Does SEO Work? An Investigation
You've probably heard of SEO before—but what is it, really? And does it actually work? Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short, is the process of optimising a website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). The main goal of SEO is to get more organic traffic to a site, which can lead to higher conversions and ROI. But does it work?
You’ve probably heard of SEO before—but what is it, really? And does it actually work?
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short, is the process of optimising a website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
The main goal of SEO is to get more organic traffic to a site, which can lead to higher conversions and ROI.
But does it work?
As a dedicated SEO and digital marketing agency, our team at MobiWeb are beyond convinced by the benefits of investing in SEO. We see the results day in, and day out for our clients and for the competitors we are consistently competing against.
However, we understand that for some business owners, there remains a level of scepticism. SEO can be a new and daunting concept, particularly because it is an ongoing process with no guaranteed results.
This blog post will aim to answer the question: does SEO work? We’ll explore some key examples and case studies that show just how effective SEO can be for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
So, does SEO work?
Let’s take a closer look.
How Does SEO Work?
SEO works by improving the visibility of a website so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages. This is accomplished through a variety of techniques, including on-page optimisation (such as using relevant keywords), off-page optimisation (such as building backlinks), and technical SEO (such as improving site speed).
The goal of SEO is to ensure that your website is optimised so that when search engines like Google or Bing are trying to decide which of the millions and millions of websites to show in their search results pages, they will deem yours as being more relevant and helpful than those of your competitors.
The higher your website ranks on SERPs, the more likely people are to find and click through to it- which is why SEO can be such a powerful tool for businesses looking to drive more organic traffic and grow their online presence.
SEO is an ongoing process, meaning it is not something you can simply set and forget. To maintain and improve your ranking, you need to continuously work on SEO techniques such as keyword research, link building, and optimising your website content.
However, even if you only invest a limited amount of time and resources into SEO, it can still be a very effective tool for driving organic traffic to your site.
When done correctly, SEO can be an extremely effective tool for improving the visibility of a website. However, it’s important to keep in mind that SEO is not a silver bullet—it takes time and effort to see results, and there’s no guarantee that your site will rank #1 for your chosen keywords. Nevertheless, for most businesses, investing in SEO is a wise decision.
Does SEO Work? The Evidence Says Yes.
There’s no shortage of evidence out there that proves the efficacy of SEO. For example, one study by BrightEdge found that organic traffic accounted for 53% of all website traffic in 2017—and this number is only expected to grow in the coming years.
Paid traffic (that is, traffic that arrives on your website as a result of a paid advertising campaign on a search engine) only accounts for 15%.
SEO is a critical aspect of online marketing. Approximately 68% of all online experiences begin with a search engine, and most website traffic comes from organic search. Therefore, it is important to optimise your website for search engines to generate more traffic and leads. SEO drives significantly more traffic than organic social media, so it is essential to focus on this channel if you want to grow your business. Additionally, search queries are becoming longer and more complex, so make sure your content is tailored to meet the needs of your target audience.
The following six statistics clearly demonstrate the overall effectiveness of SEO:
- According to recent studies, nearly 7 out of 10 online experiences begin with a search engine. (BrightEdge)
- The percentage of Google searchers that click on results from the second page is 0.78 percent.. (Backlinko)
- Organic search is responsible for 53.3% of all website traffic.(BrightEdge)
- A whopping 92.96% of global internet traffic comes from Google search, images, and maps. (Sparktoro)
- SEO generates a significantly higher volume of website traffic than organic social media outreach. outperforming social media by 1000%. (BrightEdge)
- According to Google, four-word phrases account for around 59.7% of search queries. (Ahrefs)
- An incredible 60% of marketers consider inbound methods (SEO, blog content, etc.) as their main lead source. (HubSpot)
- The success of your SEO leads is 14.6%. (HubSpot)
This just goes to show that ranking higher in SERPs can lead to more conversions and ROI—but only if you’re able to maintain high visibility in those SERPs.
What are the hallmarks of a successful SEO campaign?
