SEO is often a critical acquisition channel for startups.<\/p>\n
Here, we\u2019ll share actionable advice on how to get going with SEO for startups on a budget. Without expensive and complicated tactics.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with how to get buy-in for SEO in the first place.<\/p>\n
You need support from leadership to launch an SEO program that will help you achieve business goals.<\/p>\n
If everyone is sold on SEO and ready to go, skip to the\u00a0next section<\/a>.<\/p>\n But if anyone on your team feels hesitant, you\u2019ll need to overcome that.<\/p>\n Skepticism around SEO investment usually happens due to:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s go over how to address both:<\/p>\n Educating leadership about what implementing an SEO plan takes will keep them from thinking you\u2019re talking about anything that could sacrifice the brand image. Like creating low-quality content or engaging in keyword stuffing (see\u00a0an example from Google<\/a>\u00a0below).<\/p>\n So, be specific about what you\u2019re proposing. Instead of saying \u201cwe\u2019ll do SEO,\u201d be clearer.<\/p>\n For example, say that you\u2019ll:<\/p>\n It also helps to position SEO as a distribution channel rather than saying you\u2019ll create \u201cSEO content.\u201d<\/p>\n You can explain that you\u2019ll create quality content that will be helpful for your ideal prospects (and current customers). And optimize it to rank highly in search engine results to drive traffic to it.<\/p>\n You might even mention that our\u00a0State of Search<\/a>\u00a0report shows a clear correlation between high rankings and clicks through to those websites.<\/p>\n Leveraging a sound SEO strategy for startups can help any new business with just one person creating content start to see SEO results within a few months.<\/p>\n You might not rank for category-defining keywords in that time. But you\u2019ll get some small early wins with the right approach.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive into what that involves:<\/p>\n You\u2019ll see SEO results faster if you prioritize keywords that indicate searchers need a solution you can provide.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re doing SEO for software-as-a-service (SaaS) startups, for example, good topics might include things like:<\/p>\n Imagine you\u2019re a kanban board software. Applying those categories, we might find:<\/p>\n These types of keywords clearly indicate that searchers need the solution that a kanban software provides, so it\u2019s reasonable to expect high conversion rates.<\/p>\n (Higher than \u201ctask management methods,\u201d for example. Which indicates the person is looking for information\u2014not for a solution.)<\/p>\n Next, you need to consider monthly search volume and\u00a0Keyword Difficulty<\/a>\u00a0(KD). KD is a score from 0 (easy) to 100 (hard) which reflects how difficult it is to rank in the top 10 for that keyword.<\/p>\n The earlier you are in your SEO journey, the less likely you are to succeed in ranking for keywords with high difficulty scores. To get some initial traction, you\u2019ll want to focus on ones with less competition.<\/p>\n To get KD and volume data, you\u2019ll need a keyword research tool like\u00a0Keyword Magic Tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n Open the tool, enter a seed idea (a broad term related to your product or service), and click \u201c\u041f\u043e\u0438\u0441\u043a<\/strong>.\u201d We\u2019ll use \u201cproject management software\u201d in this example.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll then see a list with thousands of keywords.<\/p>\n Next, we want to add filters. \u201cProject management software\u201d might have over 22K monthly searches, but with a KD of 89, it\u2019s far too difficult to pursue as a startup.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look for easier variations by applying a \u201cKD %\u201d filter set from 0 to 29.<\/p>\n We now have variations like \u201cland surveying project management software\u201d which have a lower keyword difficulty. You\u2019re much more likely to see some early results by focusing on more specific variations like these.<\/p>\n If you want to find the keywords which have both low difficulty and higher search volume, click on the \u201cVolume<\/strong>\u201d column to sort by highest volume within your criteria.<\/p>\n \u201cProject management software for architects\u201d and \u201clegal project management software\u201d have hundreds of searches per month on average, yet still have a lower keyword difficulty.<\/p>\n You can also find good keyword variations that are more specific (and typically have low difficulty scores) by using the suggested groups and subgroups in the column to the left of the keyword list.<\/p>\n Repeat this process with a handful of seed ideas. And it will form the basis of your initial SEO content plan.<\/p>\n To get more ideas, you can:<\/p>\n Further reading<\/strong>:\u00a0How to Do Keyword Research for SEO<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Next, focus on creating content targeting the keywords you discovered during research. Because the sooner you start getting content produced and published, the sooner you can potentially start ranking.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a simple process to get started creating SEO-friendly content:<\/p>\n If you have in-house content resources, great. If not, you\u2019ll need to hire.<\/p>\n Your options are:<\/p>\n Often, startups get SEO content creation off the ground using freelancers.<\/p>\n Here are the advantages to going that route:<\/p>\n The main downside to consider is that freelancers typically won\u2019t understand your product as well as an in-house hire will.<\/p>\n SEO content briefs are key to scaling content. Because they help writers understand exactly how to execute each piece and reduce back-and-forth and editing time.