4 SEO Tips for Startups to Hit the Ground Running

Every startup wants to hit the ground running. But except for those who get massive funding, the ramp-up period can be slow. 

Many startups look to online marketing channels like SEO, social media, and paid advertising to kickstart their growth. Paid advertising can get expensive for a bootstrapped startup, and SEO can take time before seeing results. 

But what if I told you there are ways to see rankings and traffic in less than the standard timeframe of six months? Here are four ways to hit the ground running with SEO.

 

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  1. Promote Pre-Launch to Build Brand Awareness

Google and other search engines love to see a growing brand. Most SEO’s believe signals like direct traffic, brand searches (searches for your company or brand name), and social engagement send good signs to search engines and build trust.

Though they may not seem like “SEO activities,” promote your brand offline, establish a social media presence, and consider online advertising. These efforts will generate some direct traffic and brand searches. The interest will generate early brand awareness online and set you up for success once you begin investing in SEO.

 

  1. Consider Purchasing an Expired Domain

Many marketers believe it takes 6-12 months before seeing significant SEO progress because most companies use a brand new domain. As hinted above, it can take Google some time to trust both your website and your brand. 

However, instead of starting from scratch with a new domain, consider purchasing an already-used domain that may already have an SEO foundation. You can buy domains like this from domain registrars like GoDaddy and via auctions.

But don’t settle for just any domain. Make sure it hasn’t been used for spammy websites and that both the domain name and current link profile are relevant to your business.

 

  1. Start Creating Content Early

Creating content that resonates with your audience is a critical SEO activity. Don’t wait to do this. 

If you want to hit the ground running, begin creating content before you officially launch. Get to know your audience, do some keyword research, and start churning out quality landing pages and blogs that will earn you traffic.

 

  1. Hire an Agency Before Launch

If this sounds like too much, you may benefit from a digital marketing agency specializing in search. An experienced agency saves you valuable time and protects you from doing anything that could harm your search engine rankings.

Like Global Search Marketing, many agencies are experts in both PPC (pay per click) and SEO (organic search engine optimization). 

This combination is perfect for early startups, as you benefit from paid search while laying your SEO foundation. In the long run, you can scale back from your paid efforts while your organic activities start to rake in traffic.

Don’t take SEO for granted. It may seem like hard – and complicated – work, but it yields big-time benefits for startups in the long run. Your future self will thank you. 

Consider finding a partner to help, and hit the ground running.

 

Jeremy

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