SEO for Startups: Building Organic Growth from Day One
Essential SEO strategies that actually work for early-stage companies without enterprise budgets.
Search engine optimization feels like a dark art. For startups, it's tempting to dismiss SEO as something to worry about later. That's a mistake. The seeds you plant today determine your organic traffic years from now.
Why SEO Matters for Startups
Paid acquisition stops when you stop paying. SEO compounds over time. An article written today can generate traffic for years. $1,000 in ads = traffic this month. $1,000 in content = traffic this month AND next month AND the month after.
Foundation: Technical SEO
Site Speed: Test with Google PageSpeed Insights. Fix critical issues first.
Mobile Experience: Google uses mobile-first indexing. Your mobile experience IS your experience.
HTTPS: Secure sites rank better. SSL certificates are free through Let's Encrypt.
Keyword Strategy for Startups
You can't compete for broad keywords. "Project management software" is dominated by giants. But "project management for architecture firms" might be wide open. Focus on niche keywords with decent volume (100-1000/month) and lower competition.
Content That Ranks
Depth over volume: One comprehensive 2,000-word guide beats ten shallow 300-word posts.
Structure for readers AND crawlers: Use descriptive headings, break up text, answer questions directly.
The Realistic Timeline
Months 1-3: Technical fixes, content creation, minimal visible results. Months 4-6: Some content starts ranking. Months 6-12: Compound growth. Year 2+: SEO becomes significant acquisition channel.
Consistency beats intensity. Steady progress over months creates results that paid channels can't match.
