As a new company, you need potential customers to find you online, especially if they do not know your brand name. That means SEO for startups is essential. In fact, as a startup, an SEO strategy should be part of your business plan. You want to get as much traffic to your website as possible to build brand recognition.
So, how do you do it? Read on—we’ll show you!
What you will learn
- Why SEO is important for startups
- How to do SEO when you're a startup
Why SEO is important for startups
Why would you implement SEO practices when you are just starting out?
The answer is simple: by using effective SEO techniques, you position yourself for success online.
Increased visibility
As a startup, your goal is to get your brand in front of as many potential customers as possible. Boosted visibility through SEO can make that happen.
When your website ranks higher in search results, it's like having a prime spot in a bustling marketplace.
This increased exposure means more potential customers discovering your startup. And ultimately, more valuable leads and deals.
Higher website traffic
By publishing high-quality content optimized for the right keywords on a regular basis, you increase your chances of featuring at the top of search results. This, in turn, attracts a larger audience to your website.
First Page Sage, in their article on Google click-through rates by ranking position, mentions that ranking first in a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) in your niche will generate 39.8% CTR in 2023. Then CTR drops significantly. The second and third-ranking positions get 18.7% and 10.2%, respectively.
More traffic means more potential customers will discover your startup and engage with your content, increasing your customer base.
Improved credibility
Credibility is key in the competitive startup landscape. Startup SEO plays a vital role in building and improving it.
When you rank higher in search results, it shows that you are trustworthy. Potential customers often associate higher search rankings with credibility and expertise.
By implementing an effective SEO strategy, you:
- Enhance your reputation,
- Gain the trust of your target audience,
- Establish yourself as a reliable player in the industry.
Better user experience
We’ve all abandoned sites where we could not figure out how to find something! When it comes to websites, user experience is everything.
By optimizing your site for search engines, you also enhance usability. When visitors can easily find what they're looking for, thanks to well-structured content and optimized navigation, it improves their overall experience.
And never neglect page speed—it is a direct Google ranking factor. Speed also affects rankings indirectly as poor performance increases bounce rate and reduces dwell time.
Cost-effective channel
SEO is a cost-effective channel for startups looking to maximize their marketing budget.
Compared to other marketing methods, such as paid advertising, SEO delivers long-term results at a lower cost. By strategically optimizing your content, you can increase your organic search visibility. And attract more relevant traffic over time.
The high return on investment that SEO offers makes it a valuable tool for startups aiming to grow their business on a budget.
Make every penny count towards your success!
How to do SEO for startups
Now you know how you can benefit from startup SEO. But implementing the best SEO practices requires dedication and know-how.
In this section, we’ll walk you through each step of the process.
Define your goals and KPIs
Defining your goals and KPIs is an important step to ensure that your SEO efforts align with your business objectives. Here's what you need to know.
First, identify the general objectives you want to achieve through SEO. As a startup, you want to pick specific goals that will directly impact your business results. While improving credibility is great, it's better suited for more established companies. For you, it's all about traffic, conversions, and brand awareness.
Outstanding content marketing will drive much of your SEO success. You may want to read more about content goals specifically.
Here are a few examples of goals to consider:
- Increase organic traffic
- Improve keyword rankings
- Boost conversion rate
- Enhance brand awareness
Once you've defined your goals, it's time to determine the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These will help you measure the success of those goals. Remember, KPIs should be measurable and directly tied to your objectives. Again, as a startup, your KPIs should revolve around conversions, leads, sales, or traffic.
Here are some examples:
- Increase organic website traffic by 25% within six months through effective SEO tasks.
- Improve keyword rankings to appear on the first page of Google within three months.
- Achieve a 10% increase per month in the conversion rate through targeted landing page optimization.
- Increase the branded search volume by 10% every month.
You can also align your KPIs with content marketing goals—read more about content-related KPIs to measure your site’s performance.
By setting clear goals and measurable KPIs, you'll have a solid foundation to track your progress. You will be able to make data-driven decisions and optimize your SEO efforts accordingly.
