The 3 Ways Your Small Business Can Utilise Search Engines

Modern business owners need to learn about search engines. Google is the main one to focus on, but you can also look at the other search engines as well. In fact, it makes sense to cover more bases and focus on lots of search engines, though Google is a good place to start if your budget is too small. 

You know why people use search engines, and you understand why they're important. In essence, they're a starting point for many consumers on the buyer's journey. So, how can you utilise search engines to benefit your business?

Organic SEO

Sometimes referred to as traditional SEO, this is the process of making your website appear high up in the search engine results pages. A site with good SEO will be on the first page at the very least, preferably as close to the top as possible. It's usually recommended that you pay for SEO services to get the most out of your organic strategy. This will ensure you're ranking for the most relevant searches in your industry. Overall, improving your organic SEO will make your business more visible, possibly leading to more web traffic and leads. From here, it's a short hop, skip and a jump to more sales. 

Local SEO

Furthermore, it is beneficial for lots of small businesses to work on local SEO. Have you ever searched for a business in a specific geographical location? You'll notice that a small map appears at the top of the results, displaying various businesses for you to find. This is known as local SEO, and it can be a genius way of driving foot traffic to your store, cafe, restaurant or office. Improving local SEO is all about setting up a Google My Business page, then focusing on geographical tags. When done correctly, it can help you increase visibility within your local area. Again, for small companies that rely on foot traffic as well as web traffic, this is essential. 

PPC

Lastly, you should take advantage of the paid functions of search engine marketing. Both local and organic SEO are technically considered ‘free' in that you aren't really paying to make your website more visible. Well, you might pay agencies to do this for you, but you're not paying the search engine itself. By contrast, PPC uses pay-per-click marketing to let you buy adverts on search engines. The ads appear before the organic results, and they basically display your website link. It looks like an organic result, only it has a little Ad symbol next to it. If you create an ad campaign through Google Ads, you can enjoy a very impressive ROI. Essentially, PPC gives you an extra visibility boost, jumping you ahead of the queue. Often, when used alongside a strong organic presence, it helps to solidify your name as a key authoritative source in your industry. 

If you're looking to improve your digital marketing, focus on search engines. The three approaches seen above are the main ways to make your business more visible via Google and other search engines. As a result, it can help you generate more leads, improve brand recognition, and boost sales.