<\/p>\n Creating a standardized template for your briefs will speed up the process.<\/p>\n Briefs can vary in their comprehensiveness, but they should all specify:<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a good idea to provide an explanation of what the\u00a0search intent<\/a>\u00a0is.<\/p>\n Because if you don\u2019t get it right, you won\u2019t be able to rank.<\/p>\n With our \u201cproject management software\u201d example, the SERP shows us that every top result is a list of different software solutions.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the type of content you need to produce to compete. Anything else, like a product landing page, probably wouldn\u2019t rank.<\/p>\n Simply check the current SERP in advance. And tell the writer how to satisfy the searcher\u2019s intent.<\/p>\n You can mention:<\/p>\n And for topics with high purchase intent, help the writer understand how your product solves searchers\u2019 problems. Because there\u2019s usually a natural opportunity to mention your solution.<\/p>\n Give the writer examples of how you\u2019ve naturally mentioned your product or service in that type of content before. Like this example from Slack:<\/p>\n To see more real-world examples of how to pitch a product within content, just scroll up or down. There are lots of natural mentions of how Semrush helps startups with SEO throughout this page.<\/p>\n Further reading<\/strong>:\u00a0How to Create the Perfect Content Brief<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n On-page optimizations are things you can do directly on your pages to maximize the chances of ranking for your target keywords.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a simple checklist you can use:<\/p>\n You can do these things yourself before publishing. Or add it to the content brief as part of the writer\u2019s scope of work.<\/p>\n Further reading<\/strong>:\u00a0On-Page SEO: What It Is and How to Do It<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Style guidelines will help you onboard new writers faster, save on editing time, and increase the quality of your output.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t necessarily need one to get started. But start taking note of your editorial preferences and brand particulars that will come together to form style guidelines over time.<\/p>\n Think about things like:<\/p>\n You can also leverage an existing style guide like the\u00a0AP Stylebook<\/a>\u00a0to guide you.<\/p>\n For most startups, technical SEO foundations like ensuring an SEO-friendly architecture, creating an XML sitemap, and applying some basic load speed improvements are enough at first.<\/p>\n Generally, you\u2019ll get more bang for your buck by creating more content in the early stages.<\/p>\n But the three tactics we mentioned above are worth your attention:<\/p>\n The fewer clicks it takes to get from the homepage to other key pages, the better. Because it makes it easier for users and search engines to find their way around your site.<\/p>\n You should aim for a relatively flat site structure. And avoid having any pages which are inaccessible due to having no internal links pointing to them (known as orphaned pages).<\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Implementing a logical, user-friendly structure early on is better than doing it later.<\/p>\n Why?<\/p>\n Because the longer you leave it in subpar condition, the more difficult it will be to change.<\/p>\n As you plan your structure, think about:<\/p>\n Site Audit<\/a>\u00a0can help you find orphaned pages.<\/p>\n When you create your first project, you\u2019ll have a few settings to configure.<\/p>\n In most cases, the default settings work fine\u2014but you may want to increase the limit of checked pages for larger sites.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re happy with the settings, click \u201cStart Site Audit<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n When it\u2019s ready, go to the \u201cIssues<\/strong>\u201d tab.<\/p>\n There, you\u2019ll see a search box. Enter \u201corphan\u201d to find orphaned pages quickly.<\/p>\n Find natural places on other pages to add\u00a0internal links<\/a>\u00a0pointing to each of the orphaned pages. And you\u2019re good to go.<\/p>\n Find Orphaned Pages<\/p>\n with the Site Audit Tool<\/p>\n<\/div>\n An XML sitemap can help search engines find your pages faster. And creating one is quick and doesn\u2019t require recurring work.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of what they look like:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using a content management system (CMS), it will likely auto-generate a sitemap for you. This is true for\u00a0WordPress<\/a>,\u00a0Shopify<\/a>,\u00a0Wix<\/a>, and\u00a0Squarespace<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have a CMS, you can use a\u00a0sitemap generator tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once it\u2019s created, submit the URL to\u00a0Google Search Console<\/a>. It\u2019s usually something like yourdomain.com\/sitemap.xml.<\/p>\n Load speed is important because slow sites make for a poor user experience.<\/p>\n Page speed is also a\u00a0confirmed ranking factor<\/a>. All other things being equal, a fast-loading page is likely to perform better than a slow-loading page in Google Search.<\/p>\n The best way to get started is to run your key site pages through Google\u2019s\u00a0PageSpeed Insights<\/a>\u00a0tool.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll get a ton of information about how well your page is performing, broken down into four scores: Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO.<\/p>\n The Performance score is the one that matters for load speed.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t shoot for a score of 100. Usually, that requires excessive optimizations to the point where you start to sacrifice other things (e.g., design).