SEO Services: Details and Importance

SEO services are search engine optimization services aimed at improving visibility and ultimately increasing organic search traffic to websites. These services are typically provided by agencies or freelancers who specialize in all aspects of SEO.

Why Is SEO Important?

Approximately 93% of web traffic happens on search engines. If you want your website to be found, it needs to be indexed by major search engines and rank high in search results. Here are some key facts about Google and search engines in general:

• 75% of searchers never click past the first page of search engine results (SERPs).

• Google processes over 5.8 billion searches per day.

• Google handles more than 2 trillion searches per year.

• The average click-through rate (CTR) for the first search result is 19.3%, while the second result has a 10.57% CTR.

• Every year, 16–20% of all searches are brand new and have never been searched before.

• 60% of Google searches are conducted on mobile devices.

• Google holds 95% of the mobile search engine market share in the U.S.

• About 33% of mobile Google searches are location-based.

• 50% of “near me” searches result in a store visit.

• 7 out of 10 food-related Google searches are performed on mobile devices.

• 46% of product searches begin on Google.

• Google dominates the search engine market with a 92% market share.

In an ideal world, you could create a website and simply wait for traffic to come. However, there are likely many other websites focusing on similar themes and topics as yours. Search engines must decide which websites to rank in search results for any given query. Implementing SEO best practices is crucial to ensure that your website captures search traffic for relevant queries.

What Factors Matter for SEO Ranking in 2024?

SEO is essential and must be done to drive search engine traffic to your site. But how do search engines determine how to rank websites? The answer is complex, as there are hundreds of ranking factors, but we’ve compiled the most critical ones for you.

Content

You may have heard the phrase “content is king,” and this is true when it comes to SEO. At its core, search engines aim to match users with the most relevant content for their queries. One reason Wikipedia articles often rank highly is that they tend to be comprehensive and reliable.

Search engines analyze on-page content, its freshness, and use complex algorithms to determine whether the content is relevant to the searcher. For example, if you run a website selling coffee mugs in various shapes and sizes, you’ll want to ensure your site explicitly includes content about coffee mugs.

This could include product pages for different mugs, but also articles about the history of coffee mugs, how they are made, or even a list of the most creative coffee mugs of all time. Content is the foundation of organic search traffic.

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User Experience (UX)

Even if you have great content, users will leave and never return if you offer a poor experience. This is something search engines strive to avoid at all costs, which is why they rank websites with excellent user experience higher. But what constitutes a great user experience?

• Fast page speed

• A mobile-friendly website

• Seamless navigation

• No intrusive pop-ups

Users need to be able to access your content quickly and navigate your site with ease. As mobile usage continues to rise and now accounts for the majority of web traffic, this has become even more critical.

Google planned to release an update to its algorithm in 2021 based on user experience. This often-overlooked aspect of web development will become increasingly important. In Google’s own words:

“The page experience signal measures aspects of how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page. Optimizing for these factors makes the web more delightful for users across all web browsers and surfaces and helps sites evolve towards user expectations on mobile. We believe this will contribute to business success on the web as users engage more and can transact with less friction.”

Technical SEO

There is some overlap between user experience and technical ranking factors. This includes web development best practices for improving page speed, but also metadata optimization and web architecture considerations. For example, metadata optimizations can improve click-through rates in search results, enhance image rankings, or even help your content appear in voice searches.

User Feedback Metrics

Search engines also rely on behavioral data left behind by users as they search for content. This can include click-through rates for specific queries or whether a user quickly clicks the back button after selecting a result.

These ranking factors are not always transparent, and web professionals must rely on subtle hints from search engines or feedback from search experts and employees.

Backlinks

A backlink is any link pointing to your page. Search engines evaluate how many links point to a given page and the quality of the sites linking to it. If your content is great and people find it reliable and comprehensive, they will want to link to it. However, search engines assess the quality of these links to determine their value— not all backlinks are created equal.

For example, if you run a sports blog and receive links from ESPN, search engines will view your content as highly authoritative and relevant. However, if your friend’s new recipe blog links to you, it won’t be considered significant, even if your friend thinks otherwise!

It’s important to note that this ranking signal has been abused in the past by websites trying to manipulate algorithms. As a result, search engines have released updates to maintain the integrity of search results. Be sure to thoroughly vet the integrity and methods of any vendors promising backlinks.

Why Do You Need SEO Services?

You may be tempted to skip professionals and handle SEO on your own. However, if you’re in a competitive industry, succeeding on your own will be extremely difficult. For example, a law firm may want to rank highly for queries like “lawyers near me” or “contract lawyer.” However, many other law firms are competing for visibility, and without expert knowledge and experience, it will be incredibly difficult to outperform competitors.

Another consideration is the time and skill set required to execute SEO effectively and continuously. A successful SEO program requires expertise in various areas, including:

• HTML

• JavaScript

• CSS

• Content development

• Creative design

• Web strategy

• Videography

• UX/UI

• Public relations

Building and maintaining media connections with authoritative organizations is also challenging. These become crucial when you need to gain authority and trust. It wouldn’t make sense for a business to stretch itself so thin beyond its core operations.

How Much Does SEO Cost Per Month?

The cost of SEO services depends on your business needs and the experience level of the SEO professionals. Freelancers typically charge the lowest rates, but unless you personally know them or they provide references, you may not get the quality you expect. Be cautious of freelancers charging low hourly rates (e.g., $10–$20 per hour), as they are likely to deliver low-quality services.

Alternatively, you can hire an agency or a consultant offering SEO services. They are much more likely to provide high-quality service. We recommend reviewing previous work or case studies to understand what the provider can deliver.

Some providers offer fixed-cost packages to provide predictable monthly expenses. This is beneficial for businesses that need to plan their budgets in advance. Additionally, these packages eliminate the need for clients to pay for expensive SEO tools that can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month.

What’s the Best SEO Service for You?

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The easiest way to find the best SEO services for you is to speak with Digipeak. Our team will help assess your business needs and determine the optimal strategy for you.

Contact the Digipeak team through our communication channels and schedule a consultation on the same day. As an SEO agency, we will work with you to define your needs before providing any service.