No doubt you’ve been told or read about the importance of search engine optimization. But if you’re a small and medium sized business you may have thought to yourself, “This doesn’t really apply to me,” or, “We’re just a small operation. SEO probably isn’t important for us.”
But just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be implementing good SEO practices as part of your marketing strategy. Even if you understand the importance of SEO and would like to take advantage of it, as a small business-owner you may feel pretty intimidated about getting started.
Tip #1. Make your website as optimization-friendly as possible
This may seem like a big, general suggestion, but there are several little changes you can make to your website that will help to increase your search engine optimization. First, take a look at your domain name. It should be clear and reflect your type of business or your business name. Continue this pattern throughout your website by making sure keywords about your business name, business type, and/or business location appear in titles, subtitles and other areas of your website. Don’t be afraid to put your contact info on other pages besides your “contact” page. Finally, take a good look at your meta description and make it as clear and optimized as possible.
Tip #2. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
With so many people on their smartphones these days, it is very important to make sure your website looks good on a small screen as well as a traditional computer screen. And there are plenty of resources out there to do this easily and cheaply, so no need to get overwhelmed. With a few simple plug-ins you can get a mobile-friendly site that loads quickly.
Tip #3. Good Content
No matter how big or small your business is, whether you hire someone to do this for your or you handle it on your own, good content is crucial when it comes to SEO. Your content includes the information on your homepage, your “about” page, your product pages, etc. You want your content to be well-written while being mindful of your carefully chosen keywords that describe your business and mention it by name. But that’s not all. Having a blog on your website can also help in a few different ways. First, it creates more opportunity to boost SEO by using your keywords and other other relevant content so that your ranking can improve. But besides that, it serves as a way to display authority within your industry, share helpful tips about your products, and spread information and knowledge. Overall, it helps to build trust with your existing customers and is a way to attract new ones.
Tip #4. Use Good Links
Another way to make your website’s voice a trusted one (and improve SEO) is by having good links. Just be sure that you’re linking appropriately; links should be visible and relevant to your business. Linking to your social media pages is a great way to get started! Or, link to other local businesses, and have them link in return.
