Search engine optimization (SEO) is intended to increase visitor traffic to a website–organic traffic, that is, not traffic that’s been paid for. The higher a website ranks in search engine results, the more visitors it will have, hopefully leading to more customers. It has to be done right, however.
Startups can’t afford to ignore the power of SEO, especially since it doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are some reasons to pay attention to SEO.
1. Unbeatable ROI
Startups looking to make a name for themselves need the exposure they get from SEO. They can use it to gain more leads, which they can turn into customers. It doesn’t cost a lot to do, yet it delivers huge returns for startups.
2. Access to vital customer data
SEO lets businesses know what their customers are searching for. This is information startups absolutely must have, especially in the early days.
SEO uncovers significant data. The more SEO research a startup does, the more data it has on what potential customers are searching for. There are free versions of the best SEO tools that your startup can use to find out which keywords potential customers type into their browsers. You can also run your own Google search, inputting words related to your niche. Google then helps you see how often people search for those words.
3. Higher organic traffic
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A startup with a limited budget needs to find the quickest way to convert traffic into customers. An effective way of doing this is to expand your SEO and keep up to date with Google’s guidelines. One suggestion is to focus on less generic keywords, for instance, long-tail keywords (phrases of three to five words) targeting your niche demographic more precisely. These get less search traffic, but being more specific, they have a higher conversion rate.
4. Lower cost compared to advertising
SEO doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, all it costs you is some time to use Google Analytics. However, if you’re in the market for professional SEO help, there are ways to minimize the cost of hiring an SEO firm.
5. Improved business strategy
SEO can help you make decisions on your business strategy. It reveals who your main users are, which enables you to market with them in mind. Having an intimate knowledge of your customer base will inform all your decisions as a startup.
Keeping a sharp eye on your SEO data can also help you recognize which keywords do well. This could give you the impetus to create other keywords with a lower search rate that can lead to higher traffic.
6. Consumer trust and loyalty
It is essential to be aware of the value Google ranking provides for startups. The higher a company ranks in search results, the more potential customers trust it. This gives businesses a foundation of credibility to build upon, making it easier to form relationships with prospects.
Trust is intimately linked to brand loyalty. SEO provides way more value than paid advertisements when it comes to building a fiercely loyal customer base. Paid ads bring benefits only for as long as they run, but SEO will grow stronger over time if you keep creating quality content. Your audience will expand as other sources link to you. Google will also give you a higher ranking for offering quality content. Stay up to date with changes to Google’s algorithms, and you will see an improvement in your ranking.
To sum up, even with a tight budget, you can make a name for your startup when you tap into the power of SEO.
