Why Google Is the Organic Traffic Powerhouse That Matters Most for Your Business

Google has become a household name. Most of us don’t really give much thought to the search engine we use because Google is just there. It’s even come to the point where if we want to know something or have an unanswered question, the natural first response is to just Google it. This all makes sense considering that Google handles roughly 3.5 billion searches a day, with nearly 75% of internet users saying that it’s their search engine of choice.
Google isn’t just important to the average internet user, it’s also the primary channel for organic traffic for practically every business online. From a search engine marketing perspective, you can easily say that Google is the one that matters most.
But why is this the case? Other search engines like Bing and Yahoo! have managed to stay afloat and even throw a few competitive wrenches in Google’s path to success. So, what makes the search engine giant so important for SEO and generating the type of traffic you need to stay competitive in today’s digital landscape?
Let’s look at a few of the answers and learn why Google is the most important organic traffic channel for businesses today.

User First Philosophy

Search engine optimization looks very different today than it did several years ago. Relatively speaking, it hasn’t been that long since SEO was more about dollars pouring into search engine’s wallets than anything else. Honestly, it is still like that on some search engines, but Google has a made a priority of optimizing the user experience – something that’s key for sparking an increase in traffic.
For example, let’s look at some of Google’s most recent algorithm changes. While their complex analytical system that uses more than 200 ranking factors has long been Google’s signature trademark, their entire approach shifted recently to providing an experience that was more intuitive, relevant and meaningful to each of their users.
Google has reached the point in their development that they’re able to pick up not only on keywords, tags, links and all the other juicy tidbits of SEO, but also on relevancy, authority and overall value to the person they’re placing your website in front of. This also includes a strong focus on supporting mobile optimized websites with their mobile first indexing.
Sure, SEM has become slightly more complicated and the new algorithm updates can come with some growing pains, but rather than become frustrated at how much more difficult it’s become to earn a good ranking position, think about the audience that you’re reaching.
Instead of a generalized audience, you’re being placed in front of one that’s more targeted towards, and therefore more interested in, your business. This means that not only are users more likely to click on you, they’re also more likely to hang around longer and have a higher conversion potential than if they came to you through a search engine other than Google.

The Trust Factor

Another thing that Google has going for it is its name alone. As we mentioned earlier, Google is an everyday, household name. In fact, it’s listed as both a noun and a verb in the Cambridge Dictionary. People trust what they know and what they recognize, and Google is insanely recognizable.
Establishing the trust factor is an incredibly important part of what Google does. They need their users to be happy so that they keep coming back. This means that they’re going to do their best to weed out spammy, irrelevant and unauthoritative sites before they even get a chance to make it into their user’s line of site.
From the viewpoint of the person on the other side of the screen, this establishes trust that whatever results do appear are safe, quality and matched to their intent. Businesses that have mastered SEO to earn a page one spot benefit from a surge in organic traffic as a result.

There’s No Better Platform for Local SEO

A dedicated strategy for local SEO is essential for small, community based businesses. Google provides an amazing platform for small businesses to connect with their local customers. That mobile first index we mentioned earlier? It’s incredibly important for local SEO.
For example, local customers are almost always using their mobile devices when they’re away from home and searching for a business. It’s also estimated that at least half of people who connect with a local business from their mobile device will visit the location within a day. Google’s focus on appealing to the mobile consumer equals a major traffic boost both online and instore for local businesses.
Google also offers GMB (Google My Business) that makes it incredibly easy to for local businesses to build online visibility even if they’re not heavily invested in other SEO and brand building strategies. It takes just a few minutes, is intuitive to use and suddenly connects a local business to a massive audience that they didn’t have access to just a few minutes before.
We also can’t forget about voice search and how Google has adapted itself to the changing ways that consumers are using search engines. Voice search demands an entirely different approach to keyword optimization, including adapting to natural language patterns and leveraging geographically relevant words and phrases. This is important for both the local customers that are using voice search on their mobile devices while out and also those who are using a Google voice search assistant from the comfort of their own home.

Why Take Chances?

It’s a smart strategy to try to optimize your digital presence across multiple search engines, but that isn’t always easy. If you’ve been tossing around the question of which search engine’s rules to play along with, Google is the only one with the reputation and track record of success that stands up to the expectations you have for your business.
If you’re ready to earn more traffic by optimizing your website and content to appeal to Google’s algorithm, we’re here to help. Contact JLB today and let us introduce you the professional SEO services that will drive traffic and get the results you need.