Easy answer for “Is SEO Worth It For Small Businesses?”: Yes, SEO is undeniably worth it for a small, growing business because it provides a wealth of advantages that may enhance visibility, traffic, and conversion rates. It’s vital to remember that this marketing practice is a long-term investment that takes time to show results.
Key takeaways from this article:
Why should small businesses care?
No matter how small a business may be, handling it is never a simple task In addition to managing your workforce, making sure your product or service is of the finest quality, and keeping your finances in check.
You also need to think about marketing and advertising strategies to keep you on top of your competitors.
Technology has given rise to a wide variety of marketing channels that you can utilize to connect with your target audience.
Nowadays, people use famous search engines like Google, Yahoo, Opera, and Bing to find what they’re looking for on the internet.
Since this is the most typical manner in which individuals conduct searches, it only makes sense to concentrate your marketing efforts on these platforms.
But…
Given that there are currently millions of other businesses out there fighting for attention, what can you do to make sure customers find your website first?
SEO, which is known as search engine optimization, is the answer to this problem!
What exactly is SEO?
In a nutshell, SEO is the process of making your website more visible on search engines like Google.
Essentially, it is all about improving your website’s ranking on this platform so that when potential customers conduct a search related to your business, your site appears as one of the top results.
When someone searches for a keyword that’s relevant to what you’re selling or offering, such as “Roof repair in Ohio” or “Best plumber in NYC” you want your business to be one of the first names that come up.
Search Engine Optimization is a digital marketing strategy that enables you to achieve this by improving your website’s relevancy and authority.
Whether it’s the content, design, or user experience, there are many factors that contribute to a website’s ranking.
Google constantly updates its algorithm or how it ranks certain websites, as such, you need to continuously update your strategy to ensure that your website maintains a top position.
But how is SEO done?
Search Engine Optimization is a complex process that is composed of numerous strategies and techniques. Some of the basics of these include:
Obtaining links from other websites
In the world of SEO, links are like votes.
The more high-quality websites that link to your site, the better your chances of ranking, since Google will see you as an authentic and authoritative site.
Creating great content
Content marketing is one of the most important aspects of SEO.
Your content needs to be well-written, informative, keyword-rich, and informative to your target audience if you want it to rank high on search engines.
You can’t just add content just for it, you have to exert some effort to guarantee that everything found on your site is relevant and valuable.
Using the right keywords
In order for your website to rank for certain keywords, you need to use them strategically and sparingly throughout your content.
This means using them in the title, in the headers, in the body, and even in the alt text.
Making your website user-friendly
With more and more people using mobile devices to access the internet, it’s important to make sure your website is responsive and can be easily viewed on different screens (whether on mobile or desktop).
Improving your website’s speed
If your website takes too long to load, people will likely leave before they even have a chance to see what you have to offer.
Ensuring your site loads content fast is another aspect of good optimization.
So, is SEO worth it for a small business in 2022?
Naturally, many business owners tend to believe that paying for SEO is a waste of time and money, particularly if you own a small business.
I mean, we can just run ads on Facebook or Instagram to reach our target audience, right?
Just pay the platform we want our business to appear on and just move on with our lives.
Well, not exactly.
While social media marketing is essential, it doesn’t have the same effects as SEO. In fact, returns your brand obtains through social media tend to be smaller when compared with SEO.
To begin with, advertisements on social media sites are temporary and only remain active as long as you are willing to pay for them.
On the other hand, once you achieve a high position on search engines, you will continue to receive organic traffic (i.e., visitors who discover your website without having to pay for it) for a considerable amount of time even after you’ve stopped working on SEO efforts.
Additionally, research shows that up to 60% of “direct” traffic actually comes from organic search. When you consider that, it’s pretty clear that obtaining a high position on Google can result in a significant increase in website visitors and conversion.
With good SEO, you can achieve all of this without even having to spend money on ads.
Although there are many other reasons why SEO is vital, this is one of the most crucial ones a business owner should take note of.
The 5 surprising advantages of SEO for a small business
The value of SEO cannot be understated nor overlooked, particularly for small firms and businesses.
As a matter of fact, this strategy is one of the most crucial instruments any business owner can have, and if you employ it properly, you’ll get to reap its benefits.
Below, we have listed the top 5 surprising advantages you’ll get to enjoy when you invest in SEO:
1. Better ROI
Ah, the satisfaction of seeing a return on your investment (ROI).
In contrast to traditional marketing tactics (such as print ads and TV commercials), SEO can give you a better and more effective return on investment.
This is because SEO is a long-term tactic, and its effects build up over time. Your chances of success increase with the amount of time and effort you put into it.
2. Increased brand awareness
Even if you don’t rank first on Google, having a position on the first page for your specific target term or keywords can greatly increase brand recognition.
More exposure to your brand name increases the likelihood that a consumer will remember it and if ever the time comes when they need the product or service you’re offering, you’ll be the brand they’ll pick.
3. Establish credibility
Nobody wants to make a purchase from an unfamiliar brand.
For instance, you wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes online from an unreliable supplier, would you?
If a well-known and trustworthy brand appears first on the search engine results page, you are more likely to make a purchase from them.
For small firms, the same holds true.
Your target market will view you as a brand they can trust if you appear on the first page of Google, and you can only achieve this thanks to SEO.
4. SEO and PPC work great together
In comparison to merely using PPC, using SEO and PPC together can help you get even greater results.
