https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5R30dlIP1o
In 2018, more people than ever are using the internet to shop, browse, and learn than ever before. This can be clearly felt in the retail sector where many large retail stores are downsizing or going bankrupt, and meanwhile, Amazon is growing leaps and bounds in Canada.
On shopping events like Black Friday, over 5 billion dollars was spent online last year, making up a large percentage of the overall spending and making for big opportunities for online focused businesses.
In general, it’s becoming more and more important to have a strong online presence as people continue to become more accustomed to using the internet whether they’re shopping, researching, or looking for services.
This is even apparent in Montreal, Quebec, where Amazon is continuing to expand its operations. In many cases, you can now get next-day delivery for many items purchased from Amazon. New services like Uber and Foodora take advantage of the convenience of online ordering and fast food delivery. Meanwhile, the future of many brick and mortar malls are looking uncertain as businesses close their retail spaces and brands like Target and Sears can’t keep the lights on.
Search Engine Optimization is a primary way to ensure your business is found online in today’s online world. When a potential customer searches for a keyword related to your business, you have an opportunity to secure a sale if your website appears in the search results on Google or another search engine. If you don’t, one of your competitors likely will. While many businesses can still survive without having a strong web presence, this is becoming more and more difficult.
Why Use Search Engine Optimization?
- Appear in searches for keywords related to your business, attracting more customers
- Build your brand by appearing as an authority in your niche
- Unlike Google Adwords, you won’t have to pay for every click
- Appear at the top of Google maps results and attract more foot traffic
SEO for a Montreal business can be a highly valuable investment. Unlike paid ads, where you’ll have to constantly pay for each click you receive, with a healthy organic search ranking you can hold your spot at the top of the search results without having to pay for every visitor, ensuring constant traffic to your website. A stable listing can last for months on its own, and with some upkeep can be easily maintained. A high ranking for a keyword can easily be worth many thousands of dollars per month in potential sales, depending on your business and niche.
Trying to optimize your website for search yourself, however, is a difficult and potentially risky endeavor, however. There are many online services that will claim to improve your SEO or give you valuable links to your website to help it rank. That said, many of these services take advantage of inexperienced business owners and may not work as well as they claim, or could even cause Google to penalize your website. For that reason, it’s important to have a very good understanding of SEO before performing it on your own website or hire a professional who understands industry best practices.
