Local Businesses Especially Benefit From SEO
Any business can benefit from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on any stage, whether they are doing business internationally or domestically. The biggest corporations in the world use it regularly to drive traffic and sales. However, there is evidence that local businesses can especially see positive results from SEO that has been done properly. These are businesses that likely do not have the brand recognition — or name recognition — of large corporations. They may struggle to find customers and clients, even if they sell top-end goods and services. SEO can be leveraged to reduce those struggles and help them become profitable in their area. This is why SEO isn’t just for major companies. Even the smallest start-up or the most unknown local business needs to know how they can implement it.
What Is the Benefit of SEO for a Small Business?
One of the largest benefits for a local business is that they can use geographical terms and end up at the top for those specific searches. As noted in Forbes: “With local SEO, you can reach prospective customers and clients by targeting users that are searching in your local area. Google tailors the search results to your geographic location, so, if optimized correctly, your website can dominate the local search results for your niche.”
In other words, your small local shoe store may not have anything close to the budget to rank at the top for a generalized search for shoes. But you can rank far higher for shoes in your specific state, region or even town. After all, you’re not worried about finding clients in Michigan if you run a shoe store in Texas, but ranking at the top for “shoes in Houston” could get you more traffic than your business can handle.
Competition is a big part of SEO. This sometimes makes it daunting for small businesses, as they know they simply can’t put as much money into it as a billion-dollar corporation. They think they can’t compete. But the real trick is to understand that you don’t even need to compete with those companies. You can carve out your own niche with SEO and find customers that way. This helps to level the playing field and means that your budget won’t hold you back.
Optimizing for Local Success
As a small business owner looking to increase your online presence, SEO is one of the best tools you can use. Just get in touch with us at Content Customs to find out exactly how we can help you grow your business.
