It’s important for small business owners to maximize their time and generate new leads. Your potential clients will look for you on Google, either by name or by specialty. Showing up on the first page of search results is particularly important. This article introduces basic SEO strategies small businesses that will help you get discovered by your next customer!
SEO stands for search engine optimization. Figuring out how to navigate SEO can be daunting if you aren’t tech-savvy. However, there are a few beginner-friendly steps that anyone can learn.
We’re going to assume that you already have a published website and an account with Google Analytics. The steps below will help you get a handle on the basics and make immediate improvements to your site’s SEO.
Set up Google Tools
There are endless tools from Google that you can take advantage of in addition to Analytics. The first to sign up with is Google My Business. You can create or claim your business on local search results, then link your website.
If you haven’t done this yet, make sure to upload your company logo to your listing. A free tool like Logo Creator will help you design this all-important brand ambassador.
Search Console lets you see how many pages of your website Google has indexed. There’s also a Mobile-Friendly Test tool to make sure visitors aren’t deterred by bad formatting.
Choose the Right Keywords
Keywords are the search terms that people use to find businesses just like yours. If you want to show up in the search results of your audience, it’s time to get on board with basic keyword research.
A freekeyword analysis tool is a great place to start. You’ll be asked to enter your niche and relevant local data (if you offer in-person services or own a shop). Then the tool compiles a list of the words or phrases you should add to your website.
Just be careful not to overdo it! Adding in identical keywords dozens of times counts as spam and will ultimately worsen your SEO.
Review the SERP for your Business
SERP, or Search Engine Results Page, affects whether the people who see you in Google results will visit your website.
Every result contains three piece of information – a meta title, a meta description, and a link. The meta info gives a summary of what users will find if they follow the link.
You can provide the SERP wording for each page and post on your business website. If you don’t, Google will generate one for you. A freeSERP simulator allows you to fetch the meta data and decide whether to edit it.
Refine your Website Copy
The Google Crawler that categorizes every website on the internet is pretty smart. In fact, it has an excellent grasp of language, grammar, and how easy it is for a person to read written content on a website.
Website copy that is too wordy, keyword-heavy, or contains a lot of grammatical errors will automatically be ranked lower. To combat this, brush up on how to create solid copy through headings and proper grammar.
Add Backlinks if Possible
This final step has the biggest impact on SEO – but it may not be an option for your business at this time. A backlink is a linked reference to your page that shows up on another website.
For example, a flower shop site might refer DIY enthusiasts to a local hardware store via a link. Making these kinds of connections with affiliates and related business will skyrocket your ranking.
It may take a little time to improve how your business ranks on Google. However, these straightforward steps will absolutely give you an edge. Take the time to follow them now, and you’ll see a return when next month rolls around.
Support for Getting Seen Online
The WD Team is full of SEO consultants that specialize in helping small businesses get found online. We can help with anything from initial the steps outlined in this article to more advanced strategies like optimizing page performance or setting up metadata.
Edited by Joey DiGangi