These two marketing tactics work incredibly well together and can take your business to new heights.
Pay-per-click advertising, or PPC, is excellent for boosting your position in the short term, but SEO is more successful over the long term.
5. More time for your Business
SEO allows you to focus on other aspects of your business.
Working on your SEO does take time and effort, but once you see the results, you can use that time to focus on other areas of your business that need attention.
If you plan to expand your business or add new products and services, you’ll have more time to do that.
This is especially true when you decide to hire an SEO agency to handle both on-page SEO and off-page SEO.
As you can see, the advantages given by SEO make the investment in this marketing strategy definitely worth it.
How expensive is SEO for a smaller business?
Now that you are aware that SEO is indeed valuable for small businesses, it is time to discuss the cost.
The thought of SEO usually puts off many business owners because they believe it’s too pricey.
However, SEO can actually be fairly inexpensive, especially when you compare it to other types of promotional tactics.
The cost of SEO will depend on a number of factors, such as:
- The size and scope of your SEO campaign,
- How hard the competition is for that certain field/niche.
- The location of your target market.
Generally speaking, you can expect to pay up to $5,000 per month for SEO services.
In certain cases, it can even reach up to $100,000 per month. However, these rates are usually for big businesses with complex projects.
Although this may first seem like a ton of money at first, SEO is actually quite cost-effective eventually when compared to the price of other marketing tactics like PPC, email marketing, or print advertising, all of which require constant renewal and time to be effective.
Of course, prices will change based on the SEO company you choose to work with.
Therefore, it’s best to compare the costs of various companies to determine which is ideal for you. By doing so, you may maximize your financial resources and guarantee that your investment will pay off without you breaking the bank.
But, how effective is SEO for your smaller business?
You might be wondering if SEO can actually help your business in generating sales and ROI.
And the quick answer is yes!
While it may take some time and effort to see the results, the outcome is definitely worth it. As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait!
Let’s use this analogy: a website selling designer handbags without SEO is comparable to a physical store in the middle of a forest.
Only people who are already aware of the store or who happen to run into it by accident will visit it.
Will SEO really generate sales in my small business?
A website that makes use of SEO, on the other hand, is similar to a shop that is situated in the midst of a city.
There is a higher likelihood that a customer will stroll in and make a purchase because it is readily available and visible to potential customers.
Therefore, if you want as many people as possible to visit your website, you should consider making an investment in SEO.
Remember that having a high level of visibility is among the best and most effective ways to boost your chances of generating leads and revenues.
How long does it take to see results from SEO?
Everyone hates waiting, regardless of what they are waiting for.
The truth about SEO, however, is that it takes time to produce results…
Depending on the competitiveness of your keywords, your website’s authority, and many other factors, it could take months to see significant results from SEO.
According to Forbes, there is no specific time frame for SEO results.
Many factors come into play when determining how long it will take to see results, such as:
- How long has your website existed,
- How much SEO work was done on it in the past,
- The state of the website (is it optimized for search?)
- How many other websites are competing for the same keywords
- Your location
- How much content is on the website
- The link profile for the website
- How many visitors the website presently has
And many more.
It’s good to find an expert that specializes in white hat SEO strategies to ensure you don’t get penalized by Google and other search engines.
While black hat SEO may give you a quick boost, it will only last for so long until you get caught and are pushed back down again.
You must keep a lookout for common SEO scams when you decide to take either path on the way to rank your website higher in the SERPs.
Frequent questions about small business SEO
Is SEO still relevant in 2022?
Yes, it is.
SEO as a whole will stay relevant and continue to be an important component of any digital marketing plan.
This is because SEO is a constantly changing process that must adapt to the most recent changes in user behavior and search engine algorithms.
SEO will therefore continue to be significant as long as search engines are used by users to find information online.
Is it worth paying an SEO company?
Definitely!
Not everyone has the time to invest in learning search engine optimization or has the knowledge to do it on their own.
If you have a limited budget or don’t have the time to do it on your own, then it might be worth paying a company to help you with the task.
However, be sure to do your research first and understand what services they are offering and what the deliverables will be.
Ask what their approach will be, what tactics they plan to apply to your website, and how long it might take to see the results.
This way, you can prepare accordingly and adjust your expectations.
Can SEO make a small business rich?
If done correctly, yes, it can.
The reason behind this is that you can produce a lot of organic traffic if you can get your website to rank highly for popular keywords.
And if you have a product or service to sell, this can lead to a lot of sales and revenue.
How much should a small business spend on SEO?
It’s difficult to say exactly how much a small business should spend on SEO, as the amount can vary depending on a number of factors.
These factors might include the size of the business, the competitiveness of the industry, and the specific goals of the business.
But generally, you should aim to spend a minimum of $700-1500 per month to guarantee quality work is being done for your business.
To wrap it all up
The golden question of whether SEO is worth it for small local businesses has finally been answered.
And if you are looking for more tips on how to grow your local businesses, either reach out to us for help, or check out our 9 best tips for local SEO.
Undoubtedly, SEO is among the most successful and economical marketing techniques available to growing businesses.
It not only enables you to make long-term financial savings, but it also enables you to reach a broader audience, generates leads, and increase sales.
Of course, as with any marketing tactic…
It is crucial to take the time to comprehend how SEO works and what you can do to raise your website’s position on the search result page.
With the right team on your side, you can be sure that your investment in SEO will pay off handsomely!
