SEO for Phoenix Companies: Staying Ahead of the Pack

Phoenix isn't only one of the largest metroplexes in the nation, it's also one of the top digital cities in the country. That suggests area companies doing business online are quite common. High numbers of online businesses also indicate that competition can be challenging in some market segments.

To stay ahead of competitors, Phoenix business owners must ensure their online infrastructure is up to date and reaches as many consumers as possible. Phoenix SEO companies work with clients to update websites, build a solid social media platform presence, and develop strategies that promote strong future growth.

The Online Environment is Rapidly Evolving

The pandemic forever altered the online climate for businesses. Today, employees often work remotely or in hybrid environments, customers want fast and reliable service even though companies are short workers, and online competition is growing rapidly. While doing business online was changing before the pandemic, the pace of those changes increased dramatically during COVID-19's worst months and continues to evolve even after the number of cases declined both in number and severity.

So, what does that mean for area businesses? Today, just about every industry is experiencing supply chain and staffing issues. At the same time, they're seeing significant changes in the way people shop, and SEO strategies that worked well a few months ago are not as reliable now.

To further complicate things, Google just announced new changes in their algorithms that will impact just about every website to some degree. That means specific site owners will lose traffic (and business). No one can afford to see their sales reduced, which means they'll have to revise their sites to retain their current ranking or see improvements.

How can companies protect or increase their sales in that type of environment? While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question, SEO professionals recommend companies re-evaluate their sites to ensure they won't run afoul of Google or other platforms in the coming months.

Moving Forward Doesn't Mean Starting Over

One thing to remember is that most of the changes taking place are more evolutionary than revolutionary. Companies that have maintained their sites properly won't, in most cases, need to redesign those sites completely. Instead, updating some elements of the sites and keeping content fresh should be sufficient.

On the other hand, neglected or outdated sites may need more significant work to be relevant in the Phoenix area. Companies that elect to work with a local agency will find it easier to revamp their sites as needed.

Taking the Right Steps to Keep a Website Relevant

When a local SEO service provider evaluates a client's website, they'll look for specific elements proven to attract and retain customers. In some cases, “proven” will mean including elements that have proven successful historically. However, “proven” may also mean a strategy that's working well right now but hasn't been in use for very long.

That is essentially what trends are: strategies that are working well right now rather than over a long period of time. At the same time, not all trends are worth adopting even if they're working for some site owners. In some instances, trends are effective for one demographic group but not for another. That simply means if your company's target demographic is people over 50 years old with incomes of $200,000 per year, a trend that's popular with consumers in their 20s who earn under $100,000 annually won't be relevant.

Far too many people see Phoenix as a city retirees flock to. While that's true, seniors do not make up a majority of the population. The median age in the Phoenix metroplex is just under 37 years old. There are far more residents in the 18- to 64-year-old range than in the 65-plus age group.

That doesn't mean the younger demographic has more spendable income than seniors; it only means there are more younger individuals than older ones. That's why area companies work with SEO experts when deciding how to design their online marketing campaigns.

The overall marketing picture is even more complicated if your organization markets goods across the nation or internationally. Local SEO strategies differ from national or internal efforts, highlighting the importance of working with SEO experts who understand the nuances of marketing to different demographic groups.

Factors to Consider When Marketing in Phoenix

Marketing decisions are not always easy to reach, as numerous factors come into play when planning how to get the best response from site visitors. Phoenix companies face problems some areas don't deal with due to seasonal population differences, but here are a few of the factors local SEO experts suggest they focus on.

• The User Experience. Regardless of the target demographic group, no one wants to waste time wading through an obtuse website that doesn't contain meaningful information. The entire experience must flow smoothly, from entering the search parameters to checking out, or the customer will probably move on to a competitor's site.
• Mobile Friendliness. In the past, most consumers browsed using desktop or laptop computers. Today, that's no longer true. While some purchases are still made using computers, today's shoppers are far more likely to shop using a mobile device. One industry study suggests that roughly 79 percent of smartphone owners use their phones to shop and make purchases. That means your site must be mobile-friendly to stay relevant in today's marketplace.
• Content is Still King. While some sites continue to build a website and never change the content, that's not a strategy SEO authorities recommend. First, old information may no longer be accurate. Next, site visitors won't continue coming back to a site that's static—it's boring. In addition, search engines take note when no updates are made to a site. Your SEO advisor will recommend what content to use and how frequently it should be updated.
• Internal Links. Properly designed sites allow users to move quickly from one page of a site to another. That ability isn't only convenient, but users who feel a site is easy to use are less likely to leave the site and are more inclined to use the site again in the future.
• External Links. External links point site visitors to other valuable resources related to their search. Again, the overall user experience contributes to the success of a site. When customers find useful information that answers their questions, they're far more likely to purchase goods or services from the site.

Of course, there are other site-specific factors to consider when designing or updating a website, so these are just a few of the elements site owners should be concerned with. However, these elements are what users see and experience. So, how do SEO professionals ensure these elements work well?

What Goes on Behind the Scenes?

To make a website work, Phoenix SEO professionals tackle the behind-the-scenes tasks that make a website work for you. Those are chores most business owners know little about, but they must be handled correctly for the site to garner a top ranking on Google or any of the other search engines. Those tasks are included in several categories, including:

• Domain Issues
• User Interaction Details
• Backlinks
• Branding Strategies
• On- and Off-Site Webspam Issues
• Adherence to Search Engine Algorithms

Within each of those categories, there are numerous sub-categories SEO professionals must deal with every day. That means your Phoenix SOE experts are well-versed in handling those mundane but important elements that make your website stand out from the competition.

When discussing these factors and why they're important for your site's ranking, SEO experts will explain there are roughly 200 known factors Google and the other search engines consider when ranking a site. That's a lot of territory to cover when designing a site, which means few site owners will have the site-building expertise required to land on the first page of SERPs.

However, not all factors will apply equally to a given website. Some will be more important to sites in specific sectors. Determining which ones to emphasize is a delicate balancing act SEO experts confront every day as they seek the best ways to boost the bottom lines of their clients' pages.

Exploring Your Options in a Competitive Market

Whether a company has been around for years or is new to the Phoenix area, building a solid online presence is crucial. There is simply no way to overemphasize how crucial a well-designed webpage is in a market like the Phoenix metroplex. If your current site isn't performing as well as it once did or you're exploring ways to boost a new business, now is the time to review the current market conditions and develop a strategy that will generate solid returns for the future.

The first step will be to consult an SEO expert for advice. Once the needs of a company are determined, a plan for moving forward is developed. The process isn't always fast or easy, but the results will be worth the effort. For a quality, professional website, contact a Phoenix SEO professional today.