Why Is SEO Important for Small Businesses?

Small businesses have a wide range of options when it comes to their digital marketing. From paid ads to social media marketing to email, there are several channels small businesses can use to drive traffic and attract customers.

One such channel is search engine optimization (SEO), which allows businesses to attract website visitors from search engines (namely, Google). When users search for a certain product, service, question, or brand, small businesses can attempt to rank for these terms and drive clicks to their website.

Why is SEO so important for small businesses? Consider the benefits of SEO for your small business to decide whether investing in SEO should be part of your online marketing strategy.

Defining SEO for Small Businesses

SEO is a type of digital marketing that involves optimizing your website to rank for specific key terms in the organic search results. This optimization includes making sure your website is user-friendly, fast, functional, and optimized for the keywords you want to rank for.

With close to 7 billion searches being conducted on Google per day, there is massive potential for small businesses to attract website visitors with SEO.

If your potential customers are searching for goods or services like yours, then you want to outrank your competitors to attract as many potential customers as possible.

Benefits of SEO for Small Businesses

There are many benefits to SEO for small businesses beyond ranking high in the search results. Your goal with SEO is not only to rank above the competition, but to generate website traffic and turn that traffic into paying customers.

Why should you incorporate SEO into your small business marketing strategy? Consider these benefits of SEO:

User- & Mobile-Friendly Website

Your small business website might look good, but is it actually working to attract new customers?

With SEO, you ensure that your website is not only user-friendly but also attracts visitors from all kinds of devices. With over half of all searches occurring from mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.), you need to have a mobile-friendly website.

The right website designers will understand the ins and outs of SEO and will be able to design a site that is responsive on mobile devices, offers user-friendly navigation, and drives visitors to convert into paying customers.

Drive More Organic Traffic

Beyond creating a user- and mobile-friendly website, SEO also allows you to attract your target audience through organic search. This is done by optimizing your website for the key terms your audience is using to find small businesses like yours.

For example, if you have a bakery and a user searches for “bakeries near me” or “custom wedding cakes”, your bakery will be able to rank for these terms and hopefully attract that customer to your website.

SEO works whether you offer physical goods, services, software, consulting, or anything else that can be bought in-person or online.

With so many consumers using search engines to find small businesses, SEO is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your business website.

Attract Customers from Local Search

If your business consists of a physical office or storefront, you can certainly benefit from SEO.

Local SEO is important for small, local businesses because your potential customers are using Google to search for businesses near them. If users are unable to find your business in the search results, they are unlikely to know that your business even exists.

Law firms, small retailers, restaurants, agencies, photographers, and other types of local businesses can use SEO to attract customers in their local area, encouraging them to pick up the phone, stop by your store, or visit your office.

Improve Video & Content Marketing

SEO helps you reach more customers through your video and content marketing as well. If your business puts out video content or posts blog articles, then you can use SEO to attract more traffic organically.

Video SEO helps your videos rank higher on YouTube and other search engines so that you can gain as many views as possible. Similarly, website SEO helps your blog posts rank higher, attract organic traffic, and convert visitors into customers.

Generate Leads & Sales

As stated previously, the goal of SEO is to not only rank your website higher in the search results but to turn incoming website traffic into leads and customers for your business.

SEO helps you attract your target audience, who is most likely to engage with your content, buy your products, and sign up for your services. It works by directing users to important product and landing pages on your website, making it easy for customers to find what they are looking for.

If your website is already generating traffic but that traffic isn’t resulting in more leads and sales, you may need SEO to improve your conversion rate.

Boost Brand Awareness

As a small business, it can be hard to stand out in a crowded market — especially if your market is dominated by larger, well established businesses.

The good news is that SEO can help your business get noticed, even if you are a small fish in a very crowded pond.

When prospective customers search for a certain term related to the goods or services you offer, you can attempt to rank for these terms even in a sea of competition. If you optimize your website effectively, you can boost your brand awareness by ranking above larger competitors who might not be implementing SEO.

Better Conversion Rates

SEO-friendly websites load faster, are easy to navigate, provide valuable content, and are responsive on all types of devices, so they are more likely to convert visitors into customers, subscribers, and returning visitors.

It’s not enough to just have a pretty website with interesting content – you need the full package in order to attract traffic and entice visitors to buy from you.

Better conversion rates mean a higher return on your marketing investment. SEO actively works to drive more revenue for your small business.

Outrank the Competition

The higher your website ranks in the search results, the more likely it is to attract visitors. To get your small business noticed, you want to outrank your competitors and, hopefully, land that #1 spot.

This applies to local, national, and global businesses alike. When your prospective customers search for the types of products or services you offer, you want to be sure your small business ranks ahead of your competition so customers are more likely to click on your website.

Increase Website Authority

If your website is new or simply small in comparison to your competitors’, you’ll need to increase your website authority in order to get noticed online.

With SEO, you can attract high-authority links from other websites to your websites to help boost your rankings in the search results. Increasing your site’s authority will help you maintain these rankings so you continue to drive traffic to your website.

Further, more visibility for your brand is good for your business across the board. As your website continues to appear high in the search results, this can attract new opportunities like features in major publications, interviews, brand deals, and speaking events.

Get Started With SEO For Your Small Business

The importance of SEO for small businesses cannot be overstated – there are many ways SEO can help your small business grow. If you’re looking to attract more traffic and drum up more revenue for your business, then SEO is the way to go.

Experience the benefits of SEO for yourself. Get a free quote for small business SEO services from Hennessey Digital. We’re here to help you drive the traffic, leads, and customers your small business deserves!