If you have a paving website, you have probably heard of search engine optimization, also known as SEO. However, you may not understand everything that the concept covers. When done correctly, asphalt SEO has a number of benefits for your organization. The problem is that many site managers and even some professional web designers are not handling SEO tactics correctly.
Does SEO Really Work?
What Methods Are Used for SEO?
When the first search engines were developed, they were not very sophisticated. It was possible to drive traffic to a site by repeating a keyword or phrase dozens of times on a single page or by inserting keywords that had absolutely no connection to the text. Users were frustrated by the false leads, and they blamed the search engine. In response, Google and the other search engines began penalizing sites that were guilty of keyword stuffing or using irrelevant keywords by ranking them lower in the search results than sites that were not guilty of similar infractions. Unfortunately, there are still website operators who continue to use these outdated tactics. When they see traffic to their sites declining, they erroneously assume that SEO does not work. Modern SEO requires using relevant keywords without overusing them.
Keywords are only one aspect that today’s search engines will evaluate when ranking a website. Other factors include the ease with which the website can be navigated, the number of quality sites that are linked to the website, and the originality of the content appearing on the site. Therefore, modern SEO tactics require optimizing all factors that search engines use to determine whether a website deserves to be ranked high in the results.
What Are the Advantages of SEO?
The first advantage of a proper asphalt paving SEO strategy is that your website can rank higher in the search engine results. People tend to click on the items that appear on the first page of results, and the websites nearest the top of the page typically receive the most traffic. However, SEO offers other advantages that you may not have considered.
- Branding: When your website appears in one of the top positions for the keywords that the user searched, your brand can become closely associated with those keywords. Furthermore, users typically perceive that companies with high rankings are more trustworthy.
- Cost-effectiveness: SEO is an extremely cost-effective paving marketing strategy. SEO targets people who are actually searching for your services online, and they are frequently ready or almost ready to make a commitment. Since SEO is an inbound strategy that provides you with a higher percentage of qualified leads, it can be much more cost-effective than cold-calling or other outbound marketing strategies.
- ROI: It is difficult or impossible to determine your ROI if you cannot track and quantify the results. SEO agencies can track virtually every aspect, including increases in traffic, rankings and conversions. Drilling down can furnish demographic data, reveal the exact keyword used in the search that resulted in a contact, or the length of time that the user spent interacting with your website.
Although SEO works for asphalt paving companies, it works best when you choose a knowledgeable, experienced service. At Walkie Talkie, we specialize in helping pavement contractors generate more leads through high-performance sites, modern SEO and effective online marketing programs. We believe that making your company website your central marketing hub is the best way to ensure success. Contact Walkie Talkie Marketing by filling out the contact form or call (833) 848-8200.