Close Menu

    Why SEO *IS* for Small Business Owners

    Paul SteinbrueckBy Updated:17 Comments3 Mins Read

    Last week Jason Wiser started a discussion in the Christians in Business G+ community about an article written by Himanshu Sharma titled, Here is why SEO is not for Small Business Owners. The gist of it is…

    SEO is no longer just adding keywords in the title tag and getting links from cheap directories… SEO has become more complex than ever. Therefore it is no longer a question of whether or not you can do it yourself. You need outside help. Period. The question that you should be asking is whether you can really “afford” SEO with a small budget. The answer is “No”.

    Himanshu justifies his conclusion by listing a whole bunch of strategies and tactics involved in SEO today including:

    • Authorship
    • Social Media
    • Content development and marketing
    • Local Search
    • Co-Citations and co-occurrence
    • SEO Tools
    • Analytics
    • Fixing/avoiding Google penalties.
    • Reading blog posts 24/7 to keep up to date with the ever changing Search Engine Landscape.

    The bottom line is that Himanshu concludes that SEO cannot be cost-effective for a small business, and therefore small businesses should focus on paid search ads such as Google AdWords which provide immediate results.

    Himanshu is right in many respects.

    • SEO has become more complex than ever
    • SEO may involve all of the items listed above plus others he didn’t mention including keyword research, running ranking reports, monitoring search rankings
    • It takes a lot of effort to keep up with the ever changing search engine landscape
    • SEO takes months to get results while AdWords can provide immediate results

    The problem with Himanshu’s conclusion…

    … however, is that small businesses do not necessarily need to employ all the techniques he lists. Additionally, many small local businesses do not have a lot of competitors, and those competitors they do have often are not doing any SEO.

    If you own a cupcake shop in Columbus, you’re a locksmith in Long Beach or a mobile auto detailer in Des Moines how many competitors do you have? 5? 15? It doesn’t take a whole lot of SEO mojo to make the first page of the search results. And with the right techniques and a moderate amount of work, a local small business site could be in the top 3 or even #1 within a few months.

    The cost-effective SEO solution for small businesses

    The challenge for most small business owners is they don’t have a good understanding of the complex strategies and tactics needed to do SEO well. And learning SEO, developing an SEO strategy, implementing it and then continue the ongoing work of monitoring and improving results is not most cost-effective use of their time.

    But for the SEO professional who already understands SEO, has developed SEO strategies with proven results and has the tools and systems in place to do SEO efficiently, SEO for a small business does not have to cost a lot. For example, we at Ourchurch.Com offer a Local Business Search Marketing service for just $499 up front and $149 a month.

    Can a small business afford $149/mo to be on the first page of Google?

    When I compare that to the cost of other types of marketing and consider how many people are searching for products and services online, I can’t help but conclude a small business can’t afford not to be on the first page of Google.

    And therefore…

    SEO *IS* for Small Business Owners

    You can read the full article, Here is why SEO is not for Small Business Owners, here if you like.

    You’re thoughts?

    Share and Enjoy !

    Shares

    Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization. An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org. Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

    View 17 Comments

    17 Comments

    2. Rich on

      Perfect timing, thank you. I have just started a new online business and having to learn all things seo. 2 question i have to ask is are directories just not worth the bother these days’? And, should i have my keyword for that page in the url, meta tilte and description, and in the h1 too. Thank you [link removed by admin]

      • Paul Steinbrueck on

        >>are directories just not worth the bother these days’?

        It depends on the directory. If it’s a directory that auto-publishes every submission, it’s probably not worth it. If it’s a well-managed directory, especially one focused on your specific industry or location, it’s worthwhile.

        >>should i have my keyword for that page in the url, meta tilte and description, and in the h1 too

        yes

        • Background Marketing on

          Hey Paul,

          Your are correct that niche relevant directories are the key, however the truth is most directories are setup for multiple categories. So it’s more important to get your website in the correct category first. Next is to make sure that you diversify your anchor text/title. The safest way to do it is to just use the name of your business and not get too fancy.

    Share