Why SEO is Important for Business in 2024: Discovering the True Reasons

Do you ever check the third page of Google when you are searching for something? You will most likely never get that far with your search. And most people wouldn’t do so either. When customers look for information, they want to avoid digging for it. That's why it's no surprise that just 0.44% of Google searches look at the second page of results. To succeed online and reach your target audience, make sure your website ranks on the first page for as many relevant keywords as possible. And this is something that SEO can help you achieve. Regardless of the niche you operate in, the services or products you offer, or the market you target, you will hardly be able to succeed in your business without having an SEO strategy in place. So let’s dig deeper into the importance of SEO.

So why is search engine optimization important? Let’s face it — as a long-term investment, SEO can potentially provide a massive ROI for your business. For this reason, from 2008 to 2020, business SEO budgets have increased by nearly 7 times — from $11.5 billion to just under $80 billion. And this happened for a good reason. Did you know that:

• Search engines generate 90% of all organic online traffic.
• More than 81% of people use search queries before making a major purchase.
• Google and Bing are used by 64% of users to make purchasing decisions.
• Search engines serve as the strongest lead gen tools that more than 57% of marketers trust.

Now it is clear why your business needs SEO. But there is a trick. Although SEO is a well-established marketing channel, 56% of small companies do not use it or are unsure if it is part of their marketing plan. We get it — SEO may seem like a very complicated and unreliable marketing channel at the same time to many. In contrast to paid ads, which may get a 2:1 ROI immediately, SEO takes time to build and make work for your benefit.

But this doesn’t mean that you should not invest in search engine optimization. The value of search engine optimization is just huge. Trust us — it will pay you a bomb in the long run. So, if you haven’t started using SEO for your benefit yet, listen up. Here is what you can achieve with a well-thought-out search engine optimization strategy.
Organic Search as a Major Source of Traffic
Whatever your business, you aim to bring lots of traffic to your website. More traffic means more eyes on your product/service and a higher chance of conversions. That’s fair. Every day, Google handles more than 3.5 billion searches — more than 40,000 every second. Over half of all website visitors come from organic searches. So should your business be using SEO? Definitely! You should help all these people find you with ease. SEO puts your website and company in front of more people online. As a result, you get great possibilities for visibility and sales opportunities.

The average company gets 53% of its traffic from organic search. SEO generates higher-quality traffic than paid ads since people are explicitly looking for information about your services rather than randomly discovering a website on social media. Ranking for keywords related to your product or service means reaching more prospective customers. That’s the working formula.

However, SEO is more than just driving customers to your website. It is also about addressing the key pain points of your target audience and getting the right people to visit your site. The core idea here is to drive quality traffic, generate leads out of it, and convert them into customers. And this is something that the benefits of SEO in digital marketing can help you achieve.
Organic Traffic is Usually Cheaper than Paid
Organic traffic is generally considered cheaper than paid one — it comes with zero advertising costs and delivers long-term results. While organic traffic is often labeled as “free,” it requires significant investment in time, resources, and expertise to build and maintain. The costs associated with organic traffic can range from $1,000 to $8,000 per month for businesses investing in comprehensive SEO strategies. However, the return on investment for organic traffic can be substantial, with reported ROIs reaching up to 748%. On the other hand, paid traffic can cost you $5,000 to $20,000 per month. ROI from it is usually at the level of 36%. The difference is impressive, agree?

Besides that, organic traffic is less expensive in the long run. Once established, it does not incur ongoing costs per visitor like paid traffic does. Also, organic traffic builds over time and can provide a steady stream of visitors without continuous investment. It converts better than paid traffic, leading to a conversion rate of around 2.4% compared to 1.3% for paid traffic. As a result, you can grow your business with SEO at lower costs.
SEO is a Long-Term Investment
SEO is a lengthy and methodical process that does not provide immediate results. When it does pay off, it pays off big and for a long time. Medium business search engine optimization can generate an ongoing revenue stream for your company for a variety of reasons:

• Search is a 24/7 business — People use search engines at all hours of the day and night. Thanks to SEO, your business can make money every day if it shows up in search results. Even if you are closed for the day, your website may still collect quotation requests, contact forms, and online transactions. It can even route calls to your company, allowing you to follow up later.
• Online search is part of the buyer's journey — 80% of customers do product research online, and 71% of business customers start their research using a search engine. Just think about how you make a purchase. It is most likely that the first thing you do is open Google.
• Search is a top revenue generator — More than 40% of sales come from organic traffic. That's a huge number, especially when you consider how many online outlets are there.

But why is search engine optimization a lengthy process? Well, SEO takes time — there's a lot to do. You need to write quality content, optimize it with HTML code, publish it on your website, fix issues if any, and many more. Besides that, Google is slow. Although Google search results come up very quickly, it’s still slow to index and find new websites. Google wants to read and sort the whole Internet, which is a huge job. So be patient — your SEO resources will definitely pay off, but give it some time.

