Why small-medium businesses (SMBs) need SEO
Your client might have a beautiful website, but a nice-looking website is useless without good SEO backing it up. In this module, you will learn all about SEO, the science behind it, and the value it brings to you and your customers.
- Define SEO and explain the difference between paid, local, and organic search results
- Distinguish between onsite (relevance) and offsite (trust) SEO factors
- Understand how search engines work and why Google algorithm updates matter
- Explain the Page 1 impact of SEO and how it compares to inbound vs. outbound marketing
- Identify the signs of a good SEO candidate
- Describe why local SEO is critical for SMBs with service areas
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the work that goes into a website so it ranks on the first page of search engines like Google. An optimized website shows up high on the search engine results page (SERP) because it provides the best answer to a query.
Types of search results
| Type | Definition |
|---|---|
| Paid | Pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements. Traffic from paid promotions. |
| Local | Dependent on searcher location. Pulled from Google Business Profile listing information. |
| Organic | Traffic from search results that is earned, not paid. The most sought-after type. |
Two major factors: relevance and trust
- Relevance = Onsite — Everything to do with your customer's website. Two aspects: Code and Content. When Google crawls a website, they see both.
- Trust = Offsite — Measured by the number of OTHER websites that talk about or link back to your customer's website. The more other sites link back, the more trusted they become.
Your customers might think their website is perfect because it looks good. But Google looks at the website's code—so the prettiest website in the world won't help if Google can't see it.
Google wants to know you are who you say you are. When someone asks a question, they want a relevant answer. All content on a website should clearly support the products/services it sells. If a website is unclear or confusing, Google will not recommend it to its users.
Trust is a huge factor in ranking on the first page. Google wants to give searchers the best answer and ensure they're recommending a trusted, reliable company.
Directories are one of the best ways to establish trust. Building trust in your listings will:
- Make sure your information is uniform and accurate across all directories
- Let users know you are an active and operational business
- Increase your chance of being included in local map pack search results
Google = a referral machine
Once relevance and trust are established, Google uses this for its best answer and highest referral. When they rank a business high, they refer it to anyone who searches. Transform websites into long-term assets in which Google becomes a "word of mouth" referral.
Page 1 impact by the numbers
Organic searches and local listings make up the majority of clicks on Google. SEO gets businesses to rank at the top of both. SEO provides the opportunity to be seen by people looking for the products and services being offered. If more people find your clients' site on the first page, it can increase their traffic, leads, and sales.
SEO is the difference between being found by customers or...not.
Inbound vs outbound marketing & SEO
- 59% of marketers say inbound practices provided the highest quality leads (HubSpot State of Inbound)
- SEO leads convert at 14.6% vs outbound at 1.7%
- SEO targets traffic with intent to buy. We interpret "searcher intent" to identify people ready to make a purchase rather than those just looking for information
Google's success came from their desire and ability to provide higher-quality results. Understanding searcher intent and finding the most accurate, relevant, and trustworthy websites that match each query have allowed Google to stand out. Google holds a dominant global search market share—so many people optimize with Google Search in mind.
What spiders look for
When spiders crawl your website, they look for relevance and trust. If Google can't tell what a website is selling when they crawl it, they'll pass it over for someone else whose site is clearer and easier to navigate. Good SEO helps elevate sites in the rankings.
Google algorithm updates
Google Search has a simple goal—deliver the best user experience possible. They consistently adjust and refine how they find, rank, and answer queries via algorithm updates. Google rolls out hundreds of updates each year. The search landscape is constantly changing—consistently working on SEO is essential.
Find an SEO provider that does both onsite/offsite work and follows Google's best practices. You need both types of work to rank. Think of onsite work as bones (the framework). Offsite work becomes the muscles and tissue that help it move. You need both to move from point A to point B (the first page of Google).
Good candidate for SEO
- They have a website
- They're not on the first page of Google
It's as simple as that.
A local SEO strategy puts your client in front of paying customers in their neighborhood and helps improve the quality of traffic visiting their website. Local SEO presents your company to customers in your area, so your business will be found by the right people at the right time.
A common problem: unclear service areas that pull in traffic that won't convert. Before implementing local SEO, a business might get 60% of organic traffic from a city outside their service area—driving hours to fix a leaky faucet isn't viable. Local SEO helps you bring in the right kind of traffic.
Onsite Recommendations are critical updates to a website that allow search engines and users to quickly and clearly understand what the website is all about.
OSRs ensure target keywords are prominently featured in key sections throughout the website. We also assess current content—improving current pages and where new content could be added to better market their business. If a website has clear, purposeful content it will be rewarded with higher rankings.
A plumber has a beautiful website but no traffic. You explain: Google looks at code and content (onsite) and who links to them (offsite). Their listings are inconsistent across directories. You recommend listing management + SEO. Within months, relevance and trust improve. They rank higher. Traffic from their service area increases. Leads convert.
Key Resources
Knowledge Check
Knowledge Check
Test your understanding with 5 random questions from a pool of 5.
SEO is an important aspect of any local business. With our range of products available, you can seamlessly add an SEO solution to your clients' digital marketing strategy.