For many businesses and marketers, writing and publishing content on their own website—and guest articles and posts on others—is at the top of their priority lists.

A major goal of producing great content is getting on the first page of Google search results. Unfortunately, with millions of search queries per minute, it's not that easy. And Google is constantly changing its algorithms, which means you have to work harder to get noticed by the right people at the right time.

Fortunately, search engine optimization (SEO) can help.

Here are a few stats to keep in mind when considering the importance of SEO:

• 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. (Search Engine Journal)
• B2B researchers do 12 searches, on average, prior to engaging on a specific brand's site. (Google)
• The first position on Google search results on mobile has a 31.35% clickthrough rate. (Advanced Web Ranking)
• 70-80% of users ignore the paid ads on a SERP, focusing on the organic results. (User Centric)

Moreover, you can reap the benefits of your SEO efforts long after your content has been published.

Search engines never forget; so, if you properly optimize your content, search engines will keep attracting new audiences long after you've stopped heavily promoting it. That can go a long way toward benefiting your business in the long term, by continually attracting new prospects and increasing brand awareness.