Arizona's sunbelt location draws a vibrant cross-section of people from around the country. Some move to Tucson and the surrounding communities permanently, but others are seasonal residents. The weather is a major draw, but so are the many business, educational, and recreational opportunities.
Because the community is diverse, a variety of businesses are required to provide for the needs of residents. However, simply relocating to Tucson won't make a business successful. To establish and grow any business, owners need to take calculated steps designed to garner a large share of the business in their niche. With more people than ever now shopping online, search engine optimization (SEO) is a must for companies seeking to increase their sales.
The first step in growing any business is determining your current status. That's a vital part of SEO for any website owner. Knowing how your site compares to competitors will always be important, but so is understanding your company's needs. Both objectives are relatively easy to determine when you know what to look for. A local Tucson SEO company understands the analysis process and works with site owners to determine where they are now.
Another element of the planning process is establishing a budget. However, accomplishing that goal isn't always easy, especially for businesses that don't have much (if any) experience with building, maintaining, and optimizing a website. While knowing how much a company can comfortably spend for SEO services, experts recommend being flexible.
Google processes roughly 8.5 billion searches every day around the world. In addition, the U.S. and Canada have roughly 4.5 million online companies. Those figures underscore the reason SEO is critical for Tucson companies. There is a lot of competition involved in providing products and services for online shoppers.
When a shopper enters a search, google sorts through those 4.5 million online companies and lists a few paid ads on the first page of returns, followed by about a half dozen companies the search engine assumes can provide the goods or services the shopper is seeking. The rest of the companies offering what the shopper is looking for are spread over many pages of returns. If you're not one of those few companies listed on page one of the search returns, a potential customer may never see your site mentioned.
When SEO experts recommend a strategy to boost your ranking, it pays to listen to them. If you're not at the top of the returns, your sales may never approach the level needed to keep your company in business.
As a note, those paid ads at the top of search returns will siphon off a few sales, but organic returns are responsible for well over half of all website visits. That means developing a solid website design, marketing strategy, and SEO plan are absolutely necessary to push your site to those highly coveted page-one search returns.
Before developing a plan of action, the SEO experts you're consulting will conduct an SEO audit. That audit looks at your current site to evaluate what portions of the site are effective and which ones are lacking. The audit results provide a benchmark to start from and a guide for the entire SEO process.
Of course, nothing is set in stone. The operative word here is “guide,” as revisions to the original strategy are commonly required to deal with changes as they occur. As with the budget, flexibility is crucial when unanticipated events alter the business horizon. The recent pandemic is a good example.
During the pandemic, consumer buying practices changed almost overnight as non-essential stores and services were closed in many areas, leaving those consumers searching for alternatives. At the same time, supply chain issues rapidly developed, creating issues for brick-and-mortar and online businesses everywhere. Strategies had to be revised to deal with those issues, and expert SEO services helped clients change course and find new ways to survive or, in some cases, expand their businesses.
Once the SEO professionals complete the audit and analyze the results, they're ready to move on to the next step. In most cases, that will be keyword research.
Google and other search engines all rely on various algorithms when ranking sites. Keywords tell the search engine what your site is about, so carefully choosing those keywords is crucial.
Remember that some keywords are single words, but keyword phrases are probably even more important now as consumers become more attuned to the search process. The SEO agency will review common keywords consumers use when searching for ways to enhance your site's rankings.
Today, keyword research tools provide a starting point when you're deciding which keywords or keyword phrases to use. Google's Keyword Planner is one of the best-known tools, but there are other choices to consider. Several free tools are readily available, but SEO experts often prefer some paid tools, as they provide improved options.
The point here is that keyword research is complicated and time-consuming. Research tools are accurate and dramatically reduce the time required for conducting searches. Ask your SEO expert which tools they use and why they rely on them.
As with other aspects of SEO, modifying the use of keywords will almost certainly be required as market conditions evolve. So, don't be surprised if an SEO expert recommends using different keywords when consumers' needs or wants change.
Another important SEO strategy is evaluating what your competitors are doing right (or wrong). Review their sites to see what they're doing that might also work well for your site. That doesn't mean cloning their sites. It means developing similar content for your site so you're more competitive. Remember that they're likely looking at your site to see what you're doing too!
Of course, not all ideas work out. If a competitor tries a strategy and it doesn't produce results, they'll drop that idea or make revisions so it does work. Note what changes your competitors make to see how their site visitors react.
A major issue facing every website owner is coming up with a design that attracts visitors and encourages them to take action. In other words, if visitors don't like what they see, it won't take long for them to move on.
SEO professionals stress how important providing a quality customer experience is when you're trying to generate more business. Customers demand a site loads quickly, is easy to navigate, includes quality content and, perhaps most importantly, offers a quick and simple way to check out when making a purchase.
Sites with overly complicated structures, broken links, and poor navigation options drive visitors away. Of course, those issues will also impact your site's ranking, so your SEO company will look for issues that negatively impact a customer's experience.
While seeing progress is always important, don't expect miracles overnight. You may see some significant improvements quickly, but always be realistic. SEO is a long-term project, which means many improvements will take time to generate improved sales.
Part of the SEO process is providing reports to determine what elements of a site are working and which ones need improvement. When data is collected and analyzed, potential changes are considered and made to enhance the site's performance.
That's why SEO should never be viewed as a one-time effort. To see major results, a site's performance must be tracked over time to determine how to generate additional traffic and sales. Tucson SEO experts work with clients to establish realistic timeframes to reach specific objectives and recommend changes at set intervals.
Remember that marketing conditions are fluid, which means plans may need to change as events unfold. Again, the pandemic is a perfect example of a situation that required massive changes quickly to deal with rapidly evolving conditions. Your SEO team will be there to ensure your site remains relevant even when sudden changes alter the marketing landscape.
In the past few weeks, Google revised its algorithms again. While that's not going to be a problem for some sites, the changes could create issues for others. When you delegate SEO duties to a top-rated Tucson SEO team, you won't have to worry about running afoul of Google's algorithms. The team will be there to ensure your site isn't negatively impacted.
SEO isn't static. The strategies used to push your site to the top pages of search returns will always evolve. Even businesses with limited budgets are encouraged to take advantage of quality SEO services. Whether you're struggling to boost your company's local visibility or want to move to regional, national, or international markets, Tucson's top-rated SEO experts have options to meet your needs and budget.
If you're ready to explore SEO options to grow your business, now is the time to take that all-important first step: contacting a local expert to get started. You'll be on the road to increased website traffic and more sales.