Conduct keyword research
Keyword research is about understanding the words and phrases people use to search for products or services like yours.
Identify these keywords, and create content that helps users resolve their problems or gives them the best answers to their questions.
Here's what you need to do:
- Start by drawing up a list of potential keywords that are relevant to your business.
- Think about the terms your customers might use to find you.
- Consider your specific product names or services.
- Include industry-related phrases.
- Add location-based keywords, if applicable.
Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and brainstorm those words.
Next, expand your keyword list by using keyword research tools.
These tools provide insights into search volumes, competition levels, and related keywords.
They will help you discover new keyword opportunities and refine your list to focus on the most valuable terms.
You can use Surfer Keyword Research tool to automate your keyword research process.
- Open Surfer Keyword Research Tool
- Enter your target keyword and country
- Click Create Keyword Research
In a few seconds, Surfer will generate a list of keyword ideas that are thematically linked to your main topic.
For example, if your startup is in the augmented reality niche, here's a list of 65 ideas for new blog posts.
Here's what one of those suggested keywords looks like.
You can also use the Google search bar.
Your keyword research should be aligned with your business objectives and the content you plan to create.
It's not just about ranking for generic terms. You should also target medium-tail (3 to 4-word phrases) and long-tail keywords.
By the way, Google’s predictive search function is a great source for medium-tail keywords. Each type of keyword will attract customers at a different stage in the sale funnel.
Pick realistic topics
What do we mean by “realistic topics” for your startup SEO?
You don’t want to waste time and effort trying to compete against established domains for high-volume popular keywords.
Instead, focus on a smarter approach.
To start, pick one or two main topics that are core to your business.
These should be topics that you can potentially rank for on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs).
Here are four factors to consider when picking your keywords:
1. Keyword Difficulty
Determine the content ranking potential by analyzing keyword difficulty. Browse through the SERPs and see who currently ranks for the keyword. If you see well-established domains and authoritative websites, it might be a tough nut to crack. Aim for keywords where you have a realistic chance of ranking.
If you are not sure about the authority of sites that you see on the Google SERP, use Surfer’s SERP Analyzer tool. Just enter your keyword and view the competition’s Domain Score (a number from 1 to 10 that represents the strength of a page’s backlink profile).
2. Search Intent
Understand the search intent behind a keyword before selecting it.
Try it! Enter the keyword and see what Google presents.
For example, are there mainly informational articles?
Or are most of the pages commercial?
Now that you understand the intent, does it align with your topic? If so, create a great piece of content. If not, continue your search.
3. Business Potential
Consider the value the keyword holds for your target audience and your business.
Is it something that will attract your ideal customers?
Will you make a sale or get them on your mailing list?
Sometimes, it's better to rank for a low-volume keyword that really suits your business.
4. Search Volume. While search volume is important for driving traffic, don't ignore keywords with low volume. These keywords may have greater conversion potential.
For example, using commercial buying keywords like "best" and "top" enables you to target potential customers prepared to purchase.
Also, these keywords often have lower search volumes due to their specificity and length. This presents an opportunity to leverage them effectively and maximize your return on investment (ROI).
You may not always meet all of these requirements, and that's okay.
Aim to find keywords that meet some of these criteria and align with your business goals.
Start with realistic topics that allow you to make progress and gain visibility in your niche.
Aim for topical depth
What do we mean by “topical depth?”
Simply put, it means covering your main and subtopics fully in individual articles and your website as a whole.
Having topical depth can make a big impact on your visibility and authority in search engine rankings.
Topical authority refers to being recognized as a knowledgeable and trusted source of information on a specific topic.
One effective strategy to build topical authority is creating topic clusters or content hubs.
These are interconnected pieces of content that cover different aspects of a specific topic.
By creating a comprehensive resource that covers various facets of a subject, you demonstrate your expertise.
And increase the chances of search engines viewing your website as a go-to destination for that topic.