Still wondering if SEO is the right path for you to follow? Let us share with you the key reasons why SEO is important for your business.
Increase Organic Traffic
Increased organic traffic is one of the key search engine optimization advantages. Ranking high in search engine results pages generates a lot of traffic. This means that with SEO, you can boost your website traffic significantly. Every day, people do billions of queries using search engines. On average, more than 43% of searches choose an organic result. If you don't get the clicks, your rivals will.
Capture High-Quality Traffic Only
Let's face it: not all traffic is made the same. You might have thousands of visits to your website, but if these people aren't interested in your goods or services, the statistics are meaningless. Search engine optimization will help you not just draw more visitors but also ensure that the right people come to your site.

Using relevant keywords is like putting up a sign that says, “Hey, we've got what you're looking for!” This attracts people who are actively seeking your products or services, resulting in increased conversion rates. In other words, SEO attracts customers who are most likely to convert.
Build Brand Authority
Increased credibility is an important advantage that SEO provides. Search engine optimization helps companies establish trust and authority. The importance of SEO for small businesses cannot be underestimated. With a well-thought-out SEO strategy, you can count on:

• Enhanced brand awareness — When you rank higher in search engine results, your brand becomes more visible to prospective buyers.
• Increased visibility on search engines — Higher rankings make it simpler for customers to find your company online.
• Establishing trust — Appearing on the top page of search results fosters trust among your target audience.
• Competing with larger firms — SEO helps small companies outperform larger rivals.

Generally speaking, people trust the first results on the search page. So, unless you are a well-known name like Amazon or eBay, you have to work hard to earn the trust of your target audience.
Become More Profitable
The ROI of SEO for corporate businesses varies greatly depending on the industry's competitiveness. However, recent estimates put the ROI of SEO at a level between 250% and 1,200%. Why is it so profitable? Everything is easy — you do not pay for your traffic. Of course, search engine optimization is not free, but it is one of the most profitable traffic sources. And the best thing about it is that your traffic builds over time, and so do your profits.
Improve User Experience
The beauty of SEO is that it not only benefits search engines but also enhances the customer experience. Search engines prioritize websites that offer quality content, are easy to navigate, and have a mobile-friendly design. This implies that when you optimize your website for SEO, you also improve its usability for real users. As a result, you not only increase your search engine rating but also make your website more appealing to users. It is definitely a win-win approach!

If you really want your website to show up high in search results, you need to know what to do and what not to do with SEO. The area of search engine optimization is very complicated and dynamic. Google's search engine algorithms are also always changing. But if you want your site to do well, there are some simple rules you should always remember.
Do's

• Optimize for users — When optimizing your website and content for search engine results pages, always consider the user's search intent. What is the user hoping to achieve by searching for this query? Answering this question can help you decide which keywords to target, what content type to develop, and how to optimize your content.
• Expect long-term results — SEO does not yield immediate results; instead, it builds momentum over time. For instance, businesses often see significant increases in organic traffic after several months of consistent optimization efforts. You can experience an average of 58% traffic growth at the six-month mark, escalating to around 220% over two years.
• Do perspective planning of SEO activities — You should never do some random website optimizations when your mood allows. To get the best results with SEO, you need to have an SEO calendar and plan your activities in advance. Thus, you will be able to reach tangible results and track what worked and what didn’t work in your strategy.
• Analyze your website statistics — Web data should be checked at least once a week to keep track of them and get a better idea of how people are using and exploring your website. This information can help you make your website easier to use and more useful, and it can also help you find new keywords.

Don'ts

• Expect immediate results — Search engine optimization doesn’t provide immediate results. It is a lengthy process. So do not expect that your website traffic will triple the day after you add a couple of keywords to the front page.
• Optimize for the search system — To get the max out of your SEO effort it is important to prioritize user experience and quality content instead of optimizing your site for search engines.
• Selecting the wrong SEO vendor — Picking a professional search engine optimization vendor is the key to success. Therefore, make sure that the company has experience and expertise in SEO. Request references and use cases for sharing.

No question about it, SEO is a complex, time-consuming, and ongoing process. But why does SEO matter, and is it still worth the investment in 2024? Without a doubt! Search engine optimization can help you improve your website performance, get up to 10 times more traffic, and generate more leads out of it. And 80% of CMOs agree with that! That's why they're keeping their investments in SEO the same or even increasing them for the coming year. Just keep in mind that SEO takes time to work. That's normal with SEO — don't get down if you don't see results right away. However, when search engine optimization does pay off, it pays off massively and for a long time.

What are the advantages of search engine optimization for a business?

Why SEO is important for your website? Search engine optimization (SEO) improves a business's online visibility, driving more organic traffic to its website, enhancing credibility, and increasing potential leads and sales. It also provides a cost-effective marketing strategy with long-term benefits.

How important is seo for digital marketing?

SEO is a fundamental component of digital marketing that not only increases visibility and traffic but also enhances user experience, builds brand credibility, and supports long-term business growth.

What is the most important thing to consider when optimizing a search engine marketing campaign?

When optimizing a search engine marketing (SEM) campaign, the most important factors to consider are goal setting and benchmarking. Establishing clear, measurable goals at the outset allows you to focus your efforts and track progress effectively.

Is SEO dead in 2024?

SEO continues to be a critical element of digital marketing in 2024. Its evolution alongside technological advancements ensures that it remains relevant and essential for businesses aiming to enhance their online visibility and connect with their audience effectively.