Search engine optimization can seem like a necessary evil for small businesses. It’s how you reach potential customers on the web… but is it worth the time and money? SEO for Small Business. Will you even be able to stand out among the millions of web pages out there? But fear not! Optimizing SEO for small business is completely manageable if you take the right steps.
SEO is a powerful tool for not only finding customers but also building a strong brand reputation. Much of the anxiety surrounding SEO comes from misunderstandings about what it is and how it works. Without further ado, let’s dive into how SEO can be a key part of your small business marketing strategy.
What is Search Engine Optimization?
Search engine optimization (SEO) includes any strategy designed to improve a website’s performance in search engine results. (The acronym can also be short for Search Engine Optimizer, which is the person who does SEO.)
Historically, SEO meant ranking high enough for the right keywords. If someone searched for “bike store Gainesville,” the search engines would serve up the results they considered the most reliable—that is, other sites were linking to them and had content containing that keyword combination.
Now it’s a little more complicated. Led by the ever-innovating Google, search engines now focus on user intent. They use each user’s location, previous searches, and behavioral clues to evaluate which pages best match a search query.
Search engines can now also parse questions, which is how most users now enter queries. In fact, over 70% of searches are long-tail queries . Ideally, your bike shop would show up for both basic keyword combinations (such as “bike shops gainesville”) and long-tail keywords such as “where can I buy a bike near me?”).
This dramatic shift in the algorithm was designed to solve two problems:
Black Hat SEO Tactics
Since early search engines relied on keyword density and appearance, SEO strategists would “stuff” content filled with keywords. This often made the content nearly unreadable. We’ve all seen websites that start with something like, “When looking for bike shops in Gainesville, it’s important to evaluate all of the bike shop options in Gainesville to find the best place to buy a bike in Gainesville.”
Google now prioritizes content that draws readers in. In their new focus on page experience, “time spent on site” is a key metric for page ranking , which means clunky content will be penalized.
Some unscrupulous SEOs even “hide” keywords, such as “bikes bikes bike shop shop buy bikes gainesville” in white text on a white background. Google now penalizes these tactics and will demote sites that use them.
False reputation
Google’s original name was “Backrub” (yes, really) because they were the first search engine to consider backlinks as a sign of reputable iran telegram data content. Their theory was that people were more likely to link back to sites they found valuable. Therefore, sites with the highest number of backlinks should rank highest.
Smart SEO strategists realized that all they had to do was create backlinks pointing to their website. For a while, there were even link farms where a webmaster could generate hundreds of backlinks.
Of course, Google eventually figured out that backlinks were being abused in this way. Now, only backlinks from sites with strong domain i will find email address, b2b lead generation, linkedin prospecting. authority will help with rankings. If you get a backlink from Buzzfeed or Forbes pointing to your site, that’s a huge SEO boost. On the other hand, a link from seosmallbiz123abc.com means nothing and could actually hurt your reputation if that site is flagged as a spam site.
So how do you put the right SEO strategy into practice? Given the changes in search engine algorithms since the early days of the web, you may be wondering: “If keywords and backlinks don’t matter, then what’s the point of SEO?”
Make no mistake: Keywords and backlinks c phone number still matter, but not out of context. As with most things in the marketing world, the goal is quality, not quantity.
To further illustrate the importance of SEO for small businesses, let’s bust some popular myths.
Myths and Facts About Small Business SEO
Myth: SEO isn’t necessary.
Some people insist that SEO is dead because most businesses generate leads from social media or drive traffic through paid advertising. While these are valid strategies, SEO is still important—if only because today’s SEO techniques also tend to improve the customer experience.
But overall, SEO is one of the cheapest ways to attract potential customers. Paid advertising campaigns for new businesses can be cost-prohibitive, and social media takes time to build up. Plus, SEO is now about more than just ranking high in search results—it can also improve your online reputation.
Myth: SEO is expensive and a waste of money.
SEO is not terribly expensive if done correctly and in line with your overall marketing strategy. The problem is that “snake oil” SEO companies have emerged claiming they can deliver incredible results in as little as 30 days – for a price. Any agency worth its salt knows not to make hard promises.
That’s because there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to SEO. Some brands might benefit from a blog that drives organic traffic, while others need to optimize for local map results or voice search. Regardless, SEO is about more than just keywords and backlinks.
Myth: SEO takes a long time to work.
Many business owners jump into paid advertising right away because they want fast results. This is understandable, but ad campaigns don’t usually deliver high ROI right out of the gate. It takes time to tweak audiences, test creative variations, and optimize ad spend.
In comparison, SEO works relatively quickly—although it’s also a never-ending task . Bots are constantly crawling the web, and if they find valuable content on your site, they’ll display it to relevant users. Plus, SEO now includes Google My Business, which pops up instantly when someone searches for your business or industry. The average GMB listing appears over 1,000 times per month . That’s free advertising!
Why SEO is worth your time
Notice a theme here? SEO isn’t about improving page rankings. It encompasses your overall strategy for improving your online reputation and attracting the right users. This means you don’t have to shell out money for questionable SEO tactics. Instead, think of it as an investment in your brand’s digital presence.
SEO as a Marketing Strategy
The first step to becoming more comfortable with SEO is to stop thinking of it as a “webmaster’s thing” and start thinking of it as an essential part of your marketing strategy. Yes, you may need a web developer or coder to complete certain tasks, but they should work closely with your marketing team.
Here are the four main tasks of performing SEO depending on your marketing goals:
- Align your target audience’s buying journey with your website structure. This can be as simple as opening your page for different search intents (e.g. “bike repair Gainesville” vs. “buy bike Gainesville”). To avoid confusing different audiences and cluttering your website, create unique landing pages for each social media or ad campaign.
- Identify your ideal customers’ key needs, challenges, and “pain points” (what resonates with them), then create content that matches those. Leverage common long-tail queries like “When should I change my bike chain?” Give each page or post an optimized title that will entice clicks when it appears in search results. Try answering your target audience’s questions in subheadings of your content to increase your chances of appearing in the “People Also Ask” section .
- Create a better user experience. This means getting rid of any keyword-stuffed or duplicate content, reorganizing your sitemap, implementing responsive design , and simplifying your code for faster load times. Check to make sure every page on your site has at least one static text link. (And don’t forget to fix any broken links.)
- Invest in local SEO . As mentioned earlier, Google My Business is a great way to ensure your business appears in map results. However, a GMB listing will also appear alongside regular search results. You can also collect reviews, post updates, and otherwise manage your reputation. Claim your GMB listing and add local information, such as your address and phone number, to your website.
Summarize
SEO doesn’t have to be a mysterious combination of keywords, links, and hidden code. In fact, it should be a natural extension of your brand positioning goals. Once you focus on delivering high-value content to the right people, SEO will naturally follow. While it can be time-consuming, it’s well worth the investment if your digital presence is consistently in front of your ideal audience. In SEO, greater quality web content leads to a greater number of leads and customers.
