How Investing in SEO is Far Better Practice for all Small Businesses
Search the “Is SEO dead?” and you will be surprised because you’re likely to get over 44 million references including an article published by Ric Dean, CEO of Caffeinated. Ric shares a conversation he had with a client recently over lunch at SMX.
When asked about the state of SEO, he said that the SEO industry is far from dead. However, the concept has changed so much that people should start thinking of it as less of a marketing strategy and more of a branding technique.
For over a decade, SEO has proven itself as an effective marketing and branding tool for both small businesses and giant corporations as well. Unfortunately, there is a widespread belief that SEO concept is ideal for big corporations and established businesses.
So, can SMBs invest in SEO and reap the benefits? In case you have no clue, then understand that SEO is the best play as it guarantees even better results for SMBs. If you own a small or medium size business and you intend to expand your territory, it’s wise to invest in SEO.
The concept still works
Similar to any other investment, a venture is only worth it if the output is promising with a little input. For business people intending to enhance the customer experience while remaining search engine-friendly, SEO is the most effective marketing and branding strategy you can use.
Note that SEO isn’t a task you complete once. The more you invest your efforts, time, and other necessary resources, the better the chances of getting better results. SMBs have a narrow target audience. This makes it easier for you to reach them when you achieve SEO localization.
Here is how investing in SEO is the best option for SMBs.
It’s cost-effective
Every business, whether it’s an established corporation or a start-up, aims at minimizing costs. The major reason most business people opt for SEO as a marketing strategy is that it’s cost-effective. You can hire just one professional to help grow your business by cutting all the unnecessary expenses associated with traditional marketing. With excellent optimization, you can expect long-term benefits.
Unfortunately, the internet is filled with so much noise about ‘SEO services on offer.’ Ric argues that you should focus on hiring an expert with extensive knowledge and experience in the SEO niche. Hiring cheap SEO services means you’re likely to get poor content, black hat SEO techniques and you won’t get the desired results.
Therefore, it’s wise to look for a reliable and reputable professional with a track record in the provision of SEO services. Investing in SEO will only work if the entire process is supervised by someone who understands the bolts and nuts of SEO.
SEO levels competition
Do you ever wonder why the most successful business people and professional digital marketers encourage you to dream big? With the right SEO marketing tactics, you can dominate your industry online. Proper optimization allows you to reach your target audience efficiently. Chase Robbins, a popular content blogger at reviewlatest.com, once said, “With an excellent SEO strategy, a small business can compete with even established companies and corporations.”
The major advantage of digital marketing is that it tends to level the playing field for small, medium sized businesses. Note that Google doesn’t rank websites based on the number of their employees or the level of monthly profits.
Instead, the search engines favour a business that understands and deploys SEO techniques effectively. Therefore, regardless the size of your business, you can rest assured of gaining better Google ranking if you use the right SEO strategy effectively.
Increased local searches
Many shoppers are now more concerned about checking products and services near where they are located. Subsequently, the number of local searches has been increasing over time. What does this mean for SMBs? Most shoppers are becoming aware of your presence. Thus, investing in an effective SEO strategy offers you a better chance of facing it off with giant companies.
The heightened use of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones has made the target audience better for the SMBs. Currently, shoppers prefer using their mobile devices to look for products and services within their locality. That means any SMB that takes advantage of this opportunity and invests in the right SEO strategy can rest assured of better results.
Here’s how increased local searches will help your business grow.
Enhanced brand awareness
Even the most popular brands were once a small business. They used the right marketing strategies, and today they are where they are. Similarly, SMBs that invest in SEO and secure top positions in SERPs have better opportunities for growth. Better ranking on search engines means increased exposure. Consequently, your target audience will find it easier to associate your business with specific keywords. This will result in increased brand awareness.
Besides, most web visitors consider businesses that appear on the first pages on Google and other search engines to be of better credibility and reputation. The more your website ranks better on search engines, the more chances there will be for web users to spot your business and appreciate it. Isn’t this what SMBs need to do to outpace the giant businesses in their industries?
Increased website usability
Search Engine Optimization is all about offering better user experience and improving the relationship between your business and the search engines. Have you ever realized that in the process of ensuring that your website is easy to navigate for both users and search engines, you would be enhancing the user experience?
Ensuring that users can easily find what they need on your websites enhances the experiences they get. That means that they are likely to come back, spend more time on your website, and that enhances your Google rankings.
Over the last two decades, SEO has evolved and became an integral component any effective online marketing strategy. It presents a better opportunity for SMBs to reach their target audience easily and increase their chances of ranking better on search engines.
