Look for any blog or article dishing out tips for startups and you’ll see “invest in SEO” in almost every single one of them. Why? Because almost everyone is online; therefore, that’s where you can find and reach your target market.
However, there are some misconceptions about SEO that may make you and other startup owners wary about investing in SEO. Some say SEO is too competitive or that it takes a long time to get results. Another misconception is that SEO is expensive. While using SEO for your business can sometimes be expensive, it doesn’t always have to be.
You can jumpstart your organic search rankings without breaking the bank. Follow these low- to no-cost SEO hacks for startups:
1. Write Your Own Content
No one knows your business or your products and services better than you do. Therefore, no one is more qualified to write your content than you. Google and other search engines highly value quality content and your expertise in your industry can translate into content that is helpful to your audience.
When you have engaging, high-quality content, readers will stay on your website to read it. The longer they are on your site, the better because users’ dwell time is one of the many factors that boost your rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs).
2. Go Social
If you’ve ever looked into companies that offer SEO services, you might have noticed that one of the constants is social media marketing or social media management. Social media channels offer a wealth of opportunities to find and engage with your audience.
First, your social media accounts are the perfect place to share your content. Share an interesting blog post with a catchy title on your Facebook page and you can get hundreds of shares in a day. Second, your social media accounts allow you to directly engage with your audience. Did somebody tweet praise for your product? Like and retweet it. A customer gives you a five-star rating on Facebook? Thank them with a heartfelt reply. These actions make your customers feel more connected to your brand, thereby also encouraging loyalty.
3. Take Advantage of Free SEO Tools
Just because they’re free doesn’t mean they’re ineffective. In fact, some of the best and most-used SEO tools are free.
First, there’s Google Analytics. It’s a free tool that allows you to analyze details about your website’s visitors. Through this software, you can track metrics relevant to your website’s performance, which can greatly help you in planning your future online marketing strategies.
Another free SEO tool is the Google Search Console, which gives you reliable and much-needed keyword data. Then, there’s Answer the Public, useful for when you want to generate content topics. There are hundreds of other free SEO tools on the internet, which you only need to look for and take advantage of.
Keep in mind that finding success in SEO doesn’t happen with a one-time move. Do the above mentioned things until you see the results you desire. Although these things can take a lot of your time and effort, they at least will not cost you much money and can sustain your website traffic and improve your SERPs rankings.
