We know one thing about small-business leaders: They are swamped.
Although many small-business owners recognize the importance of search engine optimization (SEO), most don’t have enough time or knowledge to do everything necessary to optimize their websites for search engines. Moreover, small businesses often have minimal budgets for SEO & digital marketing.
SEO is a powerful marketing tactic for small businesses. Here are some SEO tips small businesses can use to increase their search engine rankings.
Small Businesses Can Reap the Benefits Of SEO
SEO is a powerful tool for small businesses. These recent statistics show the importance of SEO for small businesses.
- 46% of all Google search results are for information about local businesses (Source: GoGulf). SEO is essential for small businesses trying to reach customers in their area. It allows them to find your business first.
- 97% of people find out more about local small businesses online than anywhere else (Source: SEO Tribunal). Your website is where people will go first when searching for your business or the products/services you offer. It’s crucial to be visible on their terms.
- Chat Meter reports that “Near me” searches have increased by more than 90% in the past two years. It is yet another reason to optimize local search results. These people are searching for small businesses within the local area.
- 75% of Google search users never get past the first page (Source: Hubspot). It is crucial to appear on the first page of Google search result pages. However, it takes effort.
- Consumers search online for brands similar to yours, regardless of your industry or business size. These potential customers can be reached via search engines.
SEO Tips For Small Businesses
What does SEO mean for your small business? What’s the first thing you should do? Although SEO can seem daunting, small businesses should know these principles and tips.
1. Use SEO Best Practices To Build Your Website
Small businesses often struggle with SEO because their websites aren’t designed with search in mind. Your website may look great, but it can be lost on significant search traffic if it isn’t properly structured.
Your website must have a solid structure to allow search engines to properly index and crawl your pages. Even if your website has been created, you should take the time to review it with fresh eyes. Make sure your website has a logical structure. Start with your homepage. See if you can find and navigate all the necessary pages quickly and logically.
Make sure you fix any broken pages (404) that aren’t working anymore. These links are harmful because they waste “link Equity.” It effectively means that votes (links to your site) aren’t counted as they lead to a dead-end.
Your website should also be mobile-friendly. A mobile-responsive website improves the user experience and contributes to your SEO rankings.
2. Prioritize Keywords
The second key to creating a successful SEO content strategy is keyword research. It is essential to ensure that your website ranks for search terms people use. Your small business website will rank higher for the relevant keywords and phrases. It will increase your chances of being found by customers searching for your products or services on search engines.
3. Optimize Your Metadata
Next, you must ensure that all your landing pages are optimized for your discovered keywords. You must optimize each page’s titles, meta descriptions, and body content. Each page of your website must have a unique title and meta description. Your metadata description should not exceed Google’s length in reducing search results. It will encourage users to click through to your site.
4. You Can Create A Calendar To Help You Share New Content Consistently
Your SEO is not complete without content. Good SEO and content marketing can help you climb the ranks, but it must be consistent. It is not enough to post a blog once in a while, hoping that traffic will follow. Google needs to see consistent content that is related to keywords and topic-related. Creating a content calendar that covers at least six months before you start an SEO campaign is essential.
5. Backlinks Can Help You Build Authority On Your Site
SEO is not complete without backlinks. Backlinks refer to other websites that link back to your site. Backlinks can leverage your website’s potential by linking to previous posts or sharing specific links.
However, backlinks are only as valuable if they come from outside sources. If they are reputable, local directories can provide great backlinks to your site. Another great way to get backlinks to your website is through events.
6. Use Your Google My Business (GMB) Page
Google My Business is a must-have for small businesses, especially if you want the maximum impact of search. It is easy to create your Google My Business page. It can have a considerable effect. It would help if you used every aspect of Google My Business pages to your advantage, including images, videos, and Q&A. Also, make sure you post any relevant posts.