SEO has the power to modernise your business. It will improve your visibility on Google, and if regularly updated, it has the power to become an essential tool in the long-term development of your business both locally and online.
But how, you ask, can I reap the benefits of something I have limited knowledge of? Easy, we can help, our experts have been trained to understand the intimate methods to best utilise small business SEO and we can ensure your business takes full advantage of digital advertising opportunities at their disposal.
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Will SEO Add Value to My Small Business?
All small businesses can benefit from strong SEO, if you rely on word of mouth and little else, your business will likely struggle to attract new customers. However, if you combine word of mouth and strong web search SEO, you will be increasing the likelihood of your product being viewed by people in your local area and further afield, therefore improving the opportunity for increased revenue.
Before launching into a frantic, misguided, and costly SEO for small business campaign, first ask yourself, what aspects of the business are you wishing to improve? More local customers? More online customers? Perhaps improved visibility online? SEO if harnessed correctly has the power to improve them all.
What is SEO? And Why Do I Need It?
The Wikipedia definition of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) “is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic, to a website or web page from search engines.”
Simplified this means the better a product performs in a Google search (other search engines are available), the closer it’ll be to the top of the web page. Internet search engines function almost exclusively on SEO, the more popular a product the better the Google search results.
It continues; “SEO targets unpaid traffic (known as natural or “organic” results) rather than direct traffic or paid traffic. Unpaid traffic may originate from different kinds of searches including image search, video search, etc.”
This means that search engines will look preferentially upon natural SEO, rather than paid for campaigns, for your business to reap the benefits of SEO it must be developed naturally.
There’s no quick fix for boosting your SEO, however using techniques such as regular social media posts, blogging, email campaigns, etc. With patience, enthusiasm, and a quality brand, you can secure and improve the long-term health of your business.
Is Improving My SEO Worth the Hassle?
Improving your SEO is 100% worth the hassle, by increasing your online presence you open your business up to new opportunities, connect with customers, easily update business details and provide client information. The more effort you put into your SEO and social media presence, the better your online profile.
However there’s no quick fix, it’s something you’ll have to work on regularly, think of it as an easier way of promoting yourself and reaching out to customers, as with all business you still need to earn the sale.
Relying solely on SEO will be a financial burden, however, with the bonus of regular social media posts, blogs, and online promotion, you will notice an increase in website leads driven by improved SEO. Along with improving your SEO, you should consider updating your website and online identity, your website is effectively the first point of contact for any new customer or client.
SEO or PPC: What’s the Difference?
Ambition and hard work breeds success, and should always be commended, however, smaller businesses simply don’t have the same marketing budgets as a million-dollar competitor, so smaller start-ups have to use their budgets wisely.
SEO and PPC (pay per click) both have pros and cons, SEO gradually builds your presence online ‘organically’ but it can take time, whereas PPC commonly encourages instant clicks and traffic through search engine advertising. (An advert at the top of the Google search page).
However, PPC can be very expensive and doesn’t offer the same long-term growth that SEO does. For more established companies (with larger budgets) a PPC campaign can be far less time-consuming than chipping away at online SEO, instead, they can rely on brand awareness to encourage page clicks, however, smaller start-ups can’t rely on the comfort of deep pockets and inflated marketing budgets.
Before you begin your marketing campaign, remember to ask, what goals are you hoping to achieve from it? Instant brand awareness or long-term brand confidence? PPC or SEO?
Can I Build Trust and Credibility Through SEO?
SEO when carried out correctly will build confidence, increase awareness and improve your online credibility. It’s now considered an essential factor for any modern brand or business, the more effective your SEO, the more credible your brand will appear online.
Brands overtly reliant on PPC campaigns will struggle to convince the market and clients of their value. Ask yourself this question, when you last used Google did you even read the top two sponsored ads? Consumers are now far more aware of the techniques companies use to sell products and are less likely to click on the Pay Per Click ads as a result.
If you can encourage clients to visit your website via a strong online presence while avoiding the overuse of PPC campaigns, brands are far more likely to earn the trust of consumers.
As long as you provide a quality service, can offer what you sell and your brand profile is relatively modern, SEO has the power to add value to your business.
Improving The User Experience Using SEO
Although SEO has the power to improve your brand awareness, you will struggle to feel any benefit if other aspects of your online presence let you down. Consumers are a fickle bunch, and with fibre optic broadband and 5G data speeds industry norm, people now expect websites to load almost immediately and will be quick to jump to another page if it doesn’t.
The online user experience is a key component in ensuring customer satisfaction and according to The Drum slow loading times can wipe out any benefits you might experience from strong SEO.
If you need a comparison on web times, look at the load times of the world’s biggest brands and websites, Facebook, Google, Apple, etc, it’s best to remember that all visitors to your website are impatient, important, and a potential source of revenue.
How Do I Invest in SEO
That’s where we at ObenInc can help, we offer advice on building an individual SEO strategy, improving your online presence, increasing brand awareness, and rest assured we’re always looking out for you, our client.
When you succeed, we succeed.
If you would like to chat with one of our SEO experts, or would rather we called you back at a time of your preference get in touch here.