<\/p>\n Look for quick wins like:<\/p>\n Further reading<\/strong>:\u00a0How to Improve Your Google PageSpeed Insights Score<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n In the beginning, you should prioritize content creation over gaining links from other sites.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re tight on capacity and budget, you\u2019ll likely be torn between the two. But start with carefully selected topics and focus on nailing the content first.<\/p>\n Then, it makes sense to begin link building.<\/p>\n Here are two startup-friendly link building tactics to consider:<\/p>\n Writing for another site is a tried and tested way to get backlinks.<\/p>\n Look for websites that:<\/p>\n Avoid generic news sites, sites that aren\u2019t relevant, or sites that have potentially spammy backlinks or content.<\/p>\n Editors get bombarded with outreach for guest article opportunities. So, put some time and effort into your outreach to stand out.<\/p>\n Try to put yourself in their shoes. And pitch a topic that could drive some organic traffic and provide internal linking opportunities for their site.<\/p>\n Further reading<\/strong>:\u00a0How to Guest Post For SEO<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n A linkable asset is a type of content that earns backlinks naturally. Which means you can do less outreach.<\/p>\n Often, linkable assets include original research and statistics, free tools, and useful guides.<\/p>\n Here are a few great examples of linkable assets:<\/p>\n To get some ideas, check competitors\u2019 domains for linkable assets using\u00a0Backlink Analytics<\/a>.<\/p>\n Enter a competitor\u2019s domain and click \u201cAnalyze<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Go to the \u201cIndexed Pages<\/strong>\u201d tab to see which pages have attracted the most backlinks.<\/p>\n Doing this with a few different competitors will give you an idea of the types of content that earn links in your space.<\/p>\n Get Insights on Backlink Profiles<\/p>\n with the Backlink Analytics Tool<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You\u2019ll need to measure SEO performance to see whether your SEO work is contributing to business goals. And to optimize your strategy as you go.<\/p>\n The exact metrics you\u2019ll want to track will depend on what your overarching goals are.<\/p>\n But here are three metrics startups commonly track:<\/p>\n Rankings are a useful leading indicator. Because you\u2019ll likely see progress there before the traffic and conversions start showing up.<\/p>\n A rank tracker is among the most useful SEO tools for startups. And can give you useful data about how your rankings are trending.<\/p>\n You can use\u00a0Position Tracking<\/a>\u00a0to keep an eye on your rankings.<\/p>\n Open the tool, follow\u00a0the configuration instructions<\/a>, and then click \u201cSet up tracking<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Head to the \u201cOverview<\/strong>\u201d report to see your list of keywords and how your rankings have changed (the default view shows changes over the last seven days).<\/p>\n Organic traffic is the unpaid search traffic you\u2019re earning through SEO efforts. And you need to track it because it\u2019s a prerequisite for conversions (and revenue) from SEO.<\/p>\n And organic traffic can be tracked for your entire domain, for specific pages, and for subfolders.<\/p>\n For example, you can track organic traffic to your blog specifically by only looking into URLs that are unique to your blog content (for most sites, that means URLs that look something like yourdomain.com\/blog\/).<\/p>\n The easiest way to segment your traffic by subfolder like that is with\u00a0Google Search Console<\/a>\u00a0(GSC). If you haven\u2019t used it before, you\u2019ll need to verify ownership of your website. Learn how to do that in our\u00a0GSC guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n Click \u201cPerformance<\/strong>\u201d in the left sidebar (or \u201cFull report<\/strong>\u201d).<\/p>\n Next, click on \u201c+ New<\/strong>,\u201d and select \u201cPage<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Lastly, use \u201cURLs containing\u201d and enter whichever characters would identify the subfolder you want to measure (e.g. \u201c\/blog\/\u201d).<\/p>\n Doing this helps you visualize the impact of your work better than looking at overall organic traffic to your website.<\/p>\n All the traffic you earn is only worthwhile if it translates into valuable actions (e.g., purchases, signups, downloads).<\/p>\n\n
Help Leadership Understand What SEO for a Startup Involves<\/h3>\n
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SEO Doesn\u2019t Have to Take 6+ Months<\/h3>\n
5 Steps to Improve SEO for a Startup<\/h2>\n
1. Conduct Keyword Research<\/h2>\n
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2. Start Creating Content<\/h2>\n
Determine Who Will Write the Content<\/h3>\n
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Create an SEO Brief Template<\/h3>\n
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Create an On-Page Optimizations Checklist<\/h3>\n
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Document Your Style and Editing Preferences<\/h3>\n
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3. Follow Some Technical SEO Basics<\/h2>\n
Create an SEO-Friendly Site Architecture<\/h3>\n
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Create and Submit an XML Sitemap<\/h3>\n
Improve Page Load Speed<\/h3>\n
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4. Do Strategic Link Building<\/h2>\n
Writing Guest Articles<\/h3>\n
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Create Linkable Assets<\/h3>\n
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5. Measure Your SEO Performance<\/h2>\n
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Keyword Rankings<\/h3>\n
Organic Traffic<\/h3>\n
Conversions from Organic Traffic<\/h3>\n