Why Do Small Businesses Need to Invest in SEO?
The business playing field is rarely in favor of small businesses. For instance, while small businesses employ around 47.5 percent of the private workforce in the United States (that’s almost 59 million people), not a lot of these businesses go on to be successful. For every 100 small businesses opened, only 80 will survive the first year, 40 will survive until their fifth year, and only 13 will live to see their 10th anniversary. As a business owner, you definitely want to be one of those 13 that survive operations for as long as possible. One of the best ways to achieve that in the current setup is to go digital, starting with investing in a website. Here’s why an SEO-friendly website is necessary for small businesses to operate successfully. Stay Visible for Consumers Consumer behavior has changed over the last few years, and now that the internet has made information more accessible, more people are using it to find businesses that satisfy their needs and preferences. For instance, 87 percent of shoppers begin their shopping process by searching for products online before going to their target online or physical stores. And around 84 percent of shoppers believe online reviews as much as they believe personal recommendations. To take advantage of this consumer behavior, your business’s website must be visible to consumers looking for your business and products, as well as provide enough information to fulfill their research needs. Otherwise, two things could happen: either you don’t convince them to do business with you, or they don’t find your business in the first place. By implementing SEO on your website, you stay visible for the right keywords that point back to your business. Stand Out Against Competition While some small businesses rely purely on word-of-mouth and recommendations from the local community, their competitors are raking in profits from
