Running a business is no small undertaking. You have to worry about inventories, employees, and offering the highest quality service you can achieve on top of a multitude of other responsibilities. This is why it can be incredibly easy to overlook the marketing aspect. This, however, can be the single most important aspect in finding success. These days, consumers find new businesses through search engines like Google. Currently, 58 percent of people use this method for finding new products and services, as opposed to the 24 percent that visit company websites and the 18 percent that utilize social media to find what they are looking for. In 2012, 88 percent of users aged 14 and up researched products online, and 40 percent of them followed up on social media sites to inform their purchases.

Google is a staple of modern culture, with seemingly insignificant things like the variations of their logo that get posted, or doodles, getting international attention. The first doodle was posted in 1998. It depicted the Burning Man, from the famous Nevada festival, and was posted to let employees know where the founders would be for a while. When people put in a search on this massive platform, they generally never look past the first page of results, and 70 to 80 percent of users ignore the sponsored results at the very top of the page. This means to get the exposure you need, you have to have an organic link on the first page, but how can you achieve this?

The most effective method of achieving your desired search engine rankings today is search engine optimization, or SEO. This works by locating key search terms associated with your business and incorporating them into a series of regularly updated articles and blogs that get posted to your site. The key is constant updates. So many companies utilize this method that marketing becomes a virtual game of king of the hill. Once you get to the spot you want, someone will come along and try to take it from you.

Search engines continue to grow as a relevant source of information for consumers. By 2014, internet usage on smartphones and tablets will exceed that of desktop computers, which means more frequent searches for everything. In order to remain relevant, you need to maintain a prominent search engine ranking, which is best achieved by implementing a solid Seo strategy.