Being a small business owner is not easy. In fact, it can be very hard. It would help if you did many things, like developing your business and taking out the trash.
There is a lot of pressure on small business owners to succeed. While they know they need to use marketing strategies to develop their company, those efforts often fall by the wayside, or the entrepreneur doesn’t know where to begin.
That being said, you must recognise the need for marketing, especially SEO, which can make all the difference for a small business.
The Importance of SEO for Small Business
If you’re a small company owner, you understand the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed. You also understand that to be successful; you must be visible online. SEO is one of the most effective ways for small businesses to increase their online visibility. This blog post will go through what SEO is and how it works for small companies.
You work hard to make your business a success. But you may not know how to get it seen online. It can be tough to run a small business, and it can feel downright impossible when you’re unsure how to make your website visible to potential customers. However, by optimizing your website for search engines, you can make sure that the online visibility of your business is growing.
How Do I Get Search Engines To See My Website?
The variety of SEO strategies is virtually limitless. There is software that persuades you to subscribe monthly to enhance your local search results, websites that make keyword research, and applications that claim you need them to manage your Google, Facebook, and Yelp company profile. There are many SEO strategies to consider; however, as small company owners, it’s difficult to know where to begin.
What Exactly is Search Engine Optimization?
Organic SEO aims to improve a website’s position in search engine results pages (SERPs). The process of optimizing a website such that it will rank higher on search engine results pages is known as Search Engine Optimization or SEO. SEO helps your company be more visible to people looking for goods or services like yours online. When individuals are searching for anything specific, such as “Italian restaurant near me,” SEO makes sure you’re found.
Small Business SEO Is Often Local SEO
Is search engine optimization effective for small companies? Your company may serve a wide range of clients outside your immediate region, but local SEO is frequently the most important and straightforward to rank. Small business SEO may focus on Google My Business, a simple and quick method to display on Google Maps in Google Searches.
Local searches use your profile’s relevant keywords to display you among other local companies. While on-page SEO is still important (we’ll get into that later), local SEO significantly emphasises local business competition, local directories, and what customers search for relative to what your Google My Business account claims.
While local SEO is technically more straightforward, your physical address severely restricts you. The fewer people are searching for you far from your business location, the less likely they will see your Google My Business profile.
The good news is that you may get more Google Adwords clicks as a wider audience sees these advertisements. The bad side of this coin is that people close to your company will likely view your business in search results. It aids in the targeting of local consumers in Google Search results, but it may limit your reach compared to other SEO methods.
Local SEO vs SEO — what’s the difference?
The most significant distinction between SEO and local SEO is the sort of search results you want to appear. The goal of SEO is to rank in non-geographical search results (i.e., national or international search results). On the other hand, local SEO is concerned with optimizing websites and locations for region-specific outcomes, such as ‘near me’ searches.
These queries allow customers to locate available items and services in their area. Of course, optimizing your small business website for local searches involves many of the same steps as regular SEO.
Why Does Local SEO Matter?
Local SEO is important for businesses with a local audience that can visit a physical location or a website. Even more so if your clients are local small enterprises. And depending on the level of competition in the sector, it may provide faster results than traditional search engine optimization for more general terms. Results suggest that
- According to Google, 42% of users conduct “near me” searches on their phones.
- Many consumers are looking for a local business or service when conducting a Google search. According to Google, over 47% of searches on their site are for a local company or service.
- In the past year, mobile searches for “near me” have grown by 136%.
- In the results Google, a local pack makes up 29% of the total.
People are using their smartphones and superior voice search capabilities in new ways, with the result that they are altering the way they seek answers or discover new items and services. And search engines are also changing how they present those results.
Local SEO is no longer something that can be put on the backburner if businesses want to succeed in their local areas. With 97% of customers looking online to discover a local business, the need for local search exposure is increasing rapidly, and businesses must take advantage of these trends to obtain as much exposure as feasible with their local audience.
Small companies that implement a local SEO strategy have the potential to appear in more than one location on search engine result pages (SERPs). On Google, there is also a local organic SERP and a local map pack.
SEO Strategy for your Small Business
It’s not tough to create an SEO plan if you have all of the variables figured out. You’ll need to balance a variety of factors on your website and across other platforms in order to improve the SEO performance of your site.
There are several reasons why having the right tools to optimise and monitor your strategy is critical. As of 2021, there are over 1.86 billion websites on the web. So, if you haven’t already, it’s time to get a website. After all, it’s the first step toward establishing an online presence.
Once your website is complete and live, you may go on to set up the most important tools and tips that will undoubtedly influence your SEO strategy:
Google Analytics
The first step would be to connect your Google Analytics account. Because Google Analytics is the grail of your SEO strategy, it will provide you with a full picture of how well your website is performing in terms of traffic, consumer engagement, and conversions. To begin generating insights, all you have to do is fill in the necessary information, including your business email address (Gmail), and link it to your website.
