We know what you’re thinking. Does your small business really need Search Engine Optimisation? Is it worth pouring money into SEO if you’re going to be pitted against giants?
As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate:
- Planning and strategy
- Management and admin
- Budgeting and bookkeeping
- Customer service
The list of responsibilities goes on… and that’s not even taking into account the effort required to bring in new customers and sales to your business!
Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to worry about making sales?
If only you had the support of a sales tool delivering you visitors, leads, and customers, for the long term.
What is small business SEO?
Make no mistake, SEO can be a game-changer for small businesses like yours.
But how? What does SEO do, and how does that result in more leads, conversions and sales?
Simply put, search engine optimisation is all about getting you found.
- Using tailored web pages and an ongoing stream of high-quality content, digital agencies aim to dominate Google’s search results pages
- Creating an ongoing stream of well-written, unique and informative content for your site that convinces Google that your business is what customers are searching for
- The result? When customers search for products and services, Google presents results from your website, not your competitors. Customers come to you as a result
Unlike your larger competitors, small business SEO is all about getting your pages found for specific, niche, and targeted keywords.
When forming small business SEO strategies, you’ll need to factor in your niche in the market as well as your local area. Small business SEO starts off small – you won’t be able compete with the likes of Coles or Kmart right off the bat.
In our experience, the vast majority of small business customers are going to be local. We start by sitting down with you to determine:
- What your service area is
- What you want to be found for
- Who your competitors are, and how we can beat them
- The keywords we can realistically start ranking for
Why your small business needs SEO
Being found is the first step to securing a sale. And these days, the vast majority of the “finding” happens on Google.
By raising your online profile, you’re reaching more and more people with your product, service or brand. Like we mentioned before, most of your customers look online first, so one of the best ways to let them know you exist is through SEO.
Of course, that’s not the only advantage a properly thought-out SEO strategy provides!
How effective SEO generates better leads and customers
Small business SEO is a long-term strategy that gives you more bang for your buck.
Unlike traditional marketing, SEO strategies start by targeting specific keywords. If you’re a plumber, that might mean tailoring your pages and content for specific search terms people are using to find services and business on Google.
This gives you a better return on your investment (ROI) than print and other commonly used advertisements.
Letterbox flyers are a scattergun approach to marketing – they reach anyone. That’s great when you want exposure.
If you’re chasing leads, conversions and sales however, they’re next to useless. While some of these people might have a leaking tap, the vast majority won’t.
SEO is much more effective at getting people to pick up the phone. That’s because anybody searching for that term is already in the market for that type of service. If conventional ads are like rummaging through the metaphorical haystack, then SEO is like using a magnet to draw interested customers out of the woodwork.
This is the basics of inbound vs. outbound marketing.
Small business SEO raises brand awareness
Appearing on search results doesn’t just help secure sales – it puts your business on the map too.
Your SEO strategy might be targeting specific keywords. However, a highly-credible site can be found for much more than just those keywords!
For many of our clients, we start by targeting specific keywords that are relevant to their niches or service areas. As their site improves, Google takes notice and starts presenting their webpages for searches we never planned to rank for!
Build a better reputation for your business
Very few of us scroll past the first couple of results on Google – in fact, only 5% of us click on the second page. Why would we? The first couple of results will obviously have the best, most-relevant results.
It’s an unconscious habit that most of us carry with us, and good SEO plays to this mental shortcut:
- Effective small business SEO pushes your website towards the top in search engine results
- Potential customers who find you on the internet click on your website because it’s one of the first results they see
- Because it’s one of the first results, many visitors automatically assume that it’s a credible site
- Visitors therefore assume that your entire business is equally credible
Long story short, ranking highly on search results gives your customers confidence that your business:
- Has a good reputation and is a reputable business, and
- Offers the specific products or services your customer is seeking
It’s a match made in heaven.
Proper SEO gives you a leg-up over your competitors
Never underestimate the power of SEO.
Small businesses who take SEO seriously and partner with a reliable SEO agency stand to experience serious growth.
Despite its power however, SEO is often ignored in small business circles.
Other small business’ losses are your gains. Your product and service offerings might be the same as the others… but if your site is tailored towards being searchable on the web and your competitors’ aren’t, that’s a huge advantage.
Another SEO-related edge you might enjoy over your competitors is mobile friendliness. As of March 2018, Google now takes into account mobile-friendliness when presenting results.
Not every business has made the appropriate changes to their sites – many small business owners might have missed the memo altogether!
Get effective, proven SEO strategies from iformat!
Want your business to be found on Google for the exact types of services you want to offer?
Stand out from your competitors by calling a specialised digital marketing and SEO agency for effective small business SEO.
iformat’s small business SEO strategies have helped small businesses all over Australia rank above their competitors. We take into consideration your unique circumstances and goals, and craft a strategy that we guarantee will get you the results you want, whether that’s:
- More business in general
- Growth in a specific product or service
- Better quality leads
Call iformat now on 1300 88 64 50 to find out more about SEO or tell us your SEO goals! Alternatively, you can fill in this form and we will be in touch.