There are many different SEO tips for small businesses, but the basics of these strategies are the same regardless of your business size. In the first instance, you should have a strong website, ideally optimized for search engines like Google. Then, you need to consider Social media and Content marketing, which are essential tools to boost traffic to your site. And last, don't forget to set up your Google+ profile! If you don't have a website, it may be time to build one!
Content marketing
One of the most important SEO tips for small business websites is to keep your content fresh. This is very important, as Google takes the speed of your website into account when ranking you. To help you with this, consider using a content delivery network or CDN. If your website is slow, you should consider using a content delivery network. A CDN is a service that speeds up your website's response time, something that Google has begun to emphasize. If you do not have a CDN, consider signing up with a website host like Siteground, which also provides free SSL certificates.
Another one of the best SEO tips for small businesses is to make use of schema markup. Schema markup is a markup format that shows additional information in search results that will motivate users to click through to your site. You can test this by using Google's Structured Data Testing Tool. Small business websites should also create shareable content. This way, people will be motivated to share your content and will see your site on a Google search.
Another SEO tip for small businesses is to use Google's Search Console. This tool allows you to track website performance in search results. You can even link your Google Analytics account to it to track website traffic. If you use a keyword research tool, you can identify relevant keywords for your content. If you do not use keyword research, you'll have little chance of making your website rank on the first page of Google. Once you've done this, you can start optimizing your website and seeing results!
Social media
When it comes to SEO, social media can play a big part in your overall strategy. While it may not be the number one priority for a small business, leveraging social media can help your website rank higher in search engines. Social media also enables you to share your links with a wider audience, which will help increase your website traffic. The benefits of leveraging social media for SEO are significant: it helps you to build links from other websites, which improves your search engine ranking.
In addition to building link profiles and content, search engines also value organisation. Search engines like Google are machine learning systems, and a well-organised site will show up at the top of a search result. Ensure that your website is organised properly by making entities and sub-sections. Crawling software like Screaming Frog can help you get a comprehensive view of your website. The free version crawls 500 pages, so it's worth investing in a licence to crawl more pages.
Search engines also value relevant links. Using keywords in content is an effective SEO tip for small businesses, but make sure not to overdo it. Overusing keywords can turn off readers and even dock your website. Avoid content that sounds robotic or repetitive. Although this is a technical area, it's not hard to implement and is an important part of your marketing strategy. With these tips, you'll be well on your way to growing your business online.
On-site SEO
Many businesses neglect keyword research. But it is vital for any content to target specific keywords to achieve page one ranking on Google. You can use keyword research tools to determine which keywords your audience searches for most often. Without keyword-focused content, your website will be ineffective and will not be seen by the search engine spiders. Here are some simple on-site SEO tips for small businesses:
One of the best on-site SEO tips for small businesses is to include keywords in copy. This helps Google understand what your page is about and attracts the right traffic. However, do not go overboard and stuff your content with keywords. Back in the early 2000s, SEO practitioners packed web pages with keywords to rank higher. Eventually, Google began de-ranking websites that used too many keywords. Using keywords in content can increase the organic rank of your website.
Google+ profile
The first step in optimizing your Google+ profile for search engine optimization is to create a page. This page should contain information about your business, including a description, contact details, and a link to your website or other social media profiles. Include a Google+ badge on your website. You can find several different badge styles and sizes. You can also include relevant information about your business on your page, like your contact information, website URL, and business hours.
Your Google+ profile should be optimized with keywords that relate to your business. If you have a page with over 1000 followers, you can promote it by using Google+ +Post Ads. You can also set up automatic posts and hangouts on air. Many people refer to Google+ as a ghost town and speculate that the platform will soon close down. However, Google+ has not announced a formal closure, and many small businesses are reaping the benefits of this new platform.
Create a brand hub on your Google+ profile. Then, link all of your other accounts to your Google+ profile. Google likes to know which connections it has on the Web, and being the leader in information is a good way to appeal to Google's ego. Make sure to add a professional profile photo to your Google+ page, and include a byline on each page. Lastly, use keywords that relate to your niche.
Meta description
In addition to being visible on the search engine results page, your meta description should include keywords, which are the ones people will be searching for when they visit your website. Generally, meta description length should be between one and two sentences. It is wise to use persuasive language to make the meta description more valuable to searchers and drive clicks. Header tags communicate content hierarchy of your website. An h1 tag is used for the most important headline on the page. Other h tags are used for supporting information or just nice to have.
To make it more effective, use the targeted keywords in your meta description. It is also important to keep it short, as more characters will make it look spammy. Always keep the meta description relevant to the content on each page. Also, remember to make the meta description as compelling as possible, so that it compel the user to click on your link. You can use both the first and the second one, depending on your SEO strategy.
Link building
While SEO for small businesses is no longer an easy task, it still remains an important strategy. As the search algorithm changes constantly, it's important to focus on gaining quality links to your website. Although link building is time-consuming, many companies now offer useful tools that streamline the process. Tools like SEMrush help you analyze competitor backlinks, identify new opportunities, and track your overall SEO efforts. Listed below are three of the best tools to use to build links and improve your site's ranking.
Developing a quality list of backlinks is important for the ranking of your website. Back in the 1990s, SEO was all about keywords. By putting those keywords on your website, you could boost its ratings and generate organic traffic. But keyword stuffing was not a good idea and didn't produce high-quality results. Fortunately, quality backlinks became a reality with the launch of BackRub in 1996, which eventually evolved into Google.
A link building campaign needs to be relevant to your business. While it may be tempting to try to create an abundance of high-quality links from blog comments and forum discussions, this won't help your rankings. Instead, look for opportunities to collaborate with active businesses in the niche that complement your product or service. Make sure not to spam or make unhelpful links though. These two methods are often complementary to each other, but a good link will ultimately improve your rankings.