As a Columbus business owner or part of an SMB team, you probably have competing priorities: do you focus on growing your team, fulfilling contract terms, or attending events at the Columbus Chamber (or Powell, Westerville, and other local chambers)? SEO and/or Local SEO are probably the last things on the list, and that’s when your competitors start showing up ahead of you… everywhere.
One thing must always remain at the top of your priority list: SEO. And for B2B, it isn’t optional. So, if you’re chasing your next big win, here are five reasons SEO deserves a top spot on your business objectives.
1. Answer Engine Optimization – Stay Relevant
Ever heard of ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, and Gemini?
If you want the next generation of buyers to find you, you must understand how these tools pull answers.
Spoiler: These tools compile answers from search engines.
Therefore, if you aren’t ranking in search engine results pages, you’re also not ranking on these AI-driven “answer engines.”
People use answer engines to find local services, such as “top roofer in Hilliard” or “best chiropractor in Worthington.” With Local SEO, you can appear in these high-intent local prompts. We know it works because it took roughly six months of AEO for our core services to consistently appear in these local prompts!
2. It’s the Most Effective Way to Get Found Online
Businesses have lots of options to promote visibility, but not all of them are cost-effective. Let’s break a few down with their average service cost:
- PPC Advertising
- You can target the entire U.S. or narrow down your focus to Bexley, Ohio. When considering any advertising, note that there are two costs involved: the price per click and a management fee.
- Estimated: $3,000+ per month
- Social Media
- Organic growth on social media is challenging to achieve. You first need to build a big audience before consistent posting can happen.
- Estimated: $2,500+ per month
- Email Marketing
- It’s a volume game. You need software, contact lists, copy, and ongoing campaign optimizations. Inboxes are smarter, making cold emailing harder and more resource-intensive than ever.
- Estimated: $1,750+ per month
- Cold Calling
- It still works… but it’s not scalable and is costly.
- Cost: $$$$ for pretty much a sales FTE
- SEO
- Always on. Always working. Hyper-targeted. Evergreen. You own the content and the traffic.
- Estimated: $2,000+ per month
From this list, email is the most cost-effective option; however, you’ll eventually reach email saturation or have your domain marked as spam. SEO is next and is the foundation of everything digital. Once you build it, buyers will find you on search and answer engines, transforming your website into an inbound machine. Prioritize SEO today.
3. Your Competitors Are Doing It, Just Not Well
Small businesses struggle with SEO because it’s not a “set it and forget it” tactic. It requires strategy, setup, ongoing maintenance, research, writing, technical fixes, and constant improvements.
You can do it yourself, but if you do, expect tons of hours on top of your day job.
Alternatively, you can hire staff, including an SEO strategist and a copywriter. A solid team is worth it, but you’re looking at $100,000+ annually.
The smarter route? Hiring a nearby Columbus marketing agency that specializes in SEO for a fraction of the cost.
A good agency will handle the technical, on-page, and off-page pieces: all the things most businesses often struggle to get right.
4. Better Content Results in Higher Conversion Rates
Here’s the thing: SEO isn’t just about generating organic traffic; it’s about keeping people engaged once they land on your site.
SEO must consider what your customers care about, including events, trends, local happenings, and frequently asked questions. You can then create engaging content by:
- Publishing new pages and optimizing existing ones
- Publishing new blog articles and optimizing existing ones
- Optimizing images
- Building internal links
- Cross-referencing related resources
This works because Google has published research stating that a longer time on site for customers results in a higher likelihood of conversion. In other words, build and link valuable content to increase your chances of receiving form fills, newsletter sign-ups, or phone calls.
SEO gives your site this structure to make that happen.
5. A Better-Performing Website Converts More
Part of SEO includes your website’s overall performance.
Yes, Google has stated that speed isn’t a “major ranking factor,” but their own research contradicts this, showing that fast, easy-to-use websites convert better.
Slow, buggy websites turn customers away instantly. Look for these red flags:
- A 10-second mobile load time
- Broken layouts and assets not loading
- Forms that don’t submit
If PageSpeed Insights identifies these red flags or your site feels slow, reach out! We can help clean it up and optimize your site for today’s digital buyers.
The Bottom Line
SEO isn’t just another marketing tactic; it’s the foundation of your online presence. If you’re a Columbus business looking to grow, build trust, and get found by real buyers, SEO and/or Local SEO should be your top marketing priority.
Need help improving your SEO, cleaning up your site, or boosting your local Columbus visibility? Contact Uplancer for help improving your rankings on search and answer engines today.
