Small Business SEO Tips: How to Improve your Business Online
Every small business is looking for a competitive advantage online. When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) even the smallest shift in strategy can have a huge payoff. At MarketKeep, the digital marketing agency for small businesses, we have developed a list of small business SEO tips that should help you develop a strong presence online. From keyword research to optimization we have you covered.
What is Search Engine Optimization?
Before we jump into our small business SEO tips it is important to remind people of what exactly SEO is. SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is the process of getting website traffic from the free organic search results on search engines to your website.
All major search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo have organic search results displayed in their rankings. These SERPs contain web pages and other forms of content such as videos or local listings where users can view potential answers to their search queries. These rankings are based on what the search engine considers most relevant to their users. So the next logical question is what goes into SEO?
What determines SEO?
To understand the true definition of SEO, you need to look at three key components. The quality of traffic, the quantity of traffic, and organic results.
- Quality of Traffic – A part of your SEO score is determined by the quality of traffic coming to your website. Your website should attract visitors who are genuinely interested in the products that you offer. You want users who visit your website to stay, interact with your website, and be invested in what you have to offer.
- Quantity of Traffic – SEO can sometimes be described as a popularity contest. The more traffic that comes to your website the better. Once you have the right type of users visiting your website, make sure to get more of them to your website on a consistent basis.
- Organic Results – This is the type of results that you do not pay for, they are truly organic.
Small Business SEO Tips: 11 Ways to Start Boosting Your Organic Rankings
So now that we know what SEO is, and we understand the basics of how SEO works, let’s dive into the SEO checklist. The first thing you must remember is that great organic rankings don’t just happen overnight. There is a methodical process you must follow, and always vow to maintain. However, there are 11 ways you can start working on your SEO presence, which will help to start moving the needle for your small business.
Start solving your customer’s problem online –
In order to start ranking well online, you need to understand your customer base. Ask yourself and your teammate’s questions like
- How, when, and where do our customers determine what products or services they need?
- When they are searching for these products are they using a computer, a smartphone, a tablet?
- What type of desire are they trying to fulfill? Is it a personal desire? Need?
Fix Your Technical SEO Issues –
You may have a website that looks great but could be full of technical SEO issues. Before blogging, our trying to generate more links, spend time on the foundation of your SEO campaign. Design a solid website structure so that search engines can properly crawl and index your website pages. Some common technical SEO tactics you should focus on include items such as:
- Website speed
- Avoiding or removing duplicate content
- Fixing broken links
- Eliminating improper use of canonical link elements
- Optimizing your website pages for search
For help with these tactics, you can use tools such as SEMrush, the Google Search Console, or speak with an SEO expert.
Optimize your Website Pages –
Optimizing your website pages goes beyond just including a keyword. You must develop quality content behind this keyword. The content should be properly structured using natural characteristics for the targeted keyword. Try to focus on incorporating your focus keyword in your Meta Titles, Titles, Meta Descriptions, and the body of your content. Try to think about your keyword in terms of how your audience speaks.
Again you can use tools such as SEMrush, Spyfu, Google Search Console, and Google suggested results to help you with your research.
Optimize Your Google My Business Account
Google My Business is an important strategy for local SEO. It’s also free, very easy to user, and can make a big impact on your business. The first step you should take towards optimizing your Google My Business Listing is claiming and verifying your profile.
Make sure to fill out as many fields as you can. Include photos, videos, and testimonials to enhance your listing.
Watch your competition’s SEO campaign and do it better
It is always a good idea to monitor what your competitors are doing online and finding ways to do it better. See what keywords their websites are ranking for, how many pages they have indexed, and even what their website structure is.
Tools you should use to monitor your competitors include SEMrush, SpyFu, Majestic, Ahrefs, and Moz.com.
Manage your Local Business Listings & Citations
In addition to managing your Google My Business profile, you need to make sure your other local business listings are correct. Remember consistency is crucial in SEO. Make sure that your businesses’ NAP information is consistent and accurate. Why? Because Local business listings and citations can help improve your local SEO presence.
The best way to manage your local listings is to sign up for a citation service that will distribute your business NAP information on your behalf. Try using tools such as Yext, BrightLocal, and Whitespark to accomplish this.
Start generating links back to your website
Most small business owners never think about backlinking but is a huge part of Small Business SEO tips. Getting high-quality backlinks to your website can help improve your search rankings. Meaning more sales and more customers.
Try to use tools such as Majestic, Ahrefs, and Spyfu to get started. It is always a good idea to have a professionally managed backlinking strategy as well, that is operating on a monthly basis.
Add Schema Markup
Schema markup sends search engines signals about the page components such as:
- Business name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Ratings
- Business Hours
This can lead to rich snippets being incorporated into the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Start generating reviews
Everyone looks up a company online before heading to the store or restaurant. Reviews are some of the best ways to develop a higher SEO ranking online. Platforms to focus on for online reviews include Google, Facebook, and Yelp.
Infographics and Video
Part of having a great website is producing great content. Think about developing infographics or videos to help boost your SEO presence.
Mix Paid with Organic Traffic to get started
If you are a brand new business owner starting out, SEO can take a while. In the short-term, using a paid campaign can help you develop a steady flow of website traffic. Think about running paid search campaigns to start developing consistent website traffic that will continue to grow over time.
About MarketKeep
MarketKeep is a digital marketing agency for small businesses and start-ups based in Towson, Md. Our goal is to help small business owners plan, place, and optimize their digital marketing strategies. MarketKeep is proud to offer our clients the following services:
Website Design – As a website design company we build websites that represent you and your brand and instantly builds a connection with your customers online. To learn more about our website design capabilities please contact our website designers.
SEO Company – As a Maryland SEO Company, we partner with small businesses to help grow their organic presence online through on-page, off-page, and reputation management techniques. To learn more about our SEO services for small businesses please contact our SEO team.
Pay Per Click Experts – As your SEM Agency MarketKeep will plan, place, and optimize your SEM campaigns so that you are maximizing your SEM campaign. To learn more about our SEM Services please contact our SEM team.
Social Media Management – Tired of running your social media accounts on a daily basis? Not sure what to post? As your Social Media Marketing Assistants MarketKeep will plan, place, and optimize your social media strategies. To connect contact our Social Media Management Team today.
Local SEO – So many of us rely on our phones to find businesses and products that are close by. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to connect with customers in your backyard. As a Local SEO agency MarketKeep helps to position your business online to acquire Local SEO searches. Learn more by contacting our Local SEO Agency Team.