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SEO 'vital' to online SMEs

Aug 24 2007

Online small businesses must invest in search engine optimisation (SEO) to drive customers to their web pages, marketing experts have claimed.

According to the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), without the use of SEO the websites of many small companies will not justify their cost.

Commenting on the increasing need for entrepreneurs to embrace SEO, David Thorp at the CIM says: 'For many SME businesses, investment in search engine optimisation is vital, and without it most businesses will struggle to generate the traffic needed to justify its creation and maintenance.'

He adds: 'If you are looking to attract new customers you need to invest in search engine optimisation to drive customers to your web site.'

Recent statistics reinforce the need for SMEs to form a stronger presence on the internet. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, just 18 per cent of SMEs sell online even though Internet Advertising Bureau statistics claim the 66 per cent of the UK adult population are now regularly using the internet.

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