The main reason small businesses stay small is because the owners maintain a small business mindset. For some people, being small works, it is what they want. But others dream big and want to accomplish their bigger goals, even though they continue to struggle to make it there. They can't ever seem to get over that small-time hump. If you want to be more than a small business, then it's time to stop thinking like the small business you are and start thinking like the bigger business you want to be. The first place to start is with your online marketing campaigns. There are a few exceptions, but search engine marketing has leveled the playing field significantly for small businesses. However, as more companies make online marketing more of a priority – the playing field is becoming slanted again. More recognizable brands and companies with larger budgets, and a larger team of people to manage multiple online search engine marketing campaigns are gaining an advantage.

It's becoming increasingly difficult for small businesses to make headway into competitive fields against this rush for a greater online presence. All that being said, it can be done. There are still plenty of opportunities for small businesses to succeed, even against well-financed competitors. But to do so it requires some clever thinking and swift moving – two things which big businesses are generally not great at. Be smarter than a big business Online Marketing and SEO success is not always about achieving number one rankings.

It's easy to determine which of those businesses that come to SEO House are serious about their success. Those who "want to be #1" are looking for a quick fix. Those that want to build visibility and improve conversions and sales are looking at the bigger picture. Rankings are a means to an end, not the end itself. Is a #1 ranking still possible? Of course. Is it always the best idea? It depends. It depends on the phrase, the targeted traffic it draws, the conversion rates it achieves, and the amount of time and money it takes to get it there. There are a lot of great #1 rankings that can be achieved that can do great things for your company, yet many business owners focus on getting #1 rankings for specific keywords that don't give them a good return on their investment. What's the point? Even if you already own the top positions, as long as you still have the small business mindset you're going to find yourself disappointed. You can only hang on to the tops spots so long with a budget of a few thousand a year, when some upstart comes along and throws tens of thousands of dollars a month at their online marketing campaigns. Enjoy the success while you can, but don't expect to hold onto that forever. Rankings change. Success, like everything else is relative.