SEO Is Still Priority #1
By Ken Arp
For most businesses SEO (search engine optimization) is still the #1 priority when it comes to an internet marketing plan and research on user behavior supports that fact. A recent study has confirmed that searching online is the most popular activity online which may surprise some dedicated social media users.
The data gathered by Hitwise revealed that in Canada internet users visiting search engines made up almost 15% of all online visits followed closely by social networking and forum sites at nearly 14%. Previous data has shown us that 94% of Canadians use search engines, but this data is significant in that it drives home how much time people put into searching. When you consider how many people are getting addicted to social networks, checking their Facebook repeatedly to see if anything has changed, it’s a pretty significant statistic.
Another interesting trend is entertainment sites which includes YouTube ranking 3rd, ahead of email services. Clearly today’s under 30′s and especially under 20′s are not as dedicated to email which is not as fast paced as their social media connections.
Where are Canadians searching? Well it’s no surprise that Google is #1 and the their market share is very impressive. With 82% of Canadian searches being done on Google and their affiliate sites they are dominating their closest rivals Yahoo and Bing that each have just 4% on their sites including affiliates.
What does it all mean? There are definitely opportunities for some types of businesses to market themselves online through social media or video optimization. But optimizing for search traffic continues to be a critical part of most businesses that want to thrive in today’s economy and should be their first priority. If you aren’t being found in the search engines for the type of search terms that your potential customers are searching for then your competition is and they are getting the business.
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