We can see so many small businesses that work out of an Instagram page in today's world. So many new entrepreneurs get instant results from trending posts and videos on social media, and the sales skyrocket immediately. But does this last forever? No, it only lasts till the next company comes up with an even funnier video that goes more viral.
So, what can you do to get lasting attention from your target audience? Paid promotion? Traditional ads? Cold calling? Which is the one key factor you absolutely need to grow your small business in the long run?
It is SEO – Search Engine Optimisation.
Don’t get us wrong. Boosting posts on social media, running ads on Google, and other such marketing methods are vital to turning your small business into a well-known brand. But, as a budding business person, you need to plan ahead and invest in SEO.
But WHY you ask?
We'll tell you. Now, before we delve deep into the various benefits of SEO, let's first learn a little bit about it.
In this blog:
· A brief description of SEO. (With a fun example)
· An overall explanation of how people optimise their website
· 5 benefits you can get by investing in SEO
· A free guide to help you get started with your SEO journey
What is SEO? What are people doing when they say they are optimising their website for the ‘Search engine’?
SEO or search engine optimisation is a method that helps your website rank high in relevant search results. Let’s look at this with an example.
On one side:
Mr. Y has a Speciality grocery store. He has now recently created a website to sell groceries online. To attract customers, he came up with a list of value-adding blogs, one of which was "Easy pan pizza recipes for beginners." He also adds a link to buy the required items in this blog.
On the other side:
Mr. X wants to know how to make a pan pizza, so he types "easy pan pizza recipes" on Google. Now google will go through its vast library of websites and pick the most relevant ones to show in the search results. Mr. Y’s blog is also in the search result.
So, how did Google know which website to show?
Search engines use bots and crawl websites to index them based on the content published on that website. Since Mr. Y optimised his blogs properly with relevant keywords, Google was able to find out that his blog gives valuable information that will answer the search query. So, his blog ranked high in the search result.
So, what are the different things you have to focus on while optimising a website?
In the early 2000s, one just had to insert relevant keywords into a piece of content to make it rank. Now, things are a little complicated.Over the years, search engines have evolved from just showing results purely based on keywords to now using artificial intelligence to find the best piece of content that will give the exact information that the user searches for.
So, while people work on SEO, they focus on a lot of things like:
· Finding out what the target audience wants to know.
· Coming up with a plan to create content pieces that clearly present that information.
· Making sure that the structure of the website is organised, easy to navigate, and user-friendly.
· Fixing website bugs to make sure that it loads fast.
· Making sure that the URLs of different web pages within the website are named relevantly.
· Linking related pages with each other.
· Getting backlinks from other websites that are related to your industry.
· Using tools to analyse the performance to check if there is room for improvement.
Note:
Like every other field, SEO also has a lot of scary-sounding jargon like HTTP status codes, Domain authority, Keyword Optimisation, Page Authority, Bounce rate, Traffic, and SERP. But don't be scared; we have given clear and straight forward explanations in our free guide's bonus section!
Why is SEO worth it, and how can you do it?
Now that we have a clear understanding of SEO practices let's look at five solid reasons that will definitely convince you that SEO is worth it!
Reason 1: More eyes on you.
Google gets around 5.4 billion searches per day. Bing receives over 900 million searches per day. And there are so many other search engines getting millions and millions of searches every day. As a result, many people will come to cross your company's name, and many people will visit your website. This will increase brand awareness and credibility.
Reason 2: Access to potential buyers who are seriously interested.
While doing paid ads, we will go to the customer. But while ranking on a search engine, the customer will come to us. This is because users search queries that they are interested in. They have a genuinely strong intent. So, if you rank high and offer the relevant service that the user is looking for – it is a match made in heaven and a quick sale.
Reason 3: Keep reaping the benefits.
Paid promotions give instant results and instant leads, but they will stop abruptly as soon as you stop paying. On the flip side, SEO will take some time to start showing trackable results, but it will keep giving you leads long after you've set it up.
Reason 4: Better user experience.
Now that search engines are evolving, your website should be well-organised and clear. It should have good quality content that addresses the concerns of the user. Only then can you satisfy the search engine and make your website rank. SEO benefits don't stop with the high ranking; it will also indirectly help you give your users an excellent user-friendly experience.
Reason 5: Cost-effective with high ROI
You will have to invest some money and time in the beginning to set things up. But once everything is up and running, you will keep receiving multiple quality leads. Unlike paid ads, you don't have to shell out money for every lead you generate with SEO.
Note: SEO is something that keeps evolving with every new search engine update. So, it would be best if you were on the lookout for any changes. Or just come to us, and we'll give you the latest tit-bits to keep you informed.
At last, finally, to the best part of this article, the guide! Click here and download this free guide that helps take your baby steps into the world of SEO. Don't worry; soon enough, you will march in victory.
If you need more assistance, we are always there to help.
