If you own a small business, either as a single freelancer or limited company; SEO could be one of the most cost effective ways of generating new business for you. This is true whether you are promoting your services or selling products online.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the practice of having your website pages easily found in search engines like Google by those looking for your offerings or brand.
It is a longer term strategy, taking from 3 months to a year to see real progress, but it is one of the least expensive marketing efforts you can engage in that brings compounding rewards to your business.
The benefits of SEO are:
- Being found by those that do not know about you, but are looking for your offerings… thousands are actively using search engines like Google to find products and services in their area.
- Having your website findable by those that know of your brand, but not your website address. Maybe they heard about you from a friend, or you were lucky enough to be featured in a business article, but they didn’t get your website address. SEO can ensure you are found by those typing variations of your business name.
- Building your brand/reputation, by increasing your audience of followers, by being known for topics related to your offerings (for example, when used with a blog).
- All this brings increased traffic to your website, and when done correctly, it is targeted visits by those interested in your services.
As a small business, increasing relevant website traffic is important. This allows you to grow your following, earn a bit more income, and have the income to gradually increase marketing activities that will further grow your business. Even if you can not handle more work than you currently have, increased website traffic gives you the ability to capture those that may be interested, so you can readily market to them when you do need the work.
SEO can provide a huge return on investment (ROI) to a small business. The investment can be small and steady, growing with your business, and one of the cheapest forms of marketing for a small business. It is also quantifiable with website metrics, so you know exactly what your investment is bringing you.
Contrary to belief, SEO isn’t “automatic” by just having a website. Work is needed to be sure you are doing the right things to be found. While SEO is competitive, your offerings are unique in some way, and you can always be found by a certain market segment looking for those unique qualities.
We make it easy to get started, by providing clear, affordable SEO services to small business owners. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help!
