Affordable SEO for Small Business: 10 Budget-Friendly Strategies

Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for small businesses looking to improve their online visibility. However, many small business owners are deterred by the perceived high costs associated with effective SEO. Does this sound like you? The good news is that affordable SEO for small business is not only possible but also highly effective. 

This blog will explore ten budget-friendly strategies to help your business rank higher, drive traffic, and generate leads (without breaking the bank, of course). Let’s get started!

Why SEO Matters for Small Businesses

You see, SEO, in particular, local SEO, is about playing the long game. It offers long-term benefits that often surpass those of paid advertising. While pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns provide immediate results, SEO builds a sustainable foundation for organic traffic, enhancing visibility and credibility over time. 

So, what does this mean for you? 

The great thing about local SEO is that small businesses, in particular, benefit the most from this strategy, because it enables them to achieve a higher return on investment (ROI) from SEO efforts compared to other marketing channels, making it a smart investment even on the tightest of budgets.

Still not seeing the value in investing in local SEO? Local SEO helps small businesses compete effectively with larger companies by pinpointing local customers. Why compete when you can differentiate? Understand the perks in more detail in our post on why local SEO is important.

Understanding SEO Costs

Do you feel a sense of panic when looking at all those dollar signs? Listen, we know you’re not made of money, so let’s break things down to help you understand where these totals come from, and if they are worth the investment.

Typical SEO expenses can include things like: 

• Agency fees

• Software tools

• The time investment needed for implementation

While outsourcing SEO to an agency can seem costly upfront, what you gain back in terms of your time (and perhaps your sanity) might make it worth the sticker price. However, if this cost is just not in the cards right now, many small businesses find success through DIY approaches. 

Value-based SEO investments focus on strategies that offer the most significant returns for the least cost, striking a balance between quality and affordability. We’ll touch more on that in the next section.

10 Affordable SEO Strategies for Small Businesses

1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is a powerful tool for local SEO since it is often the first touchpoint a customer has with your business. Broadly’s review management features can help enhance your GBP, ensuring you always maintain a positive online presence.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to claiming and optimizing your profile:

1. Claim your business on Google My Business: If you haven’t already, sign up for Google My Business and claim your business listing. This will allow you to manage your online presence on Google (and other directories that refer to Google for their own listings).
2. Complete all sections with accurate, up-to-date information: Fill in your business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and any other relevant details. This information helps potential customers find and contact you.
3. Add high-quality photos of your business: Include pictures of your storefront, interior, products, and team to give potential customers a better sense of your business. For some good examples of what this looks like, check out our blog about local listing management.
4. Encourage customer reviews and respond to them: Positive reviews can boost your local rankings and attract more customers. Responding to reviews shows that you value customer feedback and are committed to providing excellent service.

Struggling to get noticed in local search results? Ensure your Google Business Profile is optimized with accurate and complete information. This will significantly boost your visibility in local searches. For a detailed guide, check out our blog on simplifying local SEO for maximum ranking results.

2. Conduct Keyword Research on a Budget

Keyword research is fundamental to any SEO strategy. To keep costs down, we recommend using free tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, and AnswerThePublic to identify low-competition, high-value keywords. 

From there, focus on understanding search intent to create content that meets user needs and attracts relevant traffic.

For instance, a plumbing service in Denver might find that “emergency plumbing repair Denver” is a highly searched term with low competition, making it a valuable keyword to target in their SEO efforts.

3. Create High-Quality, Optimized Content

When it comes to building your authority on search engines like Google, content is most definitely king. 

Follow these guidelines for easy, SEO-friendly content creation:

• Address user needs and search intent: Ensure your content provides valuable information that answers users’ queries. For example, a blog post titled “10 Tips for Maintaining Your Home’s Plumbing System” would be useful for homeowners looking for practical advice.
• Use primary and secondary keywords organically: Incorporate relevant keywords like “affordable furniture in Portland” throughout your content, but avoid keyword stuffing, this could hurt more than it could help.
• Ensure your content is informative, engaging, and valuable: High-quality content that solves problems or provides unique insights is more likely to attract and retain readers—kind of like our blog!

Need some creative inspiration? Broadly’s AI-assisted content creation tools can simplify this process, helping you produce optimized content quickly and easily.

4. Implement On-Page SEO Best Practices

On-page SEO involves optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic. Key elements include:

• Title tags: Create unique, keyword-rich titles for each page. For example, a page about plumbing services could have the title “Affordable Plumbing Services in Denver | [Your Business Name].”
• Meta descriptions: Write concise, engaging meta descriptions that include your target keywords. For instance, “Looking for affordable plumbing services in Denver? Our expert plumbers provide fast, reliable repairs at budget-friendly prices.”
• Headers: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content and include relevant keywords. An H1 tag could be “Affordable Plumbing Services in Denver,” while H2 tags might include “Emergency Plumbing Repairs” and “Routine Maintenance Services.”
• Internal linking: Link to other relevant pages on your website to keep users engaged and improve your site’s SEO. For example, a blog post about plumbing tips could link to your services page and a post about common plumbing issues.

Ensure your images are optimized with alt text and appropriate file sizes (so that pages don’t take forever to load). Broadly’s website builder comes with built-in SEO features to simplify this process for you.

5. Build a Mobile-Friendly Website

With Google’s mobile-first indexing, having a mobile-friendly website is pretty much the only way you will show up at the top of search results. You can improve your mobile user experience without spending a dime by:

• Using responsive design: Ensure your website adjusts to different screen sizes and devices. For example, a responsive website will look great on both a smartphone and a desktop computer.
• Ensuring fast load times: Optimize images, use browser caching, and minimize code to reduce load times. A study by Sweor found that 47% of users abandon sites that take longer than 2 seconds to load (Forbes).
• Simplifying navigation: Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for with clear menus and intuitive navigation. For instance, include a prominent “Contact Us” button and organize your services into easily accessible categories.

