Did you know that over 90 percent of web pages never – yes, never – receive any organic traffic from Google? You could have the best product in your industry or service that outshines all the big box providers. But it's all for naught if your potential customers can't find you online.
So, what can you do to get noticed? The answer lies in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is a set of strategies and practices aimed at improving your site's visibility on any of the major search engines. The goal? Make your website appear on page one of Yahoo, Bing, or Google when people search for particular phrases or keywords.
And it is critical to your online success. To prove it, we've compiled the top 10 SEO benefits for small business sites, from gaining credibility to landing more leads. Without further ado, let's get started.
Benefit 1: Boosts the ROI on Your Digital Marketing
Let's start with the bottom line – your return on investment (ROI). It's one of, if not the, biggest SEO benefits for small businesses. When you invest in digital marketing, you want to see results, and SEO delivers. On average, businesses see a conversion rate of almost 15 percent from SEO-sourced leads. In comparison, traditional outbound marketing (like direct mail) only has a 1.7 percent close rate. With a solid SEO strategy, you can boost your conversion rate by almost 13 percent.
But remember, to reap these rewards, your website must rank well. If it's buried on pages two, three, or four of Google, potential customers won't find you, and you'll miss out on that extra revenue.
Benefit 2: Increases Your Credibility
Being the top result of an online search isn't just about visibility. It's also about trust. When your business appears at the top, users trust that Google has vetted (and approved) your website. Why? Because it has. Search engines rank websites based on on-page and off-page signals. These signals, ranging from the quality of your website content to how quickly it loads, show that your site is credible and safe. That's why 75 percent of users stick to the first page of search results.
Optimizing your Google My Business listing can boost your credibility, especially since it includes all relevant customer reviews. After all, 88 percent of users look up local businesses online specifically to read reviews. But suppose your business has no reviews (and a bare-bones Google My Business profile). In that case, you'll likely lose potential customers before their buyers' journey even starts.
Benefit 3: Drives Higher Quality Traffic to Your Site
SEO is about more than just getting more traffic. It's about getting the right traffic. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping for the best, SEO targets your specific audience when they're actively looking for your products or services. This translates to more engaged visitors who are more likely to take action, like calling your team or engaging with your social media pages
Benefit 4: Makes Your Success Measurable
In digital marketing, you need to track your efforts and see what's working. One of the most helpful SEO benefits for small businesses is that SEO is measurable. Tools like Google Analytics help you monitor your website's performance in real-time. You can monitor metrics like website traffic, bounce rate, conversions, and time spent on your site. This will help you see how your SEO strategies are doing and if anything might need to be adjusted or improved.
Benefit 5: Promotes Your Business 24/7/365
With an estimated 99,000 searches processed by Google every second, you want your business to be discoverable round the clock. SEO makes it happen. It ensures your website is always available whenever users search for your products or services. And best of all? You're not interrupting consumers to sell yourself. You're simply providing solutions exactly when they need them. It's promotion without the hard sell.
Benefit 6: Targets Customer at Every Stage of the Buyer's Journey
Content marketing is on the rise, and SEO complements it perfectly. Imagine a potential customer searching for how cloud phone systems work and stumbling upon your blog post about it. They might not make a purchase right away – since that kind of topic targets customers at the Top and Middle of the funnel – but your content stays with them. Eventually, when they decide to make their way down the funnel, your brand will be top of mind. This is why content marketing, powered by SEO, generates 54 percent more leads than more traditional marketing methods.
FUN FACT: Consumers love companies that provide original, educational content, so much so that they're 131 percent more likely to buy after they consume it!
Benefit 9: Improves Your Pay-Per-Click Campaigns
If you're venturing into digital marketing for your business, you'll probably consider Pay-Per-Click (or PPC) advertising at some point. While SEO and PPC are different strategies, they complement each other beautifully. With SEO and PPC, your site can appear at the top of the organic and paid search results, giving viewers two opportunities to interact with you. Plus, SEO data can help you maximize the impact of your PPC campaigns. By identifying pages that convert well and targeting low-cost-per-click keywords, you can make your PPC efforts far more efficient.
Benefit 10: Provides a Competitive Edge
We all know that the digital world is competitive. Everyone's vying for that coveted spot on the first page of search results. Why? Because the first organic search result is ten times more likely to be clicked than the tenth result, the top three Google search results get 54 percent of all clicks, and less than one percent of Google searchers click on something from the second page.
When you invest in SEO, you increase the likelihood of you landing on the front page. It not only gives you a fighting chance against bigger providers but also sets you apart from small businesses that may not have an online presence yet. Working in a niche field that hasn't caught on to the power of SEO yet? Being the first to do it can give you a massive advantage.
Enjoy All the SEO Benefits for Small Business with GreenStar
In the digital age, SEO is not just a nice-to-have. It's a must-have. Especially for small businesses. When you do SEO right, it:
- Enhances your ROI.
- Builds your credibility & brand awareness.
- Brings quality traffic to your site.
- Promotes your business round the clock.
- Targets users at all stages of their journey.
- Boosts leads, sales, and market share.
- Makes your PPC campaigns more effective.
- Gives you an edge in a crowded marketplace.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg! If you want to make your mark online with SEO, check out GreenStar's SEO services. We can help you achieve these benefits and unlock the full potential of your small business. Don't get lost in the depths of the internet – rise to the top by contacting GreenStar today!
