Many small, local businesses completely overlook the importance of having an online presence. Some businesses opt to just have a Facebook page, but this still isn’t good enough. A well rounded online presence, rich in Search Engine Optimization, works best every time. Search Engine Optimization or SEO as its known to most is simply the practice of optimizing web properties to rank high in the search engines to generate business. SEO is absolutely important for local businesses, and here are 5 reasons why:
- People are searching online
From their cellphones, tablets, and desktops, people are searching online in larger volumes than ever before. Having an online presence means that a business is found during an internet search for your existing and potential clients to find you.
- People want to find local businesses
I want to find the best coffee shop around. Where do I go? I search online for a local coffee shop. I’ll never even see the coffee shops if they’re not properly optimized for the search engines to find and show us when we search.
- SEO doesn’t go away
Once a Search Engine Optimization campaign has been started, it’s not going to go away. In fact, as long as it’s consistently and smartly driven, a SEO campaign will only create more and more results. SEO is easy and effective, and it’s here to stay as search engines are always looking to improve the results we see to be the most accurate based on our search query.
- Customers tells a friend
What’s the name of that awesome bakery downtown? Just Google it! What if it doesn’t have an SEO presence? Then you’ll have to find another bakery. Word of mouth is a big way that many business grow but people will still search for your business to learn more before calling or visiting so being found online is very important.
- SEO offers a high ROI
When it comes to marketing strategies, SEO is one of the most cost-effective and results-oriented. SEO drives huge returns. Plus, there’s a lot to lose by not implementing SEO. If a company doesn’t use SEO, they will lose money to the competition as the competition isn’t stoping.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is smart, efficient, and cost-effective. It drives results unlike anything else, and it puts local businesses on the map. Putting a smart SEO strategy in place will offer fast results, leading to an overall increase in customer base, sales, and repeat clients!