There is more to internet marketing than simply sending out promotional emails and newsletters. You must actively find a way to reach out to consumers in places that they are likely to visit on the web. This is why search engine optimization (SEO) has become an important marketing strategy for several companies.

SEO aims at raising your search engine ranking organically, using a number of different techniques. The “PageRank” process, named for Google co-founder Larry Page, gives websites that have the most number of back links and highest traffic a high search engine ranking. This is important because on sites like Google, users want to find what they are looking for as soon as they enter in their search criteria into an engine. Three quarters of users never look beyond the first search engine results page (SERP), and if you have a low search engine ranking, you can remain virtually invisible to a majority of online users. Additionally, more than half of consumers use a search engine to research and buy products online, which is almost double the amount of people who directly visit a company’s website, and about triple the number of users who research products or services via social media.

There are SEO companies that are designed to help market your website. They offer ways to increase your rankings through different methods that include link building, web design, and even social media marketing. Back links add traffic to your site, and an interactive website can be a great way to retain and attract new customers. SEO experts can re-design your website to include search engine optimized content, and add interactive features such as a blog. This can be an important part of generating traffic, as companies that blog have 434% more indexed pages than companies that do not. This also results in more leads, and inbound leads, such as SEO, cost on average 61% less than outbound leads such as cold-calling and direct mail advertising.

SEO companies can regularly update your website and the content on your site to make sure that it continually appears on the first SERP. Also, an increasing number of people, about 65%, are using their smartphones and mobile devices to make purchases online. Because these devices offer people instant access to the internet through data plans and wireless services, you need to secure a high search engine ranking in order to remain competitive; mobile device users are looking to find the best deal, as fast as possible.

Without the help of an SEO company to market your site, you might face losing the traffic on your website that is necessary to sustain and gain the revenue you need to keep your company running. Invest in SEO and give your company the best chance at success.