Is SEO still important?

With the growing popularity of social media and AI, people ask us all the time, “Is SEO still important?”

In this Search Engine Optimization Frequently Asked Questions (SEO FAQs) video blog, I address the question, Why is SEO so important? and share  5 compelling reasons to do SEO.  

(The article below is a summary of the video, but you’ll get more details and examples if you watch the video.)

5 Compelling Reasons to Do SEO

1. Everything Starts with Search

Google handles 8.5 billion searches a day, or roughly 100,000 searches per second.

Search engines like Google are still the starting point for virtually every online quest. Whether someone is searching for a product, service, church, school, assistance with a problem, or answer to a spiritual question, they turn to search engines.

What about social media? 

A lot of people do ask their friends for recommendations via social media. For example, I recently needed a handyman to fix an issue with my sink, so I asked on Facebook and got some good recommendations from friends.

Next, I looked up those recommended handymen in Google and visited their websites. So, even as people are search for solutions in social media, they often still come back to search engines and websites.

If your website isn’t in the search results, people won’t find you, making it impossible to assist them effectively.

What about AI? As Google displays more AI Overviews and people use SearchGPT does that reduce the effectiveness of SEO?

Yes, it’s true that Google’s AI Overviews and SearchGPT are providing answers in the search results – answers which people used to get by clicking a link in the search results.

It’s important to note, however, that while AI is gaining popularity for informational searches (answers to questions), searches for products, services, and organizations are relatively untouched.

Additionally, AI tools link out to their sources. Those links are valuable and send visitors to those websites. And guess which websites AI tools choose to use for their sources…  the same ones that rank well because they’ve been optimized for search.

2. Good Rankings Require Deliberate Effort

“If you build it, they will come” is a great movie catchphrase, but when it comes to websites nothing could be further from the truth.

Merely creating a website doesn’t guarantee a high search engine ranking. To draw visitors to your website, you must be intentional about your SEO efforts. This means optimizing your pages, building links, and enhancing your website’s authority. Without these actions, gaining visibility and attracting visitors becomes an uphill battle.

3. If You Don’t Rank, Your Competitors Will

When people search online, some organization is going to be listed at the top of the search results, 10 organizations will be listed in the top 10. If it’s not your organization, it will be your competitors. Online users will click on their websites and potentially engage with their offerings or services.

SEO not only helps you become visible but also ensures that you don’t lose potential business to your competition.

4. SEO is Cost-Effective Marketing

Unlike traditional interruption marketing methods such as print, direct mail, radio, and TV, SEO is incredibly cost-effective.

When you’ve done SEO well and your website is displayed at the top of the search results, you are providing information about your organization when people are actively seeking it. It’s the perfect opportunity to engage your audience when they’re most interested, resulting in a much higher response rate.

Here at OurChurch.com, SEO is our most effective marketing strategy, and it’s the same for our clients. More people discover us and our clients through search engines than through any other marketing channel.

5. Achieve Your Goals

The most important reason why SEO is vital, is because it will help you reach your goals. Whether you run a church, a ministry, or a business, you have significant aspirations for your organization. SEO is a powerful tool to help you realize those dreams by reaching more people, providing better services, and making a bigger impact.

The bottom line:

Why is SEO Important? Because search engines are what connect people to your website and your organization. -Mark Steinbrueck

Get your SEO done right, quickly

The fact of the matter is, you probably KNOW search engine optimization is important and will help you reach your goals, but you’re probably not DOING anything about it because you’re busy and have other financial demands.

Remember SEO is an investment, that provides a great return. If you want more money coming in a year from now, the time to start investing is now.

And if you’re busy, our team of SEO experts can help free up some of your time by taking SEO off your plate.

Church SEO or Christian SEO for your business, school, or ministry may feel like a big decision, but the next step is simple and easy.

Just complete the form below to schedule a short call with one of our SEO experts.

Comment and Discuss…

• Are you using SEO to achieve your goals and mission?  Why or why not?

Read or watch more SEO FAQ articles and videos!