Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1351540
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION MARCH 17, 2021 Page 23 Have a Website? You Need SEO…continued from page 22 Are You Mobile Friendly? SEO Leverages That! These days people are doing their searching on phones or on a tablet more often than on a desktop computer. A mobile-friendly website has a big impact on how Google ranks it. People use many different types of devices to access the internet, and as such, your website must be easily viewable on many different screens. Google now actually ranks sites higher that work well on mobile devices. Google recommends "responsive design" websites to provide the ideal mobile friendly experience for users. So be sure your site is responsive, and if you are updating your site, discuss this with your developer. Also, be mindful of pages with tables—common ways to format equipment or pricing information. Tables need an extra bit of code to be responsive. Be sure to check every page of your website on different sized devices to see how they really look to the user, especially if you have tables. Google is all about the user experience, and a good SEO campaign is designed to ensure that your website delivers a user-friendly experience no matter what device your customers are using to view it. If your website is responsive, you have a leg up on those whose sites are clunky or static. SEO Builds Brand Awareness One key aspect of promoting your business is brand awareness. If people don't know who you are, they won't be able to find you nor will they buy from you. Brand awareness also separates you from your competitors. In the physical world, you build your brand awareness through decals on your equipment, signage on your trucks, uniforms you wear, and the service reputation you develop. In the online world, implementing proper SEO practices pushes your brand to the top of the rankings, resulting in more exposure for your brand through your website. When more people click through to see all that your company offers, that will in turn drive better brand awareness. The longer you optimize SEO, the longer your website remains at the top of search engine results. This kind of exposure is priceless in terms of making a name for your brand. The Bottom Line Search Engine Optimization is vital to the success of any business. Without it, you're falling behind the competition and missing out on a huge opportunity to be the company everyone turns to when they need what you're selling. Hopefully, the benefits listed above are enough to encourage you to get started with an SEO campaign of your own. Yes, at times it can seem complicated and time-consuming, but don't worry. If you don't have the time to do it all yourself, there are others who can help. Start with whomever built your website and go from there. The little extra work, time, or money you spend on your SEO will likely give you the online advantage your business needs to thrive at a much lower cost than more traditional methods of advertising. v