Make life easier with mobile: Broadly offers mobile-responsive website templates to ensure your site looks great on any device.

6. Leverage Local SEO Tactics

Optimizing for local searches is important for businesses big and small. 

Strategies include:

• Ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across all platforms: This consistency helps build trust with search engines and customers. Learn more about these best practices in our local SEO optimization guide.
• Optimizing for “near me” searches by including local keywords in your content: For example, a dentist in Chicago could use phrases like “best dentist near me in Chicago” and “affordable dental care in Chicago.”

Feeling overwhelmed by the tools needed for effective SEO? Use a combination of free and affordable tools to manage and improve your local SEO efforts—like Broadly! Broadly’s local SEO tools are designed for the little guys without the deepest pockets. For a comprehensive list and usage tips for effective SEO, refer to our blog on local SEO tools.

7. Encourage and Manage Customer Reviews

Online reviews are a major component for showing up in the rankings. They enhance credibility and can directly impact your rankings. After all, would you recommend a business with abysmal ratings? Neither would Google. 

Encourage customers to leave reviews by:

• Asking at the point of sale: Train your staff to request reviews from satisfied customers during checkout or service completion.
• Sending follow-up emails with review links: After a purchase or service, send a personalized email thanking the customer and asking for a review. Include direct links to your Google Business Profile, Yelp, or other review sites to show them where to go.

For example, a local HVAC company could increase their Google reviews by implementing a follow-up email campaign trigger. Broadly’s review management and campaign features can do just that, helping you collect and manage reviews without all the grunt work.

Pro Tip: Not getting enough online reviews fast enough? Sometimes your happy customers just need a nudge in the right direction. Learn how to ask for positive reviews and more about the impact of reviews in our article on how online reviews boost your SEO.

8. Utilize Free SEO Tools

Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s bad. Free tools can provide valuable insights into your website’s performance, helping you identify bottlenecks, blockers, and more.

Essential tools for the task include:

• Google Search Console: Monitor your site’s search performance, identify issues, and submit sitemaps. For example, use the “Performance” report to see which keywords bring the most traffic to your site.
• Google Analytics: Track visitor behavior, traffic sources, and conversions. Use the “Audience” report to understand your visitors’ demographics and interests.
• PageSpeed Insights: Analyze your site’s load speed and get recommendations for improvement. For instance, compressing images and enabling browser caching can significantly improve load times.

These tools help you monitor and optimize your SEO efforts.

9. Implement a Link Building Strategy on a Budget

Backlinks from reputable sites can make all the difference for SEO. Affordable link-building tactics include:

• Guest posting on relevant blogs: Write high-quality articles for other websites in your industry. For example, a real estate agent could guest post on a home improvement blog, providing valuable tips and linking back to their own site.
• Broken link building: Find broken links on other websites and suggest your content as a replacement. Use tools like Ahrefs or Check My Links to identify broken links in your niche.
• Utilize Connectively (Formerly HARO): Sign up to get opportunities to be quoted in articles and earn backlinks. Respond promptly and provide valuable insights to increase your chances of being featured.

For instance, a local landscaping company could earn several high-quality backlinks by writing guest posts for home and garden blogs.

Unsure where to start with local SEO? Begin by building citations on reputable local business directories to improve your local search visibility. Follow our step-by-step approach on how to do local SEO for a clear starting point.

Did you know? Broadly’s reputation management can boost your link-building efforts by strengthening your online presence and making your business more appealing to high-quality sites for backlinks.

10. Monitor and Analyze SEO Performance

Tracking your SEO performance is the key to continuous improvement. 

Key metrics to monitor include:

• Organic traffic: Use Google Analytics to track the number of visitors coming to your site from search engines. For example, monitor the “Acquisition” report to see how your SEO efforts impact overall traffic.
• Keyword rankings: Track your rankings for target keywords using tools like SEMrush or Broadly. For instance, see if your site moves up the rankings for a particular keyword you are trying to rank for.
• Bounce rate: Analyze the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate may indicate that your content isn’t meeting user expectations.
• Conversion rate: Measure the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, such as filling out a contact form or making a purchase.

Last but not lead, remember to set realistic SEO goals and benchmarks based on these metrics. SEO reporting and analytics tools provide detailed insights, helping you set and achieve your SEO objectives.

Maximizing ROI with Affordable SEO

If there is one thing we want you to take away from this blog, it is to prioritize your SEO efforts based on potential impact, balancing short-term wins with long-term strategies. Consistency and patience are key to achieving sustainable results, so be patient, and calculated in your efforts.

Case Studies: Small Businesses Succeeding with Affordable SEO

Here are a few examples of small businesses that have achieved local SEO success on a budget with Broadly:

1. George Oren Tires

2. Atlas Heating & Air

These examples highlight the effectiveness of affordable SEO strategies and showcase how small businesses can achieve significant results without a large marketing budget.

Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? Every industry has its nuances. Here are some helpful industry-specific local SEO tips to point you in the right direction:

• Local SEO tips for contractors
• Local SEO tips and advice for lawyers
• Local SEO tips for auto repair shops

Broadly: Affordable SEO for Small Business Success

By following these budget-friendly strategies, your small business can improve its search rankings, drive more traffic, and generate leads without a huge marketing spend. Affordable SEO for small businesses is achievable and can deliver substantial returns on investment when done right. Start implementing these tactics today to see the benefits for yourself!