Never manually optimize for SEO again
This post is a love letter to the small business owners out there struggling with on-page search engine optimization. Mid to enterprise-size companies have the budget to bring in SEO experts (often an accompanying copywriter as well) to mesh optimization data with creativity for a supremely optimized site, page to page. The reason for this, of course, is because SEO is an expensive service. While fairly easy to grasp, it’s time consuming and tedious work, often requiring a person to sift through a bottomless amount of information before they become a true SEO expert. SEO isn’t a side gig you take on like knitting; it’s an entire profession, and an intimidating one at that.
Our point is, we don’t want to live in a world where small business owners must become SEO gurus in order to breach their target market. It’s weird and it sucks. Robots and elephants are learning to paint. Why is this happening before automated SEO?
In an attempt to alleviate this strain, various optimization plugins emerged claiming they could quell the fuss. They’ve been around forever now, and so we’re asking: Small business owners, do your SEO troubles feel quelled?
While these plugins offer valuable features, they fall short of meeting the specific needs of small businesses in a hurry to get up and firing on all cylinders. This post, then, is an analysis of these shortcomings in on-page SEO plugins, where we attempt to identify and detail what exactly it is that’s leaving a huge chunk of the world’s businesses behind.
How modern SEO is working against small business owners
1. No automation: Struggling to save time
Small business owners wear many hats, and time is a valuable resource. SEO optimization plugins promise to streamline the optimization process, but in reality, users often find themselves spending precious creative time manually optimizing each page. If you’ve ever done this, you know it can take hours to optimize a fresh page.
For small businesses with limited resources, a lack of automation hampers their ability to efficiently manage SEO while juggling other critical business tasks. SEO plugins need to take their recommendations a step further. Bad meta description = sad face isn’t enough. We need tools that automate the decision process with recommendations and direction; no more emojis that only infuriate the user.
With current SEO plugins, users are forced to guess. The user thinks, “okay, so I know the SEO bot is mad at me . . . But why?”
2. Lack of education: Understanding the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’
SEO optimization plugins provide recommendations and scores, but they often fail to offer in-depth education on what exactly these scores mean. Small business owners usually aren’t SEO experts—they’re manufacturing experts, coffee experts, service experts—and without understanding the underlying principles, they may find it challenging to make informed decisions.
A lot of SEO plugins come packaged for the SEO master, leaving a broad spectrum of users in the dark. And what does this do? It directly inhibits their ability to take a proactive approach to SEO strategy and business growth.
3. Fuzzy instructions: What does a “happy” or “green” SEO score actually mean?
Many SEO optimization plugins work via a simplified ‘traffic light’ system, indicating whether a page is well-optimized (green) or not (red) or half way there (yellow).
But here’s the rub: A ‘green’ SEO score does not guarantee high search engine rankings. SEO success rely on various factors that the non-SEO savvy user might not be aware of, including:
- Backlinks
- User experience
- Content quality
- Page loading
- Mobile responsiveness
- Concise and optimized URLs
These factors are not always fully addressed by plugins, often not in the tool tips and in some cases not even on the plugin provider’s own website. What we’re saying is, small business owners need comprehensive guidance that goes beyond a mere ‘green’ light.
4. Absent page topic research: Not all keywords are created equal
Successful SEO starts with thorough keyword research, but many optimization plugins are ill-equipped to provide this essential service, not even a starting point. Small business owners need help identifying relevant and competitive keywords that align with their industry and target audience. Without access to reliable research tools, small businesses struggle to establish a strong SEO foundation from the outset.
Leveling the SEO game for all businesses
To sum up, here’s everything we believe should be available in a SEO plugin, and what ultimately led our designers and developers to start working on a product that can actually do something for small businesses.
- Automation and Time-Saving Features: A plugins that offers more automation in the optimization process, that can help small business owners focus on their core tasks while still implementing effective SEO strategies/
- Integrated SEO education: A good SEO plugin can tell you if something is wrong, but a great plugin goes beyond suggestions by providing comprehensive educational resources. I.e., how to fix something, and an explanation of why you’re doing it. No more guesswork.
- Holistic SEO: A plugin that considers all SEO factors, offering insights into areas beyond content optimization, emphasizing the importance of backlinks, user experience, and more. Because SEO isn’t just about keywords–it’s about digital presence and quality.
- Research support: A plugin that can tell you what to write about. Plain and simple. Not all topics or page titles are created equal, so an effective SEO plugin should be able to tell you what your primary keyword should be (and why it’s the one to use).
Our inspiration for SEO Central
It’s time to shelve outdated practices and start building SEO tools that truly cater to the specific needs of not just small businesses, but all business types, helping them excel and flourish in the ever-changing digital landscape.
