With many bigger SEO agencies charging between $2K and $10K per month to optimize and manage their clients’ SEO efforts, smaller businesses and startups were left to fend for themselves. Fortunately, some SEO companies emerged as an alternative, offering affordable SEO services.
To be able to rank your small business on Google, you can use a variety of SEO techniques. However, the outcomes of these techniques, are not measurable. You must be certain that the SEO services you select are result-oriented.
We’ll go through the different aspects of SEO and how you can use it to improve your company’s bottom line. So, let’s get this article started!
Should Small Businesses Invest in SEO?
Small business owners and marketers can use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve their presence on the internet as part of their digital marketing efforts and also increase profitability. It is a series of procedures aimed at increasing the number of high-quality visitors to your website.
A well-thought-out SEO strategy can be quite helpful to small businesses. It is essential to have one in place so that your business can reach out to potential clients and obtain a competitive advantage over your local competitors.
Does Affordability Matter in SEO Services for Small Businesses?
The majority of small business owners do not have a large marketing budget. However, when you’re starting a small business, you might need help marketing your brand, product, or service in a way that appeals to your target market.
It’s good to include small company SEO services in your marketing strategy. It is a successful approach for increasing your internet presence and earnings. Small company SEO services do not have to break the bank because they are some that are reasonably priced.
Cheap SEO Services Vs. Affordable SEO Services
Every small business owner is seeking ways to save money. Unfortunately, this may drive small business owners to hire cheap SEO companies.
Hundreds of dishonest companies would literally quote you a low fee and guarantee you first-page results. It is important to be cautious and do some research before employing or even speaking with them.
Since SEO is not a transparent process, most unsuspecting business owners are frequently deceived and exploited by these kinds of cheap search engine optimization firms.
Most of the companies that provide “low-cost” or “cheap” SEO services rely on outdated link-building methodologies and optimization techniques.
On the other hand, there are certain agencies that are arrogant and list services at ridiculous prices. Don’t fall victim to them either. Nobody ever said that the bigger the price, the better the quality.
The alternative is affordable SEO services that offer value for money. One of the most significant benefits of SEO firms that provide Affordable SEO Services is that small businesses can pick the services they want and assign a specified budget to each.
An affordable SEO company should provide marketers and business owners with a clear picture of where their money is going. More often than not, small businesses may not need a premium SEO service. The basic package will be sufficient.
Types of Affordable SEO Services for Startups and Small Business Owners
1. On-page SEO
On-page SEO services involve optimizing a variety of on-page aspects of your website. On-page variables are important ranking factors for Google and other search engines.
A site audit is done to examine any issue areas on your website. These factors might sometimes be the same things preventing you from ranking well. Here are some variables and factors that are involved in on-page SEO;
i. URL Optimization
Ensure your website’s URL is optimized properly as it allows search engines to recognize your page. Keep it short and to the point. A well-formatted URL is required for each page of the website. In addition, at least one relevant term must be included in the URL.
ii. Title Tags and Formatting
Use appropriate title tags for your website pages. It assists Google in determining the intent of web pages and improving their ranking. Each page needs only have one H1 tag, which will be the post’s title.
H2-H7 title tags can be used to create subheadings throughout the content. Include at least one keyword in each of your HTML tags if at all feasible. To achieve the best results, thorough keyword research is required.
iii. Images and Alt Tags
It is good to have images on your website pages. It engages readers more and may keep them on your site for a longer period of time. You should use JPEG or PNG format for your photos.
Give it a title or a name that includes keywords. Make sure the picture file is minimal in size and that each image contains an alt tag. If the picture is not visible to the reader or if the reader is using a screen reader, an alt tag allows the browser to show the alt text.
iv. Internal and External Links
Linking to your website is an excellent technique to improve your Google ranking. All web pages should have internal links and links to external websites. Make sure your page has a link to a reliable source with relevant information.
2. Off-page SEO
Off-page SEO entails using internet marketing methods on sites other than your own website. It aids in the appeal of potential clients to your website as well as the development of trust with them. Off-page SEO involves the following factors:
i. Link Building
Building links is perhaps the most difficult thing to accomplish these days. Fortunately, there are link-building services to help in the process. Everyone knows about it; no one wants to link to you, for free.
a). Analyze Your Competitor Backlinks
Most of the time, your competitors, particularly those that rank high in search results, are doing link building really well.
Why not take advantage of what they’re doing to boost your own SEO rankings?
Do a competitive analysis to determine to find websites that rank higher. Check the backlinks your competitors are using for their search engine optimization campaigns.
b). Blog Commenting
Many SEO experts believe this is a spammy technique; however, it isn’t. However, it would help if you didn’t do it in a spammy manner. The idea is to create connections with other blogs or websites in your field of interest.
Identify websites and blogs that discuss related topics and connect with them just like you’d do on social media. You might find affordable SEO services offering blog commenting in their packages but beware because it is almost always spam.
c). Guest Posting
Guest posting is a process where you create an article under your own name for another website. You should be able to link back to your website in most cases.
