Which Niches Stand to Benefit Most From SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is popular because of its cost-effectiveness, and because it’s relatively approachable, even if you don’t have much experience in the realm of web development, content writing, or related fields. And certainly, SEO proponents like us would recommend the strategy to practically any business that has a website.

That being said, it’s undeniable that some companies have more to gain than others. Are there certain niches or industries for whom SEO is more valuable?

What We Look For

Let’s define some of the main qualities we look for when deciding whether an industry has more potential than another:

  • Competition level. The less competition an industry faces in SEO, the better. For example, if you were to launch an Amazon competitor, it would be terrifyingly difficult to match or exceed their rankings. But if you’re only competing with a mom-and-pop landscaping business next door, you’ll have a much easier time.
  • Customer needs. We also need to consider industries and niches that demand lots of search activity from consumers. If customers search for answers in your field frequently, SEO becomes more valuable.
  • Locality. Local SEO is powerful, and lets you circumvent the need to engage with your competitors on a national level. If your company operates on a purely local level, it becomes an even better SEO candidate.

Especially Powerful Niches

So what are some niches that can benefit most from SEO?

  • Automotive. Automotive companies, especially car dealerships, can benefit enormously from SEO, in ways traditional marketing just can’t match. Consumers are relying on searches to inform their vehicle purchasing decisions now more than ever, so it pays to get ahead of those searches. Plus, not many dealerships are engaging in SEO, so the local rankings could be yours for the picking.
  • SaaS companies. Software-as-a-Service companies also have a lot to gain by engaging in an SEO campaign. These companies exist entirely online, and typically provide services that fulfill a specific need. This makes them ideal for attracting an online audience, though the competition level is higher here than it is in other niches.
  • Medical. While many medical professionals build their practices through referrals, SEO is a high-ROI supplementary strategy to ensure a steady flow of new clients. Patients will almost always choose a local provider over a distant one, which makes local SEO a strong possibility, and the content you write for SEO purposes can double as an added benefit to keep your patients happy.
  • Legal. Lawyers and law firms also have much to gain by using SEO to attract new clients, especially if they practice law in a specific field. You probably don’t have much (if any) competition in your city, which means you can dominate the local charts in short order.
  • Maintenance. Maintenance companies, whether they’re in automotive repair or focused on HVAC applications, can win much more business through SEO than through any other method. Customers often seek these companies after experiencing a breakdown or similarly urgent need. Unless they have a company in mind already, they’re going to turn to search to address their query. On top of that, most customers here shop local, so it will be much easier to get in front of the customers you need most.
  • Restaurants and bars. Restaurants and bars are plentiful, with more than 647,000 restaurants in the United States, and even more bars and nightclubs. At first glance, this may seem like too much competition, but the reality is, many local establishments spend little, if any time optimizing their websites. It’s the perfect opportunity to strike.
  • Small companies. In fact, almost any small business that operates locally has a distinct advantage in SEO. You won’t face much competition over the eyes and attention of your local population, and your customers will often be searching specifically for a local solution.
  • Highly targeted companies. Almost any company with a highly targeted niche will stand to benefit more from SEO than a company with a broad market, by sheer virtue of their scope of targeted keywords. Niche-focused companies will choose from very low-competition keywords, which makes it easier for them to build early-stage rankings appropriate for their audiences.

The Case for Value in Any Niche

Of course, we also have to consider the fact that any niche can be valuable, for a deceptively simple reason. As the expected value or power of SEO decreases, the number of companies in that space using it will decrease. Accordingly, SEO becomes less expensive and easier to build. In other words, the lower the value, the lower the cost, and the higher the value, the higher the cost. This balancing effect is what makes SEO almost universally applicable—as long as you know the unique strengths and weaknesses offered by your industry.