SEO for startups: how to get your startup marketing right

Startups often want to achieve quick results so that they can make a name for themselves as soon as possible after launch. One of the faster routes to early results is search engine advertising (SEA), which should definitely be part of your startup marketing. When planning, however, you should not neglect search engine optimisation.

Since SEO is an ongoing process, you should start as early as possible. But that is not the only reason to address SEO for startups from the outset. By using search-engine-optimised content from the moment you build the website, you save yourself having to rework all your landing pages at a later date.

If you have never worked on search engine optimisation before, it will take some time to develop an SEO strategy and read up on the subject. There is a good reason why companies around the world entrust these tasks to online marketing agencies. Here are the most important SEO aspects of your startup marketing:

• Keyword-based content marketing
• Meeting user intent
• Well-structured, clearly presented information
• The right content management system
• Internal links, backlinks
• Optimising other media, such as images
• Regular analysis of your startup’s performance data

If you are working on your startup marketing and want to create content that not only appears high up in the organic search results but also appeals to potential customers, you need to look at keyword research and search intent. You need to meet users’ search intent while using only keywords that are relevant to you.

This process can prove difficult, particularly for startups offering an innovative product or service. After all, users do not search for a product that is not yet on the market or has only just been launched. The task is therefore to identify the search intent of potential customers who might be interested in your product, and to appear in their search results through the targeted use of relevant keywords. You should use the keywords not only in the text of your page but also in the names of your images.

An example: your startup offers an innovative product designed to help with back problems. Since nobody knows your specific product “XYZ” yet, nobody will search for “XYZ” in a search engine. You can still reach potential customers by targeting queries such as “What helps with back problems?” and making sure your startup is shown to users with this search intent.

To build your website and achieve successful SEO at the same time, you should also choose a suitable content management system (CMS). Website speed, for example, is an important factor that can be influenced by the CMS, among other things, and plays a significant role in technical SEO.

The structure of your website also matters if you want to be taken seriously by search engines and to appeal to users and keep them on the page. By paying attention to these aspects from the start when building your startup’s website, you save yourself a great deal of work, cost and time.

Another important aspect of search engine optimisation is placing links. This applies both to internal links between the individual landing pages of your website and to backlinks, that is, links from other websites that point to your page. These links show search engines such as Google that your startup is a relevant and trustworthy company.

Social media marketing should not be forgotten either, because it has become indispensable, above all for a company’s branding. Social media marketing is crucial for startups because it is inexpensive, effective and far-reaching. Through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter), startups can quickly increase their visibility, reach target audiences and build customer loyalty. You can share appealing content that presents your product or service and encourages customer interaction. Continuous analysis of metrics allows you to adjust and refine your brand’s target audiences. Social media also offers a platform for customer feedback and support. Overall, it is a powerful tool for driving brand awareness and growth for startups.