Ever heard of SEO? Don’t worry if you’re scratching your head. Lots of small business owners I chat with are in the same boat.
With over 2.2 million small businesses in Australia, that can mean a lot of competition. Combine that with the rest of the worlds population, and yeah, you get the idea.
In the fast-paced digital world of 2024, SEO (search engine optimisation) is more critical than ever, especially for small businesses that may not have the biggest budget.
Let’s explore why SEO is so important and how it can help small businesses scale, with a few real-world examples to boot.
The Power of SEO for Small Businesses
Boosting Visibility and Traffic
One of the main reasons SEO is vital is because it boosts your online visibility and puts you in front of the exact people you want to see your content. When potential customers search for products or services related to your business, you want to be at the top of those search results. SEO helps you achieve that by optimising your website so that search engines like Google rank it higher (which is also called SERP’s. See? You’re learning, already).
Only .63% of Google searchers click on something from the second page. Crazy, right?
This is a prime example of why ranking high in SERP’s is important, especially for a small business.
The first page of Google is where everybody aims to be, and for good measure.
Building Credibility and Trust
Appearing at the top of search results not only drives traffic but also builds credibility. Users tend to trust businesses that rank higher on search engines. SEO helps establish this trust by ensuring your website is user-friendly, fast and packed with valuable content.
This enhanced credibility extends beyond just search rankings. A well-optimised website demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail, which can significantly impact a user’s perception of your brand. When visitors find your site easy to navigate, quick to load and filled with relevant, high-quality information, they’re more likely to view your business as an authority in your field.
Think about your favourite brand’s website – would you still go to the site if it took forever to load, had minimal content and wasn’t very user-friendly? Probably not.
SEO Marketing and Services: Your Best Allies
Cost-Effective Marketing
Unlike traditional advertising, SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy. It targets users who are actively looking for your products or services online, making it a highly efficient way to attract potential customers.
According to a study by HubSpot, 61% of marketers say improving SEO and growing their organic presence is their top inbound marketing priority.
Additionally, businesses that invest in SEO see an average conversion rate of 14.6%, compared to only 1.7% for traditional outbound methods like print ads and direct mail. By optimising your website for search engines, you not only save on advertising costs but also increase the quality of your traffic and leads.
That’s what I like to call a win-win.
Staying Ahead of the Competition
In a competitive market, staying ahead is crucial. SEO helps you monitor your competitors and adapt your strategies accordingly. By keeping up with the latest trends and algorithm updates, you can maintain your edge.
According to research from Ahrefs, 90.63% of content gets no traffic from Google. Ahrefs also states that websites that rank on the first page need backlinks. It’s almost impossible to rank high, especially on competitive keywords, without utilising SEO – and proper website hygiene.
By investing in SEO, you not only enhance your visibility but also gain valuable insights into your competitors’ performance, allowing you to stay ahead in the market.
Case Studies: SEO Success Stories
Case Study 1: The Resurgence of ‘Edelweiss Bakery’
‘Edelweiss Bakery‘ a small bakery in Florida, struggled to grow its online presence – despite having a very loyal and local customer base. They decided to focus on SEO and partnered with ‘Why SEO Serious‘, an agency that provides SEO services.
The agency located 3 areas that the bakery could benefit from:
- Main SEO Optimisation. Semrush listed these optimisations as:
- Conduct competitor research
- Explore link-building opportunities
- Improve the bakery’s website structure
- Run keyword research for the site’s homepage and overall digital presence
- Conduct a technical SEO audit
- Redesign the bakery’s homepage
- Optimise the bakery’s meta title and meta description
- Update the bakery’s Google My Business profile and register for local directories.
- Blog Creation and Optimisation:
- Find relevant blog topics
- Build a content strategy
- Choose an impactful blog theme
- Create an effective content brief
- Carry out a blog SEO audit
- Create SEO-friendly content.
- E-commerce Section Optimisation:
- Create and optimise e-commerce page and product cards
- Set up e-commerce analytics.
The results from this partnership were impactful. Just 4 months after implementing these strategies, “Edelweiss Bakery” attracted 230 backlinks (which is massive) and grew its organic traffic by a whopping 214%!
Just goes to show what some good SEO practices – and website hygiene – can do for a brand.
Case Study 2: ‘Learning with Experts’ becomes the expert
‘Learning with Experts’, a digital classroom with lessons about gardening, photography, and so much more, partnered with UK award-winning agency ‘Re:signal‘ to transform their digital presence.
As the demand for online learning skyrocketed during – and after – the pandemic, ‘Re:signal’ knew this was the time for ‘Learning with Experts’ to redevelop their digital strategy and grow their organic traffic.
‘Learning with Experts’ was to implement these 3 strategies:
- Identifying keyword opportunities based on competitor rankings
- Using Semrush’s Keyword Magic tool, the agency discovered long-tail keywords and expanded keyword lists.
- Used the Keyword Gap tool to find gaps in keywords that their competitors used. 265 keywords were found.
- Assessed content using Google’s EAT criteria and optimised current category pages
- Exploring opportunities for improvement of the site’s health and structure
- By doing an audit of the site, the agency picked up:
- Crawl errors
- Issues with mobile usability (which can affect user experience)
- Pages with duplicate titles
- Pages with no canonical tag.
- The agency also improved conversion rate (CVR) by:
- The category landing pages did not use a clear primary heading (H1)
- The content was too thin across a few pages. The agency recommended adding valuable content to the affected pages
- Metadata issues.
- By doing an audit of the site, the agency picked up:
- Optimising category pages and creating new blog content.
- By analysing keywords, the agency focused on making SEO-focused content.
- They focused on tone of voice and readability status.
Over the span of three months, the agency helped create seven pieces of content for the digital learning platform.
And the results? Over a five-month period, ‘Learning with Experts’ had an:
- 59.5% increase in organic sessions
- 94.9% growth in organic revenue.
What does this tell us? SEO can do some pretty amazing things…
Conclusion: Embrace SEO for Success
In 2024, SEO is not just an option but a necessity for small businesses. Whether it’s through enhancing your visibility, building trust, or staying ahead of the competition, the benefits of SEO are undeniable.
Remember how I said there are over 2.2 million small businesses? It’s competitive out there, my friend. And what better way to put yourself ahead than using SEO and some good website hygiene like quality content, keyword analysis, and focusing on a user-centric perspective with every action you undertake.
To get more tips on SEO, head here.