In an attempt to increase their web presence at a time when more people are holding onto their discretionary income, NHL and NBA teams are turning to search engine optimization (SEO) to increase business.

Atlanta Spirit, the parent company of the NHL’s Thrashers, NBA’s Hawks and the Philips Arena has signed with Search Discovery to help improve their search engine optimization (SEO) and measure the results.

The companies say high rankings is not the only goal of their venture together as Atlanta Spirit needs to convert those rankings into ticket purchases to Thashers and Hawks games or to the other performances at the Philips Arena.

Search Discover says its analytics will help maximize revenue from the traffic to the various sites for Atlanta Spirit. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a cost effective alternative to the rising costs of search engine marketing techniques like paid search and digital advertising, it claims.

A recent article from Search Engine Land showed just how important search engine optimization (SEO) is in the sports world.

Many people searching for information about the NFL’s Super Bowl prior to the big game had difficulty finding appropriate results due to poor search engine optimization (SEO), according to the news and information site.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.