For example, if you're a startup in the fitness industry, you could create a content hub on "Weight Loss Strategies."
This hub could include pillar content that covers the main topic, such as an article on "Healthy Eating Habits for Weight Loss."
You can then create supporting content, like blog posts or videos, that dive deeper into subtopics.
Think of "Effective Workouts for Weight Loss" or "Tips for Staying Motivated on Your Weight Loss Journey."
When you interlink these pieces of content within your topic cluster and provide valuable, comprehensive information, you establish topical depth.
Google recognizes this depth as authority. This can lead to higher rankings and, more importantly, increased visibility for your startup.
Draw a topical map
Image source RankRange https://www.rankranger.com/blog/topical-map
Think of a topical map as a blueprint that outlines the structure and scope of your content hub.
It visually represents the main topic and its subtopics. This will help you understand the depth and breadth of your content coverage. It's like creating a roadmap for your content creation process.
Drawing a topical map allows you to plan ahead and make informed decisions.
By mapping out the main topic and its related subtopics, you can estimate the amount of content you'll need and how long it will take to produce. This helps you manage your resources efficiently, whether it's determining how many writers to hire or allocating your budget effectively.
A topical map can save you time as you do all the planning upfront. It sets a clear direction for your content creation.
Now, here's where AI can lend a helping hand. Like most startups, you may have limited resources and time. Leveraging AI-powered tools to generate articles can be a game-changer.
These tools can analyze existing content, identify relevant information, and generate high-quality articles that align with your topical map. It's a smart way to augment your content creation process and ensure you have enough content to cover your planned topics.
Create SEO-friendly content
Creating SEO-friendly content can boost your visibility and attract visitors.
It's all about publishing valuable and relevant content on a regular basis. And, of course, strategically incorporating your target keywords.
As one piece of content can rank for multiple keywords, be sure to group related keywords together and optimize your content for these.
And don’t forget about search intent.
By aligning your content with the search intent, you increase the chances of attracting and engaging your audience.
Analyze the SERP in terms of:
- Content type (for example, posts, product pages, videos, or landing pages)
- Content format (how-to guides, listicles, news articles, or reviews)
There are four basic areas where you should also include your keywords. These signal search engines about your context and intent:
- Page title. Your page title is like a headline for your content. It should accurately reflect the topic and include your target keyword. Craft a compelling title that grabs attention and entices users to click through to your content.
- Header tags. Use header tags (such as H1, H2, and H3) to structure your content. These tags not only help users navigate your page but also signal the importance and relevance of the content to Google. Include your keywords naturally within the headers to further optimize your content.
- URL structure. Your URL plays a role in communicating the context of your content to Google. Include your target keyword in the URL to provide a clear indication of what the page is about. Keep it concise, descriptive, and user-friendly.
- Meta data. Meta titles and meta descriptions are the snippets that appear in the SERP. Craft compelling meta titles that include your target keyword and accurately summarize your content. Similarly, write engaging meta descriptions that entice users to click through to your page.
You should also target Google’s Rich Snippets (like star-rated reviews, top stories, events, and product markup) in your content. Use Structured Markup that’s specifically designed to get the type of Rich Snippet you are aiming for.
Optimize links
First, let's focus on internal linking. Internal links are like pathways within your website that guide visitors and search engines to other relevant pages.
In terms of search engines, internal links:
- Help to discover new pages
- Act as a signal to show the importance of certain pages
- Clarify the relationships between pages
Make sure to connect pages that share a similar theme or topic by using internal links. This enhances the user experience.
When creating internal links, use descriptive anchor text. The anchor text is the clickable text that represents the link. By using descriptive and relevant anchor text, you provide search engines with more context about the linked page.
For example, don't use generic text like "click here." Instead, use specific keywords or phrases that accurately describe the linked content.
If your website is on WordPress, you can take advantage of plugins like Internal Link Juicer to help manage your internal links. These plugins can help automate the process and ensure that your internal linking strategy is optimized.
