Small Business SEO
5 Steps to Improve Your Search Performance
If you want more website traffic and leads, increasing organic website traffic through Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important strategy. SEO is a long-term approach not a quick fix, however these initial steps will help you increase organic traffic and improve your online presence..
How can I get started with SEO?
Here are 5 steps to improve search performance and increase organic traffic for your small business.
1. Keyword Research
This is the first step because it impacts all the others. Keyword research is defining the search terms that are important for your business, products, and services. There are tools to help with this, including Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer, and many others.
What will people type into search to find your products/services? Start by creating a short list of priority search terms and their synonyms, and a second list of terms that are lower priority but interesting for your business, for example questions people ask.
2. Create a Google Business Listing
If you are a local business, you can create a Google Business listing. A local business is one that operates from a physical location (e.g., store, office) where customers visit you in person, or you visit them in person, covering a local service area (e.g., repair service, accountant). Check out Google’s rules on whether your business can have a local listing.
If you are eligible for a listing, claim and verify your business and fill out all the information about your business. Choose your primary category carefully so Google knows where you fit. Use the keywords you identified in your business overview and product/service descriptions, and posts. Take advantage of your business listing tools,
· Get reviews on Google
· Add photos of your business, products, and promotions, weekly.
· Add posts monthly featuring products/services, answering common questions, etc.
Increasing reviews and adding photos and posts will help you provide critical information about your business right on the search results screen. According to research from Whitespark, a Google Business listing is responsible for 33% of the local search results impact. Check out the chart below as we talk about some of the other factors.
3. Website User Experience
User experience is a big topic! Here are a few questions to help you get started:
Is it clear on the home page what business you are in and how you are different from your competitors?
Do you answer the common questions customers ask?
Does every web page have a clear call to action?
Can a potential customer find the information they need to compare you to competitors, for example features of your product/service, pricing, warranties, etc?
Does your website look good and perform well on a phone, e.g., is it fast?
Have you included enough information about yourself, your team, and your offerings to build trust with website visitors?
Invite friends/family to look at your website and offer suggestions for how to make it more clear and more impactful.
4. On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization is about structuring your website for optimum search results. Here’s a brief overview of some of the key steps.
Identify which keywords should be assigned to what page. You are basically mapping the keywords from step 1 onto your existing or potential website. For example, a dentist might assign the term “pediatric dentist” to the home page, and assign “fillings”, to a page about cavities, and “braces” to another page. Make sure your page content uses the keyword and synonyms.
Create a page title using the keywords for the page, this title can be 60 characters long. Note this field might be in settings, or advanced in your web editor. Your page title might look something like this: Pediatric Dentist in Kansas City | (Brand Name)
Create a page description which includes the keyword and a call to action. The description is how you can help people understand that this is the page for them.
Photos: use the alt description including key words and name the photo file appropriately using a keyword if possible.
Include keywords on the page headlines and use headline types in numerical order. For example, your main heading is an H1 heading and sub-headings as H2 headings. Your website may automatically create an H1 heading with the page name so double check this to make sure you only have one H1 heading.
This is a brief description of on-page SEO but there are lots of great resources where you can learn more. Check out this one, or this one.
5. Social Media Platforms are Search Engines Too
Your customers use search tools on social media too. You Tube is the second largest search engine right after Google. Social media platforms continue to enhance their search capabilities. Use your keyword list and include those terms in your social media profile summary content and in your social posts. Develop content for social media that answers key questions customers ask, and use local indicators where available, e.g. Instagram stories. Use hashtags on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter.
Put SEO into your marketing plan with the vision to make progress each year and you’ll see results like increased traffic, leads, and revenue. Contact me to get started today!
