Good SEO marketing strategy 'helps increase sales'

A new industry report reveals that a good search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy should be prioritised by companies looking for how to improve sales.

According to a study by E-consultancy entitled How We Shop in 2010: Habits and Motivations of Consumers, almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of consumers said they use search engines to help them in their product research decision leading up to a purchase.

This means that maintaining a good quality SEO marketing strategy in order to gain top search engine rankings is critical to improving a brand's corporate profile and attracting the attention of sales leads.

Incorporating social media into a cross-channel sales strategy was also found to be a crucial part of improving sales.

Three-quarters (75 per cent) of young people aged between 18 and 26 said they use recommendations on social networking sites to help them research their products before they go ahead with a purchase.

E-consultancy's findings also reveal the importance of accurate targeting and customer profiling. More than half (57 per cent) of consumers questioned said they appreciate receiving advertising messages if they are directly beneficial to their needs.

Many respondents cited offers, discounts and free merchandise as elements that would attract their attention.