Why SEO Is The Most Cost-Effective Marketing Strategy In and after the Covid Situation

COVID-19 has slashed the chances of reaching out in a cost-effective manner for online marketers. It’s high time that we concentrate on the local aspects and get on with the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in order to lap up the game. It is important to know that 75% of the searchers don’t proceed beyond the first page on Google; also the number that clicks on multiple search results is too low.

Understandably; the race is getting tougher and the competition is compressing into a narrower bottle-neck with time.

SEO is a common marketing strategy promoting a business based on rankings on the search engine results page; the higher is the page rank; the better will be the reach to the target audience. In the case of the non-existence of SEO; it becomes extremely difficult for a smaller business to find a spot on the coveted 1st page.

It’s great news that smaller-local businesses are availing the complete advantage of the simplicity and cost-effectiveness that SEO enables. Where outbound business strategies need cold calling, SEO is helping businesses save money due to the inbound nature.

Did you know: According to a survey, only 30% of the businesses in the US have an SEO strategy in place for an organic ranking.

Between the possibilities ofDigital Marketing that can drive growth to your business, SEO is a great option that’s easy to implement to get your marketing strategies on track during the pandemic situation. Its affordability is the real game-changer for many businesses, benefiting them in the long run.

Pointers indicating that Small businesses need SEO:

• Despite SEO being a cost-effective solution to enhance a brand, around 70% do not have a dedicated SEO strategy.
• 62% of the small businesses that invest in SEO rely on in-house employees to manage it. Small businesses need not be experts to start an SEO strategy, getting the basics right is more than enough to have the advantage.
• 53% of the businesses involved in SEO have started in the last 3 years.
• 56% of the small businesses investing in SEO are clear and confident about their SEO strategies.

Importance of investing in SEO Strategies:

Under the normal scenario (pre-COVID 19) small businesses weren’t that interested in SEO; only 30% of them used SEO; whereas the results were astonishing and had a long-term organic value for their website. Many small businesses avoid investing in SEO as it doesn’t yield immediate results.

However, the scenes now are fast-changing as the preconceived notions are broken and more numbers of small businesses are readily investing their time and money into the SEO process. This is enabling them to gain greater confidence with the strategy building and implementation.

Why should small businesses invest in SEO: The 3 Main Reasons:

• SEO enhances organic search rankings and helps in establishing credibility:

As per a study, organic search results gain 20x times traffic compared to Per Pay Click (PPC) ads. The top rank in an organic search results page proves that Google really values a website and its business and accordingly ranks it as the most essential and useful source for a particular keyword search.

• It is the best “cost-effective marketing strategy” and is very affordable when compared to Paid Advertising.

PPC with its ability to target an audience might be popular as an online marketer’s dream. However, SEO and gaining organic search engine rankings might consume a long phase but is an extremely affordable medium to find the rankings when the spreading factor comes in. This makes a lot of difference especially; during a scenario like today where the economics is down due to a pandemic situation.

Most of us would choose SEO for it’s a low-cost incurring option with nearly the same outcome.

In order to get SEO right, small businesses are hiring specialized consultants who render their services on a part-time (weekly basis). This is a terrific way to bring in SEO by the small businesses that are within their budgets and make it work for them.

• The concept of SEO is extremely simple to learn and execute.

You don’t need to study and qualify yourself to be tagged as an SEO expert. Many of the effective strategies are extremely simple to understand and so, anyone can learn and execute them to see the timely changes.

Top SEO Strategies Small Businesses can use for enhancement:

• Search for relevant keywords and target them accordingly.
• Spend more resources and time on local SEO
• Push Mobile Optimization
• Fresh Content… Always!
• Constant Link Building for leads

Keyword Research and Targeting:

Researching for keywords and targeting them enables businesses to know and understand the search mentality of searchers on the internet. You can gauge the keywords that are most related to your business and have them used richly within your pages. This allows your website page to achieve and maintain the top ranking and your company website will be found on the best organic result search page; having an automated positive effect on the traffic.

Optimize for Local SEO:

Google searches have changed results depending on the region. Hence, local SEO plays a vital role in enhancing your brand; especially if you’re a smaller player on a big ground.

Practising local SEO on a routine basis has great benefits for the smaller business groups, you can also make use of Google My Business Profile and Google’s Business Listing Services; have your details updated on a regular basis for faster and better outcomes. Google maps play a vital role in your local SEO success. Mere listing your details will not work. There are some other aspects and methods to rule Google Maps, you should look out for.

Get a Mobile-Friendly Business Website:

Google and its searchers alike have greater value and liking for business websites that provide accurate and fast information. It is important for a small business to have a brisk website that’s also mobile responsive. You may have a simply designed website with rich information but it must be mobile-friendly; that’s what is of utmost importance.

Did you know: 51% of small businesses invest in mobile-friendly websites since Google’s Mobile-First Indexing in July 2019.

Go for Fresh Content...Always!

High-quality, genuine content is important for local businesses in order to improve SEO and have improved rankings with a limited span. This quality, unique content depends upon the company’s business nature and the target audience. Small businesses work on both long and short content formats so as to have proper visibility and reach on several platforms such as articles, blogs, social media posts, and video content briefs on respective platforms.

It is common for content creators to check the SERPs in order to know the present trends on keywords, they need to target. The content format that features on the organic search result page indicates the most loved kind of content that interests audiences.

Indulge in Link Building:

Search engines appreciate links that back a website’s content and consider it to be an endorsement. The more links to your website, the better are the search engine’s evaluation of your website.

Here are a few tips to earn valuable links without much spending:

• Regular Guest Blogging on top-ranked websites.
• Broken link building from businesses that link to competitors
• Creation of broken links from websites that already have links to your competitor’s website.
• Having constant interaction sessions in the form of Q&A
• Create an outreach to related personalities in order to establish greater coverage.

Conclusion:

Implementing SEO into your small business can pay back very well, especially in the current market situation which is going downward globally. SEO can be a great way to have the changes within a stipulated time as it is undoubtedly the most cost-effective marketing strategy; which is a further advantage for you need not break your bank for the same.