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Only 17% of SMBs Willing to Invest in SEO

Written by Pete Prestipino | Feb 7, 2017 6:00:00 AM

It appears that search engine optimization does not receive the virtual love it deserves. 

The Web.com Small Business Digital Trends Report, created in collaboration with an Innovation Fellow in the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, Dr. David Ricketts, reveals that only 17 percent of small business owners are willing to invest in search engine optimization (SEO) in 2017.

Many believe SEO to be a calculated risk, but 17 percent? Come on people! 

Besides the small number of businesses that are willing to invest in SEO, the study also suggested that 85 percent of small businesses are hitting some kind of roadblock when attempting to use social media to promote their businesses. In other words, only 15 percent are effectively using social media to market their products. 

"In 2017, it is no longer enough for small business owners to be online with just a web site. They need business-specific social media channels that engage customers, they need a search-engine-optimization (SEO) strategy that will get them on the top of search lists, and they need online marketing advice from real people who understand how to stay one step ahead of their competition and customer expectations," Web.com CEO David Brown said.