Starting a business is tough! Well, to be honest, I’ve never actually been an entrepreneur so I wouldn’t know, but I imagine that it’s quite an undertaking. There are a lot of things to think about when starting a business, like financing, hiring employees, developing workflow – not to mention the main goal of the product or service offering! With so many items on the “startup business checklist,” it’s probably very common for entrepreneurs to overlook SEO. Beware of this mistake!
Wait, What’s SEO?
For all entrepreneurs that may not know yet, SEO stands for search engine optimization. Basically, this is a fancy name for the process of improving the online visibility of a website or web page. If you think about it (and I’m sure you have), when consumers are looking for a product or service, they’re most likely going to search the Internet at some point. Don’t you want your business’s new website to show up prominently in the search results? Of course you do. And that’s where SEO knowledge comes in handy.
By implementing SEO tactics properly, you’ll have the capability to help consumers find your website. Furthermore, you’ll be able to strategically position your website against competitors’ in search results. Ultimately, with SEO, you’ll have the means of providing consumers with relevant information about a product or service they were already researching, thus improving your chances for conversions.
So What Do I Do?
Let’s get your startup started with the basics! Although those of us in the industry may have differing opinions regarding the order of SEO setup tasks, I think it’s safe to say that we can agree that each of the following items is an absolute must.
- Technical SEO. By this I mean, let’s make sure that the steps we take to improve your online visibility actually work from a technical standpoint. I’m talking robots.txt file, XML sitemap, and Google Analytics installation. With these on your side, you’ll be able to ensure that your site is being properly indexed by search engines, as well as view data regarding how well your site is performing.
- Keyphrase Research. Remember how we discussed that when consumers are looking for a product or service, they’re most likely going to search the Internet? That’s what makes this step so crucial. Research the way consumers are searching for your product or service. Keep in mind the fact that you have a new business. If you’re offering an idea that’s totally new and unheard of, consider the alternative ways that consumers may be looking for a product or service like yours.
- Onsite Optimization. Put those keyphrases to good use. Optimize the on-page elements of your site with keyphrases that you know will resonate with your target market.
- Content. Content is key for informing visitors of your product or service offering, especially since you’ve got a startup. Include as much information as possible. This will not only provide visitors with a valuable web experience, but it will also help search engines to better understand what your website is about. Be creative and add different forms of content, like blog articles, videos, etc.
These four basic parts of SEO will kickstart the optimization of your startup business’s website. By no means is this list comprehensive of SEO as a whole because several other tactics can be implemented for further optimization. However, without these parts in place, there’s almost no point in even having your startup business’s website! Entrepreneurs, please do yourselves a favor: always keep SEO in mind when starting a business.
Ain’t No Entrepreneur Got Time Fo’ Dat!
Yes, there are plenty of considerations to be made when tackling SEO. And these are just the basics! We can take SEO much, MUCH further. If your head is spinning from all your other startup business worries, fret not. An SEO agency can help you out. If you’re looking to hire an SEO agency, follow these tips for the best experience:
- Goals. Think about what you want your startup’s website to accomplish. Consider how you’d like to measure the success of those accomplishments and look for an SEO agency that’s focused on obtaining those metrics.
- Customization. Your startup business is your baby. You’ve worked hard to create it in your image. Find an SEO agency that will customize a campaign to fit your unique and specific needs.
- Interests. You’ve got a lot on your plate with this whole startup business thing but you know you want it to flourish for years to come. Try to find an SEO agency that offers other services you may be interested in learning more about further down the road, like social media management for example.
- Fun. Hire an SEO agency that you know you’d have fun working with. Again, your startup business is your baby. Look for an SEO agency that’s just as excited about its growth and development as you are.
The Takeaway
With all that said, please know this: SEO can be a startup business’s best friend. It will help consumers searching for a product or service like yours to find you, ultimately driving conversions for your startup business. SEO is worth the effort, whether it be done by you or an SEO agency that you hire. Don’t make the mistake of leaving SEO off of your “startup business checklist.”