SEO is a powerful process that has the potential to make the difference between success and failure for your business. As a small business you may think you can’t afford the same marketing as big business. BUT today I’m going to challenge that.
Some quick questions
- Are most of your customers local? Do they live/work near your premises?
- Do you trade in a niche industry?
If your answer to either of these is ‘yes’, then read on…
Some small businesses need SEO
This may sound dramatic. But, 50% of people who conduct a local Google search on their smartphone end up visiting a store the same day. Your business needs to in that search result and at the fingertips of local customers. This is one of the biggest competitive advantages local business has.
This isn’t the only benefit of SEO, though, here are some more
1 – Local SEO delivers long term return on investment
Organic SEO should always be part of your long-term marketing strategy. When the time is right, paid campaigns can have a place in the short-term marketing strategy. After all, paid advertising generates clicks and potential customers almost immediately.
This is because organic search brings you engaged visitors over the long term. Once you’ve added keywords, links and meta information to your website, they stay there for ever. And you can publish useful content that answers questions (FAQs), informs, and entertains. Then you’ll find customers interact naturally with your website because it shows up in search results.
As a result, your return on investment from SEO improves over time – the more visitors search and click to your website, the higher it will rank in local search results.
The same applies to niche businesses. If you are the only firm selling leather saddles for ponies; or kitchen implements for left-handed users – you will get found easily in search results. The more you can present a niche product or a service for a niche audience, the easier your SEO will be. This is one of the ways the internet has “democratised” business – people looking for your niche can find you from overseas.
2 – Customers are making more local searches
We all prefer using our mobiles rather than desktop computers. The number of hours we spend on the phone each day continues to rise. The search tool lives in your pocket, daily.
Where does this fit into SEO? Well, according to Google, nearly half of all mobile searches are related to location. As more and more users turn to their smartphones to find out about the world around them with local searches, you need to be there. The best way to get in front of these searchers is through local SEO.
3 – A solid local SEO strategy is key to success
Check out this statistic:
- 76% of local searches result in a phone call
Every local business wants customers and potential customers to get in touch. This lets you start building a relationship early. As 76% of local searches result in a phone call, without SEO you risk losing those relationships.
A solid, well-structured SEO strategy will put you in front of customers with an immediate need from your business.
Your competitors have an SEO strategy too
Whichever industry your small business operates in, your competitors are almost certainly involved in Search Engine Optimisation too. The marketing arms race means that if they are doing SEO, you have to do the same or you risk losing customers to them.
To gain the best advantage, start as early as possible. It takes time to build SEO authority and rankings, and you never know when your competitors are going to power into the picture.
Remember one thing from this article: SEO is not just for large businesses. Small business owners with local clients and/or niche products and services like you absolutely can benefit.
