Is SEO Worth It for Small Businesses? Here's What to Consider
Ophelia learns if SEO is the right investment for her small business
For those in a hurry…
(Skip this for the story.)
When it comes to my small business, I always need to assess whether SEO is the best use of my time and resources. I ask myself, "Is my audience actually looking for me online?" If my potential customers aren't searching for services like mine on Google, then investing heavily in SEO might not make sense.
How I Determine If SEO Is Right for Me:
Analyze My Audience's Search Behavior: Are my customers actively searching for my services on Google? I use tools like Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends to see if there’s a demand.
Key Takeaway: SEO can be powerful, but it’s not always necessary. I make sure to evaluate my audience’s search habits before diving into an SEO strategy that may not yield returns for my specific business.
Story
Ophelia was perched on a stack of spellbooks in my office, her tiny wings flapping impatiently as she scribbled out ideas for her next big marketing plan. "Cheryl, I keep hearing about this 'seo' thing, but I don't really understand it."
"Do you mean S.E.O.?" I asked.
"Yeah, that. Everyone’s talking about it, but it sounds like some kind of ancient spell. And is it even useful for selling to humans?"
I smiled, waving my wand to summon a comfy chair for Ophelia. "Ah, SEO—Search Engine Optimization. It’s not exactly magic, but when used correctly, it can feel like it. SEO helps people find your business online by boosting your visibility in search results."
Ophelia plopped into the chair, her tail flicking with excitement. "Humans are so odd with their 'Googling'—they have the whole internet and still can’t find what they’re looking for half the time. Will it even work on witches, pagans, spiritual folk, lovers of fantasy? You know, they’re my primary audience after all." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Isn’t that what seeking spells and scrying are for?"
I chuckled, pulling a shimmering scroll from the shelf and unrolling it. “SEO, my dear Ophelia, is like a digital version of your black scrying mirror. It helps people find you on the internet without needing magical intervention.”
Ophelia’s eyes went wide, and she gasped. “You mean they’re searching for me using these little glowing boxes? How can they see magic with keyboards?!” She fluttered down, landed in front of my desk, and started pacing in circles. “I mean, they could just light a candle or throw some bones. Seems way more efficient than staring at some glowing box with keys,” she said with a huff.
I smiled patiently. “Well, not every human has a bone-throwing kit handy, Ophelia. But that's where SEO comes in. It helps those humans, witches, and fantasy lovers you want to reach, find you in their vast sea of glowing boxes because they always have one of those handy.”
Ophelia stopped mid-flutter, wings flapping excitedly. “Ohhh! So, it’s like casting a ‘Find Me’ spell for your business! Except, instead of lighting candles, I use… keywords? Wait, how does it actually work? Will my mystical merch show up if I just yell ‘MAGICAL MERCH FOR SALE’ really loudly into the internet?”
I chuckled. “Not quite, but close. Let me break it down for you in a way you’ll appreciate.
“Yes! Tell me everything. This is going to help Ophelia’s Bazaar take over the magical world of online sales!”
“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. SEO can be very powerful, but it’s not always necessary for every business. The key is to ask yourself a few important questions before diving in.”
Ophelia leaned forward, ready to absorb some Business Witch wisdom. “Okay, where do I start?”
Are They Searching For You?
"The first and MOST important thing we need to know before we do anything else is if your human audience is actually searching for what you offer online.”
"Wait, after all that, you're telling me they AREN'T Googling?" Ophelia said, outraged.
"Well, not for every business. There are other methods people use to find out about businesses, products and services besides search engines. If you happen to be one of those businesses, then SEO isn't going to do you much good. Let me give you an example. I work with a lot of Title Insurance Agencies. While lots of people purchase title insurance policies every year, few actually understand what it is and fewer still shop around for the company they buy from."
"Well, then how to they find one of these companies?" Ophelia asked, curiosity making ears twitch.
"People need a title agency when they are purchasing a home. So typically, their real estate agent or loan officer will recommend a title agency, or even place the order on behalf of the consumer."
"Oh, I see! It's a form of word-in-the-mouth referrals right?"
"Word-of-mouth. And yes. Exactly. So for a business like that, worrying about search engine optimization just isn't worth the time, money or headache."
Ophelia crossed her arms, deep in thought. “Humans and their online habits. Honestly, it’s baffling. You’d think they’d just sense the magic, but fine, I’m listening. How do I know if they are searching for me?”
Analyzing Your Audience’s Search Behavior
Cheryl waved her hand, and glowing symbols appeared in the air, spelling out "Google Trends."
Ophelia’s eyes sparkled. “Ooooh, I love when the air talks back!”
When the glowing letters continued to appear, Ophelia squealed, "Ooh, I two-for!"
It also spelled "Google Keyword Planner."
"What magic has Google come up with now?" breathed Ophelia, awestruck.
I opened up my laptop to show her. "Google Trends will show you what people are searching for and compare search volumes over time. It will also show you related keywords and topics.
“Keyword Planner will help you evaluate the SEO potential of specific keywords and forecast future popular keywords.”
Ophelia sat for a moment, entranced by the charts and graphs filling my screen.
"Going back to our example of title insurance, here you can see how the search volume fluctuated over the last 12 months."
"Hey, I thought you said no one was searching for that phrase? The line is at the top of the chart!"
"Remember I said Google Trends will compare search terms and show you how the search volume changes over time?"
Ophelia nodded.
"This chart isn't showing how many searches, just how the search volume changed on a scale of 0-100 where zero is little to no searches and 100 is a lot of searches. Let me add a comparison to the search volume for 'homeowners insurance'."
"Now you can see how there are many, many more people searching for 'homeowners insurance'."
"Oh, I see. So what does Google Keyword Planner do?"
"If we enter our same 2 search phrases, Google Keyword Planner will tell us the average monthly search volume for each phrase. As you can see, the search volume for 'title insurance' is very low.
Ophelia gasped dramatically, her tiny wings fluttering. “Wait! What if they’re not searching for enchanted merch at all?! What if they don’t even know they need mystical merch?” She placed her claws on her cheeks in horror. “Am I invisible to the magical humans?!”
I laughed. “That’s exactly why you check, Ophelia. If they are searching for products like yours, you’ll know. If they’re not, you can adjust your spells… or, I mean, strategy.”
Ophelia flitted off, ready to embark on an adventure into the world of keyword research, determined to answer the key question, 'are her fantasy loving, magical humans searching for her magical merch?'
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