In today’s business environment, your digital presence is everything. Customers have never been searching for more products and services online than ever before. Therefore, it is imperative that your business is found online by the customers that are searching for your brand. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a key tool for growing small businesses. SEO is one of the greatest ways to increase your digital presence, build your brand visibility, and strengthen the credibility of your business. This digital marketing strategy is the best way to stay competitive in your industry. If you are not yet convinced that SEO is a highly impactful digital marketing strategy, then keep on reading to see the benefits of SEO for small businesses.
At Succeeding Small, an SEO company based in Colorado Springs, we understand how competitive the business world is for small businesses. We develop customized SEO strategies to optimize your digital assets so your small business gets the maximum visibility online. At Succeeding Small, our digital marketing strategies work to help grow your business. It is our mission to empower small business owners and give them the education, resources, and marketing results that they deserve, such as how SEO can optimize your digital presence, drive website traffic, and maximize your opportunities online.
Let’s dive deeper into one of the most impactful marketing strategies for small businesses today: SEO.
What is Search Engine Optimization?
SEO is the process of optimizing digital assets to maximize organic visibility in as many places as possible. SEO helps ensure that your business’ website or digital assets can be found by those who are using a search engine, such as Google.
For example, if someone types into Google, “Plumber near me”, Google’s algorithm will present the individual with a list of plumbers in the local area, Google Map information, various websites for businesses, and plumbing directories. SEO is the process of working to get your website or digital assets at the top of the search results list.
Now that we have outlined a basic understanding of SEO, we can understand how the digital marketing strategy impacts your small business and why SEO is worth investing in your small business.
1. Increased Website Traffic
Consider how you search for a product or service. You most likely type your service then your city or “near me”. You probably choose the top result and visit their website. According to a study conducted by Backlinko, only 0.78 percent of Google searchers clicked on something from the second search engine results page or SERP.
If your business is not optimized for SEO, it will likely never be found by your consumers during a Google search. Considering that this is how most people locate a business, either on their mobile device or on their computer, your website will never get the attention it deserves if it is not optimized to appear on the first SERP.
This is why an SEO campaign for your small business will allow your business website to move up in ranking on the SERP to enable your business to be visible to customers.
2. Organic vs. Paid Traffic
According to the Backlinko study above, the number one organic search result is ten times more likely to receive a click compared to a page in the number ten spot on the first SERP. So, if you are at the top of the SERP, you will instantly get more clicks and traffic to your website. This is an example of how impactful organic SEO can be to a small business.
Alternatively, paid search traffic allows you to obtain a temporary position near the top of the results. A business can pay for a top position. However, the business will have little control over its spending for the paid campaign. A paid campaign will require the small business to pay for each click on their link.
For example, if car insurance companies were to pay for the keyword “car insurance”, then Google can present a custom advertisement at the top of the SERP every time someone types in “car insurance”. In the image below, the top-listed insurance company, Progressive, will only pay for the advertisement if the customer clicks on the link.
On the other hand, organic traffic is when your consumers find your website because it best matches their search intent. Your small business does not pay for organic SEO. Customers will trust your company more when they find your website with authentic search results over similar businesses that pay for ads to attract potential customers.
3. Business Credibility
SEO has a lasting impact on your business’ credibility both in the eyes of the search engine and in the eyes of your consumer. According to a Brightlocal survey, “87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020.” Positive reviews of your company prove to the search engine and consumers that you are a credible company.
People are more likely to visit your website after seeing positive reviews. As a result, Google will better understand what you do and why you are better than your competitors.
4. Business Trust
When SEO is done correctly, it can build your trustworthiness as a small business. As you build your credibility through reviews, you will also build trust in your community. This trust can be found online with reviews, awards, or ratings from specific companies.
For example, if you are rated an A+ company on the Better Business Bureau, this will show the Google algorithm and your customers that you are a trustworthy business.
5. Increased Engagement
Credibility and trust are aspects of SEO that primarily come from reviews and other credible websites.
However, if you want your website to continue to rank high on Google, have increased website traffic, and target visitors that will purchase your service or product, then you will need to engage them in some way. When done correctly, SEO helps you to increase engagement by adding easy-to-navigate tools and user-friendly writing on your business website.
6. Increased Conversion
With the increased engagement of your captivating content, your website will also need to feature conversion tactics that call your consumers to action.
However, the goal is to remain authentic and trustworthy, so giant red “buy now” buttons are not effective. Rather, SEO experts will suggest calls to action, or CTAs, that assist the customer in solving their problem or appeal to emotion to get the customer to support your small business.
7. Improve Your Website
This is another portion of SEO that assists with conversions. Generally speaking, if your website is challenging to navigate, customers are more likely to abandon the site, even if you have great reviews.
That being said, you can have the best SEO reputation and be ranked number one on the SERP, but if consumers have a hard time finding information on your website, they are not likely to buy your product or service. User-friendliness is critical to ensuring that you convert as many people as possible who visit your website.
The largest factors that attribute to your users’ experience are:
- Website Speed
- Navigation
- Mobile Optimization
- Tablet Optimization
- Technical Errors
- Overall Aesthetic
8. Brand Awareness
By building an SEO campaign, you will be spreading awareness of your brand in as many places as possible digitally. Branding is highly important to SEO. Your brand will be recognizable and coherent across all platforms by coupling together SEO, a solid website, and a unique brand.
9. Beat Your Competition
By combining all of the above aspects in a comprehensive SEO campaign, your website will move up in search engine rankings. As a small business, you will be able to beat your competition all while spending less than them on marketing.
10. Find New Opportunities
Through SEO, your business will find exciting new opportunities to build business partnerships, work in new industries, and generate innovative ideas. The business community of Colorado Springs is strong and will continue to grow stronger with the help of SEO.
11. Show Up Online
SEO is an important digital marketing strategy for all businesses. Your small business will be able to see real and lasting results through better ranking and increased traffic, which will result in growth. With SEO, your small business will finally be visible online.
Get Affordable SEO for Small Business With Succeeding Small
SEO is a crucial part of digital marketing for your small business. SEO can help you get the online digital visibility you deserve. With this marketing strategy, your business will have an easier time gaining more leads, passing your competition, and achieving your business goals.
At Succeeding Small, we want your small business to succeed! With professional SEO services from Succeeding Small, we apply our expertise and knowledge to optimize your small business’s digital presence. We recognize that SEO is complex and time-consuming, which is why our team has curated a systematic approach that is designed to assist any business in growing their business and increasing their digital presence. We believe that your small business deserves a customized online presence, and we have seen first-hand the impact that SEO can have on small businesses. To learn more about our SEO services for small businesses, contact Succeeding Small today to begin your small business growth journey!
