Every business has one primary goal: to grow its revenue. In a world where more and more people use the internet to access information, having an online presence is no longer an option. This is especially true in industries that cater to a diverse worldwide audience.
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is one important strategy that businesses with websites may need to consider if they want to reach more prospective customers. Below is a list of the most common industries that significantly benefit from SEO services.
1. E-Commerce
Consumer behavior is often subject to change. Whereas most people purchase at physical brick-and-mortar stores, nowadays online shopping has become the norm. The option to shop on the internet gives them the freedom to buy anything without leaving their homes. This benefit has also led to the booming popularity of e-commerce, where businesses sell products online through websites and platforms.
Given people’s search behavior, SEO provides opportunities for e-commerce companies to rank higher in search results. As a result, their visibility increases, which leads to potential conversions and sales.
2. Real Estate
Whether your real estate business is targeting renters, home sellers, or homebuyers, these individuals turn to the internet as a go-to resource for property listings — and even professional advice. For this reason, you need a strong online presence so that potential clients can find you. This is where SEO comes into play.
People looking for real estate information online type in the following queries:
- “Homes for sale near me”
- “Apartments for rent in [city]”
- “Real estate agents in [neighborhood]”
- “House prices in [area]”
- “Commercial properties for sale [city]”
A real estate website that appears at the top of search results optimizing for these queries can attract more clients. Since people often use these queries as they actively search for properties, ranking well leads to more inquiries and deals closed.
3. Finance
The trend toward online financial product research has been growing continuously, and this is thanks to the availability — and convenience — of online banking and online shopping. When a financial website invests in SEO and ranks high in search engine results, it sends customers the message that the company is reliable.
Keep in mind that businesses that are easily found online are perceived as more trustworthy, and this can ultimately contribute to their increased growth and success. In a competitive industry like finance, SEO can offer companies a competitive advantage.
4. Legal Services
Many law firms used to rely on word-of-mouth marketing and directory listings to reach clients long before the internet was widely accessible. Today, online search has become the preferred method for finding legal services, especially those with local offices. This shift in behavior offers more convenience, which makes SEO a suitable investment.
Here are common examples of legal services people search online:
- Personal injury representation
- Family law assistance (divorce, child custody, etc.)
- Estate planning and probate services
- Criminal defense representation
- Real estate law assistance
- Business and corporate law services
- Immigration law assistance
- Employment law representation
Therefore, allocating your resources to SEO campaigns can help with expanding your online footprint and attracting a greater clientele.
5. Restaurants
The internet has made it possible for people to accomplish a variety of dining-related tasks, from finding a nearby place to eat and exploring specific cuisines to locating food that caters to their dietary preferences and making reservations at restaurants.
With just a few taps on their smartphones, people access a wealth of restaurant information, ranging from menus and reviews to location details and reservation options. Instead of solely depending on word-of-mouth recommendations or printed directories — your restaurant could use SEO to get discovered online.
In a dining market with lots of competitors, SEO optimization could position your restaurant as a valuable source of information, which helps you attract more customers to your establishment.
6. Home Services
In the past, homeowners sought home services by making numerous phone calls or asking for recommendations from their friends or neighbors. Nowadays, they can easily access solutions to their household needs by simply making an online search from their devices.
Popular home services people seek online are the following:
- Plumbing repairs
- Electrical services
- House cleaning
- HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) maintenance
- Appliance repair
- Pest control
- Landscaping and lawn care
- Home renovation and remodeling
Here are the specific queries they type into Google for these home services:
- “Plumber near me”
- “Electrician in [city]”
- “House cleaning services”
- “HVAC repair in [neighborhood]”
- “Appliance repair technician”
- “Pest control companies”
- “Landscapers near [location]”
- “Home renovation contractors”
If you have a website, optimizing it with effective SEO strategies will increase its visibility so that more people can discover you in search engine results and contact you. As you attract a larger audience, your business grows as well.
7. Professional Services
Finding professionals specializing in services — such as legal assistance, accounting services, consulting, or marketing — has become hassle-free these days because of online platforms. To help people make informed decisions, these platforms often include reviews, ratings, and detailed profiles of professionals.
These are the most common professional services people seek online:
- Accounting and bookkeeping services
- Consulting (business, financial, management)
- Marketing and advertising services
- Graphic design and creative services
- Web development and IT services
- Coaching and personal development services
- Real estate services (agents, brokers)
People type in these search terms into Google:
- “Accountant in [city]”
- “Business consultant services”
- “Marketing agency near [location]”
- “Graphic design services”
- “IT support companies”
- “Life coach in [neighborhood]”
- “Real estate agents in [city]”
Given the prevalence of people’s reliance on the internet, it is prudent to optimize your professional services website with relevant keywords and accurate business information. These SEO efforts bring more business opportunities down the road.
8. Medical Services
To get the attention of prospective patients, most medical practitioners use pay-per-click campaigns and referrals from existing patients. But with people’s increasing reliance on the internet for check-ups, specialist consultations, and urgent care — traditional marketing methods may be less effective in boosting awareness.
Convenience and simplicity are the reasons people look for medical services online. This method reduces the need to make multiple phone calls or visit multiple offices before finding the right healthcare provider.
When searching online, people usually seek the following services:
- General practitioner (GP) or family doctor visits
- Specialist consultations (e.g., dermatologist, cardiologist, psychiatrist)
- Dental services (cleanings, check-ups, procedures)
- Optometry services (eye exams, glasses, contact lenses)
- Urgent care or emergency services
- Physical therapy or rehabilitation services
- Diagnostic services (e.g., X-rays, blood tests, MRIs)
- Mental health services (therapy, counseling)
Popular queries people use to search for these medical services include:
- “Doctor near me”
- “Dentist in [city]”
- “[Specialist] doctor in [neighborhood]”
- “Urgent care clinic near [location]”
- “Physical therapist in [city]”
- “Eye doctor appointment”
- “Blood test lab in [area]”
- “Therapist for anxiety”
SEO plays an important role in helping medical services websites get discovered as people type in queries into search engines. Some effective SEO strategies that increase your website’s visibility include using relevant keywords and incorporating positive patient reviews. The result of this enhanced visibility is more appointments, which means better healthcare access.
Summary
Industries that operate and thrive mainly through offline channels may not need SEO as much as others do.
But for industries like ecommerce, real estate, finance, legal services, restaurants, home services, professional services, and medical services — SEO becomes a powerful approach (among other strategies they’re already using) for increasing traffic, leads, and customers.
Businesses that have an SEO strategy in place put themselves in a position to rank higher in search, which boosts their long-term growth.