In a technology-driven commercial world, SEO has become a key marketing objective for expanding businesses. With all of the marketing expenditures to confront, however, SEO can seem like a confusing, time-consuming headache.

In reality, SEO is less of a challenge and more of an opportunity. Embracing the power of this not-so-simple concept can mean the difference for your lead-generating and business-building efforts.

SEO is Powerful

If you are unsure of where to start with marketing, consider website development and SEO as a primary focus. Most consumers are searching online, with 53 percent of website traffic being generated through organic searches. Making the effort to build your organic search visibility will increase awareness in a significant portion of your market. SEO is only going to become more impactful as the trends for online shopping continue to grow.

A significant fringe benefit of the higher ranking is its ability to give immediate authority. Search engines rank pages according to relevance and quality, which are characteristics that users then associate with higher-ranked pages. For your brand, well-executed SEO offers credibility and perceived expertise, a desirable first impression for building quality relationships.

SEO Levels the Playing Field

Climbing the ladder of authority in your market requires substantial investment in your operations and marketing. Established businesses have the budgets and the clout to generate the visibility and interest that furthers their business. Reaching a level of viable competitiveness can feel daunting if not downright impossible.

SEO is more reliant on your effort than on your wallet. The most popular search engines offer a host of free services and tools to let you hit the ground running.

Free business directories immediately add you to the mix when consumers search for a specific service. You can start communicating your business and USP quickly and easily with intuitive customization tools.

Then, there’s the nitty-gritty, advanced SEO that takes advantage of search algorithms to build page rank. Paid advertisements are an apt shortcut, but there are many free tools available online through services such as:

• Google.
• Moz.
• SEMRush.
• Ahrefs.

These free tools offer keyword optimization and tracking, back-linking structures, performance analytics and much more. The only investment is the time to get educated on the efficient use of the hundreds of tools available. As a growing business, you can start competing in a meaningful way through the low-risk approach of SEO. With proper execution, however, SEO can be your most powerful — and affordable — friend in earning new customers.

For more information about how SEO can help your business, contact us today.