Search engine optimization is important for most businesses, but SEO for small businesses is absolutely critical. But what is SEO and how do you implement best practices? Let’s use a small business as an example.
So you own a business, and you’re looking to sell a new product or service that your company has just launched. You know that people or businesses need this offering, but how do they find you? Well, if you’re a local business, you may put up some signs or billboards in your town, similar to the “yard sale” signs we see on the side of the road with big arrows and possible misspellings. Now people know what a yard sale is, that is common terminology that sellers and buyers agree upon. But with the new product or service you’ve just launched, do people know how to find it? Do you call it the same thing they would? Is it a technical term they may not be aware of?
SEO for small businesses is all about marrying your technical expertise with what people are searching for based on their needs. Not to make things more complicated, but Google and other search engines update their algorithm constantly, changing the weight of how important some factors are in your success. So, how do you get started?
1. Conduct Comprehensive Keyword Research
We’ll start with two words: Keyword optimization.
Keyword research is determining how much search volume certain words or phrases have, typically on a monthly basis. This also changes based on the country you’re looking to get more traffic from. Back to the point about marrying your technical expertise with what people are searching for, this is step one. There are several tools you can use that provide insight to how often keywords are searched and how difficult they are to land on the first page of Google (Search Engine Results Page [SERPs]). When it comes to SEO for small businesses, this step is especially crucial as it helps identify niche markets and local search trends.
A few tools that help out with this process (and a bit more than just keywords) are:
- Ahrefs.com: Keyword research, website audits, backlink analysis, and more.
- Google Keyword Planner: Keyword research and PPC (pay-per-click) ad campaign planning.
- SEMRush: SEO, content marketing, and competitive analysis.
So what is the difference between a keyword and a keyphrase or “long tail keyword”? To break it down to its simplest form, it is one word versus an entire phrase. These each serve a different purpose when it comes to ranking for various search terms. Long tail keywords should be used when businesses are trying to target a more focused audience, perhaps one that is further along in your sales process and close to making a purchase. These long tail keywords often have less competition, higher conversion rates, and are more specific, but they have much less search volume than a basic keyword.
Effective keyword optimization is key to ensuring that your website ranks for the terms most relevant to your business.
So you’ve done your keyword research and determined what you think you should rank for, but how do you put that research into an action plan? If you’re using a tool like Ahrefs or SEMRush, it will be easy to determine what pages should rank for what keywords—but if you want to understand how to do this without a cost incurred, we explain the process below.
A website is an extension of your business, just like any employee that speaks about your business in any capacity. It should let prospective customers know that your business offers what they’re looking for. Stronger websites will go above this and explain what it’s like to work with your business. The best websites will take this one step further and show you proof of customer success via case studies or reviews ( depending on the type of business). A restaurant will certainly favor reviews from their customers, but a B2B company should boast successful case studies.
Just like employees in a company each play a specific role in the business, each page on a website should do the same. Let’s take a service based business, like ACME, and see how they have implemented their keyword research into an ongoing strategy. The first page anyone thinks of when viewing a website is the homepage, where information on most, if not all, services or offerings are discussed. As this article is being written, ACME’s homepage ranks for over 7,000 keywords 🤯. These include basic searches like “local grocery store” or “acme market,” as well as location-specific searches like “acme new jersey” and even more service based searches like “acme delivery”.
The homepage of a website is often more of a cluster of search terms that prospective customers may be searching for, but as you get deeper into a website, each page will try to rank for a specific keyword or phrase. The intention is to make sure the categories are the actual keywords or key phrases that prospects are searching for. These can be seen by the categories listed on ACME’s website:
- Baby Care
- Beverages
- Bread & Bakery
- Breakfast & Cereal
- Canned Goods & Soups
- Condiments, Spice & Bake
- You get the point…
Each of these categories have their own page, and each of those pages ranks for a different keyword based on the page content. This is proper organization of keyword and page structure.
Now that we have covered how keywords or keyphrases alone affect SEO, let’s dive into the next element, on-page SEO (keywords are a part of the puzzle here, but we will focus on the other pieces).
2. Optimize On-Page SEO Elements
So what is “on-page SEO”? If you can imagine your website is a book in a library, then on-page SEO is like positioning your book so it’s easy to find and enjoyable to read. You use a catchy book title (title tag) and a compelling summary on the back cover (meta description) to attract readers.