Google Search Console
The first thing you must do before proceeding with SEO optimization is to set up your Google Search Console (GSC), one of the most effective SEO tools. You can improve the quality and performance of your content and associated concerns on your website using the tool, which takes into account Search Analytics data.
It is easy to set up, and it takes less than a minute. You must first register for an account on the website, add your website, and go through a verification procedure in order for things to begin. All you have to do now is submit your sitemap to GSC so that Google can crawl and index your site after being verified.
Google Business Profile
After you’ve created your Google Analytics and Search Console accounts, the next step is to set up your Google Business Profile listing. Setting up a Google Business Profile ad makes it simpler for potential consumers to locate and obtain information about your company.
The Google Business Profile setup procedure is also relatively simple in most cases. Simply fill out your company data on the Google Business Profile website, including your business address and contact information, and you’re done. You may then move on to the verification process, in which you will receive a code via email from Google on your business address. After you enter that code into your listing, your account will be validated and active.
On-page SEO Techniques
On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing and updating a website’s and webpage content for users as well as search engines. Google places a lot of importance on matching keywords on the website to user queries, so optimizing your on-page material is always a smart idea!
On-page SEO allows search engines to connect your visitors’ queries with the material on your website. Apart from the content, Google considers technical elements on a website in order to appropriately link searcher queries with site content. The majority of marketers (about 57%) believe that on-page content optimization is the most successful SEO strategy for their company.
With On-Page SEO, you can expect to get:
- Increased online traffic and leads
- Analysis of your campaign’s success and effectiveness
- Boosts chances of growth at an early stage
Keyword Research
When it comes to small businesses, keyword research is a no-brainer. When you’re looking at SEO for small enterprises, keyword research is the beginning. The process of locating the proper keywords to target your website toward in order to rank for them is known as keyword research. There are a variety of different tools and techniques for undertaking keyword research, but one of the most popular tools is Surfer SEO.
The information you’ll get from Surfer SEO is comprehensive. It provides a monthly search volume for every keyword, as well as related keywords, which can help you target effectively. This is significant data since it shows not only what people are looking for but also what other terms your target audience may be using when searching for your product or service.
You may be aware of how important keywords are. After you’ve compiled a list of essential terms, you’ll want to make sure your website is targeting those phrases. This can be accomplished by adding the titles of your pages, in the body of your content, and even in the meta tags of your website.
If you’re searching to boost your small business’s visibility and convert more leads, these are some of the other tools that can help. SERanking and SEM Rush are both excellent alternatives. Each tool offers a number of fantastic features, so it’s important to figure out which one is best for your own small business requirements.
Writing Content For SEO
SEO is all about providing useful information for your website’s visitors. Blog posts, articles, films, or podcasts are all examples of this content. The most crucial aspect is that you’re creating material that is engaging and helpful to your target audience.
When it comes to producing SEO-friendly material, there are a few things to keep in mind. To improve the search engine ranking of your website, utilize your keywords throughout your text, including in the title, body, and meta tags.
When attempting to make your material interesting and useful to your target audience, remember that you are writing for humans, not search engines. While SEO keywords are crucial, the readability and accessibility of your content take precedence.
Finally, it’s critical to update your site on a regular basis and regularly in order to attract more visitors. You will see the benefits of your SEO efforts if you can produce useful content that assists your website’s users.
Create Local Content
A news release, a static webpage, or a blog entry are examples of local content. These various sorts of material may be used to highlight local occurrences (past and future), local goods and services, and regional business roundups (e.g., local firms that complement but don’t compete with yours).
Using natural language on your website makes it easier to target local keywords. It can also help you establish yourself as an authority in your industry, which is important for small business owners competing against larger businesses.
Continuing the example of a flower shop, here are a few creative content ideas that will naturally appeal to both the audience and your desired keywords:
- Blog post: #X [your state] Flowers for Year-Round Decorating
- Static web page: Our Local [your state] Flower Offerings
- Static web page: [your state] Garden Flower Offerings
- Blog post: [your state] Flower Events for [season/year]
Enticing meta title and description
The meta descriptions and names for each page of the website are unique. The title tags, which are short, snappy statements that will show as links in search results pages, are one example.
The meta description is a more detailed description of what may be found on the page that does not appear in search engine results pages, but it is viewed by web browsers and social media platforms when people share links to your website.
Your meta titles should be no longer than 60 characters and your descriptions should not exceed 160 characters. If they are too long, they will be truncated in search engine results pages, which makes them less effective.
After you’ve developed a fantastic meta title and description for your page, make sure the stuff on your site is relevant to those criteria. If a person lands on your website after clicking on one of the links in search engine results pages, they should discover what they were searching for when they got there. Google may decrease your ranking for keywords if the content on your website does not match the keywords you are focusing on.
