Last Updated on 4 weeks by Rabin Rasaili
If you are a small business owner, then these questions must have come to your mind.
Is it wise to invest in SEO when I can buy the top spot on Google with paid ads?
Is it even possible to outrank big brands that are already on the top, organically?
Is SEO worth it for a small business like mine?
The answer is ‘Yes”.
SEO is definitely worth it for small businesses. In fact, it is the way small businesses can crawl their way up to the top of search rankings without having to spend a fortune on advertising.
The benefit? More traffic, more leads, and more sales.
A study by BrightEdge shows that more than 53% of all website traffic came from organic searches(SEO).
Image via BRIGHTEDGE
Intrigued?
In this article, I will answer all your questions regarding small business SEO and show how exactly you can use it to outshine your competitors and grow your business to new heights.
So, let’s dive right in.
What is SEO for small businesses?
Search Engine Optimization(SEO for small businesses means optimizing your small business website for search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. So that your website appears higher on search engine results pages(SERPs), giving you more visibility and opportunities.
In other words, SEO is an organic way(non-paid) to improve website ranking in SERPs.
Why is SEO important for small businesses?
Small businesses often have fewer resources and budgets. Due to this, paid ads can be too expensive to maintain for long time. Whereas SEO is a more cost-effective option and provides long term benefits.
Simply put, SEO is important for a small business like yours because it gives you a chance to compete with others and even outrank them in the most cost effective way.
Others reasons why SEO is important for small businesses are:
Does SEO Work for Small Businesses?
Does SEO work for small businesses when search engines are already captured by big brands in the industry?
SEO absolutely works for small businesses.
While it’s true that large companies often dominate the top search results for broad, competitive keywords, small businesses can still achieve significant success through targeted SEO strategies.
Google doesn’t give a damn about the size of your business. It ranks those web pages that satisfy user’s search intent. The only thing that matters is your SEO approach, and how well you execute it.
However, the wise thing to do is not to go directly against the big players, as they have already built high authority and trust in the eyes of Google over the years.
You can start low, targeting less competitive keywords. Focus on creating valuable content that addresses customer pain points and offers solutions.
Once you start gaining people’s trust and build authority in your niche, then slowly level up with the larger competitors.
How Long Does SEO Take to Generate Results?
This question doesn’t have a specific answer. Sometimes, it can take up to over a year, and still, the growth is negligible. It can become super frustrating and demotivating, considering the effort and time we put in.
But again,
We have to understand that SEO is not a quick-success scheme. It is a long-term process that requires patience, effort, and the ability to adapt to search engine algorithms. Unlike Google ads, you can’t expect results overnight in SEO.
While some businesses may see initial results within a few months, it takes at least 6 to 10 months to start seeing substantial results for a beginner.
This timeline can vary based on factors such as the competitiveness of your niche, the quality of your content and backlinks, and your SEO approach. Even after achieving the desired results, constant monitoring and adjusting your SEO efforts will be an ongoing task.
How Much Does SEO Cost for Small Businesses?
As a small business owner, you must be asking yourself…How much should I spend on my SEO campaigns?
Well, that depends. Every business has its specific goals and needs and may require a different SEO approach to get to the top.
If we talk in numbers, SEO costs can greatly vary, starting from $500 to even $10,000 per month. However, most small businesses pay anywhere between $500 to $5000 per month for SEO services.
Some factors that can influence the cost of SEO
1. Size & Scope of Project: A larger website with numerous pages and complex structures will inevitably require more time and resources to optimize effectively. Simply, the larger and broader the project, the higher the cost.
2. Goal & Timeline: Different businesses may have different goals, and timelines can vary to meet the specific goals, which can impact the cost of SEO. More ambitious goals or a shorter timeline may require a more aggressive and resource-intensive strategy.
3. Competitiveness of Industry: Industries with high competition in the online space are harder to rank on SERPs and may require more extensive and ongoing SEO efforts. If your business operates in a niche with lower competition, the cost may be lower.
