Google may have changed its algorithm but SEO practices are still making a huge impact on the Content Management strategies, especially for small and mid-scale businesses. The Manifest’s 2019 Small Business SEO Survey included 529 small businesses in the U.S.

According to a latest report, only 36% of small businesses had an SEO strategy going into 2019, and nearly two-thirds were most likely to prioritize social media marketing, which does not have a proven direct impact on search rankings.

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Seventy-eight percent (78%) of small businesses with an SEO strategy claim they are confident in their understanding of SEO best practices, according to a new survey from The Manifest, a business news and how-to site.

• Despite this confidence, 63% of small businesses prioritize social media marketing over key SEO activities such as local search and on-site optimization. Social media, though, does not have a direct impact on search rankings.
• Overall, 36% of small businesses had an SEO strategy at the start of 2019, and 23% plan to create and implement an SEO strategy this year.

An SEO strategy sets up small businesses for long-term success, but it takes time, investment, and technical expertise to build and optimize website content to rank in search engines.

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Are Your SEO Benchmarks Focused on Local Search or On-Site Optimization

• SEO activities such as local search and on-site optimization help small businesses engage potential customers and make it easier for search engines to understand their websites.
• Fewer than half of small businesses (45%) say local search is a priority in their SEO strategy, despite its benefits of engaging local audiences and earning prime search rankings in a Google 3-Pack.

Technical SEO services such as on-site optimization help search engines and online audiences browse and understand a small businesses’ website content. Forty percent (40%) of small businesses incorporate on-site optimization into their SEO strategies.

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How SEO Agencies Can Help Businesses Achieve SEO Best Practices?

Small businesses mostly depend on in-house staff (54%) for their SEO strategies, more than double the number that partner with an SEO agency (28%).

• In-house staff are effective resources for efforts such as Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing but may lack the technical expertise needed to optimize their small business’ websites for SEO.
• SEO agencies have expertise across various SEO disciplines. As a result, small businesses that hire an SEO company include more services in their SEO strategies compared to those that rely on in-house staff.
• At least half focus on content marketing (56%), on-site optimization (54%), keyword research (54%), and local search optimization (50%) as part of their SEO strategies.

In addition, 77% of small businesses that hire an SEO company invest in PPC advertising. Using results from PPC campaigns, small businesses can learn and implement best practices for their SEO strategies.

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