Why is SEO Important for Small Business and Startups?

September 16, 2020

When the world wide web was opened up to the public in 1993 it forever changed business. Companies large and small quickly came to realize an Internet presence is vital for success. But the web now is much different from what it was 27 years ago. Today, having a website and following the rules of the web is the bare minimum.

With all that a business owner has going on day-to-day, the idea of implementing a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy can seem impossible. While it is a huge undertaking, it’s just too important for small businesses and startups to ignore.

Why SEO for Small Business is Important?

Search engines can be a great equalizer for small businesses that are competing with larger companies because you can’t buy your way to top search ranking. You have to earn it. And implementing SEO tactics to get top ranking can be gained for a nominal cost compared to print and television advertising. 

However, implementing SEO does provide a wealth of information about your customer base. That information can be used to develop new products, improve sales funnels and find power users that will promote your business. 

This type of user data used to only be available to businesses that had the resources for a robust data management system. But the insights that are gained through today’s SEO tools are available to every business that uses them, including free tools. 

BOTTOM LINE: Given that 87% of consumers do an online search before making a purchase or choosing a provider, small businesses have to show up in search engines to compete or they’ll get overshadowed by bigger businesses.

Why SEO for Online Business is Important?

Given that the business is based online, SEO is an absolute must for online businesses. Unlike brick and mortar businesses, no one is going to see your business by chance. You have to get in front of them online to gain awareness. 

Reviews are an integral part of an online business’ SEO strategy. Because you have no storefront for potential customers to check out, the experiences of others matter even more. Getting high marks within Google business reviews whenever possible is always recommended because it can help SEO efforts.

You can expect healthy search engine competition if you’re in a market that’s mostly filled with online businesses. Like you, competitors will realize (if they haven’t already) that search rankings are a pillar of success, and some of your competitors will be very aggressive with their efforts.

Why SEO is Important for a New Business?

New businesses need to take advantage of any and every marketing channel they can to get the word out that they’ve opened their doors, whether physical or virtual. SEO is one important way to get your new business in front of interested leads. 

Search engines are one way to gain exposure on a budget, but look beyond Google, which can be more difficult for a new site to gain top ranking. Expand your SEO efforts to Bing, YouTube and even Amazon if eCommerce is the backbone of your business. Gaining more authority in other search engines can be a launching pad for moving up the Google search engine ranking results.

While many companies experience the best results with the help of a dedicated SEO consultant, it is possible to carry out SEO strategies on your own. At zero financial cost SEO has a great return, however, you will pay for it in terms of time. 

SearchRPM helps businesses of all sizes, both just getting started and well-established, move up the search engine rankings. We have complete packages as well as a la carte SEO services that fit any budget. Let’s see how much SEO can grow your business!

Article author

Michael Ramirez is the Founder of SearchRPM, an Austin, TX based search marketing company that’s well-versed in Search Engine Optimization best practices. You can follow Michael Ramirez on Twitter @searchrpm to see what he’s up to next.