember, growing your business and achieving long-term success doesn’t have to feel overwhelming and out of reach.
You just need the right ingredients to get there!
But anyway friend, I truly hope this article helped you understand why SEO is so important for business.
Good luck on your journey to success, because I know you got this!
Until we meet again.
And if you don't already know me...
Hi, I'm Christa! A freelance website copywriter who specializes in writing copy for creatives and small business owners.
So, if you're looking to grow your business and attract your dream clients (beyond word of mouth and cold pitching) then I’m the copywriting companion you need friend!
Feel free to visit my website and learn more about me and what I offer.
Or you can simply check these out as well…
My blog - If you liked this article, you’ll find more just like it on my blog page, dive into topics like SEO, copywriting, blogging, and more.
My services - Feel free to snoop. I specialize in writing copy for websites and content for blogs. But I'm always open to client requests as well.
And for my fellow writers out there who are also interested in becoming a copywriter, view the article I wrote about the amazing, in-depth copywriting course I took that kick started my career as a copywriter (you can thank me later, well… only if ya want).