Organic traffic is something that businesses love to have for their website, but is it worth the investment?
Well, Organic search drives 53% of website traffic and 40% of online business revenue.
These are big numbers! As a business owner, it would be a smart move to invest in some content creation for some traction, let alone rely on paid advertising for that.
Organic traffic is undoubtedly a topic you’ve heard about. But if you haven’t, Organic traffic refers to the website visitors who come to your site as a result of unpaid search results.
In simpler words, organic traffic is when someone enters a certain keyword relating to your business and your website appears in the search results.
Learn more: What is organic traffic in marketing ( is it different from direct traffic?)
How can a small business increase its organic traffic?
One of the most effective ways to increase organic traffic is by creating useful content that speaks to both your target audience and search engines.
To do this, start by researching the search terms and long-tail keywords that your prospective customers are using to find products or services in your field.
Then, create informational blog posts that answer these search queries, all while displaying your business’s knowledge and expertise.
By doing this, you’ll not only build educating your audience, but you’ll also increase your chances of appearing in relevant search results.
Unfortunately, simply writing up some killer content for the users isn’t enough on its own–you’ll also need to optimize that content to ensure that it’s visible to search engines.
That’s where content optimization tools such as Page Optimizer Pro come in handy.
These tools can help you identify the right keywords to use in the metadata (i.e Title tag, meta description, and words to use in the body of the content)
Optimizing the content in accordance with its suggestions might boost the likelihood of your page ranking in the top five search engine results.
Higher your rankings, the more clicks, and traffic you’ll receive.
In a blog post, I have dived deep into the whole process of doing SEO for a business website. Do give it a read.
Related: How to drive organic traffic to a business website
How long does it take for search engine optimization to work?
The answer to that question is not always straightforward. There are several factors that can affect the timeline for SEO to work.
First off, let me clarify that SEO is not a one-time thing; it’s an ongoing process. That means, if you want to see long-term results, you need to invest time and effort into your SEO strategy.
That being said, the expected timeline for SEO to begin showing results typically ranges from 4 to 6 months. This means that you could expect to see a significant improvement in your search engine rankings within that timeframe.
However, keep in mind that this timeline is not set in stone. It can vary depending on the competitiveness of your industry and the quality of your website. In other words, if you’re in a highly competitive niche or your website has a lot of technical issues, it may take longer to see results.
It’s also worth noting that not all SEO optimizations are created equal.
Some optimizations, such as fixing broken links or improving website speed, can have an almost immediate impact on your rankings.
On the other hand, more complex optimizations like content creation and link building may take longer to show results.
In the end, it’s important to remember that SEO is a long-term game. It requires patience, perseverance, and a solid strategy.
But with time and effort, you can expect to see significant improvements in your search engine rankings and ultimately, your business’s bottom line.
Is SEO strategy better than paid traffic?
Let’s talk about the age-old debate of organic traffic vs. paid traffic.
Now, I am not here to trash paid traffic altogether – it has its own set of advantages. For instance, if you are in the middle of a limited offer, PPC is perfect for some instant results, giving you the short-term wins it promises.
However, when it comes to longevity and building a sustainable business through online channels, it’s organic traffic that drives growth.
Organic traffic is the long-term game. Unlike paid traffic, it can bring excellent results for a website for a long time. This is why it is crucial to focus your SEO strategies on organic traffic acquisition.
Paid advertising inevitably involves bidding battles and surging costs, while organic traffic requires minimal investment upfront and minimal ongoing investment once your site is ranking in Google.
Organic traffic is also known to have a high conversion rate. This is because users click mostly on organic search results rather than paid ones.
Consumers think paid search results could be misleading or trying to manipulate their click behavior. Organic search, on the other hand, can bring about more relevant pages that give them the answers they are looking for.
According to a study by BrightEdge, organic search drives 53% of website traffic and 40% of online revenue. That’s quite significant, especially when you compare it to paid search, which only accounts for 15% of clicks and 3.5% of conversions.
As a content marketer, I understand how organic traffic is the holy grail of SEO. It means continuous traffic with minimal costs and excellent conversions. And honestly, I prefer it for my own website. Sure, there are instances where I use some paid ads to give a little boost to my SEO. But in the long run, I rely mainly on organic traffic because it’s where my content creation efforts pay off.
In conclusion, if you want to have sustainable business growth through online channels, it’s organic traffic that you should focus on. You may use PPC to give your SEO a nudge, but organic traffic is the way to go if you want to establish your brand and attract your ideal customers.
Does small business SEO cost money?
While there may not be a direct cost associated with SEO strategies, there is a wide range of non-monetary costs involved in the process.
For one thing, SEO requires a significant investment of time.
Tasks like keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building can take hours of effort and require a certain level of expertise.
Additionally, resources must be allocated to content creation, which is a cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy.
However, investing time in SEO can generate significant returns.
That being said, it’s important to note that there are some costs associated with certain SEO tools.
For example, premium tools like Surfer SEO offer advanced features like content grading, keyword reports, and content optimization suggestions.
However, for those on a budget, there are also free SEO tools available like the Google Search Console, which provides insights into website performance, broken links, and keyword suggestions.
Also, If you’re not an expert in this field, it’s likely that you’ll need to outsource some of the work like link building, content optimization, and technical SEO. Hiring experts can be expensive, but it can also save you money in the long run. These professionals know the ins and outs of search engine optimization and can help you get the best return on your investment.
In conclusion, while organic search engine marketing may not necessarily cost money in the same way that the PPC advertising world, there are certainly non-monetary costs associated with it
How can I optimize my website for SEO for free (SEO tips for small businesses)
While there are many paid content optimization tools available, there are also free ways to optimize your site.
Use Answer Socrates to find search terms
Answer Socrates is a game-changing tool that extracts the most frequently asked questions related to a specific topic.
This means that you can tailor informational blog posts to address the most common queries and concerns of your potential customers
By doing so, you not only improve the search engine ranking of your blogs but also create more valuable and engaging content for readers.
Using Answer Socrates is simple. Just input your target keyword and scan the various questions generated by the tool. From there, you can create content that answers these questions in a detailed and informative manner.
So, if you’re looking to optimize your content and provide answers to your target audience’s burning questions, be sure to try out Answer Socrates. It’s a tool that’s sure to take your content to the next level!
Use Text optimizer to optimize content
Similar to Page Optimizer Pro, Text Optimizer can help you easily find relevant keywords to include in your content to ensure it ranks higher on search engines.
The only difference is that it’s free.
Try to add as many recommended words to your content and increase the score to optimize for the search engine bots.
But bear in mind, prioritize high-quality content over score.
The whole point of using this tool is to leverage data-driven insights to optimize your content for search engines and user intent.
