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SEO Tips to Boost Your Small Business’ Digital Presence

8 Jul 2024 | Search Engine Optimisation

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Search Engine Optimisation or SEO has been helping brands and businesses since the beginning of the digital age—a fast-paced and increasingly demanding, yet progressive time. If you are starting a business, it’s just good sense to establish your online presence to raise awareness for your target audience. And we all know that mere presence is not enough. As a small business owner, you are directly competing with more established players in whichever industry you are going for. However, by studying and recognising your market, utilising resources efficiently, and mastering the mechanics of SEO, small businesses may still capture the attention of customers searching for information about their industry.

To know more about SEO or its difference from SEM, read through this article:
SEO vs. SEM: Understanding the Differences and Benefits

What is SEO and How Can it Help My Small Business?

Search Engine Optimisation enhances a website to boost unpaid visibility on common search engines. Two of the common search engines, Google and Bing, rely on algorithms to present useful, first-rate search results. This is why digital marketing practitioners utilise SEO techniques in order to have favourable rankings from the said algorithms. The main goal of SEO is to organically appear on the first page—or become a primary link—of search engine results when users search for a specific keyword or phrase.
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Now, SEO may sound overwhelming for small business owners who don’t specialise in it but fret not. We have simplified the meaning and tips for you to get started and hop on the SEO hype train. Here are a few benefits how SEO can help small businesses:

More Visibility for Your Small Business

If your small business shows up in search engine results per search terms that are related to your business, you will increase your visibility to new customers. For instance, a seller of animal plushies with an e-commerce website or store might gain new customers through referrals, social media, and even word of mouth. But if their website also appears when people search for “animal plushies,” that will hugely affect the business’ brand recognition and probable customer base.

It’s A Low Cost Targeted Marketing

Advertising campaigns on social media platforms, press releases, and on-the-ground advertising require a colossus ad budget, and yet there is no concrete guarantee that all the people who see those ads will become customers. That is why this type of advertising involves a strategic, systematic, and narrowed-down approach, requiring a lot of planning and brainstorming time, not to mention the waiting time for customers to click or convert.

Here’s where the SEO magic happens. It may take weeks or even months for search engine results to change and adapt based on the alterations to your site, and if we take the unpredictability of algorithms into account, SEO may take its sweet time to start working. But, we promise you that SEO is better in the long run. If your business is organically ranking greatly in search results, it won’t cost you money. And since your optimised content will mainly reach people who are searching for certain keywords related to your brand or business, it will make them more likely to be customers, hence the targeted marketing.

It Boosts Your Small Business or Brand’s Credibility

Studies have shown that customers view appearing in search engine results as a type of ‘social proof.’ They mostly believe popular search engines, such as Google, have methods in place to show customers which brands or businesses are of high quality and useful to their search. As a result, having a high ranking for your small business is bound to boost potential customers’ trust in it.

Since you now understand the importance and benefits of SEO to your small business, time to get started on understanding how to implement SEO on your business with the following strategies and tips:

Keyword Research and Implementation

The foundation of any SEO plan is identifying the search phrases, or keywords, that your target audience uses when looking for businesses like yours. You do rigorous research to determine the most relevant terms based on search traffic, competition, and user intent. Once selected, these keywords should be seamlessly integrated into your website content, especially in technical sections like metadata, headers, and body copy, to improve your site’s visibility on search engine results pages.

Build Links

Link building is an essential component of SEO that entails obtaining connections from other websites to your own. These backlinks are a vote of confidence in your website’s reliability and authority in the eyes of search engines such as Google. Quality backlinks from respectable sources are vital because they show search engines that your website is a valuable and trustworthy resource. Link building strategies may involve outreach to relevant websites, cooperation with industry partners, and the creation of shareable content that organically draws connections.

Consider Local SEO

For businesses that serve particular geographic areas, optimising for local search is key. Local SEO methods aim to ensure that your business shows prominently in local search results and directories, particularly on platforms such as Google My Business. Maintaining consistent business details across internet listings, filling out your Google business page with detailed information, and actively soliciting good reviews from delighted customers are all important aspects of local SEO. Small companies that prioritise local SEO methods can increase their exposure to customers nearby looking for their products or services.

Measure and Analyse Results

Effective SEO needs constant monitoring and analysis to assess the effectiveness of your efforts and make educated changes. Unlike other types of marketing, SEO results usually appear gradually over time, with search engines requiring weeks or months to index changes to your website and listings. Keyword rankings, organic traffic, and conversion rates are all useful metrics for assessing the efficiency of your SEO campaign. Businesses may improve their SEO strategy by analysing results on a regular basis and maintaining up to speed on algorithm adjustments.

Prioritise Human-Centric Content

Write high-quality, compelling content that connects with your target audience and organically includes your keywords. Avoid keyword stuffing, since it may turn off human readers and reduce your search exposure.

Expand Your SEO Horizons

While Google is indispensable, explore alternative sites such as Amazon, Yelp, and Instagram, which all have substantial SEO potential. Determine where your target audience spends their time online and direct your efforts there.

Real Life Examples: Case Studies

The Maids: The Maids is a residential cleaning service operating in various locations across the United States. They’ve implemented a comprehensive SEO strategy focusing on local search optimization. By optimising their website for local keywords such as “house cleaning services [City Name]” and creating location-specific landing pages, The Maids have improved their visibility in local search results. They also actively manage their Google My Business listings, encouraging customers to leave reviews and engaging with local community events to enhance their online presence.

Beardbrand: Beardbrand is a small business that sells grooming products for men, specialising in beard care. Through targeted keyword research and content creation, Beardbrand has established itself as a leader in the niche market of men’s grooming. By producing high-quality blog content and video tutorials on topics like beard care tips and grooming routines, Beardbrand attracts organic traffic to their website and increases brand awareness. Additionally, they optimise their product pages for relevant keywords, driving organic traffic to their e-commerce store.

CrossFit South Brooklyn: CrossFit South Brooklyn is a small fitness studio located in New York City. By optimising their website for relevant keywords such as “CrossFit gym Brooklyn” and “personal training NYC,” they’ve improved their search engine rankings and attracted more local customers. CrossFit South Brooklyn also leverages content marketing by publishing workout videos, nutrition tips, and success stories from their members, which not only engages their audience but also improves their website’s SEO performance through increased traffic and backlinks.

The Dog Bakery: The Dog Bakery is a small business specialising in handmade, all-natural dog treats and cakes. Through a combination of keyword optimization, content marketing, and social media engagement, The Dog Bakery has successfully increased its online visibility and attracted customers interested in high-quality pet products. They create blog posts and videos featuring pet care tips, recipes for homemade dog treats, and customer testimonials, which not only drive organic traffic to their website but also establish them as a trusted authority in the pet industry.

These real-life examples demonstrate how small businesses across different industries can leverage SEO strategies to improve their online visibility, attract more targeted traffic, and ultimately grow their customer base.

How to Select Small Business SEO Services

If doing SEO on your own seems intimidating, try hiring pros. Choosing the right agency or people  for the job is critical. While employing an in-house SEO professional may not be viable, several organisations provide bespoke packages or flat-rate contracts depending on your specific requirements. If you’re prepared to put in the effort, you may also engage hourly SEO professionals for assistance. When analysing possible providers, inquire about their specialties, monthly process, link building technique, progress monitoring, reporting frequency, strategy updates, and previous projects. Remember, quality is important in SEO services, so invest wisely. Whether you choose DIY or expert help, creating a good SEO foundation and plan is critical for long-term company success.

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