Encourage (and Reward) Customer Reviews
When was the last time you went to a restaurant or bought something without checking out user reviews and ratings? If you’re like 82% of online local searchers, the answer is never.
Customer reviews are the lifeblood of your business. This is especially true for startups and small companies.
How can you obtain online customer reviews?
First and foremost, make sure there’s a place for customers to post comments. You’re off to a good start if you’ve established your Google My Business profile and Yelp company listing.
Second, reward consumers who submit feedback. Let customers know that they will get a discount or a free item for their rating and review by word of mouth or inscribed on receipts.
You must address all reviews, good and bad. This gives you the chance to connect with your consumers and instil trust in your business by those who have yet to buy.
Optimize Page Structure
Page structure is an important aspect of local SEO for businesses that aren’t focused on content or listings. This is a common area where many businesses overlook the importance of local SEO.
The page structure includes title tags, headers, meta descriptions, and URLs. These can help to improve the quality of your material and increase your rankings on SERPs if properly implemented.
Perhaps you’re wondering how much impact these elements may have on your rankings. Here’s the scoop: You can get a leg up if you use components that your competitors aren’t aware of.
What are the most underutilized page structure elements by small companies? Here’s a breakdown of what percentage of small business owners use each major SEO feature, from best to worst:
- Title tag: 99%
- Robots.txt: 88%
- Sitemap.xml: 73%
- Meta description: 72%
- H1: 68%
- Schema.org: 44%
The easiest way to edit the title tag, meta description, and H1 is through your website’s code. However, robots.txt, sitemap.xml, and schema.org may all be used on a well-structured website as well.
Optimize Images For SEO
It’s easy to overlook SEO when it comes to the creation of images for your website or blog, but it may be one of the most essential elements of SEO. When you optimize photos, they load quicker on websites and blogs, which is critical since users will abandon a site if it takes too long to load.
You may use tools like TinyPNG to compress images for SEO and still maintain their quality. When uploading an image on a social media platform, it’s also crucial to include a keyword-rich description of the picture or name it using keywords about the picture itself.
Small companies can improve their website’s ranking on search engines by creating useful content for their visitors, including terms in the text, and optimizing images. You can observe the benefits of your SEO efforts by seeing how high your web site’s ranking is and how much traffic it receives after a little effort.
Backlinking and Off-Page SEO
Backlinking is a type of off-page SEO that can dramatically improve your website’s rankings. Backlinks are links from other websites to yours, and they help Google recognize the value of your material by showing them how many other sites link to it. At the conclusion of each blog article, there may be a list of these connections so readers know where they may discover more details about the subject.
Blog posts that include a list of resources are also more likely to attract backlinks since readers will want to share them with their friends, family members, and coworkers. You might be able to increase the number of backlinks on your website by contacting website owners and sharing your material with them.
Social Sharing Relevant Content
Another SEO approach that may help your website rank better is social media sharing. When you share material on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, they create backlinks to the source of the material, which helps Google recognize how relevant it is and allows them to discover additional pages on your site. Blog articles that are well-written and include pictures or videos are more likely to be shared on social media than those without.
The greatest approach to establishing backlinks is to develop helpful content that others will want to link to. You can also submit your website to directories and search engines, or utilize social media sites like Twitter and Facebook for marketing purposes.
Make sure your blog post is relevant to your audience by increasing the likelihood of it being shared. When you write about a subject that interests your readers, they are more likely than not to share it with others.
It’s crucial that you pick the correct platform for your SEO strategy since all of this effort may be in vain. For example, if you’re marketing to a younger demographic, you might use social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. If your target market is older, Facebook or LinkedIn would be preferable alternatives.
Social media is an excellent tool for amplifying your SEO efforts. You may reach a wider audience and increase website traffic by posting links to your website and blog articles on social media. Small company SEO can be made simpler by using social media as a means of generating backlinks from other websites, which will assist with search engine rank.
Mobile-Friendly Website
Mobile SEO is the process of optimizing a website for mobile devices such as phones, tablets, and other portable devices. More individuals are using smartphones to go online than ever before these days.
If you want your site to rank high in Google’s search results, you should create a separate desktop website for it. You’ll want a responsive web design so that your website adjusts to the screen size of any device.
The necessity of fast site speed is still important for mobile devices, therefore a caching plugin that reduces the time it takes for your pages to load on mobile devices is strongly advised.
Conclusion
As a business owner, you have many factors to consider when it comes to operating and expanding your company. While creating an excellent website is only the beginning, there are several elements that must be considered in order for it to function effectively for your firm.
In today’s internet environment, where firms all over the world compete for customers and profit, there is simply no time to waste when it comes to developing a presence on the internet. SEO enters the picture. You can overpower even the largest rival you may have online if you use the appropriate SEO approach, tools, and objectives.
If you want some extra help on getting your SEO strategy up and running, we are here to assist you.
