The Importance of Leveraging SEO Tools in Launching a New Business

Intro

Starting a new business can somewhat seem a little daunting. Some say it’s the fear of failing while others tell me it’s the investment to start. Largely I’ve found many small to medium business owners found they didn’t know how to leverage the plethora of online tools to maximize their time.

One Bite At A Time

I went to a conference where a speaker asked the audience, ‘How Do You Eat An Elephant’. There was that expected, awkward silence, and then he responded, ‘One Bite At A Time…’.

Just a little random, I thought, but it resonated with me. Any task no matter how complex, can be tackled bit by bit.

However, putting all the complexities aside for a moment, Entrepreneurship is an exhilarating journey filled with challenges and opportunities.

When I started my first online business back in 2005, Facebook was relatively new, and MySpace was gaining some traction. Analytics was the new kid on the block and YouTube was full of Cat videos (and still is) but there wasn’t a heck load going on that could help my product-based e-commerce site thrive.

The Big Boom

The dinosaurs experienced it, you need to see the Facebook Stats to see they experienced it also but one of the most crucial aspects of establishing a successful online presence is mastering the Big Boom of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, relying on trustworthy SEO tools can be the key to achieving online success.

It’s not new information, but many online businesses are ‘Mom and Dad’ start-ups.

I noticed that Ice Baths has become a trending business and I decided to start one because I couldn’t find what I was looking for locally.

Before I launched into it, I set some ground rules and targets.

1. Spend no more than $2000.
2. Work it 10 hours a week or less.
3. Profit within the first 8 weeks.

I noticed lots of smaller companies rely heavily on trusted SEO tools to help guide their new ventures along so based on a recommendation from a digital marketing friend, I harnessed the power of SEO tools from Rank Tracker.

I needed to get a head start on the competition and get the exact search volume for the primary keywords I needed to rank for.

To build a strong digital presence I knew I needed to leverage effective but affordable tools to get the best head start

This article delves into why using SEO tools is essential for new businesses and how they can turn the tides in favour of your online growth.

The Volatility of SEO

SEO is a dynamic field with algorithms and best practices that change frequently. Heck, I’ve learnt there are dozens and dozens of Google’s algorithm changes a year, with several being core updates.

Keeping up with these changes manually can be overwhelming. This is where I found the right tools can take the heavy lifting out of your week. They help businesses stay updated with the latest trends and ensure that their websites remain competitive.

Saving Time and Resources

For new businesses, time and resources tend to be limited and I gave myself 10 hours a week, so I needed to automate as many tasks as I could that would otherwise require significant manual effort.

From keyword research to performance tracking, these tools streamline processes, allowing me to focus on other critical aspects of business, while looking after 2 kids and holding down a full-time job.

Data-Driven Decisions

Understanding how to market a product or service, doesn’t need to be hard. You’ll find thousands of hours on YouTube in a heartbeat. However understanding which keywords to target, how your competitors are performing, and what changes are needed to improve your site's ranking can make a significant difference when you seek the right advice.

I found tools like Rank Tracker's Keyword Finder and SERP Checker offer detailed analysis that helps in making informed decisions. I love GA4 for the analytics, and it was even better seeing all my efforts slowly pay off.

Perhaps the below graph isn’t ‘Sipping Cocktails from Coconuts in Fiji’ numbers but it’s encouraging to say the least.

Freeze Tub Analytics SnapShot 2 months after starting.

Freeze Tub: A Case Study in Success

The Journey of Freeze Tub

Freeze Tub is a leading provider of portable ice baths and is a good old Kiwi example of how effective SEO tools can be in establishing a new business in a small market while still being a doting Dad and Husband.

When Freeze Tub started, I faced the daunting task of making a mark in a developing trend. I already could see other companies from overseas tracking into New Zealand so I needed to step it up a notch. After a couple of months, I managed to take ownership of a few top positions in SERPs.

Picture from NZBusiness Publication

Utilizing Rank Tracker Tools

Freeze Tub relied on several key tools from Rank Tracker to enhance their SEO strategy:

SEO Checklist. This is an SME’s best friend. You need this. For the same reason a Pilot does their pre-flight check, you need your SEO Checklist and I’ll be cheesy and remind you of a Benjamin Franklin quote ‘By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail’.

I think you get the picture, start with your SEO Checklist.

SERP Checker. This tool helped me monitor my rankings and understand how I was going against my new competitor friends.

By keeping an eye on the search engine results pages (SERPs), I learnt I could adjust my strategy to improve visibility.     Keyword Finder. Finding relevant and high-performing keywords can be time-consuming. I found the Keyword Finder tool streamlined this process, giving Freeze Tub a list of targeted keywords to focus content on.

Performance Tracking

Understanding how well your SEO efforts are paying off is crucial, even if you just check your Analytics out once a week. Performance tracking tools provide insights into various metrics such as website traffic, bounce rates, and conversion rates. Search Console is another great tool to use.

For analytics, I tend to look at the Overview Report and Compare Month to Month to ensure I am on track and growing.

Competitor Analysis

Knowing what your competitors are doing can give you a competitive edge. Trust me when I say SEO tools offer insights into competitor strategies, allowing you to identify gaps in your approach and find opportunities for improvement.

It’s kind of fun being stealth like spying in on the competitors to see if I can reverse engineer any approaches for my project.

The Results

The results speak for themselves. Freeze Tub's website traffic increased significantly, despite having expected ‘blips’ along the way I ended up eventually having higher conversions and sales month on month. My online presence grew and I am now an established reputable brand in New Zealand.

Not bad for a $2000 investment.

Investing in SEO Tools: A Worthwhile Decision?

Heck Yes! Most of my investment was a website but I kept 10% aside for tools and that has been by far the best $200 I’ve spent.

Investing in SEO tools is akin to having your own marketing team and for a small one-man-band, a marketing team is essential. Online tools are terrible drinkers so don’t expect your Xmas parties to go off, but they don’t take time off work either so there are some bonuses.

Final Thoughts

In today's digital world, the importance of SEO cannot be overstated. For new businesses, using reliable SEO tools is essential. As a business owner, you want to work ‘on your business’, not so much ‘in it’ and by leveraging the right tools to gain traction, you can get what is an extremely important job done way faster than what I could back in 2005!

The success of companies like Freeze Tub demonstrates how these tools can transform a fledgling business into a market leader.