Search engines are a part of our every day lives--so much so that "Google-ing" has become a verb that's recognized and understood by seemingly everyone.
From quick answers for questions that pop in our head, to shopping, looking up the score of the game and more, we use search engines for a variety of purposes.
Because we use search engines in so many different ways, businesses that don't have a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy are at a competitive disadvantage.
What is SEO?
Have you ever Googled something and wondered what makes one page show up over another? 
The positions of search results are determined by search engine optimization (SEO). SEO refers to the practice of structuring and modifying a web page in a way that aims to make that web page appear on the top of search results.
Google evaluates a web page based on 200+ factors. SEO professionals then use their specialized knowledge of these 200+ ranking factors to edit a web page in a way that aims to achieve high positioning on search engines for relevant keywords.
For a quick example, imagine you're running a furniture store. It would be great if when people search for "couches for sale," your web page is their first choice.
To be their first choice and the first search result for this keyword, SEO professionals can modify your web page with both on page edits and behind-the-scenes code changes to essentially structure the web page in a way that communicates to Google's search engine that "This web page is the best match for someone who is searching for couches for sale."
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5 Ways SEO Lead Generation Can Help Your Business
#5. Everybody's Doing It
Simply, if your business isn't showing up when someone is searching for what you offer, someone else is. If you're not showing up on search results, how would someone who has never heard of you even think to consider your company when they search for someone who provides the products or services you offer?
Whether you're already doing some SEO or not, your competition is. Maybe you can't pinpoint a competing business that is doing SEO, but that doesn't mean that people aren't searching and finding other places to take their business when they're looking to buy what you're selling.
For example, imagine you own a landscaping business in Boston, Massachusetts. Someone who could be your customer or client may Google something like "landscaping companies near Boston."
If your website isn't showing up in search results, someone else is.
The search results for a keyword like this would most likely include some Google Maps results of landscaping companies near the location that the person is searching from (more on this later) and search results of websites for landscaping companies near Boston.
Even if other landscaping companies in Boston haven't pursued an SEO strategy, there are business directory websites that may show in the search results instead of other landscape company's websites. This means that whether your competitors are pursuing SEO or not, these business directory websites that do have desirable positioning on search engines may make your competition a customer or client's first choice rather than you.
When you work with experienced SEO professionals, you can become someone's first choice when they're looking to buy what you sell.
4. Getting in Front of Pre-Purchase Research
81% of people do online research before making a purchase, according to AdWeek. Of this 81%, 60% begin by using search engines for this pre-purchase research.
You've likely experienced this in your own life. For example, say someone is in the market to buy a car. From our knowledge of the sales funnel and sales process, we know that people are likely to start searching generally, then search more specifically as they learn more about what exactly they want. 
In this example, the potential customer may start by searching "used cars for sale near me." They will then look at some cars from the websites that show up in search results, then start to distinguish between which of the cars that they've seen that they like. This would be an ideal place for a car dealership's website to be positioned, as people looking for a car would then be choosing from the dealership's inventory. While everyone does comparison shopping, it's critical for a business's website to hold high positioning on search engines for keywords that people search during the pre-purchase research process in order for the potential buyer to even consider buying from a business.
As the potential car buyer narrows down their search, they may start searching more specifically, such as searching by year, make and/or model. If someone searches for a "2014 acura rdx," a car dealership would want their site to be modified in a way that would be conducive to achieving high positions on search engines when this keyword is searched.
In brief, an SEO lead generation strategy is important because it can get your business in a potential customer or client's mind throughout the path that they take to a purchasing decision.
Take the First Step to Being Their First Choice
3. Be There When They're Ready to Buy
While we've discussed how an SEO lead generation strategy can be important for the different parts of the purchasing process, SEO lead generation can be essential for capturing customers or clients when they have an immediate want to buy.
A common way that people search is to add "for sale" to the end of what they're searching for. This is why SEO lead generation is so important. If someone searches for something like "NBA jerseys," the search results are likely to have jerseys that the person searching can buy, but the person searching may also be looking to just compare the look of teams' jerseys and may not have a purchasing intent. However, if someone searches for "NBA jerseys for sale," it's clear that the person has an intent to buy, and because of this, is likely to have their payment information readily available and ready to purchase something that catches their interest.
People often search using keywords that suggest an immediate intent to buy (such as "for sale" type keywords). If your website isn't made to show up on search results when someone searches for these keywords, another website is showing in search results.
With SEO, You Can Be Their First Choice When They're Looking to Buy.
2. Local Searchers Often Become Local Customers or Clients
78% of searches for local businesses from mobile devices (such as a smart phone) result in an offline purchase.
An example of how this statistic plays out in real life would be:
- Someone performs a local search. A local search would be a region-specific search, such as "pizza syracuse ny."
- Someone finds a local business that does what the person searching is looking for, and the business is conveniently located.
- Someone calls the business or gets directions to a storefront to make the purchase. In the pizza example, the person would call to place an order or get directions to go to the pizza shop.
These region specific searches often include Google Maps search results. An example of these Google Maps search results can be seen below.
SEO professionals can modify an organization's Google Maps listing to influence the likelihood of an organization showing in Google Map search results when someone searches for a region specific keyword for a product or service that organization offers.
Want to Show Up in Google Maps Listings When People Search for What You Provide in Your Service Region?
1. If You're Not First, You're Last
91% of Google search traffic goes to 1st page search results, according to industry research.
1/3rd of all Google search traffic goes to the top, #1 positioned search result.
This is evidence of how important an SEO lead generation strategy is for businesses. If your business isn't on the 1st page or #1 position on search results when people search to buy what you're selling, someone else is.
If you don't have an SEO lead generation strategy, you're missing opportunities, and your potential customers or potential clients are taking their business elsewhere.
How to Implement a SEO Lead Generation Strategy
For more than 19 years, ACS Web Design & SEO has empowered organizations to use the web to its full potential, which includes SEO lead generation strategies.
Our team of experienced SEO professionals have the specialized knowledge to implement a custom SEO lead generation strategy for your organization.
Our clients have achieved #1 positions and 1st page positions on search results for keywords that are most likely to be searched by their potential customers or clients.
These high positions on search engines aren't just good for bragging rights--they're good for business.
Our clients' high positioning on search engines make them the first choice for their potential customers or potential clients, resulting in lead generation growth that we are able to monitor, track, analyze, report to our clients on and use this analysis and reporting to inform future SEO strategies for continued growth.
To learn more about how our SEO lead generation services can help your business grow...
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