Why is Search – and SEO – So Important?

A new article on Search Engine Journal reports that the consumer journey is gradually playing a broader role in search. Users usually search to solve specific problems, to accomplish a range of tasks, and to get things done.

Bill Gates once said: “The future of search is verbs.” He wasn’t talking about the words people use in search boxes; he was referring to why people search. Search used to produce a list of documents that contained words typed by the user, but that’s changed. Searchers today are looking to solve problems, get tasks accomplished, or “do” something.

That could mean booking a flight, buying something, learning Taylor Swift’s new lyrics, or browsing through endless cat photos – but the key is – as Gates said – they’re all verbs.

Essentially, search is the start of what marketers call “the consumer journey.” A user’s path, from the inception of their task to the completion, often starts with a search. To cope with the complexities of the average consumer journey, search has had to evolve from words on a page to understanding user intent at different stages of what they’re trying to achieve. It’s not just about keywords any more; it’s all about providing relevant, helpful content at the correct time – or stage of journeys.

As a result, SEO has evolved into what the author calls “real marketing.” Modern SEO focuses on:

• Understanding personas.
• Data-driven insights.
• Content strategy.
• Technical problem-solving.
• The 3 Main Tenets of Any Marketing Strategy or Campaign

Search impacts all three of the following areas

• Attract.
• Engage.
• Convert.

But search heavily leans toward that first phase: Attract. In 2021, you can’t just have an amazing product; you’ve got to attract customers using multiple channels and outlets. Any webpage that’s involved in attracting visitors, engaging visitors, or converting them, should have a significant element of SEO.

There’s much more to the original article, and you can reach that by clicking on the link above!

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