Digital transformation is a big bold buzzword that’s doing the rounds a fair bit these days.
It’s not as superfluous as one might think and although people may have slightly different definitions of what it actually is or comprises of, I’m a firm believer that SEO is part of it.
The idea of digital transformation is to use digital technology to transform a business, using the latest/newest/best not because of that, but because problems need solving in a more efficient way.
When you upgrade your website to be a better experience for your visitors, you’re engaging in digital transformation.
When you make it easier for people to find information on your site (and therefore in a search engine), it’s SEO – and it’s also digital transformation.
I will go as far as saying that people who have been embedded in digital transformation from an early stage, will possibly disagree – in fact, they may not even know about or consider SEO in their process.
But this is a reality about SEO, given the stigma that sometimes surrounds it. I’ve had no shortage of people calling SEO a dark art and the work of snake oil salesmen.
I get it. I mean, if I offered services claiming to get results but couldn’t quantify it in any way and relied on ‘external factors’ as my crutch for when things didn’t go well, I’d probably feel that way too.
But I don’t. I do tell people they’ll get results because when you improve on everything, it’s impossible not to see positive results.
And this is also why I say that SEO should be a foundation of digital transformation because it impacts so much more than just the website. SEO complements other digital transformations in a business, even if it’s purely internal.
Organisations should view their website and indeed their online presence as organic, not static. The idea that the website and entire online presence can and should change at the drop of a hat (or at least, swiftly with little obstruction) is one that needs to be imprinted in the minds of stakeholders.
This is not just because search engines often move the goal posts. But because the people who actually pay you money for your products and services, have changing tastes and demands.
And if you’re not adapting to those, you’re missing out. Sometimes it could be too late.
So when you’re thinking digital transformation, think about SEO. Go beyond a website redesign and mere rankings in a search engine. Think about how you’re adapting your online presence to best serve the people who help you keep the lights on.
It starts with the homepage – of your own website, and that of Google.
SEO is digital transformation. Digital transformation is SEO.
