Have you ever been in a situation where you are looking for your own business on Google and it has been extremely difficult finding your website? You may have searched even your specific product or service only to find your website buried in the very back pages of the search result. What is the reason behind this?
The answer to your situation is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). It is a practice, which uses organic search engine results in increasing the quality and quantity of traffic to your website. It is the optimisation of the web pages to rank better in the search results. Imagine you own a digital marketing business. If someone searches for “Best SEO Company India” and your company’s website is the first one to appear on Google results. This has happened because of SEO. With the use of keywords like “SEO Company India” or the one mentioned in the search, Google was able to determine which content was relevant to the query and subsequently rank the search results.
It has been researched that 95% of the users will only browse through the first page of a Google search result and more than half of the clicks goes into the first three results. Recent data also suggest that Organic search contributes the maximum (49%) towards Return on Investment (ROI) out of all the digital marketing channels.
Why should SEO be included in a small business’s marketing strategy?
It is evident from the current lifestyle that consumers like to conduct their research on Google about various businesses before making a purchase decision or avail of a service. With search engine being the first step in the research methodology, a well-planned SEO strategy is of utmost importance for small businesses to set themselves apart in the competition. Let us look into five of the most pressing reasons why a small business needs SEO as an integral part of their marketing strategy.
Building Brand Awareness, Visibility, and Credibility
SEO helps small businesses to design and develop faster and user-friendlier websites. A well- designed website with well-structured and clean content in the form of website content, blogs or other relevant information compels a visitor to stay longer on the website. An appealing website results in building a brand image in the eyes of the consumer. Being able to answer a consumers’ query while providing an enjoyable experience leads to increased credibility and awareness of the brand.
Increased traffic
Internet being the first point of interaction in a consumers’ buying process, small businesses need to increase their visibility. With the help of SEO, achieving a high search result rank would help small businesses create the visibility it needs for consumers’ to know of the products and services offered by them. With the help of the right keywords, SEO facilitates the business being on top of the search results. It is found that on Google’s organic results, 18% of the clicks happen in the 1st position, 10% on the 2nd, and 7% on the third. If a small business is ranked higher, it is going to receive more traffic on its website. Guest posting opportunities you can use any of the following keyword searches to find blogs that accept guest posts. Just replace keyword with keywords from your industry.
Compete with the big leagues
With the world going digital, every business big or small is availing the services of some form of digital marketing. SEO being the top contributors to ROI, it will be safe to assume that businesses are already using it. If a small business fails to incorporate this strategy, not only does it mean that they are losing potential leads to their website, but also losing these leads to their competitors. Staying on top of the search results would mean getting in the eyes of the consumers faster than others. However, maintaining the top position is difficult and constant efforts must be made to stay on top. Additionally, SEO provides the same platform for all businesses, big or small, to compete in the same space. If a small business’s SEO strategy is stronger than a bigger or a more established competitor, then it is an advantage for them in the form of getting more hits on their website.
Long-term viability
It is a rapidly evolving business world. All kinds of businesses have adopted SEO services in the fast-changing technological world. What we see today will not be the same 10 years down the line. The earlier a business invests in a proper SEO strategy, the easier it will be for them to adapt to the changes in the future. A solid placed SEO strategy and a highly optimised website created by a small business in the initial stages of their operations will help in taking advantage of any changes in the future more efficiently and quickly.
Higher ROI and conversion of leads
Investing in SEO is a long-term process where the primary goal is to target high-quality leads. It is the second quickest in giving ROIs after email marketing. Another factor is that by placing an SEO strategy, the business will generate higher quality leads looking for specific products and services. This would in turn lead to a higher conversion of leads. For small businesses, the target audience is those looking for something very specific. To tap into that audience, a strong SEO strategy should be in place. It is beneficial for both businesses and consumers. The consumer would be able to find exactly what it is looking for and the business will not have to waste time on irrelevant leads.
Making your business website stand out of the crowd demands a team of skilled and highly experienced SEO professionals. Hunting for the right team can be a bit difficult, but with a little efforts and some research, you can definitely hire the best SEO Company in India.
Conclusion
The biggest challenge for any new or small business is the competition from bigger players in terms of reach, target audience, and the brand value. However, with the advancement in the internet, the smallest of business now has the opportunity to play with the more established businesses. Digital marketing has changed the way consumers look at businesses. It is all about the online presence in today’s time and investment in the right strategy is of vital importance for any business to stay afloat. SEO is one of the best ways to achieve good visibility for a business and it should an aspect that every small business has to take into consideration while preparing their marketing strategy.