How often do you turn to search engines like Google or Bing to find a product or service that you need? Have you ever clicked on anything on the 15th page of search results? Or the 50th? We didn’t think so. That’s why you need Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your small business. Ninety percent of all users click on the Top 10 search results on Google, which means that you are missing out on selling your product or service to 90% of your prospective customers. Sold yet?

It’s targeted

When your website shows up on the first page of search engines for relevant keywords and phrases, you are reaching your perfect audience. No one is going to look for “insurance company Chicago” if that isn’t something they are interested in finding. It gives you the opportunity to get in front of people who are actively seeking the product or service that you provide.

It lets you measure your results

Other traditional forms of advertising, like TV, newspaper, direct mail and radio, don’t allow you to track your results. When you utilize SEO, you are able to track exactly where your customers found you. The analytics will break down everything from referral sites to visitors, which will help you get a sense of how many people are finding you and how many people are converting to customers. This is huge, because who wants to spend money on advertising and marketing and not know whether it worked?

It will help you beat competitors

You might have an amazing website that many people would benefit from viewing, but if it is on the seventh page of popular searches, then you might as well not have a website at all. This is because most people don’t just type in URLs in the search bar – they go to a search engine and type in keywords of what are looking for. If you are on the first page, then this is a golden opportunity to scoop up the customers looking for your product or service.

It builds a good reputation for your brand

When you have a good-looking website and you are coming up on the first page of searches, this validates your credibility to current customers and helps you look relevant and trustworthy to prospective customers. It’s a win-win, and who doesn’t want to boost their reputation?

SEO is the optimal way to promote any type of business. No matter what you offer and where you are located, it’s guaranteed that someone is searching keywords that are relevant to your business. Everyone turns to search engines with questions, and you could be the answer! Most companies hire an agency to provide SEO services, since it can be difficult to accomplish on your own, but prices are very low in comparison to other advertising and marketing efforts, and best of all, the outcome is measurable.

Danielle Pacelli is the Marketing Coordinator at MycroBurst/Logo Design Guru. MycroBurst is based in Langhorne, Pa. and is an online marketplace for graphic design. MycroBurst provides custom designs through crowdsourcing. Follow Danielle and MycroBurst on Twitter @MycroBurst.