As a small business owner, you probably already know what SEO stands for – Search Engine Optimization. You also probably know that you need it. But what is it that you need to optimize? Is it your design? Your links? Maybe your content? Yes, yes, and yes — it is all of that and more.
So, what is it that SEO does? It helps your site rank high on search listings in the organic section, which, in turn, will bring more potential customers to your website and increase your conversion rates.
Here are 5 reasons why your small business needs SEO.
1. Higher Conversion Rates
Seo-optimized websites help improve user-experience. This includes providing your audience with relevant information, related photos, support text, easy to navigate web pages & a mobile-friendly website configuration. Websites like these result in more clicks, more leads, better brand recall, and higher conversion rates. This is what search engine sites are looking for, thus improving your search ranking.
Unlike outbound strategies, you do not reach out to people and convince them to visit your site. Instead, users find you in search results and pick your business’ website because they believe it’s relevant to their query. If your company ranks in the top spots, your audience is more likely to visit your website and opt for your product/service.
2. Your Competitors are Already Doing It
Nearly all small businesses undertake SEO in their marketing strategies. If you do not, this amounts to two things:
You are missing out on potential leads.
Those same leads are going directly to your competitors.
This itself should be enough to convince you to get going with SEO. But wait, we’ve got more.
SEO levels the playing field.
Since companies cannot pay for organic rankings, it allows your business to compete with more prominent companies. Search engines rank sites based on their relevance to a search query. If your site is more relevant than a large organization’s website, you will most likely rank higher in the search results. The advantage of SEO is that it allows you to compete with companies of all sizes.
3. It’s All About “Future-Proofing”
“Change is the only constant.”
This holds true for SEO (and Internet marketing in general). What works well right now may change in a day, a week, a month, or a year from now. The principles of SEO alter whenever search engines adjust their algorithms. The longer you have had an SEO strategy in place, and the more optimized your website is, the quicker and better you will be able to understand and respond to these algorithm changes. Ten years from now, when SEO is even more necessary, you can thank us for convincing you back in 2020 to put a solid SEO strategy in place.
4. It Helps You Reach Out To The Right Audience
SEO helps small businesses earn high-quality traffic. With your SEO done right, you will be reaching out to your target audience at a prime time. They are looking for you — not driving to work or aimlessly scrolling through Instagram — which means you have their full attention. It also means they are more likely to act on your CTAs (Call-To-Actions) – whether it’s an invite to call your team, like your Facebook page, or buy your product!
5. It Builds Credibility
How often do you go beyond the first page of your search results on the web? Never mind, we know your answer to that. Ranking on the first page of search results signals to users that Google — or other search engines, trust your website, and hence, they should too!
Your prospects will see your business site having higher authority when they see you ranking high for the right keywords. This will lead to more targeted visitors that convert into sales.
As Your Personal Web Team, we would be delighted to help your small business get started with a robust SEO strategy!
