SEO is an acronym for search engine optimization. Usually, it’s the practice of manipulating a website’s quality and quantity for search engines.
Most business today relies much on the search engine to achieve their business goals. Notably, in 2019 we saw e-commerce smashing around $3.53 trillion in sales. Also, Google still commands worldwide search at a whopping 90%. Other studies show that a page on top of the probe has a potential 10X to get a click. Besides, a top runner on search results attracts an average click through rate of 31.7%.
With this in mind, many businesses strive to get a spot on top of search results. However, the success of your website rests on the SEO effort you formulate. For example, your site should have quality content, fast load speed, keywords in the title, and more. Better search results position brings in more traffic that generates leads and revenue.
In this article, you are going to learn more about the pros and cons of SEO. Keep reading.
![](https://prolifikseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/social-media-seo.jpg)
Pros of SEO
Business visibility
In most cases, many businesses would want their brand to be visible to a large population. One way to target a specific audience based on location is through Google My Business.
To achieve this, you have to list your business on “Google my business.” But, that is not a guarantee that your brand will be visible to a broad audience. You’ll have to do local SEO to outrank your competitor in the same niche. With a proper regional SEO strategy, you’ll be able to get your business visible on top of the map search.
Moreover, content marketing is another strategy that can help you gain online visibility. For example, you can target a specific audience using video, info graphics, blogs, and more.
Generate traffic
You are threatening to batter your business economy to wreck and ruins without traffic. In general, your business will thrive when you have visitors coming to your site. But, for you to have more traffic, you need pages ranking on top of the search.
SEO will help your site visible on top of search and make searchers see your website. Through targeted keywords, you’ll be able to generate traffic that brings worth to your business. Besides, visitors who will come to your site were searching for those keywords.
Improve user experience
Google algorithms favor websites with good user experience because they want searchers to have value. Besides, more than 65% of searchers prefer to engage with a website that offers a better user experience.
Usually, good user experience sites will fulfil visitors’ needs. It also helps build loyalty with the product or services your businesses are offering. Moreover, it helps your website meets the customer journey to success. There are a few crucial elements to watch out when you want to achieve user experience. For example, your website should be:
- Intuitive and easy to navigate
- Well organized structures
- Visually appealing
- Responsive design
- Original and quality content
Builds trust and credibility
The bitter pill to swallow in the online landscape is that 75% of searchers never go beyond past first SERP. Besides, more than 70% of searchers ignore paid search results and goes for organic products.
The internal research team of Rankglider SEO services show that search engine optimization is the best potent ammunition to help your brand. The psychology behind this is that people perceive top results as the best. So, improve your online presence and appear on top of search at the right time to build trust. Start by having a secure site, stellar content, responsive design, and be transparent.
Another element of trust includes online reviews. Nowadays, most consumers rely on online reviews to make purchasing decisions. Ensure that you provide quality products or services to get a good reputation.
Build authority
![Build business authority](https://prolifikseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Build-Business-Authority.png)
We all know that website authority can’t be given or taken away, bought, or sold. Usually, it’s what your sites offer the people and what they believe about your site. That influence that makes people think in your website means you have expertise. Also, it means the services and products you offer are trustworthy.
SEO helps to build authority by ensuring you provide answers to searchers. Besides, if your website does not give searchers what they want, then its ranking goes down. Altogether, you might be wondering how a website such as Wikipedia builds authority. Here are some few takeaways:
- Ensure your content meets user intent
- Create usable and shareable content
- Reach out authority sites for backlinks
- Improve user experience with relevant internal links
- Be consistence
SEO puts you ahead of the competition
New businesses, just like yours, are mushrooming each day. On the other hand, some business niches are known to be very competitive.
So, how do you rise and face the challenge?
Fortunately, the search engine is a “dog-eat-dog” land. It’s a place where you can nose around your competitors and capitalizes on their weaknesses. For example, you can focus on content creation, such as blog posts or videos.
Moreover, you can unlock your success more by targeting long-tail keywords. In most cases, they are specific to a product or service you are offering. Competing here can be easy if the generic keyword is hard to rank.
Last, SEO tools allow you to monitor competitors’ backlinks and other on-site SEO activities. As a result, you’ll be able to discover competitor ranking secrets.
Cons of SEO
Takes a long time to success
Unlike PPC, which can bring results in a week, SEO can take even up to three months. Notably, Google needs much time to understand your website or the changes you have made. Again, it needs to compare your content quality and reaction from searchers over some time.
So, you have to be patient if you want to rely on organic SEO as your traffic channel.
Competition
Your competitor is also reading a “guide to SEO competition.” Again, nobody would want to start a site then leave it there to rank at the bottom. Maybe they are busy doing aggressive SEO and will catch up with you soon.
Furthermore, some keywords are hard to rank on search results. Likewise, trying to build a long-tail keyword might get you low volume traffic or none.
You don’t have control.
Google algorithm is like a chameleon it keeps on changing from time to time. A strategy that did well for you yesterday might not do well today. These updates won’t do your site a favor but tamper with its ranking factor.
As a result, this makes SEO a continuous battle that will suck all your marketing energy. Besides, Google uses a complex algorithm system that no marketer knows. Therefore, for you to stay on top, you must be ready to commit time and energy.
You risk Penalties if you use the wrong method.
Sometimes out of curiosity, you might attempt to manipulate your website rank using unethical means. For example, you might try to buy backlinks, duplicate content, internal 404s, and more. Google will take issues with your site and pull it over. As a result, you’ll have to abandon the site because fighting with Google is a waste of time.
Summary
SEO remains one of the most powerful digital marketing tools for many marketers. Many businesses that do it right receives good organic traffic and leads. But, there are pros and cons of SEO, just like any other marketing strategy. These pros and cons should be an eye-opener whether your business should focus on SEO or not.