Search engine optimization is becoming more important than ever before with the continuing evolution of online technology. Optimizing for desktop platforms is still essential, but if your brand is looking to capture a significant amount of interested traffic in the future, developing a mobile optimization strategy is also important. Mobile platforms allow users to search ubiquitously and on the go, which is critical for local and national businesses alike with the smaller real estate available when a users searches, which means having a strategic SEO plan of action is important to capture the attention of users conducting searches on smartphones and tablets.

Due to changes in Google’s algorithm over the past two years, having a strong focus on delivering quality is necessary. Businesses can achieve this by producing fresh and relevant content, improving the overall user experience, and providing a service that is unparalleled by the competition. The importance of search engine optimization can be summed up by three key statistics:

• 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine.
• 70% of the search engine market share is dominated by Google.
• 75% of users will never scroll past the first page of results.

As mentioned previously, optimizing for mobile platforms is no longer a luxury, but rather a necessity if brands want to capture as much pertinent traffic as possible from search engines. One key piece of advice for businesses is not to invest in developing a mobile-specific version of a website; however, designing and developing a website that is responsive and can render well on mobile platform is beneficial and can improve the overall user experience.

The issue with a “m dot” version of a website is that it causes redirects from the original domain, which can actually be detrimental to a company’s search engine optimization efforts. Additionally, users will opt to view the desktop version of a website rather than stick on the mobile version: according to recent research, 35% of online users will ditch the mobile version of a website and view the full version.

In terms of improving the overall user experience, businesses need to take note of several statistics that point to ensuring both the aesthetics and coding of a website are optimized:

• 40% of people will abandon a web page if it takes more than three seconds to load.
• 62% of companies saw an increase in sales by designing a website that renders well on mobile platforms.
• A website’s bounce rate can increase by 100% when a page takes 4 seconds or more to load.

With these facts and statistics in mind, is your business ready to leverage the growing power of strategic search engine optimization?

Source for Stats: Infocc.com