Business SE Optimization SE Tactics

The 2019 SEO Roadmap for Small Business

Many people may not realize it, but humans have always developed data repositories where they can look up things that they want to know about. The internet is the new library of Alexandria; anything that exists on earth will have some reference on the internet. Search engines are simply the tools we use to locate relevant information in this huge library. 

What’s different now is that this particular repository has much commercial value to offer. As these databases grow larger, Search Engines are just going to develop a greater significance than ever before (The yearly Google searches amount to 1.4 trillion). Now that we’ve realized the value of using technology and virtual methods of storing information, these databases aren’t going anywhere either. Having said this, Search Engine Optimization is also here to stay.

There will not be any fundamental changes that will ever transform SEO beyond recognition. At most, as we develop better search engines; the nature of the markers we use will change. At the moment, keywords are the predominant markers for search engines to consider; however, 2018 witnessed a surge in the use of visual cues to communicate information.  It wouldn’t be surprising if 2019 brought with it methods of improving image searching over what it is right now.

While SEO strategies will only respond to changes in the type of information that is used to refer to information on the internet, there is an ideal way of utilizing SEO for commercial purposes. Small businesses in particular can use insights from analytics tools to improve upon CTRs and conversion rates by synergizing User Experience and analytics with SEO. As the fields of e-commerce and digital marketing mature, the only gains to be made are through improvements in the way we combine the two rather than developing something new altogether.

Contextualizing the SEO Process

Search Engine Optimization, in fact all of marketing, is inseparable from the core functioning of an organization. The quality of SEO and online marketing will determine the financial outlook, business prospect and the nature of future organizational development. Assuming that your SEO strategies are effective in driving customers to your website, you automatically improve the chances of creating a larger sales volume. These sales have a direct impact on revenues which can then be diverted into expansion, research and development, creating better marketing strategies and any number of activities.

Especially if you are a small business, the internet is the best shot at making a name for yourself in the market. There are 4 billion internet users in the world; this is the single largest congregation of clientele that you can address through your marketing strategies. As the accessibility to internet services increases, this number will only grow. Search Engines and SEO is your gateway to conversing with each of these individuals. If this conversation converts them into clients, then the money will start rolling in immediately. 

Effective SEO increases the chances of generating massive sales volumes and once the money starts rolling in, that’s when you begin to increase scale and financial capabilities for future growth. Search Optimization could provide the impetus for massive commercial success. But everyone knows that.

As of last year, $72.02 billion were spent on SEO in the US alone. This number is expected to grow to $79.27 billion by 2021. This spending points out how a greater number of businesses will have implemented refined SEO techniques to increase competition in markets. 2019 would perhaps be a good time to begin embedding analytics to a greater degree, to enhance the capabilities of existing analytics to generate better business decisions. Beyond that it is time to shift focus to conversion rates with an equal emphasis on Click through Rates to develop stronger footholds in the market. 

Possible Strategies for 2019

As the New Year rolls in, this is a prime opportunity for SMEs to reconsider their SEO strategies to develop a set of SEO oriented strategies to get ahead of the curve. The key here is to recognize the flexibility of working on small scale offers and the room to experiment with a smaller market size to generate methods for potentially larger markets. Three areas of focus for any small business in the coming year are:

  • Competence in SEO relevant analytics 
  • Capitalizing on SEO outcomes 
  • Mastering SEO in local markets

Each of these strategies can help set the grounds for unparalleled growth. At a time where everyone does SEO, the only way you can get an edge is if you develop the capability to use them relatively effectively. In an ideal situation, SMEs would implement each of these strategies by following through with this process:

Improve Existing SEO

If you haven’t already implemented SEO to your web content, it is high time. If you have already done that, identify any potential gaps that can be filled in terms of the effectiveness of your efforts.  You can do this by measuring the click through rates and the traffic volumes you are generating after your website.

Over the years that Search Berg has been offering SEO services, we’ve come to realize that there is a need to develop benchmarks and comparative analyses for SEO effectiveness. With our recurrent clients, we have always used KPIs to measure the effectiveness of our efforts. This allows us to develop an evolutionary process where the SEO outcomes steadily improve at each step.

We’ve realized that there is always room for improvement. The perfect SEO strategy is not static; it’s an ongoing process that tries to improve on existing outcomes. Measuring CTRs, comparing them to conversion rates and sales data goes a long way in helping small businesses achieve their goals. 

Synergize Website Development with SEO

This is very important if you wish to have your SEO efforts materialize. There is no point to conducting SEO if it doesn’t improve your business prospects. This is a matter of creating a user experience that connects seamlessly with your SEO strategy. While Search Engine Optimization embeds useful keywords into the website, it is equally as important to have a well designed website.

As you create better online experiences for your users, you will see a corresponding increase in conversion rates. We particularly emphasize the use of infographics and diagrams because of the sheer effectiveness of these in terms of transmitting information. Since SMEs work at high levels of efficiency, this places much strain on existing resources that might be expended in other places. Developing a strong market presence eases the pressures they face to help develop the weaker parts of their organizations. 

Consider Local SEO

The best place to begin making a name for yourself is in your locality. These are places that are the easiest to serve since distance does not pose much of a logistical challenge. As you grow in size and develop more efficient supply chains, you can also consider expansion. Until that point, Local SEO is the best option for small scale organizations to develop a loyal consumer base. 

These consumers can be approached for feedback and make data collection rather easy. Localizing your SEO efforts can help you test out your methods to establish the do’s from the don’ts. 

In conclusion, there is no one way to help all businesses make the most of their SEO strategies. This technique is unique to the financial and market conditions SMEs work in. However, after some due diligence and gradual improvement, it is likely that these organizations can grow beyond expectations. One very important thing to remember is that the numbers never lie. Organizational success depends on making the right moves based on the stimuli you get from your market.

About the author

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Cassie Beasley

Search Berg is a premium Web Development and SEO Company. In the 10 years that the company has been operating, it has worked across myriad industries and has developed an expertise in different aspects of SEO. Search Berg offers a full range of online marketing services to small businesses such as SEO, Web Development and Design, Content Marketing and other similar services. The company was recently ranked as the best local SEO agency in New York and members often make contributions to publications on SEO best practices. Get in touch with the company for a full description of their services or to hire their services.
The author is an SEO analyst and web development expert at Search Berg. They have been published in tech magazines and numerous online publications to offer their views on Small Business SEO and SEO Services.