According to a recent survey of small businesses in the United States and Canada, nearly 60 percent have no real SEO strategy, and almost a quarter have no immediate plans to create one.
The survey, commissioned by UpCity and conducted by Pollfish, asked more than 600 small- to medium-sized businesses about their SEO plans. About 57 percent of all business owners or employees responded that the company had no strategy for search engine optimization, and another 23 percent further confessed that they had no plans for web-based advertising success. About 44 percent of all the businesses surveyed have a current SEO plan, and 34 percent of those surveyed stated that making a plan to improve their SEO strategy in the coming year was a top priority.
A Surprising Turn for Online Business
These numbers are somewhat surprising given the past two years and how they have affected business globally. Amid the pandemic-related turmoil caused by many businesses having to close their doors to in-person traffic, Internet business grew a whopping 40 percent in the year 2020 alone. Consumers began to look for items online due to perceived dangers of shopping at stores, or because of inconveniences such as locations being closed for extended periods of time.
Even with the tremendous jump in Internet use by customers, however, businesses have often failed to keep pace with their client’s interests in shopping online.
In the early months of the pandemic, searches for SEO-related terms were on the rise. In addition, the interest in finding SEO-related support has remained strong throughout 2021 and into 2022. In fact, according to one study, traffic for SEO-search terms jumped nearly 65 percent between mid-2020 and the same period in 2021. Furthermore, 75 percent of existing SEO budgets were increased during that time period by businesses who recognized the importance of being found on major search engines by online clients. Additionally, many businesses are expanding into other areas, such as paid search advertising. At least half of all small businesses with a strong SEO strategy also use PPC or paid search, while another 30 percent of those with SEO plans intend to invest in these methods this year.
The Disconnect for SEO Strategy
If this is true, why are some businesses simply not making an SEO plan? There could be several reasons.
- They still don’t understand the true value of SEO. The most likely answer to this question is that some small business owners simply do not understand how much a good SEO strategy will improve their rankings and positively impact their businesses. Because they are not seeking advice from an SEO professional, they do not have all the facts about how SEO can benefit them.
- They are afraid of an investment in uncertain times. It is also true that many business owners are afraid of sinking any money into a venture that has uncertain returns. Because they are being cautious, they do not want to spend the money to beef up their SEO strategy. Ironically, this may be causing their business to flounder financially as more and more clients turn to online methods to find goods and services.
- They don’t believe SEO will benefit their online strategy. Some business owners do understand the concepts of SEO but do not think that it will benefit their business. Others do not believe that the returns on investment in SEO are worth the outlay. This may be due to the fact that they have had poor SEO advice in the past or because they have never had truly professional assistance with their SEO plan.
At Caldiatech, we are committed to giving our customers the very best SEO advice at a fair price. We want to help you build your business, and we understand how powerful SEO can be when it is used correctly. Give us a call today to discuss your SEO needs and find out how we can help you grow your online presence in a way that gives you maximum return for your advertising budget
