Over 60% of total website traffic can be attributed to organic search results.
Organic traffic is defined as visitors coming directly from a search engine including Google, Bing and others.
Paid advertisement which usually occur in the first two to five listings on a page, and are labeled “Ad” do not count. Most software or tracking systems such as Google Analytics will separate these two into distinct categories. This traffic is directly related to SEO, one of the most common digital marketing terms.
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a methodology of strategies, techniques and tactics to increase web traffic and gain high search engine ranking placement.
In the past, companies and individuals would pay for clicks to increase SEO. This provided only a temporary spike and dried up as quickly as it came. Google and many other search engines in recent years have defined their analytics to specifically reward engaging content and businesses by giving them higher ranking. If you provide engaging content that continues to be fresh and useful to consumers, you get a higher ranking such as being on the first page of a search. Those that do not satisfy the search engines analytic desires are lost in the recesses of the search results.
Organic ranking is about quality and consistency. Search engines want to help users find effective information quickly. Search engines utilize “crawlers” to browse each website’s page and related content then report back. The data is then used to rank the websites and pages.
When creating content of any sort on your website be sure to include as many keywords as possible, while keeping the content of high quality. Create a strategy to publish new content on a consistent basis whether it is a blog, news updates, or creating new pages. Become actively engaged on social media, the same content can be shared and amplify your company’s voice. Social engagement will also actively contribute to your organic web traffic and increased search ranking.
Ratings and reviews are also major player in Search Engine Optimization. When companies receive high quantities of feedback through the standard review platforms such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, etc. it contributes to increased engagement and therefore increased traffic. These reviews also allow you to monitor your online reputation. As a company, you should be sure you are receiving reviews and that the majority are positive. If there are no reviews or very few that can be a red flag to consumers. Gaining and monitoring reviews should be a part of your SEO strategy.
Search Engine Optimization is the one digital task that is completely free for businesses. SEO was basically the first building block in paid digital marketing. Now there are so many other avenues to spend your money and get higher rate of return on investment that the majority of business are doing their own optimization.
At Media Venue, we believe in paid advertising but we also believe in the customers and support that high organic rankings offer a paid campaign. Make your first task towards a great SEO strategy as locating your keyword list, we bet you have one but you’ve got to use it!
