Many small business owners have a misapprehension about the importance of SEO and the development of an effective digital presence. About 93% of online experiences are initiated from search engines. And you are probably aware that 75% of those users do not scroll past the first search engine results page.

Considering this, every time you tell yourself that you need to take it easy since you are operating on a small scale, you are making a compromise. If you have been telling yourself that you don’t need to invest in SEO to have a strong online presence for your small business, then you have just made the biggest compromise.

Contrary to popular belief, small businesses are the ones that stand to benefit the most from a website that ranks well in search engine results pages (SERPs). A tailor-made SEO package can help your website to rank higher on SERPs, ensuring that your business garners the momentum that it needs. SEO makes your website stand out amidst fierce competition and can be considered the lifeblood of any business today.

One should choose an SEO company that proposes a strategy that has been tailored specifically for your website. A standard package might not include activities that are essential for your industry. Such packages are made to meet the basic requirements that most businesses require.

Another important thing that you can do to ensure best results is to take some time to learn SEO basics and staying up to date on SEO changes. Search engines frequently amend their algorithms and issue new guidelines for websites. Keeping abreast of these is crucial to your success.

Secure Websites Get Rankings Boosts

For instance: “https” is more secure than “http” due to the additional Transport Layer Security protocol that it offers. And Google announced that ‘https’ would get an extra boost in rankings over ‘http’ back in 2014.

To move your website from “http” to “https” is quite a simple task. It involves purchasing an SSL certificate that can also be acquired free of cost from several website hosts and CDNs to make your website more secure. Your SEO Company might not pass such updates to you every time.Keep yourself updated and adhere to the latest guidelines from Google and other search engines to stay on top of your competition.

It is very important to understand what to look for in an SEO company and the package that it is offering.

A Final Tip

Beware of SEO agencies or freelancers that guarantee to rank a website for prominent keywords in a short span. Referred to as black hat techniques, such practices are unethical. And although these might get you great results temporarily, they can potentially harm your website in the long run. Go for a company that believes in putting consistent efforts and offers a long-term monthly SEO plan. White hat SEO practices produce effective and long-lasting results meeting the guidelines of leading search engines.

The WL Media SEO Infographic

Both WL Media and Curatti agree that few small businesses can go it alone on SEO. However, we also both accept the statistics showing that most companies will keep SEO in-house if at all possible. If that is your chosen path, you will need a well-trained staff.

The following infographic from WL Media will show you:

• More information about the importance of SEO
• Insights into best learning practices
• SEO training pros and cons

Do you have any thoughts you’d like to share regarding SEO? Did you perhaps receive a SERP boost by biting the bullet and hiring someone to do your SEO? More important, perhaps, have you ever received a short-term boost only to fall back towards your previous standing in search engines? Please share in the comments section, below.

You may also want to read: How To Write Great SEO-Friendly Content in 2018

Quick SEO Win: How to Refresh Your Old Content

3 Things You Need To Know About SEO – Even If You Don’t DIY

How To Avoid Mistakes While Doing SEO For Yourself

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