Here at Starscape SEO in Cambridge, Ontario, the idea of consultancy when it comes to SEO can not be overstated when it comes to business.
Why? Because businesses are made or broken based on the degree to which a business is known or not known by the right people, and what stands between being known and unknown by those people is the mystery that is the internet, or world wide web.
While much has changed in the real world since the world wide wide arrived in the mid-1990’s, the premise of the world wide wide, AKA the internet, remains basically the same: to connect people.
Why Is SEO Necessary For Business?
Imagine your ideal customer searching online for your product or service.
A sea of websites appears, but yours is nowhere to be found. This is the harsh reality for businesses who haven’t embraced Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
SEO, just so you know, isn’t just one particular strategy, but a myriad of strategies, best practices, and philosophies that can be applied to any online business to help them in their quest to be known to their target audience.
Here’s where an SEO consultant, such as one from Startscape SEO, comes into play – to be your guide through the ever-evolving maze of search algorithms that can connect you to the people who actually are most interested in your product or service.
Who is an SEO Consultant?
As mentioned, Starscape SEO is an SEO consultancy, but what does that mean in general terms?
An SEO consultant is a digital marketing specialist with a deep understanding of how search engines like Google work.
Google isn’t the only search engine out there, but it is by far the largest, with the second largest being Youtube, which is also Google. There is also Bing, among others.
SEO consultants possess the knowledge and expertise to analyze your website, identify areas for improvement, and implement strategies to increase your organic search visibility.
Simply put, they help your website rank higher in search results for terms relevant to your business. This requires a holistic view of the entire business to understand who the business really wants to connect with.
Then, once this is firmly established, the SEO consultant can suggest actionable goals to propel the website in that direction, as so much of website development can happen without actually adhering to any SEO best practices.
Why Does A Business Need an SEO Consultant?
Some business owners that we have talked to have said that they don’t need a website or much of an online presence to succeed in their particular field.
While this can be true, of course, it tends to be the case that in today’s digital age, a strong online presence is crucial for business success.
Here’s how an SEO consultant, such as one from Starscape SEO, can benefit your company:
Enhanced Visibility:
Search engines are the primary gateway for customers to discover businesses online.
People searching for businesses in your given sector will find either a website, a Google My Business profile, or a social media account that belongs to a given business, and choose to connect with one of those websites in order to try and interact with that business.
By optimizing your website for relevant keywords and search queries, an SEO consultant can significantly increase your website traffic, attracting potential customers who are actively searching for what you offer.
If the SEO consultancy is just that – a consultancy – then it becomes even more crucial that you listen to what they are suggesting, since they won’t be the ones carrying out the act of following the actionable suggestions given to reach the aforementioned business goals.
Targeted Traffic:
Not all website traffic is created equal. An SEO consultant understands the importance of attracting qualified leads – visitors who are genuinely interested in your products or services.
Through targeted keyword research and on-page optimization, they ensure your website attracts the right audience, maximizing your conversion rates.
The alternative to getting qualified leads is to get traffic in the form of the wrong audience, or just ANY audience.
This is where the business owner needs to understand, through looking at online analytics platforms suggested by the SEO consultancy, IF (this is a big IF) their traffic is who is should be, or just random people that could be bots or could just be incidental visitors who aren’t planning on purchasing anything.
Improved Brand Reputation:
Higher search engine rankings translate to increased brand credibility and trust.
When your website consistently appears on the first page of search results, it signifies to potential customers that you are a reputable and authoritative figure in your industry.
Now, it should be understood that there are ways for brands to get on the first page while not strictly being the “best” at what they do.
For example, paying Google can get you at the top of the search results, but there are two things to note here: 1) being “sponsored”, which means that someone appears at the top of the rankings but is clearly labelled as “sponsored” meaning they pay to be there, and 2) you only stay there as long as you pay Google constantly.
What might be ideal for some is to simply be at the top of Google because they are the best, and everyone knows it, but without having to pay constantly to be there. This is where you can ask your SEO consultant what can be done to achieve this, ORGANICALLY, and how best to represent yourself as a brand to get there, and then stay there long term.
The ideal situation is: be at the top because you’re really the best, and be the best because you’re always at the top.
Competitive Advantage:
The digital landscape is a battlefield, and SEO is a powerful weapon.
By implementing effective SEO strategies, you can outrank your competitors in search results, capturing a larger share of the market and propelling your business forward.
One thing about business and specifically competition in a value-add economy is that it tends to be, unless there is a lot of corruption in the industry in question, that the business with the best product or service with the most value added will consistently come out on top.
The problem is, in the digital landscape, having a great product but seriously bad SEO can be the equivalent of having a bad product.
Brands that know the in’s and out’s of SEO, either because they learned it themselves, or an SEO consultant guided them, can run rings around the competition who doesn’t know SEO best practices.
As a result, someone with an average product, but good SEO skills, can outrank a website with a better product and bad SEO skills.
Overall, the good news is that if you know SEO, that’s bad news for your competitors who do not, because not everyone can be at the top.
Long-Term Growth:
SEO is an ongoing process, but the benefits are sustainable.
An SEO consultant from Starscape SEO can develop a comprehensive SEO strategy that delivers long-term results, ensuring your website continues to attract organic traffic and generate leads well into the future.
So you might say, if you’re skeptical, that paying for an SEO consultant sounds like just another expense, but we have two responses to that: 1) A business who wants to save money is free to learn SEO from their consultant, and eventually do it themselves.
A good SEO consultant isn’t going to want to tie you down if you know what you’re doing. SEO is something which can be learned, unlike say, dentistry.
At the same time, the idea here is that a good SEO consultant will help increase the value of your business, so that while paying a consultant is an expense, the cost of the consultant doesn’t necessarily increase with your success.
The SEO consultant should want you to succeed and eventually understand what SEO is all about, rather than always be in the dark about it.
What Does an SEO Consultant Do, Day-To-Day?
The specific tasks undertaken by an SEO consultant will vary depending on your business needs, but some general areas of expertise include:
Website Audits: A thorough examination of your website to identify technical SEO issues, content gaps, and areas for improvement.
Keyword Research: Identifying the terms and phrases your target audience is actively searching for online.
On-Page Optimization: Optimizing your website content, title tags, meta descriptions, and internal linking structure to improve search engine readability and user experience.
Content Strategy: Developing a content creation plan that incorporates relevant keywords and valuable information to attract and engage your audience.
Off-Page Optimization: Building backlinks (links from other websites to yours) to increase your website’s authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines.
Technical SEO: Addressing technical website issues that can hinder search engine crawling and indexing.
Performance Tracking and Reporting: Monitoring website traffic, keyword rankings, and other key metrics to measure the success of SEO efforts and identify areas for further optimization.
Partnering with Starscape SEO for Success
At StarscapeSEO, we understand the complexities of SEO and its ever-changing landscape.
We don’t just optimize websites; we craft comprehensive SEO strategies tailored to your unique business goals.
Our team of experienced consultants will work closely with you to:
Understand your target audience and their search behaviour.
Develop a customized SEO plan that aligns with your overall marketing strategy.
Implement best practices for on-page and off-page optimization.
Regularly monitor your website’s performance and provide data-driven reports.
Stay up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and algorithm updates.
By partnering with Starscape SEO, you gain a valuable asset in the ever-evolving world of online search.
Let us be your guide, helping you navigate the labyrinth of SEO and achieve sustainable online success.