4. Geographic Location: SEO strategies may have varying costs based on the geographic area you are targeting. Prices can differ depending on whether your business is focused on a specific city or region or has a national or global reach.
5. Current State of Website: If your website requires significant improvements in terms of design, structure, or content, additional costs may be involved. Fixing technical issues, improving user experience, and creating quality content can contribute to the overall cost.
6. Experience and Expertise level: The level of experience and expertise of the SEO provider can influence pricing. More experienced professionals or agencies with a proven track record may charge higher fees.
7. Agency or Freelancer: Hiring an SEO agency involves higher costs compared to working with a freelance SEO consultant. Agencies often have a team of specialists, while freelancers may handle various aspects of the project themselves.
7. Ongoing Maintenance and Monitoring: SEO is not a one-time project but an ongoing process. Continuous monitoring, adjustments, and maintenance are crucial for sustained success.
Why is local SEO an excellent opportunity for small businesses?
Did you know?
A massive 97% of people learn more about a local business online than anywhere else. So if you are a small business owner and you are not optimizing your website for local searches then, you are missing out on a huge business opportunity.
Additionally, people have a stronger intent of buying for local searches. 76% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase.
Talking about its ROI(return on investment), 40% of local SEO campaigns achieve a 500% or better ROI compared to just 22% of PPC campaigns.
Moreover, big businesses target a global audience, which creates space for small businesses on a local level. With Local SEO, you can tap into the right moment – connecting with new customers actively seeking local products/services, boosting conversion and sales.
Related: Local SEO for Small Businesses: Boost Your Online Presence Locally
How Small Businesses Can Implement SEO?
Implementing SEO is not that hard if you have the right knowledge and resources.
Here are some SEO tips that you can implement in your small business website:
1. Keyword Research
The first step in any SEO campaign is keyword research. Keywords are terms that people type on search engines to find out about services, products, or any other information.
Without keywords, it is impossible to move forward. Listing out a bunch of keywords that people search related to your niche should be your first checklist.
2. Quality over quantity
One thing that every business owner and content creator should know is that “More is not always the better.” Quality always beats quantity.
You should always focus on creating valuable content that addresses customer pain points and offers solutions. In this way, you gain their trust and potentially convert them to become your loyal customers.
3. On-page SEO
On-page optimization is another important step in your SEO campaigns. Some factors of on-page SEO include optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, headings, images, URL structure, and many more.
It is also important to note that keyword stuffing is not on-page SEO. Rather, it hampers your site ranking. Instead, use LSI and related keywords.
4. Technical SEO
Technical SEO is the backbone of any successful digital marketing efforts, yet it is often overshadowed by its more glamorous counterparts like content and link building.
It involves optimizing the infrastructure and backend of a website to ensure that search engines can effectively crawl and index its pages. Its other factors include site speed optimization, mobile friendliness, sitemap creation, etc.
5. Link building
Link building is another vital aspect of any successful SEO strategy. High-quality links from authoritative websites can significantly impact your website’s ranking and credibility.
You can create valuable content that naturally attracts links from reputable sources or try guest blogging, email outreach, social media promotion, roundup posts, and many more.
Tip: Remember, one high-quality backlink can outperform 100 low-quality backlinks. So again, focus on quality than quantity.
6. Local SEO
Local SEO can be an ultimate weapon for small-sized businesses giving them an upper hand in local searches, especially for those who have physical establishment.
Local SEO has the potential to drive foot traffic to physical store locations by improving visibility within local search results. It includes optimizing Google Business Profile listings, obtaining positive customer reviews, and creating location-specific content.
7. Consistent Business Information
Consistent business information across online platforms is crucial for establishing trust with both users and search engines.
Nearly 50% of business owners have seen incorrect information on their local listings. (localiq)
Inaccurate or inconsistent information can lead to confusion and negative experiences for your potential customers. So make sure you put all the important information same and correct across all platforms.
8. Monitoring, Analyzing, and Adapting
Monitoring, analyzing, and adapting according to the changes are crucial to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing world of search engine algorithms. It allows for the identification of potential issues or opportunities early on, preventing any negative impact on rankings.
