Internet seems to get more popular with each passing year. According to a recent report by Internet World Stats, about one-third of the world’s population is using Internet. Many people today are using it as a medium to search for products in their local area. A report released by BIA/Kelsey group has revealed that 97% of the customers in US use Internet for searching products or services in their local area. If your business is listed in search results of Internet search engines, the number of people approaching you for your products and services will improve.

Search engine optimization helps in placing your website among the top results in search engines. This improves the visibility of your website when customers search for your products or services on Internet. It is done by mapping the keywords specific to your business like the products you sell. In this article, we will go through the benefits that SEO offers small businesses.

Drives more traffic to the website

When your website is on the first page, when people are looking on search engines for keywords related to your business, more customers will find you and your business. When your website is right up there, the chances of visitors clicking on it will increase. A report from Search Engine Watch recently stated that 58% of the clicks are taken by the websites in the top three ranks of search results of Google. SEO helps you by promoting your website to the top positions in the search results. This will improve the number of clicks your website gets, increasing customer traffic to the website. This can eventually lead to sales.

Can reach targeted customers in your geographic area

SEO helps in finding those customers who can do business with you. That is, if you are an auto dealer looking for customers in Los Angeles, customers in LA looking for you will be more beneficial to your business rather than customers in New York. SEO helps you by placing your website higher in the search results when someone searches using the words, "Auto dealers, Los Angeles". SEO helps you in targeting customers in your local area, whose requirements match the products or services you offer. A website well optimized for local search is also ranked prominently on the local search results.

Faster ROI

The ROI from SEO has higher returns than those achieved by traditional methods of marketing. The ROI you get will be more because the process of SEO is superior. Relevant results are listed by search engines when potential customers are seeking information. As a result, potential customers pursue the information and move the sales process forward. The website's rank in the search engine, increased traffic to your website, and revenue you gain from it help in measuring the ROI.

24/7 visibility

SEO gives you round the clock visibility while displaying results for a search. So, once your products are searched for, your website will be displayed irrespective of the time and place of the search. Transactions can also be done at a time suitable to the customer, which will add to his/her interest in doing business with you. According to a survey conducted by TGI-EGM, Colombia, out of 1640 responding Internet users, 25% of them use the Internet before 8:00AM and after 7:00 PM. By being available to the customers round the clock, you will be able to generate interest in your products even when your office is closed.

Opportunity to compete against large scale businesses

Lack of sufficient funds can be one of the reasons why small businesses find it difficult to compete against large scale businesses. They might not have the advantage of having an elaborate and wide advertisement strategy as enjoyed by large businesses. A local provider may match the budget of a large business in certain geography using SEO; thus putting himself on par with the big company in a local area.

Cost effective website promotion

SEO is result oriented and starts off with a small investment. The value it brings to the business will be manifold compared to the cost incurred in reaching the customers. The cost involved in understanding the movement of traffic to your website and the trends they follow is also minimal.

Typically a business has many keywords to choose from while getting a campaign in place. A business can pick and choose keywords that can be ranked with their budget, thereby ensuring their investment in SEO has a positive impact on revenue generation. Unlike TV, radio and other traditional marketing channels that need big budgets to be effective, SEO can be cost effective.