Think back to the last time you were looking for product or service information. Chances are you went to a search engine, right? And, if you’re similar to around 52% of the world’s population, that search engine was Google.

Ranking top of the search engines (especially Google) is vitally important for all companies these days, no matter what industry or sector you operate in. Even if you’re just running a personal blog site, your chances of being found (and, therefore, attracting visitors) will increase substantially if you rank well in the platform’s Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).

However, while SEO is important for improving your chances of being found in searches, having a strong online presence goes much further in terms of establishing your company’s credibility. Here are just a few reasons you should prioritize SEO at the top of your marketing budget.

SEO, by comparison, is a relatively cheap form of marketing

If you compare the figures involved in SEO marketing against other forms of media, you’ll likely find it comes out considerably cheaper than almost any other form of advertising. Moreover, SEO is a direct and quantifiable promotion aimed precisely at your market. In truth, no other form of advertising/marketing offers such precise targeting – and, perhaps more importantly, no other offers such detailed reporting to allow you to accurately gauge your Return on Investment (ROI).

Ranking high in search engines builds trust and credibility

People use Google – people trust Google – and a high ranking in Google’s result pages has an immediate knock-on effect as a result. Just like in real life, building trust and credibility in your brand takes time, but having the immediate ‘recommended’ by Google effect of a high positioning in search results will go a long way to making clients (potential and existing) trust in your company and your products/services.

Put your website to good use

Here’s a simple truth – you can have the best-looking, best-designed, most functional website in the world but, the fact is, if people aren’t finding and using it, it will amount to nothing more than a wasted investment and lost opportunity. These days, simply being online isn’t enough – you need to engage with your customers to actively promote new openings. Investing in digital marketing and SEO is a no-brainer if you want to capitalize on the money you already spent having a website in the first place.

Organic rankings are more trusted than advertising links

While many companies believe online advertising will offer them the nirvana of increased visits to their website, actually there’s considerable evidence to suggest organic search results instill considerably more trust in users. Having a high ranking in Google rather than just a paid advertising slot tends to encourage trust in a brand (again, that ‘recommended by Google’ effect).

Local SEO also translates into increased real-world visitors

These days, more than 50% of all web traffic is generated on mobile, meaning a high ranking in search engines won’t just impact your online visits – it’ll also have a positive effect on your real-world footfall. People are increasingly using mobile devices to search for products and services and, with a GPS-enabled device (as almost all are these days), they’re far more likely to find companies near them.