Search engine optimization also known as SEO is a process or strategy of ranking a website high on the google search result page(SERP) so as to attract customers into your website and thereby create engagement.

So with regards to a business owners, Search Engine Optimization helps business owners optimize their robust and user-friendly websites so it can be seen by thousands of prospect clients

SEO can further be broken down in two onsite-SEO and offsite-SO which must be probably done to rank in the first page of google search result page.

Here are top 5 benefits of SEO for small businesses owners:

1. Attract Customers

According to research by www.statista.com in 2020 they found out that there are over 4.6 billion internet users in the world and more than 99 million internet user in Nigeria alone, you see why it is becoming very attract for small business and that's why small business owners have started optimizing their website to attract these customers into their website and lure them to make purchases, read their content and so on. 

The main purpose of any business owner having a website in the first place is to attract customers into it but  which cannot be done by just building a website, they need optimize the website using  Search Engine Optimization. 

Note* Businesses that have a SEO optimized website attract far more customers and grow twice as fast as their competitors without one.

2. Cost Effective

There is a war going on in the advertising world between the traditional/conventional Marketers and Digital Marketers, you really need to pick a side, if not you will be left behind.

In the 60’s, 70’s,80’s and early 90’s only  large companies could do real advertising of their product or service on television, newspaper or on billboards due to the cost attributed to it but  with slowly transition into the  Digital world...lots have changed, such as; Search Engine Optimization are far less costly than billboard advertising, newspaper advertising, outpost, radio advertising and it is far more effective.

3. Better Conversion Rates

SEO-optimized websites have far more conversion rate when compared to site not optimized ,they always pull customers to their website through keyword searches made Example: The person below is searching for ‘how to make a tea’ using google search engine and google did suggest several website/pages to check out Note* Without optimizing your website, your website won't be found when searches like these are made.

4. Brand Awareness

One of the core benefits of pushing for a high position in the google search engine result page is to build brand awareness. When you have a new website, business or product... your brand is practically unknown to many but using SEO for your business website builds up the brand and when people see you frequently on searches they are likely to trust your brand and buy from you.

That is why small businesses that want to build better brand awareness must start locally and build it up to international level using SEO

5. Competition

Be it a small business  with 2-10 people or one man business, one cannot compete against large business that has over five thousand employees with a monthly marketing budget that runs into millions of Naira. They simply cannot compete with that but they still have an advantage if they start using SEO which would put them in an advantageous position for years to come, you will be shocked to learn many large company owners are not tech savvy and solely rely on traditional marketing strategy such as billboards, radio, newspaper etc. 

The truth is the world is moving really fast from the traditional way of Marketing and embracing the digital marketing world while focusing more on search-engine-optimization.