This is a question business owners seem to be asking their web design teams more and more. With each new Google algorithm update, and every fresh wave of competition for paid and organic search listings, a new crop of marketers wonders whether search engine optimization is still worth the time and effort.

Does SEO still work?

It certainly does, as evidenced by the fact that Google processes more than 2 billion searches each and every day. Moving up just a couple of spots in the rankings for your most important keywords can dramatically affect your sales potential.

But while SEO is still effective, it has changed lately. Here are a few things you should know:

SEO takes more focus than before. Customers are getting more specific with their searches, which means you have to be more specific in the type of customer you want to attract and the search marketing strategy you want to pursue.

You need unique and current content to make a splash. For a long time, you could have a set of search-friendly pages that would keep like jars of pickles (practically forever). Now, Google is emphasizing currency in its search results, making it important for you to update your pages and marketing strategies from time to time.

It’s not just about keywords anymore. Under the old search algorithms, having a page with lots of direct keyword matches (the same search terms your most important customers were using) was enough to bring you to the top of the listings. Now, things like social media following and internal linking structures are carrying more weight.

SEO is great for finding local customers. More and more, Google is emphasizing geography in its search results. That means there’s a huge opportunity for you to find more customers just by being clear about where your business is located with specific keywords on your website pages.

If you’re not making the most of search engine optimization and other Internet marketing channels, now is the time to get the help you need. Why not call us today and arrange for a free consultation?