What you need to know about SEO as a small business
You can’t just expect people to show up to your website… you need a strategy to drive them there!
SEO is one marketing strategy to increase website traffic, and when done well (often with the help of an SEO strategist!) it’s incredibly effective. It’s especially important for local businesses!
We sat down with SEO expert Alanna Hawley and asked her some questions about SEO for small business owners.
Hi, Alanna! Can you give us a quick rundown on what SEO/Organic traffic is?
Organic search traffic is essentially free website traffic you get by showing up in non-sponsored, non-paid ads on Google and other search engines.
SEO (search engine optimization) is the practice of taking specific actions on and off your website to show up in those spots.
Why does SEO matter, and how important is it relative to other marketing strategies?
To keep it short: If you need website traffic *right now*, you should prioritize paid channels over SEO (like paid Google Ads and/or paid social), but eventually you will want and need that free traffic you get from organic/SEO so that you don't have to constantly pay for every single visitor to your site.
Even if you choose to prioritize other channels now, you should still start creating the content you will need to rank organically on Google, because it takes time for that content to start performing.
How long does it take to get results from SEO work, and what will that look like?
In rare cases, you may start seeing results in 3 months, but more commonly it takes 6 months or up to a year to start seeing rankings that effectively drive new traffic to your website.
Results typically look like incremental, gradual increases in traffic, which you then have the opportunity to convert to sales. It is not typically a sudden, overnight spike in traffic.
What are some simple tactics I can implement business owners can implement themselves to positively impact their SEO?
Blog about common questions you get from prospective customers (one blog post per question)
Have a dedicated page for each service/product you sell. That way when someone searches for that service/product, your specific page is more likely to show and speak exactly to what they were Googling.
What are some common SEO mistakes I should avoid?
The biggest mistake is simply not taking action.
SEO takes time to build. Although it can feel overwhelming and may not bring immediate results, you have to start building the foundation if you want this free traffic and free visibility in Google searches.
What is it like to work with a good SEO strategist?
A good SEO strategist/provider should ask you detailed questions about your business, your products/services, how you make money, and your business as a whole.
Effective SEO and keyword strategy relies on an understanding of the business and its customers in order to put efforts in the right places.