Now, let's talk about external links. External links point from your website to other authoritative and credible websites. Include a few external links to reputable sources to provide additional value to your readers. This will also send a signal to Google that your content is well-researched and trustworthy.
Tell your story
When just starting out, you might rightfully feel like you're at a disadvantage compared to more established companies. But you have something unique that sets you apart from the rest: your story.
Build a compelling narrative around how your company was founded.
It's a great way to showcase your authenticity and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Share your journey, your passion, and what inspired you to start this venture. Show that you're not just another faceless company but real people who genuinely care about your customers.
A strong story can do wonders for your SEO efforts.
It can help you pitch and secure organic features and backlinks from high-authority websites and news publications. These mentions and backlinks act as powerful endorsements. They generate buzz around your brand without the hefty costs of traditional PR.
Take a look at Airbnb as a prime example.
They successfully told their story of how they started as a small apartment-sharing platform and grew into a global hospitality phenomenon. Airbnb captured the hearts and attention of users and the media.
They explained the unique experiences and personal connections they enable.
So, don't underestimate the power of your story.
Embrace it, share it, and let it shine through your website and other marketing channels.
People love authenticity. When they resonate with your story, they are more likely to become loyal customers and advocates for your brand.
Build high-quality backlinks
High-quality backlinks are like gold in the SEO world!
They're one of the most powerful ranking factors and can make a significant difference for your website. But link building is not easy!
To start building high-quality backlinks, you need to identify opportunities.
Consider platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out), where journalists seek expert opinions.
Responding to relevant queries can land you valuable backlinks from reputable publications.
Another strategy is guest posting, where you contribute articles to industry blogs or websites in exchange for a backlink. If you have high-value articles, you should reach out to someone who’s already linked to similar content and ask them to link to yours instead.
Sharing your story can open doors for speaking engagements, podcasts, and interviews that often come with backlinks.
Industry forums, if they allow it, may also offer backlink opportunities.
Backlinks from .edu and .gov sites are particularly powerful. This is how you can search for appropriate .edu backlink opportunities:
site:.edu “your keyword”
site:.edu “your keyword” + “resources”
site:.edu “your keyword” + inurl:links
site:.edu “your keyword” + “other sites”
Industry directories like Startup Tracker, Crunchbase, BetaList, and Gust also offer excellent backlink opportunities. At the same time, appearing on those types of sites can attract more clients as well as potential investors.
Remember not to spread yourself too thin.
Instead of chasing countless link-building targets, focus on a select few that align with your goals and priorities.
Analyze your competitors' strategies using link intersect tools. These identify your competitors’ backlinks.
You could approach a potential backlink source site to link to your article if:
- The backlink is pointing to an old and outdated article
- The article they link to on your competitor’s site does not exist anymore
- Your article covers the topic in more depth
Once you've shortlisted reputable websites, reach out to them with a personalized pitch.
Offer something valuable in return for the link, such as:
- Promoting their content on your strong social media presence
- Providing access to your product or service
- Offering a warm introduction to someone beneficial for them
If you don't have these resources, be honest and explain your goals and how you believe your product can benefit them.
Use follow-up emails or messages to increase your chances of success.
Remember to monitor your backlink profile regularly to ensure you're gaining relevant links from your niche. Make sure you're not falling victim to spammy websites.
If you outsource your link-building activities, keep a close eye on the quality of the backlinks.
Maintain a strong and trustworthy backlink profile.
Analyze competitor SEO strategies
Analyze competitors and their SEO strategies. You want to focus on those who are at a similar level to you in terms of their online presence and brand awareness.
So, Hubspot may not be the best comparison if you're just starting out, even if you both offer CRM and automation systems.
Start by identifying your main online competitors within the industry.
Look for companies that are targeting similar keywords and have a comparable organic presence. Once you've found them, it's time to dig deeper.
Take a close look at the keywords they are targeting.
Are there any specific keywords or phrases that consistently appear in their content? This can give you insights into what keywords are relevant and valuable for your industry.
