Large retail corporations have the advantage of having funds available to advertise nationally and internationally through media such as television, radio, and street signs and banners. The cost of this type of advertising can easily reach into the millions on a monthly basis. It begins to seem like an unfair advantage to smaller businesses with a focus on good products and superior customer service that do not have the benefits of having access to such abundant corporate funds for advertising. The primary goal of any business selling a product or a service is to become known to potential customers in a way that will encourage the people to purchase their product or services. No matter how good the service may be or how unique and brilliant the product may be, without the public aware of it, the business will never be successful.
The Internet has helped to level the playing field in the area of advertising for all businesses. With the development of globally-used search engines and social media, small businesses now can gain a foothold and an advantage in advertising which they would not have otherwise had available. SEO content has improved Google page rank for small to mid-sized businesses. Many companies are still in the dark as to what Search Engine Optimization actually means. They see it online and hear it tossed around, but still have little clue as to what this can actually do for their businesses.