You can use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to evaluate data and adjust your strategies accordingly.
DIY SEO vs. Hiring Professionals: What’s Best for Your Small Business?
You may wonder, why I should hire someone when I can do it myself.
Let me walk you through it.
Doing everything by yourself feels amazing. You might learn some skills, and it’s free, too. Seems great, right?
But is it?
Not really.
It may feel great at the beginning but after a while, you will realize you alone can’t handle the whole business on your own, no matter the size.
From keyword research to graphics and content writing & editing and even promoting it, that will be just too much work for one or two people. Unless you have some team members working for you, it’s going to be very hard for you alone.
The free part is also not really free. Indeed, you don’t have to pay anyone. Still, again, you have to invest in various SEO tools that can go up to $100 to $500 a month or even more, depending on the features.
Hiring Professional SEO Services
For anyone doing business online, I recommend hiring an SEO professional, as the expertise and experience they bring to the table are unmatched. The workload is also less, so you can give proper time and attention to other aspects of business.
Things to consider while looking for SEO professionals are:
- Expertise/Experience
- Efficiency
- Expense
But again, the question arises…
Should I go with a freelancer, an SEO agency, or an in-house team?
Let’s compare them.
Freelancer
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Cost-effective | No team members |
| Flexible working hours | Quality of work low |
| Personalized attention | No supervision |
| Better communication | Not good for long-term |
| Good Understanding of work | Limited tools and resources |
Agency
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Extensive experience and a proven track record | Higher costs |
| Dedicated expert team | Less personalized attention |
| Advanced strategy and better results | No direct communication with the staff |
| Access to all the tools & resources that are needed |
In-house SEO
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent communication | Setup and maintaining costs can go too high |
| Brand knowledge | May have to train them |
| Good co-ordination among team members | Hard to find employees |
| Confidentiality | Hard to deal with the dissatisfaction of staff |
| Focused and super-personalized attention |
Whom to choose?
- Choose a freelancer: If you have a small budget and short-term SEO goals, then a freelancer can be an excellent choice and give you quick results.
- Choose an agency: If you need a wide range of expertise, scalability, and a proven track record, then an agency can give you the best results but their services often come with a higher price tag.
- Choose an in-house team: If you have a large budget, long-term SEO goals, and want deep control over the project, then an in-house team is the way to go. It can also be cost-effective in the long run if staff are fully utilized.
Ultimately it all depends on your needs and goals. Be sure to check their reviews and past work before making a decision.
SEO vs PPC – Is PPC a better option to choose?
I have already made it clear how SEO can be a game-changer for your business. But if you are still debating whether to go with SEO or PPC, here is the solution for you.
You don’t have to choose between them. Yes, that’s right.
In fact, SEO and PPC can go side by side and give you the best results when combined. SEO focuses on organic traffic, building authority, and long-term sustainability. At the same time, a PPC campaign offers immediate visibility, precise targeting, and quick results.
However, if you are a small business owner with a very limited budget, then SEO is the way to go, at least in your initial phases.
Related: SEO vs SEM: What’s the Difference and Which Do You Need?
Is SEO worth it for small business?–The Ultimate Truth
The ultimate truth to our question, “Is SEO worth it for small businesses in 2024” is crystal clear.
Investment in SEO is worth every penny, no matter the size of the business. And it can significantly increase your small business’s online visibility, organic traffic, and overall business presence.
While it may require time and effort to see results, the long-term benefits of a well-executed SEO strategy can significantly impact a small business’s bottom line.
Now, are you ready to invest in SEO?
Or are you going to try it yourself?
Either way, Let me know by leaving a comment below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rabin is an enthusiastic SEO and a content creator who is also a BCA graduate. He shares easy-to-follow hacks and tips to help you make smart choices for SEO tools and strategies through his blog. Passionate about learning and sharing, Rabin’s goal is to help you navigate your SEO and blogging journey with confidence.