SEO 'can transform SME sales'

Small businesses can transform their website's performance by ensuring it ranks highly in search engine results, an expert has claimed.

Ben Potter, sales director at search engine optimisation (SEO) company Leapfrogg, said many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) believe that taking steps to optimise their websites will be time consuming and complicated.

He made his comments in response to research commissioned by Microsoft adCenter and carried out by Vanson Bourne which showed 62 per cent of small British firms have made no investment in SEO.

This is despite more than three-quarters of SMEs who did invest in SEO reporting an increase in their sales.

Mr Potter said: "The costs at this stage remain relatively low in comparison with other forms of marketing and although a degree of time is required on the part of the client, most of the activity is covered by the agency."

In October, Niall Devitt, sales training consultant with Real World Sales Training, commented in his blog that generally only large firms are maximising the internet's potential.

He suggested SMEs use content such as newsletters, blogs and advice to encourage visitors to their sites and build inbound links and higher search engine rankings.