Clear chapter titles and section headings (H1, H2, H3) help organize the content and make it easy to navigate. Descriptive labels (URLs) guide readers to the right chapters, and helpful illustrations with captions (images with alt text) make the book more engaging and accessible. By optimizing these elements, you ensure your book (website) stands out and is easy for readers to discover and enjoy.
For SEO for small businesses, mastering on-page elements is essential to compete effectively in local markets. So what are the factors we’ve discussed above?
- Title tags
- Meta descriptions
- Header tags (H1, H2, H3)
- URL structure
- Image alt text
When reading your book, changes in font are used strategically to draw your attention to a new section or indicate something of value. This is the same as having effective on-page optimization. So how do you implement effective on-page SEO strategies?
- Title Tags: Ensure your title tags are unique, descriptive, and include relevant keywords. Keep them under 60 characters to avoid truncation in search results.
- Meta Descriptions: Write concise and compelling meta descriptions that summarize the page content and include a call to action. Aim for around 150–160 characters.
- Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to create a clear content hierarchy. Your primary keyword should appear in the H1 tag, and subheadings should use H2 and H3 tags appropriately.
- URL Structure: Create clean, descriptive URLs that reflect the page content and include keywords. Avoid using long strings of numbers or irrelevant characters.
- Image Alt Text: Add descriptive alt text to all images, using relevant keywords where appropriate. This helps with accessibility and can improve image search rankings.
What may be the biggest piece of the puzzle is content, so what should you keep in mind when writing blogs or new copy for your website? Quality.
3. Create High-Quality, Relevant Content
Content quality is crucial for SEO. High-quality content is original, relevant, and engaging. It should comprehensively cover the topic and provide real value to your audience. Google’s goal when determining how pages rank is providing the most useful information for their end user, the consumer, on any topic they are searching for. This means that there are several things to keep in mind (original content, relevancy, engagement, and accuracy).
Originality is paramount. You must ensure your content is unique and not duplicated from other sources. Original content not only engages your audience but also helps in establishing your authority on the subject. Relevance is another key component, is your content relevant to what the end user is searching for? Make sure your content aligns with the interests and needs of your target audience. Understanding what your audience is looking for and addressing those needs directly can significantly improve your content’s effectiveness.
One aspect that may be tough to understand at first is engagement. To put it simply, this means keeping your readers interested. Write in a way that captivates your audience and encourages them to interact with your content. Interactive and engaging content can lead to higher retention rates and more shares. This can be measured by average engagement time scores on your website.
Next, it is important to have comprehensive coverage of the topic. Cover your subject matter thoroughly to provide valuable insights and answer potential questions your audience might have. This thoroughness not only adds value but also helps in ranking better in search results. Especially with new developments in how ChatGPT and similar tools are utilized on the web, Google now provides an AI summary for a majority of search results that is directly pulled from what they consider to be the top resource for the query.
For SEO for small businesses, creating high-quality content that addresses local needs and questions can significantly enhance visibility and engagement.
How can you make sure you’re covering things comprehensively? Research your topic thoroughly to make sure you are answering all relevant questions. Gather reliable information before you start writing to ensure your content is accurate and informative. Good research forms the foundation of high-quality content. Write clearly and concisely, avoiding industry jargon and complex language when possible. Your goal is to communicate effectively, and make your content easy to understand for a wide audience.
Do you have pages on your site that have been up for a while and are starting to lose their rankings? To enhance your SEO content strategy, it’s important to not only focus on new content but also to refresh and update existing pages to maintain their relevance and ranking potential. Revisit and revise your content periodically to ensure it remains up-to-date and continues to provide value to your audience.
Next, we’ll cover how to enhance your prospects user experience by working on page load speed.
4. Improve Website Loading Speed
Page load speed is aptly named, as it refers to how quickly your page loads when a user is browsing your site.
Think of your website as a storefront. If it takes too long for the doors to open, potential customers may just walk away. This is why website loading speed is crucial. Not only does a fast-loading site enhance user experience, but it also significantly impacts your SEO. Search engines like Google prioritize websites that load quickly because they want to provide their users with the best experience possible. A slow website can frustrate users and cause them to return to the search results, which signals to search engines that your site might not be the best answer for their query.
