Today’s online market is a cutthroat environment especially for startups and small businesses. No matter how exceptional your products or services are, if you are not on Google’s first page, there’s no way your customers would find you.
The best way to secure that top spot is through SEO. By definition, SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a digital marketing practice that involves attracting organic traffic that can yield conversions and revenue. It uses keywords to improve your website’s ranking on search engine sites and strengthen your online presence.
Without SEO, you risk losing thousands of potential customers. Here are four good reasons your business needs SEO.
It establishes visibility
Running a startup means the only people who know about your website are you and your team. SEO expands your audience reach and gets the word out about your new project.
Billions of people use search engines each day to discover products or information. The problem is, most of these searchers don’t even look past the first page of Google results. For startups, being on page two or even the bottom of page one is not an option. Remember, higher rankings mean better discoverability. If you don’t have SEO as part of your marketing strategy, you miss out on valuable connections.
It builds customer trust
Users tend to believe that websites who rank high on a search engine results page are more credible and trustworthy. They do have a point since Google now favors websites with more authoritative and useful content.
Higher rankings help your brand be more recognizable to your target audience. Once customers get to know and trust you, the more likely they are to return and make a purchase.
It’s a cost-effective lead generation tactic
SEO is generally cheaper than other forms of online marketing including social media ads and pay-per-click advertising. It’s a great way to save on marketing costs which you can use for product or website development instead.
SEO is perfect for startups because it offers an affordable yet highly effective solution for targeting a steady market. And since it targets your ideal customers, the traffic you gain here is more likely to convert than those gained through other marketing strategies. This can translate to more savings and better returns for your company.
It attracts relevant traffic that lasts
When it comes to traffic acquisition, no other strategy does it better than SEO. Once you secure that top spot and Google decides that you stay there for good, you can rely on a steady flow of qualified leads that can last you a long time. Unlike the traffic you gain from paid ads that disappears as soon as you stop bidding, SEO brings continuous traffic that can still grow as you add and improve your keywords.
Every startup owner knows from the outset that there will be obstacles, from securing funding to finding the right online marketing consultants for small businesses. SEO significantly reduces your marketing hurdles and offers a quicker way to build your digital presence, reach the right customers, and earn game-changing revenue.