Search Engine Optimization, SEO for short, has been a term thrown around for about 10 years now. As an entrepreneur, you may have heard of SEO and considered whether it’s worth the time and money. You might be wondering how including SEO services for your business will be beneficial. In a world where 94% of people search prior to buying a product or service, SEO can not only give your business a drastic boost, but continue to move you upward. We can go on and on about the importance of SEO for small businesses, but we’re here to keep it short and straight to the point with 5 primary reasons to invest in SEO for small businesses.
1. SEO is One of the Most Cost-Effective Marketing Options
SEO should not be seen as a cost to the business, but an investment. When researching SEO services for your business, you may be inclined to look for cheap SEO. We must warn you, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. SEO can be done at a low cost, but that also means low-quality content insuring low rankings. Investing in SEO services from an experienced, reputable company over the low-cost company will pay off handsomely in the long run. Compared to other marketing strategies, it’s been proven that SEO, given that it’s quality SEO, delivers higher returns for every dollar invested over time.
2. Put Your Business at the Front of the Digital World with SEO
As mentioned, buying and searching nowadays go together. Whether it’s on a desktop, mobile phone or tablet, since most people are searching prior to buying, you want to be right there in the top search results once the query is entered. Otherwise, people won’t be buying from you, since research shows that 91% of people never search beyond page one on Google. When done right, SEO marketing can put your small business at the forefront of people’s searches. SEO can be highly targeted, so when your website gains visibility with consumers, the more relevant traffic it receives which then leads to more sales.
3. SEO for Small Businesses Levels the Playing Field
Investing in SEO allows small business entrepreneurs to compete with big competitors. A major advantage of SEO marketing is that it levels the playing field because ranking high on the search engine results page is dependent on effective SEO strategies, not how much money a company has. SEO for small businesses can take you off the bench, put you in the race against the big guys, and help you win!
4. Investing in SEO Reaps Long-Term Benefits
While other advertising efforts may return immediate, short-term results, the benefits of SEO are lasting. Once your website ranks on page one of the Google search results from effective SEO services, the more traffic your site will receive, thereby giving your site more authority with Google and potentially permitting your website to hold that spot for years to come. Although instant gratification from PPC campaigns are nice, ongoing ROI from the long-term sales effects of SEO are even better.
5. SEO Takes Advantage of Free Advertising
Without SEO, your business is in jeopardy of not being seen due to random content. Each listing on Google comes with a title tag and meta description, and if not optimized, Google will select text from anywhere on your website to insert into the listing for thousands of potential buyers to see. SEO allows you to be in control of what information people are shown when your website appears in the search results. It’s free advertising for your business, and if you’re not taking advantage of this opportunity, you’re in danger of losing sales!
