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Ranking in Google—Do you have to pay to play?

By September 26, 2019March 13th, 2020No Comments

Search engine optimization is important for a websiteRanking in Google is top of mind for anyone who has ever built a website. Google is the industry standard, and according to 48 states now suing the search engine giant, it’s also has unfair control of “online advertising markets which may have led to anticompetitive behavior that harms consumers,” (New York Times). Basically, the government is claiming that those who spend the most money on Google advertising products, such as AdWords, get better ranking which is unfair to websites with good content, but few ad dollars. For those of us in marketing and web development, this comes as no surprise. However, there is more to search engine optimization (SEO) than AdWords can buy and it’s important for businesses to know the value SEO has for their business.

Why is SEO important?
The purpose of SEO is not only to make your website visible on a search engine, but to drive users to your site and provide them with a positive experience while visiting your page. Having an optimized website is a simple way for businesses to reach potential customers, which can generate leads and revenue.

It Starts with a Search Engine
Think about how users research topics they are interested in. This process usually begins with an online search. An article published by the Search Engine Journal states that “Ninety-three percent of online experiences begin with a search engine.” Users can search for anything and everything, whether it be a new recipe, a how-to video, or a DIY project, to name a few. In most cases, users find information they searched for within seconds, likely on the first page of results on the search engine—most likely Google.

Interest, Engage, and Convert
The goal should be to have your site appear first on the results page. The objective is to interest users enough to engage with your content, which hopefully will lead to conversions. Think about the user’s experience. By making your website easy to navigate, you increase the chances of keeping the user on your site. High-quality, new content is an important component for good SEO—and that can’t be purchased through Google.

Update, Optimize, Repeat
Having an optimized, user-friendly website is a result of updating it on a consistent basis. The Google algorithm changes regularly, so keeping your SEO updated is crucial. If you want your business, product or service to be among the first results that appear on a search engine, try to improve the functionality and SEO of your website. Once your website is built, you really can’t “set it and forget it”—you have to keep updating SEO, and creating new, relevant, quality content.

Baseline Creative Can Help
For most business owners, keeping up with digital marketing tactics is low on the list of things they have time to do—and that’s why they call us. Baseline has experienced digital marketers who can help increase your SEO organically and through well-planned paid search and AdWords. Whether or not Google will be forced to change how they do business, Baseline will be on the frontlines, always learning and implementing best practices for our clients. Contact us today to see how we can help!