Starting a business is an exciting venture, but it can also be extremely nerve-wracking. While you may have a great business plan, offer exceptional products or services, and really have something unique to provide, there is always a chance that you won’t see the results that you are hoping for.
The fact of the matter is that starting a business can be tough. No matter what industry you are in, you are going to be facing some pretty stiff competition. This is true for any business, even those that are established, but it’s something that entrepreneurs really need to be aware of. As the “new kid in town”, you have to make sure that you are standing out against the competition. How can you do that? – With search engine optimization (SEO)!
What is Search Engine Optimization?
You’ve probably heard of search engine optimization before, but you may not quite understand what it means.
In the simplest terms, SEO is a practice that focuses on increasing both the quantity and quality of traffic to your website by way of organic (natural, unpaid) search engine results. What does that mean? Here’s a breakdown:
- Quality of traffic refers to people who are visiting your website that are really interested in the products or services that you provide, and therefore are likely to make a purchase. While your website could be attracting tons of visitors, if those visitors aren’t truly interested in what you offer, your traffic isn’t high quality.
- Quantity of traffic, as you can probably guess, means how much traffic your website receives, or how many people are visiting your website. You want a lot of traffic, but again, you want to make sure that traffic is coming from people who are really interested in what your business offers.
- Organic results means any traffic that your website receives that you don’t pay for. In other words, visitors that arrived at your site after they entered a query on a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing; they weren’t referred to you by another website.
All three of these things combined can help your startup business stand ahead of the competition and make or break your success.
How SEO can Help Startups
Search engine optimization can help startup businesses in a number of ways. Here’s a look at some of the most notable benefits that teaming up with a local SEO agency can provide.
Increased traffic to your website.
A website is one of the most important tools for any business, but it’s particularly important for a startup. It allows you to promote your organization to a large audience, and with SEO, you could see a substantial increase in your website traffic. But SEO can do more than just increase your traffic; it can also ensure that you’re website is getting quality traffic. As we stated earlier, the more quality traffic, the better for your business.
Helps you stand ahead of the competition.
Established authority.
Consumers like to do business with companies that they see as an authority; experts in the industries they are interested in. Wouldn’t you rather buy something from someone who is a trusted source instead of from a company you have never heard? SEO strategies can help to establish your authority, which is immensely important for startup companies. While it’s true that offering quality products and services and truly being an expert in your industry are the most effective ways to establish your authority, SEO can certainly help speed up the process.
More conversions.
The goal of any business owner is to get as many conversions (sales) as possible. When you’re first starting out, achieving a lot of sales right out of the gate can be tough. Since SEO can help to increase the quantity and quality of traffic to your website, assist you with standing out against the competition, and establish your authority, it can also help you make more conversions. Imagine how incredible it would be to meet your sales goals in your first year of operation? Well, with SEO, you could do just that!
These are just some of the reasons why startups should consider investing in search engine optimization. Having a strong presence online is vital to the success of your company, and SEO is a highly effective way to get you noticed by a large audience of people who are interested in your products.
Thinking about taking advantage of SEO for your startup? Give us a call today!
