Is Organic or Inorganic SEO Best for Small Businesses?

Organic and Inorganic–sounds like we are talking about food, but when it comes to SEO, it refers to the two main ways you can attract clients to your small business website. 

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is what helps your business rank high on internet search results. 

Organic Versus Inorganic SEO

Organic SEO and inorganic SEO are the two main types of SEO. 

Inorganic SEO is paid search, or Pay-Per-Click (PPC) to rank higher on results. An example of inorganic SEO is Google ads, where you pay to rank higher for certain search keywords and phrases. 

As a small business, inorganic SEO can help you reach new customers right away. But, it can be a waste of money if not set up carefully. Keep in mind that inorganic SEO is only effective as long as you are actively paying for that service.

Organic SEO is how you improve your search ranking without advertising. This is done by using researched keywords, building up the content on your small business website, and applying SEO practices. 

Organic SEO is more of a long-game for attracting customers. Once you’ve begun making SEO improvements to your website, it takes a few months to see results. But, you continue to attract clients long after that, as long as you continue to maintain your site’s SEO health. 

Examples of Inorganic and Organic SEO Results

When you perform a search on Google, you almost always get both inorganic and organic results. 

Inorganic results are always at the very top and are marked as “sponsored” so you know it’s a paid result. In the example below, Alpine Fit of Boulder has paid to rank at the top. 

Google Places, aka the map section, is typically under the sponsored list and gives local options for the search query. It can include both inorganic (they are marked with the word “Ad”) and organic results. All the examples in the image below are organic results. 

Note: In order to show up organically on the Google Places map, you must add or claim your Business Profile on Google. If you are a local business, this is an essential step. It won’t guarantee you’ll show up in the map, but it will help your odds for map results and local searches.

After the map, you’ll typically find typical FAQs related to your keyword and organic search results. In the example below, Physical Therapy of Boulder is the number one organic result for a query for “physical therapist in Boulder, CO.” You’ll also notice they were the top result in the Google Places map in the image above.

Which Type of SEO Should My Business Use? 

Small businesses absolutely need to do organic SEO. It’s the only way to stay competitive for the long term as a business. Organic SEO is cheaper, and it will give you a long-term payout.

If you only focus on paid, inorganic SEO, you will only attract new clients when you are actively paying for clicks. 

Many small businesses can benefit from doing both. If you have the advertising dollars, you should do both. If you are opening a new business, or need to boost your client base right away, a well-orchestrated online ad campaign could be a good investment. But, you should also be working on your organic SEO to invest in the long-term success of business. 

When to Implement Organic SEO

If you’re a new business building a website, it is best to make sure you apply the latest organic SEO practices from the start. It’s much easier to implement it before your site launches than to fix SEO issues 6 months or a year after your business launch. 

Keep in mind that SEO is an ever-evolving field as search engines work to improve their algorithms. Techniques that were once popular in the past, like keyword stuffing, will now hurt your ranking.  

If your website is established but not performing well in searches, it’s time for an update. 

How to Improve Your Website’s Organic SEO

If you want to improve your small business’s SEO rankings organically, there are lots of reputable free guides out there. I recommend Semrush’s SEO Guide for Beginners or Hubspot’s free beginner SEO Certification Course. For keyword research, read my blog post on basic keyword research.

But if that all sounds intimidating or you just don’t have the time, I can help. I offer SEO Consulting and Marketing Services for small businesses that work for your budget. Reach out if you want to chat.