A recent study has shown that the average US small business spends $497 per month on SEO services. Whether this rate seems affordable or expensive to you depends on the results you get from your SEO efforts.
The fact is all SEO is costly if it doesn’t work. If you spend $100 to get rankings and the rankings never come, that’s wasted money that you could have spent elsewhere. Conversely, if SEO helps you outrank all your competitors by being the first result on page one of Google, how much is that worth to you per month?
The most affordable SEO for small businesses is one that helps you get the most results without being so costly as to handicap your business in other areas. In this comprehensive guide, we tell you how to get such SEO.
When it comes to website design and SEO, the importance of working with professionals is without question. Experts bring a wealth of experience that can propel your online marketing efforts to a new level.
Of course, quality SEO services don’t come cheap. But that doesn’t mean that you should go bankrupt paying for topnotch SEO service.
The best way to do enough research on SEO providers in your area to find out who offers the best results at a reasonable price. Beware of providers who brag about their merit without showing you any of their successful SEO campaigns.
Sample several SEO providers and read sufficient reviews to make an informed decision. Generally, you want to work with an agency with a proven track record, especially for SEO campaigns in your specific niche.
Narrow down on two or three SEO service providers with the qualities you’re looking for, and ask for their quotes. Once you compare these quotes, go with the most affordable one.
If paying an SEO service provider per month seems out of reach for you, you can opt for SEO consultation services, which are generally cheaper. In this case, a seasoned SEO consultant spends a day or so in your office giving SEO advice to your staff on how to boost your business website’s SEO. You can opt to have these services a few times each year.
SEO services from big economies typically charge much higher fees than those from smaller economies. But this difference in fees doesn’t mean that the services provided differ in quality - the same could even be said for services from an SEO freelancer. You would also be more likely to have direct communication, along with personalized attention and a more flexible experience.
You can thus climb up the SEO ladder at a price that doesn’t strain your budget by outsourcing overseas instead of choosing a local company. That being said, you need to do thorough research about the company you’re hiring, so you don’t end up with the wrong affordable SEO provider.
54 percent of SMBs manage their SEO in-house. One of the top reasons for this is that relying on in-house SEO efforts can be cost-effective and was way to create affordable SEO results.
There are many online tutorials that you can put to good use and learn SEO basics, including keyword use and link building.
If DIY SEO seems like the thing for you, here are a few guidelines to get things right:
On-page SEO is one of the most important SEO fundamentals you need to focus on. Make sure you’ve optimized your URLs and include important keywords in your title tags.
Add relevant images and alt tags to your content. Don’t forget to use both internal and external links. Before publishing your copy, go through it and format it accordingly.
Off-page SEO relates to the actions you take outside of your business website to attract visitors to your web pages. To achieve this, you’ll need to get familiar with link-building strategies.
Choose a few social platforms to promote your website. You can also request reviews and ratings from your customers to build more trust. Another smart idea is to work with influencers who'll be happy to promote your site without charging a fee.
Local SEO is meant to promote your products to your local customers while they conduct a search. To stay on top of local SEO, add structured location data to your site. This will help make it super easy for customers to reach you too. You can also audit your website for easy mobile accessibility.
This type of SEO focuses on making it possible for search engines to crawl your business website efficiently. Technical SEO also helps web pages load faster, particularly on mobile devices.
Assess URL structures to make sure they are okay. Take steps to make sure that your website navigation structure is logical. Moreover, check and fix canonical URLs.
Other technical SEO essentials include using structured data whenever possible and adding SSL for enhanced security.
Online retailers apply specific SEO tactics to increase the discoverability of their product pages on search engines. For instance, you need to assess your site architecture for usability. Given that eCommerce sites typically have many pages, site organization is essential for user experience.
It’s also important to create content around the needs of your target audience. The idea is to provide value before the point of sale. For example, if you’re an online clothing retailer, you could publish a blog about pairing a tie with a coat.
Don’t forget to optimize your product listings for relevant sites, such as Amazon.
Video content now accounts for the majority of web traffic. That’s why it’s important to use SEO tactics that help your target audience find your video content more easily. For instance, you can add tags and descriptions to all your videos and choose appealing thumbnail images.
If you have a YouTube channel, customize it so that it aligns with the look and feel of your pages on the internet. For instance, your colors and messaging need to be consistent, so you create a more cohesive experience.
Every company with an online presence needs an SEO strategy, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay a fortune to get it. If you utilize the tips we’ve shared in this guide, you’ll find that affordable SEO for small businesses is achievable.
Would you like to learn more about how to cut costs on your SEO campaign? Please keep visiting our blog.
