Search Engine Optimisation, also known as SEO, is quality control for websites. SEO is obtained by adding content to a website and building links to other relevant websites. It sounds simple, but it takes a great deal of experience to do this successfully. The end goal of search engine optimisation is to appear at the top of the list on any given search engine website. That being said, SEO should be the number one priority for businesses nowadays, especially for those organisations that expect to do business globally.
A recent study regarding SEO in Australia depicted some interesting results. Consider the following statistics:
• 51% of retailers don’t have SEO included in the budget for the coming year.
• 54% don’t use Twitter, and 47% don’t have a Facebook page for the business and have no intentions of creating one.
• 79% of large businesses are active on social media, compared to just 27% for small business owners.
• Only 15% of small businesses currently spend in SEO, creating a massive gap in the search results in Australia.
• 53% of retailers do not even have an online sales channel, showing why many of Australia’s largest companies are so far behind with SEO and online in comparison to other countries.
These statistics are alarming. If Australian companies want to compete in a global business environment, then they must decide to turn this trend around quite quickly. Clearly, this responsibility is in the hands of the executives and small-business owners. By reaching out to organisations that are experts in SEO, those that do not currently employ this important strategy will be able to increase sales and, thus, the bottom line. It takes commitment and endurance to change existing strategy. One important way to do so is to refocus a substantial part of next year’s budget on SEO.