You’d be surprised to learn how often we hear that very
question when working with entrepreneurs in Dubai.
Almost all of them understand the basics of search engine
optimization, but when asked why they refuse to set aside a separate budget for
it, they simply reply with “what chance do we have against the larger
multinational corporations?”
We’re here to tell that SEO isn’t just essential for small businesses;
it’s one of the greatest investments you can make. Before we list down the reasons
why, here are a few important stats about search engines that every
entrepreneur should be aware of:
- In 2017, almost 74.26% of all desktop
search queries over the internet were on Google, followed by Baidu at 10.69% %,
Bing at 7.95%, Yahoo at 5.50%, and smaller websites making up the remaining 2%.
(Source: NetMarketShare)
- As you read this, Google is
receiving over 64,000 search queries every second. (Source: Internet Live
Stats)
- The first organic search result receives
over 33% of all clicks. (source: Chitika)
- Websites listed on the first page
of results account for 92% of all traffic for an average search. (Source: Chitika)
- 30% of all mobile search queries
are related to a specific location. (Source: HubSpot)
- 72% of customers who search for
local products visit a store within 5 miles (Source: HubSpot)
The above six statistics alone should be convincing enough to
signify the importance of SEO, but we know you still have the same question:
How does SEO benefit
my small business if I have to compete with more well-established organizations
for search engine rankings?
Here are 3 reasons why every SME should hire a professional SEO services provider in Dubai
Organic SEO is one of the cheapest forms of advertising
available to business in the modern world. It’s also the one of most effective.
Think about it!
If you create natural backlinks and optimizes according to
the latest trends and practices, you’re essentially spending close to nothing
to gain practically unlimited amounts of visibility.
Compare that to more costly practices like PPC or social
media marketing, and the benefits of being on the first page of Google start to
make even more sense. Yes, PPC generally brings in higher revenues than SEO,
but it isn’t sustainable over the long term, where you eventually want to
establish a reputable online presence.
According to Google themselves, almost 80% of all internet
users check online reviews and prices before they purchase a product, and this
number is only expected to increase in the coming years.
If your website shows up on the first or second page of any
search query, there’s a high chance that millions of potential customers will
check it out. Once they’re there, it’s up to your quality products and services
to start working their magic.
This is something a lot of entrepreneurs fail to consider
when initially setting up their businesses.
It’s all well and good spending large sums of money on
ensuring that customers get only the highest quality products and services, but
what good is that investment doing if your business can’t attract new clients
in the first place?
Showing up on the first page of a Google results page is
huge for the credibility of businesses that aren’t very well-known. Why?
Because over the past few years, we’ve developed a blind trust in Google’s
search algorithms.
It’s more of a psychological thing than anything else, but
you’re far more likely to buy from a website that was in the top 3 results on
the first page than one that was on the second page.
Note that this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s going to be
a difference in the quality of products offered by both brands, but the result
on the first page will feel more trustworthy.
This is why it’s so important for up and coming businesses
in Dubai to get the services of SEO.
Your website might not appear in search results from other
countries, but then, you’re also not going to be concerned with capturing the
global market when the company is still in its infancy.
As we mentioned earlier in the stats, over 70% of all users
visit a store within their locality after looking at local products online. Your
goal is to end up on the first page of results for these users, and slowly
expand your business as sales start to grow.
Once you establish a formidable presence in the city or state,
you can think about nationwide expansion, and eventually gain access to
customers around the world.
