If you’re a small business owner, you know that generating leads and sales can be a challenge. And if you’re not using SEO to your advantage, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.
SEO is one of the most effective marketing strategies for small businesses. It’s affordable, it’s easy to implement, and it can help you reach a wider audience online.
If you’re like most businesses, you’re probably wondering how much to spend on SEO and how to choose the best SEO services for your business. After all, SEO can be a major game-changer when it comes to online visibility and traffic. But with so many factors to consider, it can be tough to determine how much to budget for SEO.
According to the latest data, 63% of small businesses across the UK, USA, and Australia are already investing in SEO services from professionals. This stat highlights the importance of ranking high in search results. If your website isn’t appearing on the first page of Google, you’re missing out on a huge amount of potential traffic.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to get started with small business SEO in just 7 easy steps. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to optimize your website for better visibility in search engines like Google.
1. Choose the right keywords
The first step in any SEO strategy is keyword research. You need to identify the terms and phrases that potential customers are using to search for businesses like yours.
There are a few different ways to do this. The simplest is to use Google’s Keyword Planner tool. Just enter a few relevant keywords, and it will show you how many people are searching for them each month.
Another option is to use a paid keyword research tool like Moz or SEMrush. These tools provide more detailed data, including search volume, competition, and suggested keywords.
Once you’ve generated a list of keywords, it’s time to start incorporating them into your website. Use them in your titles, metatags, and throughout the body of your content. But don’t stuff them in unnaturally – that will hurt your rankings.
2. Optimize your website for mobile
More and more people are using their smartphones to search the web. In fact, Google now uses mobile friendliness as a ranking factor in its search algorithm.
So if your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re already at a disadvantage. Fortunately, it’s easy to fix. Just make sure your site is responsive, meaning it will resize itself to fit any screen size.
You can also use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to see how well your site performs on mobile devices. If it needs some work, make the necessary changes and resubmit it for testing.
3. Improve your page speed
Page speed is another important ranking factor. Google wants to deliver the best possible user experience, so it favours websites that load quickly.
There are a few different ways to improve your page speed. One is to optimize your images for the web. Make sure they’re saved in the correct file format and compressed to reduce their size.
You can also minify your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. This means removing all unnecessary characters, like whitespace and comments.
Finally, consider using a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN stores your website’s static files on servers around the world, so they can be delivered to visitors faster.
4. Build backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites to your own. They’re an important ranking factor because they show Google that your site is popular and relevant.
There are a few different ways to build backlinks. One is to create high-quality content that other websites will want to link to. This could be a blog post, infographic, or video.
Another option is to reach out to influencers in your industry and ask them to share your content with their followers. You can also submit your website to directories and listings sites.
Just be sure to avoid any black hat SEO tactics, like buying links or participating in link schemes. These could get you penalized by Google.
5. Implement Google Authorship
Google Authorship is a program that allows you to link your content to your Google+ profile. This is a great way to increase your visibility in search results.
To set up Authorship, you’ll need to create a Google+ account and add a link to your website. Then, when you publish new content, be sure to include your name and profile photo.
Google will then match your content with your profile, and your photo will appear next to your articles in the search results. This can help you stand out from the competition and attract more clicks.
6. Use social media
Social media is another great way to improve your SEO. When you share your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, you’re effectively building backlinks.
Plus, social media can help you attract more visitors to your website. If someone sees your content in their feed and likes it, they’re likely to click through to your site.
Just be sure to post interesting and shareable content. Otherwise, you won’t get very far.
7. Track your results
Finally, don’t forget to track your results. Install Google Analytics on your website so you can see how many people are visiting each page and how they’re finding your site.
Then, check back periodically to see if your SEO efforts are paying off. Are you getting more traffic? Are you seeing an increase in conversions? If not, it might be time to adjust your strategy.
Final Thoughts
SEO can be a complex and time-consuming task. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, it can pay off in a big way. Just follow these simple tips and you’ll be well on your way to ranking higher in search results.