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Most small business owners want more leads, loyal customers, and predictable revenue. Marketing can help with all three.
But not all marketing strategies are equal. Some cost more than they return. Others just aren’t targeted or consistent enough to move the needle.
In this article, we’ll break down why marketing for businesses matters, what areas to focus on, and how to build a strategy that delivers. You’ll also find a quick-win checklist at the end to help you get started straight away.
Why marketing matters for small businesses
Without marketing, you’re relying on referrals, walk-ins, or sheer luck. But with a solid marketing plan, you can:
- Reach new audiences
- Stay top of mind
- Build long-term brand trust
- Convert more browsers into buyers
A recent report by McKinsey found that B2C companies that prioritise marketing are three times more likely than those that don’t prioritise it to have greater than 5% revenue growth.
This shows that marketing really is a business growth essential.
Build a foundation with your website
Your website is your most important digital asset. It’s often the first place customers go to check you out.
If your site is outdated, slow, or unclear, you risk losing them in seconds.
Here’s how to make your website work harder for you:
- Create individual service pages with clear, plain-English explanations
- Use local or niche keywords like ‘Sydney bookkeeper’ or ‘branding for interior designers’
- Add clear calls to action (e.g. ‘Book a call’, ‘Get a quote’)
- Make it mobile-friendly and fast-loading
- Install Google Analytics so you can track what works
Pro tip: Structure your website like a services menu, not a brochure. Help customers find exactly what they need.
Use content to build trust and get found
Most people don’t buy straight away. They search, compare, and educate themselves first.
That’s where content marketing comes in.
Publishing useful blogs, guides, or FAQs shows your expertise and helps people find you in Google when searching questions like:
- ‘How much does a business coach cost?’
- ‘What does a bookkeeper do for small businesses?’
- ‘How to choose a graphic designer for my brand?’
Answering real questions builds trust before someone even contacts you.
And according to HubSpot, businesses that blog consistently get 55% more website visitors than those that don’t.
Focus on your Google presence
Ever searched for a service near you and picked one from the Google Maps results?
That’s local SEO in action. And it works.
To improve your Google visibility:
- Claim and complete your Google Business Profile
- Add your services, opening hours, and photos
- Collect and respond to reviews (more on this below)
- Keep your business name, address, and phone consistent across all listings
Showing up in the top 3 local results (known as the ‘local pack’), gives you the best chance at capturing leads.
Pro tip: Businesses with complete profiles are twice as likely to be considered reputable by customers, according to Google itself..
Build credibility with online reviews and backlinks
Social proof is powerful. When someone sees positive reviews, it builds instant trust.
Encourage happy clients to leave feedback on:
- Industry-specific directories (e.g. Houzz, Oneflare, True Local)
Also look for opportunities to earn backlinks from:
- Industry associations
- Referral partners
- Local business groups or directories
Backlinks help Google trust your website and can improve your rankings.
Tip: Add reviews to your service pages as well. They work as both social proof and keyword content.
Real-world SEO and content in action
Swoop is an Australian internet provider offering high-speed NBN and fixed wireless plans. When we began working together, they weren’t ranking well for searches related to NBN plans or speed tiers, even though these were exactly the queries potential customers were typing into Google.
To fix this, we built an SEO strategy centred on publishing dedicated, keyword-focused pages for every major nbn® speed tier.
Instead of having one generic NBN plans page, we created individual, optimised pages for nbn® 250, nbn® 500, nbn® 750 and nbn® 1000. Each page directly targeted the exact keywords people search for when comparing internet plans. Take a look at their nbn® 1000 plan page here.
We then strengthened these pages with clear internal linking, well-structured on-page content, and supporting educational blogs (such as explaining speed tiers, FTTP upgrades, and choosing the right plan). This helped Google understand Swoop as an authority on high-speed NBN.
The impact:
- Organic traffic increased by up to 231%
- Organic conversions increased by up to 322%
- Swoop began ranking in top positions for multiple high-intent nbn® plan keywords
By publishing keyword-led plan content early—before many competitors—Swoop gained a genuine competitive advantage and secured strong visibility for the search terms that matter most.
Marketing for businesses is one of the smartest investments you can make. Done right, it puts you in front of the right people at the right time, builds trust, and grows your revenue.
Use the checklist below to get started. And if it feels overwhelming, remember that small consistent steps beat one-off efforts every time.
Want to see the same results as Swoop? Start by improving your online visibility today.
Quick-win marketing for businesses checklist
Start with these seven steps:
- Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile
- Create service pages that speak to specific clients or industries
- Add location-based and industry keywords naturally to your copy
- Publish blog posts answering common customer questions
- Ask happy customers to leave reviews on Google and Facebook
- Get listed on reputable directories and industry websites
- Monitor your site traffic with Google Analytics
Author: Marshall Thurlow is Director and Founder of Orion Marketing Pty Ltd. He is a digital marketer with expertise in SEO, website design, content marketing, and project management.