Next, examine the quality of their content. What type of content are they producing?
- In-depth articles
- Informative videos
- Engaging infographics
Understand the content formats that resonate with your target audience to help you shape your own content strategy.
Don't forget to investigate their backlink profile. Look at the websites that are linking to them.
Are these reputable and authoritative sources?
Analyze their backlinks to discover opportunities for you to get similar high-quality backlinks.
Conduct a technical SEO audit
Do a technical SEO audit as you launch your website. Thereafter, regular audits every few months are essential to ensure your website is performing at its best.
You may ask yourself why you have to do technical audits often.
The answer is that the internet is dynamic in nature; things like external links may change over time.
Or Google updates may affect your performance.
Look out for problems like:
- Broken links
- Slow page load times
- Any mobile unfriendliness
- A lapsed HTTPS security certificate
- An incorrect Robots.txt file
- Pages that are no longer indexed
- 404 errors due to redirects not working
- Unoptimized images
Once you've identified the issues, prioritize fixing them.
Start with the ones that could have the biggest impact on your SEO.
In addition to Google Search Console, there are many free and paid SEO tools you can use to find technical issues.
This is a screenshot of a Screaming Frog audit report.
Fixing technical issues is like fine-tuning your website's engine.
It ensures that search engines can easily crawl and index your pages, leading to improved visibility in search results.
A smooth and user-friendly website experience also keeps visitors engaged. And it encourages them to explore more of your content.
Monitor your SEO performance
Monitoring your SEO performance will ensure that your efforts pay off and help you achieve your goals. Let's look at how you can effectively track and measure your SEO success.
Regularly check your KPIs to see if you're making progress toward your SEO goals.
Tools like Google Analytics and Search Console can be your best friends for this.
They provide valuable insights into your website's performance and audience behavior. This will show you what's working, what isn't, and what needs improvement.
Keep a close eye on your:
- Keyword rankings
- Organic click-through rate
- Branded vs. non-branded traffic
- Organic visibility in SERP (including knowledge panel, local packs, featured snippets, etc.)
- Conversion rates
- Cost per acquisition (CPA = total cost of SEO / conversions) - this should reduce over time
- Return on investment (revenue generated - investment cost / investment cost)
- Backlinks
- User engagement (bounce rate, average time on page, session duration, and pages per session)
These metrics will give you a clear picture of how well your search engine optimization initiatives are driving results.
If you notice any significant changes in performance or if search engine algorithms and industry trends shift, you need to adjust your strategy accordingly.
SEO is a living process that you have to nurture. Your competitors will be monitoring you, so you have to monitor them too - it’s like a “cold war.”
When do startups need SEO?
SEO for startups can be a powerful tool, especially when you have a limited marketing budget.
Startups should consider dedicating resources to SEO when they’ve looking to expand their organic reach and improve brand awareness in a cost effective manner.
Attracting users
You need SEO when you want to attract traffic to your website in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.
Pay-per-click advertising only addresses commercial intent. Being a startup, you want to attract visitors from every part of the sales funnel.
Brian Dean from Backlinko recommends using what he terms the “Skyscraper Technique 2.0” with the original Skyscraper Technique (which refers to writing a thorough article, no matter its size, updating old content, and email backlink outreach).
In essence, Skyscraper Technique 2.0 consists of:
- Determining user intent,
- Satisfying that intent, and
- Optimizing user experience signals.
His organic traffic increased by 652% in a week using this technique!
Another good approach is to build helpful evergreen content that solves user problems and supports your product. Such content can attract a lot of organic traffic over time. Think of:
- A calculator
- “How-to” guides
- Tutorials
- Industry resources
Product launch
When you are preparing for a product launch, SEO should be part of your strategy. By implementing SEO early on, you can create a strong online presence right from the start.
This targeted visibility can generate valuable organic traffic. It can also attract early adopters and create buzz around your offerings.
