Benefits of SEO for small business
[Guest post by Marshall Thurlow]
In today's digital age, having an online presence is essential for businesses of all sizes. However, simply having a website is not enough to ensure success.
Why?
Because anyone can jump online and publish a website from a free template builder. It takes a lot more effort to then get your website ranking for the right keywords and the right content.
That's where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes in.
SEO is the process of improving your website's visibility and ranking in search engines like Google. While some small business owners may be hesitant to invest in SEO, the benefits far outweigh the costs.
In this article, I discuss the benefits of investing in SEO and how it can transform your business.
On-page and off-page strategies
On-page SEO refers to the techniques and practices used to optimise website pages and content for search engines. This includes optimising the website's content, structure, and HTML code to make it more visible and relevant to search engines.
Examples of on-page SEO techniques include:
● keyword research and optimisation
● title tags
● meta descriptions
● header tags
● internal linking, and
● optimising website images.
Off-page SEO refers to activities such as building backlinks, business listing submissions, influencer outreach, guest blogging and online reputation management.
The goal of off-page SEO is to increase your website's authority, relevance and popularity by acquiring high-quality backlinks from other websites, and building a positive online reputation.
These activities signal to search engines that your website is credible, trustworthy and valuable, which can lead to higher search engine rankings and increased organic traffic.
One key tactic in off-page SEO is guest posting – just like I’m doing now.
I wrote this article and was successful in having Hannah Warren publish it to her site. Not only does the article provide useful information about SEO to her readers, it helps to get my name out there and I get a backlink to my website.
It is a win-win situation for both of us.
By successfully implementing both on-page and off-page SEO strategies, you will grow your business organically and be found by more people online.
Increase your web traffic
One of the primary benefits of SEO is to increase your organic web traffic. Organic traffic is the traffic that comes from search engines. For example, when you google ‘local plumber’ and click on one of the search results (not the ads), this click becomes a visit to the plumber's website and counts as an organic visitor.
The majority of searchers only click on page-one results, meaning if your website is not ranking on page one, you are effectively invisible online.
By implementing the right SEO strategies, you can drive more traffic to your website and increase the likelihood of generating leads and sales.
Better user experience
Another benefit of following SEO best practice is that it can improve the user experience on your website.
Websites that are easy to navigate, load quickly, and are mobile-friendly are rewarded with a higher ranking.
Optimising your site means that not only will more people find your website, but they will also have a better experience when they get there.
This can lead to increased engagement, longer time spent on site and, ultimately, better conversions.
Cost-effective marketing
SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy for small businesses.
Unlike traditional advertising methods such as TV, radio or print ads, SEO doesn't require a large budget. While there is a cost associated with hiring an SEO agency or specialist, the return on investment can be significant.
Once your website is optimised for search engines, it can continue to attract organic traffic without any additional costs.
While Google Ads may produce an immediate return on investment for your business, SEO can enhance your businesses’ online presence in the long run, and if done right, will produce a sustained source of leads for the life of your business.
I know this from personal experience, as I’m producing these results for my long-term SEO clients.
Keyword research and user intent
Keyword research is a fundamental aspect of any successful SEO campaign. It involves identifying the search terms and phrases that people use to find information related to your business, products or services.
Understanding these keywords and their user intent (why people are searching for certain things) is critical to developing a targeted and effective content strategy that will attract the right traffic to your website.
Without proper keyword research, you risk wasting time and resources creating content that doesn't resonate with your audience or fails to rank well in search results.
By understanding both the keywords and user intent, you can create content that addresses your audience's needs, resulting in increased visibility, traffic and conversions.
So, will you be investing in SEO?
SEO should be an important part of your digital marketing toolkit. SEO is proven to help businesses of all sizes and industries increase their online visibility, drive traffic to their website and succeed in their field.
By optimising your website and content for search engines, you can improve your rankings in search results and attract the right customer to your site.
Good luck with it, and reach out to your local SEO consultant should you need help.
Marshall Thurlow is director and founder of Orion Marketing Pty Ltd. He is a digital marketer with expertise in SEO, website design, content marketing and project management. With over 15 years of experience spanning government, not-for-profit and the private sector, he is well equipped to lead teams to success. He is a big proponent of environmental sustainability, critical thinking and progressive issues.