Let’s face it! If you aren’t doing or ready to start SEO, your business has no place on the internet.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the process of increasing your site’s visibility for relevant search queries.
Think about how you search for the best mobile phone to buy. You’ll go to Google, type “best mobile phone” in the search field, scroll through the results, and click the outcome that suits your needs. Those sites you see ranking on the first page is not by accident; it’s optimization in action. You can do the same for your business.
For small businesses, search engine optimization is the budget-friendliest way to get your business into the front of potential customers. When optimized for search engines, your business becomes visible to people looking for a service on the internet. Meaning, instead of you running after customers, they’ll come to you themselves- thanks to organic traffic.
There’s a long list of benefits for small businesses that practice SEO. Here are six inspiring picks that will make you want to jump right in or even amp up your effort.
- Get New Customers from Organic Search
According to the start counter, about 91.94% of web traffic comes from organic search, and about 60% of marketers confirm that their highest lead comes from organic traffic.
Google runs billions of search queries per day. People are always searching for products or services on the web. Websites that make it to the first page of SERPs get the lion-share of internet traffic.
By ranking on the first page of Googe, more customers will find your business. Earning the top spot on search results makes your business visible to millions of searchers. Also, winning rich result spots or featured snippets can put you above other websites on the search engines results page. As a result, new users will visit your website, and they can become your customers.
- Highly Cost-effective Marketing
Small businesses are most time short on funds. They do not have a big budget for advertising, marketing, and paid traffic. A good SEO strategy can get you where your big competitors are on the search engines results page.
Compared to other forms of marketing, Optimizing for search engines is relatively inexpensive to implement. However, you may need small business SEO services– a professional’s hand to clench to reap the maximum benefits. That way, you are guaranteed great ROI and long-term value for your business. Once your investments start yielding results, it’s enough to get you new businesses without spending on paid marketing
- Outrank Your Local Competitors
While SEO might be a long play, outranking your local competitors is one of the quick wins of optimization. A whopping 50% of all Google searches are local. Local SEO makes it easy for local customers to find your business.
With a local SEO strategy like getting your business listed on Google MyBusiness and sharing your location with Google Maps, your business will show up in more local searches. And more local customers will visit you. According to Google, 30% of all local searches are related to location, and 76% of people who search nearby businesses on a mobile visit a business within a day. Meanwhile, 28% of those searchers buy something.
To get your own share of that traffic, It’s important to keep your GMB listing up-to-date. Plus, make sure you put an address to help them find directions to your business.
- Create Your Brand Awareness
Aside from improving your website ranking and converting your website users to customers, SEO also helps increase your brand awareness.
By getting to the first page, you are building a reputation for your business. Users and search engines give your website greater importance. You become an authority in your industry, and Google will trust your website for quality content. Even if users don’t click a link to your site, they will get familiar with your brand.
More so, when you rank for specific search terms often, your website becomes the go-to destination when users are looking for a brand to do business with. If you don’t own those searches, more prospective customers and organic sales will go to your competitors.
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- The Results are Long-Lasting
Indeed, investing in paid ads will bring results, but the only downside is that the result will stop once you stop spending. Money spent on optimization will last longer and get you more customers in the long run.
Investing in search engine optimization won’t bring you instant rewards. Still, it will give your high business visibility on the SERP (Search Engine Result Page), and you can remain there long enough. Yes, search engine algorithms change all the time, but the fundamental processes and strategies will stand for years to come and will require minor adjustments. Done right, SEO is a long-standing marketing solution that promises continuous ROI for your business.
- Better User Experience
Search engines like Google check how user-friendly websites are and reward this by ranking them higher. To optimize the contents of your website for search engines, you need to increase the user experience too. The easier your small business website is to navigate, the greater are the chances for people to discover you and purchase the products or services you offer.
It means you need to focus more on your customers’ needs. What are they looking for? What action would they want to do next? What other services, resources, or information can you provide them?
By putting your customer needs first, you will get a better chance at attracting, keeping them on your site, and converting them. The better your website speed and users experience, the more traffic Google directs to your website. All these are what a good SEO service can do for your business.
- Build Trust and Brand Credibility
Search engine optimization for your small business won’t only help you rank better. It will also make it easier for users to trust your company.
Even if you have the best resources, products, services, or answers that searchers want, without trust and a good user experience, you’ll have a hard time converting them to customers once they click into your website.
With SEO, building credibility for your brand can’t get easier. Hitting the front page of searches can be the only thing you need. By pairing the technical elements of optimization like site speed, backlinks, and domain authority with best ranking practices, you can give your business the digital growth it deserves.
Conclusion
From the above, you can see that how SEO benefits small businesses are limitless. By optimizing your website for search engines, you’re making it easier for clients to locate your business. Also, it is cost-effective and has a long-lasting reward than any form of marketing.
Optimizing with a strategy can help you beat your competition. However, the process isn’t a walk in the park, especially when you want the best result. Employing an expert or an agency will save time and the headache of SEO technicalities.
I’m a writer, artist, and designer working in the gaming and tech industries. I have held staff and freelance positions at large publications including Digital Trends, Lifehacker, Popular Science Magazine, Electronic Gaming Monthly, IGN, The Xplore Tech, and others, primarily covering gaming criticism, A/V and mobile tech reviews, and data security advocacy.