Spreading the word about your new product via your email list or social media will also help to attract more visitors to your site. You can also repurpose your content into a podcast to reach a wider audience.
Product or service expansion
By optimizing your content, you can reach a wider audience and ensure that your new offerings gain the visibility they deserve.
Imagine this: potential customers are out there, actively searching for the exact products or services you're expanding into. With SEO, you can make sure your startup appears at the top of those search results. You can capture the attention of those interested in what you have to offer.
It's about putting your startup in front of the right eyes at the right time.
Entering competitive markets
Entering a competitive market is exciting, but it can also be quite challenging. But SEO can be your secret weapon to gain a competitive advantage in such environments where other marketing channels may be difficult.
In your content:
- Explain how your product or service provides the best solution to the customer’s problem.
- Highlight the benefits of your offering.
Think about it. When potential customers are searching for solutions within your niche, you want to be right there in the search results, ready to capture their attention.
Scaling business
As you grow, you'll likely want to target a broader audience or explore new locations. You may, for example, want to start attracting international clients.
By adding keywords and removing those that limit your reach, you can attract organic traffic from different regions and demographics. This means you can expand your customer base without incurring the usual marketing expenses.
Generating leads
One of the biggest challenges for startups is generating leads, right? Well, SEO can help without incurring the hefty costs associated with paid ads.
The beauty of SEO is that it's a long-term investment. Unlike paid ads that require constant funding, SEO keeps working for you even when you're not actively spending on it.
Tip: Build a list of people who might be interested in your products or services. (Get a virtual assistant to search social media platforms and help you compile a list.) Then send an email to your list to promote your product and drive more traffic to your website. You should also consider a newsletter, e-book, or white paper to attract new customers.
Meeting customer search needs
The truth is people are actively searching for what you have to offer. And when someone is searching for a solution or exploring options, they turn to Google.
- Answer search queries comprehensively.
- Cover “People also ask” questions.
Use your content to convince customers that your product is the best choice. For example, use “Top X for Y” or “X vs Y” type articles.
Key takeaways
- SEO increases brand visibility and drives website traffic. It also improves credibility when your website ranks high on Google. And it enhances the user experience through improved usability. SEO is a cost-effective marketing channel that offers long-term benefits.
- To implement SEO for startups, you first need to define your goals and KPIs. This will ensure that your SEO strategy, including content marketing, aligns with your business objectives.
- Identify keywords that you can rank for and that relate directly to your business offering. Choose realistic topics and consider keyword difficulty, search intent, business potential, and search volume (but don’t dismiss low-volume keywords as they could be profitable).
- Aim for topical depth by covering your main and subtopics fully in individual articles and your website as a whole. Topical depth will improve your visibility and authority in search engine rankings. Use a topical map to visually represent your content coverage.
- Create SEO-friendly content that gives users the best answers to their queries or helps them solve their problems. Use internal links between pages that share a similar theme or topic. Add external links to authoritative sites to provide more value to readers.
- Google sees backlinks as a sign of authority. Identify opportunities by analyzing your competitors’ backlinks. Then build high-quality backlinks to reputable and authoritative sites.
- Conduct technical SEO audits regularly using Google Search Console and other SEO tools like Screaming Frog. Then fix the most critical problems first. This ensures the crawlability and indexing of your pages, leading to improved visibility in search results. In addition, a user-friendly website experience keeps visitors engaged.
- Monitor your SEO performance using Google Analytics and Search Console. Implement strategic changes if you are affected by Google algorithm updates or industry trends. Check your KPIs to see if you're making progress toward your goals.
- Startups need SEO when wanting to attract more customers and generate leads or for a new product launch. It is also helpful when scaling your business, for product or service expansion, and when entering a competitive market.
Conclusion
Search engine optimization can be resource-intensive and time-consuming. And not everybody is willing to invest in SEO for startups.
But if you do, you will bring value to your customers and reap long-term benefits like increased visibility, higher organic traffic, more leads, and greater brand awareness.
As a startup, SEO should be part of your business development strategy.