So, how do you know if your website is fast enough? There are several tools available to measure your website’s speed. Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix are popular choices that provide detailed reports on your site’s performance, including what might be slowing it down and recommendations for improvement. If you’re savvy enough, you can also utilize Google’s Lighthouse scoring by inspecting your page and running a test on performance.
Now, let’s talk about some actionable tips to boost your website’s loading speed:
Optimize Images: Large image files are one of the most common culprits of slow loading times. This can be an image you’re using in your blogs, or the headers on your homepage. Make sure to compress your images before uploading them to your site. Tools like TinyPNG or Image Compressor can help reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality.
Remember, a fast website is like a well-oiled machine—efficient, reliable, and ready to serve your customers at a moment’s notice.
5. Build High-Quality Backlinks
Think of backlinks as the word-of-mouth recommendations of the internet. Just like you trust a friend’s advice on a good restaurant, search engines trust websites that are recommended by other reputable sites. Backlinks are links from one website to another, and they play a heavy role in SEO. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more credible your website appears to search engines, which can boost your rankings. If you’re a small business reselling products from a larger brand, a strong tactic is to have those larger brands link off to your website (just as we’ve linked to TinyPNG or ImageCompressor above).
But how do you acquire these valuable backlinks? Here are some effective strategies:
- Guest Posting: Writing guest posts for reputable blogs in your industry is a great way to earn backlinks. Not only does this provide a link back to your site, but it also exposes your brand to a wider audience. When crafting guest posts, ensure your content is valuable and relevant to the host site’s audience. This increases the likelihood of your post being accepted and shared. Test out platforms like Quora or Reddit where users are constantly looking for useful information and drive those users back to your website.
- Influencer Outreach: Influencers in your industry have the power to sway opinions and can be instrumental in building backlinks. Reach out to influencers and offer something of value, such as a free product, an exclusive piece of content, or a unique insight that they might find useful. When influencers mention or link to your site, it can drive traffic and enhance your SEO.
- Content Marketing: As discussed in section 3, creating high-quality, shareable content is one of the best ways to attract backlinks. Think infographics, research reports, and comprehensive guides that provide value to your audience. When your content is informative, engaging, and easy to share, other websites and blogs are more likely to link to it. For example, an infographic that visually explains a complex process can be shared across social media and referenced by other websites.
- Building Relationships with Industry Bloggers and Websites: Networking within your industry can open doors to backlink opportunities. Engage with bloggers and website owners by commenting on their posts, sharing their content, and collaborating on projects. Building genuine relationships can lead to natural backlink opportunities. When these bloggers see you as a valuable resource, they’re more likely to link to your site.
Now, it’s important to remember that link quality is far more important than quantity. A single backlink from a high-authority site like a major news outlet or a well-respected industry blog can be more beneficial than dozens of links from lesser-known sites. Focus on acquiring backlinks from sites that are relevant to your industry and have a good reputation. Back to our example, ACME has over 23,000 backlinks to their website but realistically only the top 40 of these links drive more than 100 users to the ACME site on a monthly basis.
Now let’s summarize all of this information to the basic points that you can reference when working on your SEO content strategy or keyword strategy and how to implement it.
- Conduct Comprehensive Keyword Research: Understanding what terms your audience is searching for and incorporating them strategically into your content is the foundation of effective SEO.
- Optimize On-Page SEO Elements: By optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, URL structures, and image alt text, you make your website more accessible and engaging for both users and search engines.
- Create High-Quality, Relevant Content: Content that is original, relevant, engaging, and comprehensive not only attracts visitors but also helps establish your authority and improve your SEO.
- Improve Website Loading Speed: A fast-loading website enhances user experience and is favored by search engines.
- Build High-Quality Backlinks: Backlinks from reputable sites act as endorsements for your website, boosting its credibility and SEO. Focus on quality over quantity and use strategies like guest posting, influencer outreach, and content marketing to acquire valuable backlinks.
By taking the time to implement these practices, you’ll be well on your way to achieving better SEO results and driving more traffic to your website. Remember, SEO for small businesses is an ongoing process, and staying updated with the latest trends and best practices is key to maintaining and improving your search engine rankings.