Broadening this is now considered a risky practice; however, doing so in moderation will have no effect on your site. There are a good number of guest post services available.
d). Outreach
Direct outreach can result in guest posts or just links. However, you must first establish some form of relationship.
Always begin by giving and never expecting anything in return. You can make a request once you’ve received a response, but don’t be too demanding. Some people sell links on their websites for hundreds. So you should be grateful when they offer you one for free.
ii. Social Platforms
Although social media marketing does not directly affect search engine rankings, it is an important component of off-page SEO. With a well-planned social media marketing approach, you may boost the number of visits from potential customers.
Pinterest, along with Instagram, is an excellent social media network to focus on if you’re an image-driven business. This will aid in creating a natural bond between you and your consumers.
iii. Reviews and Rating
The credibility of your business is reinforced by client reviews and ratings. People get a good idea of what it’s like to transact with you.
Product reviews and ratings might occasionally appear on SERPs. Furthermore, third-party e-commerce websites, such as Amazon and social media platforms, directly show reviews and ratings.
3. Local SEO
Google and other search engines are focusing more on local search results to help consumers find the best results for their searches. As a result, optimizing your small company website for local search is critical.
To guarantee that your business is featured in local web searches given by the target audience, you must register with Google My Business and use appropriate NAP and other local SEO optimization strategies.
Here is what you should consider;
- The structured location should provide all the required information about your business.
- Your customers need to be able to find and contact your business as well as visit the physical address.
- Ensure your website is user-friendly, especially when it comes to mobile accessibility.
4. E-Commerce SEO
eCommerce SEO services are the most difficult to come by at a reasonable price. If you own a small eCommerce company, consider investing your own time in mastering SEO, as services may be costly, and the inexpensive ones are unlikely to be successful.
Here are some E-commerce SEO factors you should consider;
- Site Design- The design and structure of e-commerce websites are the most important things to ensure you get it right from the beginning.
- Structured data- This data, which includes titles and keywords, will help you rank in Google search engine results.
- Blogging- E-commerce sites should have quality content where you can create interesting articles that link back to your website.
5. Technical SEO
Consider the case when your website has high-quality content and backlinks linking to a page that Google is unable to index. These kinds of issues are quite common on small business websites.
You can resolve crawlability and indexability concerns by using technical SEO services. Technical SEO concerns can significantly influence whether your company’s website ranks on Google or is put on the back pages.
The page load speed, crawling budget, and .htaccess file are all factors that must be improved in order to secure your Google ranking. Here are some important variables you should consider;
i. Canonical URL
Websites with pages that have identical content to other web pages may be penalized by search engines. A canonical tag, on the other hand, may prevent this. You can use a canonical tag with a link to the canonical page in the other page’s section.
ii. 404 Pages
A 404 page would assist lost users in finding what they are looking for. You can put links to your sitemap, homepage, or search bar on your website.
iii. Google Search Console
The Google Search Console is a free Google service that tracks where your site’s visitors come from and the average positions for the terms that brought them there. It highlights any red flags or mistakes that may be present on any of your sites.
How to Get the Best SEO Company for Your Business
If you’re searching for affordable SEO services, it’s a good sign you’re ready to pay, so you’re probably looking for an SEO agency.
While we are not able to give a list of affordable SEO packages or companies, we have created a list of important factors you should consider before picking the best professional SEO services.
1. Credibility and Reviews
Every other agency brags about how they help websites improve their rankings. However, you want to learn more about websites in your field. Request a niche-specific case study from an affordable SEO company.
Online reviews are a great tool to assess an SEO firm’s expertise. A few unfavorable reviews are prevalent, and they can sometimes be seen as confirmation of the validity of the published reviews.
Before choosing an agency, conduct a thorough assessment of the reviews and look for obstacles that other clients have experienced.
2. Quality of the Content
The importance of quality cannot be overstated, as it is the foundation upon which SEO is built. Consider making sure to regularly request content samples as well as websites for which the agency has already provided material.
It allows you to assess the quality of the stuff you’re receiving. This may seem little, but most SEO services that work for customers make sure that they have a solid blog area.
SEO companies use the blog to keep their present and potential clientele informed about new issues and possibilities. This is a great sign that they have SEO experts who are up to date on the latest trends.
Conclusion
Finally, it is up to you to decide who you will work with, but perhaps you now have a better knowledge of how to find an effective, affordable SEO service for your small business.
You can pick Indexsy as your SEO partner since we’ve helped companies of all sizes improve their SEO campaign and search rankings.
Jacky Chou is an electrical engineer turned marketer. He is the founder of Indexsy, Far & Away, Laurel & Wolf, a couple FBA businesses , and about 40 affiliate sites. He is a proud native of Vancouver, BC, who has been featured on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes, Oberlo and GoDaddy.