Search Engine Optimization is no doubt a hot topic and lucky for us the fire is only growing. However, the question keeps coming up, “Does my Web site really need to be optimized for search engines (organically speaking)?”

I am not going to answer that . . . I am going to let you make that decision. What I will do however is give you some reasons why you might want to at least raise the question. In an effort to minimize my personal feelings on the topic, I have brought together some of the most important facts and tips about SEO that I’ve collected over the last few months, thanks in large part to my Twitter account. Consider this post a series of retweets!

So, without further adieu, here are 10 reasons why SEO “might be,” “arguably is” and/or “probably is” an incredibly wise investment for your Web site – because without an SEO strategy the following will be very difficult (if not impossible) to achieve.

1. "Users type what they want to find into search boxes, making search engines the most precisely targeted marketing medium in the history of the world.” http://bit.ly/8pDoY9 (via @aaronwall)
   To quote, @dannysullivan, Search Marketing is “being visible where someone has overtly expressed a need or desire.” Consumers are actively looking for your Web site (therefore your products and services), so it begs the question why are you making it so hard for them to find you?
2. “Research shows websites influence 97 percent of clients’ purchasing decisions.” http://bit.ly/dBYj3h (via @hubspot)
   And how do people find these Web sites? Usually through a Search Engine. So what are you going to do about it?
3. “Your content isn’t good content unless it is optimized for Search Engines.” http://bit.ly/97Au2u (via @stoneyd)
   How are your users going to find you if you don’t speak their language? You need to know what keywords they’re using (through research) and optimize your content accordingly. A great example from @stoneyd’s article: When you sell “pre-owned cars”, it’s probably best to call them “used cars,” no matter how you think it sounds. “Used cars” has a Global Search Volume 750 times more than “pre-owned cars” according to Google’s Keyword tool.
4. “PPC spend is 88.81 percent, while SEO distribution of clicks is 89.47 percent.” @randfish (via @seomoz)
   When Google is reporting that there are more 88 billion searches monthly (http://selnd.com/9X3tkB), that’s a LOT of clicks.
   @forrester reported companies will increase spending on SEO and PPC, paying more attention to SEO in the following years. Stay tuned.
5. “Twenty to 40 percent of the search queries on Google are local.” @searchcowboys
   A good SEO strategy should incorporate a localized strategy. If it doesn’t, you might be missing out on some valuable traffic and, more importantly, new business.
6. "The more (relevant) tags you add to your video, the better your YouTube visibility." @sspencer
   Universal Search is crucial in order to maximize your online presence. With a complete SEO strategy, your videos, PDFs, images, audio recordings and any other fun stuff will be (well, should be) optimized.  
7. "Traffic doesn't pay the bills. Targeted traffic to landing pages does."  http://bit.ly/9LR2kX @seo_marketers (via @ioninteractive)
   Optimize your landing pages, or all of your pages, because thanks to search engines there is no such thing as a “home page” anymore. Google, Bing and Yahoo! will lead the user to the appropriate page of your site based on the user’s search query. If they click on your site, you’ve won half the battle. Your page better give them what they’re looking for, because you don’t want to lose the war (or the sale).
8. "SEO today isn’t just great meta tags, it’s about a great product." @lauralippay
   A sound SEO strategy will bring the most out of your Web site, and in turn your product or whatever it is you are selling. Don’t fall short: You’ve invested a lot of time and money into your product and most likely your Web site. Maximizing your presence online will not only bring you traffic, but if done well, conversions (sales). The best search ranking factor is having a great product to start with. 
9. “When it comes to SEO, I'm amazed at how many people focus ONLY on rankings. Isn't it supposed to start with rankings, but be about conversions?” (@tim_eschenauer) I apologize in advance for the personal plug.
   Before you can convert users into clients/customers, they need to find out who you are, and why you are so great. You can be on the first page for every targeted keyword on Google, but if you don’t convert then it was all for nothing. Now is the time to start thinking about usability, because according to Jacob Nielson, when a page is redesigned with usability principles in mind, the conversion rate improves on average 83%. (@ioninteractive)
10. Bottom line, making a Web site SEO friendly will (via @randfish @seomoz http://bit.ly/hz4w1):
    
    
    • Provide content users desire and will want to share. Remember, relevant links back to your Web site are invaluable.
    • Enhance the user experience by creating a site that is user friendly, easy to navigate and hopefully still features great design. Web usability is a crucial factor when it comes to SEO, because if people can’t find what they’re looking for on a search engine or your Web site they can’t buy what you’re selling.
    • Enable easy access for spiders to parse the content (and duplication is not an issue). Creating a Web site with clean, well-written, optimized code will make all search engines very happy. Maybe they’ll reward you with a good ranking!
    • Help users and spiders get to those deep pages in as few links as possible through good internal link architecture. Search engine friendly and user friendly should be the primary goal.
    • Not only increase your traffic, but will speak your target audience’s language thus leading to sales. Keyword research is crucial to optimizing every website and should be conducted before lifting up the pen.

For all things SEO, Social Media, and Digital Marketing, I highly recommend following everyone mentioned in this post (Yes, that includes me!)

Tim Eschenauer is a SEO/SEM Strategist at Long Island advertising agency Austin & Williams, specializing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). To read more about Tim, visit his bio section on the A&W web site.