How can you tell if your SEO efforts are paying off? Here are a few key SEO metrics to keep an eye on:
- Organic traffic
- Number of organic keywords ranking in SERPs
- Click-through rate (CTR) from SERPs
- Bounce rate
- Time on site/pages per session
- Number of backlinks/unique referring domains
- Domain/page authority
And, most importantly:
- Leads
- Sales
If you see increases in all of the above metrics, then your SEO campaign is likely successful. If you’re only seeing increases in organic traffic and not in other key metrics, then you may want to reassess your SEO strategy.
The factors that will influence the success of your SEO campaign are:
Website Speed
One of the most important ranking factors for SEO is website speed. Google wants to provide its users with the best possible experience, so it favours websites that load quickly.
To improve your website’s speed, start by using a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN stores your website’s static content (images, CSS files, JavaScript, etc.) on servers around the world and delivers it to users based on their location. This speeds up the loading time of your website because the content is delivered from a server that’s closer to the user’s location.
Additionally, you can optimise your images for faster loading times. Images are often the biggest culprits when it comes to slow loading times, so it’s important to optimise them before uploading them to your website.
There are a number of SEO tools that can help you test your website speed and identify areas for improvement, such as Google PageSpeed Insights.
Mobile-Friendliness
Another important ranking factor for SEO is mobile-friendliness. Google favours websites that are optimised for mobile devices because they provide a better user experience.
To make sure your website is mobile-friendly, start by doing a mobile audit. There are a number of SEO tools that can help you with this, such as:
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics
- Bing Webmaster Tools
After you’ve done a mobile audit, there are a few key things you can do to improve your website’s mobile-friendliness:
Use responsive design: Responsive design is a type of web design that makes your website look good on all devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones).
Use large font sizes: Make sure your font sizes are large enough to be read on small screens.
Use short paragraphs: Short paragraphs are easier to read on mobile devices.
Avoid pop-ups: Pop-ups can be annoying on mobile devices and may cause users to leave your website.
These are just a few of the most important things you can do to make your website more mobile-friendly. For more tips, check out this guide from Google.
Keyword Research
Another important SEO ranking factor is keyword research. Keyword research is the process of finding and targeting keywords that potential customers are searching for.
To do keyword research, start by brainstorming a list of potential keywords. Then, use a keyword research tool to find out which of those keywords are the most popular.
Several SEO tools can help you with keyword research, such as:
- Google Keyword Planner
- io
- Ubersuggest
- SEMrush
Once you’ve found the right keywords, the next step is to incorporate them into your website. There are a few places you can do this:
Page titles and meta descriptions: Page titles and meta descriptions are the text that appears in SERPs when your website comes up in a search. This is your opportunity to incorporate your target keywords and attract potential customers to your website.
Content: Incorporate your target keywords into your website’s content. This will help Google understand your website and rank it accordingly.
URLs: Use keyword-rich URLs to help Google understand what your website is about.
These are just a few of the places you can incorporate keywords into your website. For more tips, check out this guide on SEO copywriting.
Link Building
Link building is the process of getting links from other websites back to your own. Links are an important ranking factor for SEO because they signal to Google that your website is popular and relevant. The more links you have, the higher you’ll rank in SERPs.
To start building links, reach out to other websites in your niche and ask if they’re interested in guest posting or writing a collaborative blog post. You can also offer to write testimonials for other businesses or link to their websites from yours.
Another great way to build links is to create helpful resources that other website owners would want to link to, such as infographics, e-books, and templates.
Does SEO Work? Final Thoughts
So does SEO work? The answer is a resounding yes! However, it’s important to keep in mind that SEO requires time and effort to achieve results—there are no guarantees when it comes to SERP rankings.
If you’re considering investing in SEO for your business, remember that the key to success is maintaining high visibility in SERPs over the long term. With consistent effort, you can achieve impressive results.
As outlined above, there are a lot of factors at play. This is why most businesses that take SEO seriously partner with a specialist digital agency that manages their SEO efforts for them, as well as provides regular reporting on their campaign’s success.
SEO can be a complex and time-consuming endeavour, but it’s worth it. SEO can help you acquire more website visitors, leads, sales, and ultimately, ROI. If you’re ready to start with SEO, contact an experienced SEO agency such as MobiWeb to help you create a comprehensive SEO strategy for your business.