SEO Benefits for Small Business Growth

Search engine optimization (SEO) is necessary for any digital marketing approach. However, it is frequently overlooked by business owners who are simply too busy to research, implement, and take advantage of the SEO benefits for small business owners. Here is a closer look at how you can increase the number of customers with a balanced SEO strategy.

SEO and the Website User Experience

At the heart of SEO for small businesses is the practice of making a website more suitable for being included in organic search engine results. It combines effective keywords, speeds up site operations, allows for interactivity, and presents the consumer with a mobile-friendly site version.

To achieve this leveling on the search result page, you need to anticipate the customer’s intent when searching for your product or service.

1. How would a customer input the search term?
2. What are alternative ways of asking about your business?
3. How would newcomers to your business search for the product versus those who might have done business with you or someone in your niche before?

So, what are the benefits of following this approach?

User-Friendly Websites Cater to Organic Searches

Web traffic is tied directly to organic search results. While you could certainly use industry jargon for advertising, remember that targeted traffic relies on developing content that caters to the queries your customers enter. For example, your website should be found whether the customer types “unlit blue widget for building installation” or “blue thing on the facade without lights.”

Organic Search Results Generate Higher Rankings

Your website now ranks higher in search engine results. This means that more would-be buyers see your information. It’s an excellent step toward an effective strategy to build brand awareness. Your click-through rate will increase.

Higher Rankings Mean You Bypass the Closest Competitors in Your Niche

You spend a lot of time coming up with marketing strategies that position your brand so that it stands out from the competition. Essential for small business owners, SEO is the virtual component of this practice. You are getting ahead of the competition online.

Local SEO Saves Money

What sets apart a small business’ budget from that of a multinational corporation is the budget. You cannot afford to waste your advertising budget on a hit-or-miss campaign. Expert, local SEO places your product or service in front of potential customers ready to buy. In many ways, it is an excellent equalizing tool that puts you on the same footing with a huge company and its enormous budget. In this way, you do not have to buy pay-per-click (PPC) ads that go well beyond what you are comfortable spending.

Remember when we said that SEO-optimized websites tend to load faster and are suitable for mobile users? When your site loads fast and is easy to read, more customers will stay on the site, return to it, subscribe to updates, and make purchases.

Your Business Website Takes Advantage of Local Programs

Because local search engine optimization means that you are devoting some space to local citations and backlinks, you become a serious player in your city. The advantage of this SEO approach is that it echoes in your social media presence, which is seen locally and nationwide. A company trusted at home is far more likely to be trusted internationally.

Your Presence on Search Engine Results Pages Will Yield Measurable Results

One of the most important benefits for the small business owner is measuring results. As a small business, you cannot afford to continue in a direction that fails to give you the results you are looking for. For example, going back to the blue widget example, consider that your local SEO might focus on terms such as “ocean blue,” whereas a few states over, the better word would be “sky blue.”

While this looks like a minor tweak to your SEO strategy, it is a step you can take when measuring effectiveness. Analyzing your SEO results is an invaluable tool for getting to know your customers better. In some cases, it might make you change the ideal customer persona.

The Ultimate SEO Benefits for Small Business Owners

So far, you have made some serious upgrades to the look and feel of your site.

1. Improve the website’s overall performance for speed and mobile use.
2. Focus on using keywords and phrases that appear in organic searches.
3. Climb in the search engine rankings and leave the competition in the rearview mirror.
4. Focus resources on going after the local buyer to get the most conversions.
5. Consistently learn what makes your customers tick by analyzing measurable results from SEO.

However, the ultimate benefit is exploring new markets in the process. While you focus on the local shoppers, remember that the internet is worldwide. This is more than just a pithy term. When you have content that appeals to customers, do not be surprised if you get inquiries from customers in new markets outside of your local area. This might be the market in the next town or county over at the onset. As time goes on, your brand’s awareness spreads. First, you need to make sure the local consumer base knows you exist and can find you!

Connecting the Dots

Do you have to take a class to develop effective SEO strategies? No, you do not. Most importantly, these strategies keep changing as search engines alter their algorithms. A better option is to work with an industry insider that specializes in e marketing for small business owners. E-Marketing Associates is your go-to specialist for SEO-related business growth, online marketing, conversion rates, and the establishment of lasting customer relationships. Reach out to us today to find out what this could look like for your company!