Search engine optimization SEO might be seen by newbies to the term as one of those internet marketers buzzword carelessly thrown around the internet, but it’s not. With over three billion daily searches on Google alone (Yea, you read that right) Your website’s SEO is a great determining factor in whether you get a slice of the internet traffic pie or not.

Key-point: SEO helps your small business seem not so small.

At a very basic level, here’s what SEO can do to help you grow your business…

1. Get Visible

This is as simple as it sounds. The easier you are to find, the more likely you are to sell your stuff.

We know how boutiques and pharmacies race to dominate the street corner, for visibility from two streets side. Only that the street to you now is the entire internet.

It’s worth putting in time and effort on your end to save your potential customers time and lead them straight to your doorstep.

2. Gain Credibility

Establish yourself as an expert in your field and an authority in your industry by having a compelling online presence. This may be accomplished digitally through your:

• Website
• Blog
• Social Media Pages
• Youtube Channel
• Guest Blogs
• Podcasts etc.

3. Crush your competition.

Who doesn’t want to be seen called first? like the first page of a google search result while the competition gets to share the back pages. The better managed your SEO practices are, the more likely you are to outshine your competition in online searches. And what good entrepreneur doesn’t want to beat out their competition?

The Best Part of SEO? It’s Cost-Effective and Measurable.

Cost-effectiveness and measurability are a match made in entrepreneurial heaven, so let’s focus on what you can do (and there’s plenty) without even spending a dime on this love affair.

Here are four steps to take right now to build a solid SEO foundation:

1. Make a list of keywords.

Keywords are the first step in the ladder to finding your business online. These are the words that people type into search engines like Google to find your business. It will be helpful and highly competitive to specifically target what people might search at the moment they are ready to purchase your service. Keyword research not only lays a solid foundation for your SEO plan but helps to set up your brand and content strategy.

Your keywords should include both short and long tail keywords. Short keywords like “coffee shop” receive more overall search volume while long tail keywords like ‘web hosting company with free SSL certificate’ are more specific and typically less competitive.

2. Get a domain name that matches your business.

Your domain name can give a boost in your business SEO ranking. keywords from above can be used in your naming decision. If you own a coffee shop, it would be nicer to have the word ‘coffee’ somewhere in the title.

3. Create and share your content.

Your brand messaging should be generously adorned with your keywords. Your keywords could change over time as your business grows. Make the best of your keywords at every stage of your business.

4. Measure.

The good thing about SEO and digital marketing is that you can measure how well it performs for you. You can literally test every keyword, content, and strategy etc. to build your little vault of personal cheats and tricks. Google Analytics among many other tools will come in quite handy, the best part is most of them are free.