Successful Small Business SEO
Small Business SEO includes a combination of all techniques, like Keywords Research, On-Page SEO, Local SEO, and Off-Page SEO.
Small Business SEO |
When your site is optimized, your business becomes visible to more people, who are already searching for what you offer.
Why SEO matters for Small Businesses ?!
Here’s the deal:
In this post, I am going to explain 30 tips to improve your SERP ranking.
Small Business SEO Guide Tips and Tools:
I. Keywords - Small Business SEO
1.Keyword Research
Do keyword research every time before you publish a post or promote your products.
Make use of SEO tools for keyword research like:
- a)Google Keyword Planner,
- b)SEMrush
- c)keywordtool.io
- c)ubersuggest.org, etc..
2. Use your site search data for target keywords
You can use your site search data to see what are your users searching for your site =User Intent and try to include those keywords in your posts.
3. Look at your competitors
The best tool to analyze your competitors for their profitable keywords is SEMrush.
4.Optimize local pages for target local keywords
When doing keyword research don't forget to research your local competitors, and what is searched more locally, because it is very important for every small business to be visible locally.
- a) Include your city name on page titles and content,
- b)Add your business physical address on the site layout (sidebar or footer).
5.Track your keywords
Read this post on how to use the search console for tracking your own keywords
In the end, don't forget to check the keyword density on your site because high keyword density can be considered keyword stuffing by search engines and you can get penalized by doing that.
Keep the keyword density between 3-5% in your posts.
After keyword research the next step should be doing the On-Site SEO which includes optimizing:
Read How to Use Meta Tags for Successful On-Page SEO
Read this article about creating SEO friendly URLs
Read here on how to create a better navigation
Read how to Optimize Images on your site
Read here about writing better anchor text
While creating your posts don't forget to link to your other posts with related content (use do-follow links), because that will give the visibility to those posts for both search engines and for your site visitors.
All of the On-Page SEO tasks can be done easier and better with SEO friendly CMS like Wordpress through plugins such as Yoast SEO plugin.
Having a blog on your site can have it's SEO advantages because that way you will have fresh content on your site and both search engines and your users love that.
Also having a comment system on your blog posts will reduce your bounce rate by keeping your users longer on your site and this also an SEO ranking signal.
II.On-Site SEO - Small Business SEO
6.Meta Tags:
- Titles: Site Title and Post Titles
- Meta Description of the site and posts and other static pages
- Meta Keywords for the site and individual pages
Read How to Use Meta Tags for Successful On-Page SEO
7.Creating SEO friendly URLs for SE by optimizing permalinks
Read this article about creating SEO friendly URLs
8.Creating better Navigation through the site
Read here on how to create a better navigation
9.Optimizing Images
Read how to Optimize Images on your site
10. Writing better anchor text
Read here about writing better anchor text
11.Creating better interlinking
While creating your posts don't forget to link to your other posts with related content (use do-follow links), because that will give the visibility to those posts for both search engines and for your site visitors.
12.Efficient SEO with a CMS
13.Blog - Write to your visitors
Also having a comment system on your blog posts will reduce your bounce rate by keeping your users longer on your site and this also an SEO ranking signal.
This will create a community around your site and that is very important for every small business.
Stats have shown that longer articles have a tendency to get shared more through social media and therefore your posts will get more natural backlinks from other blog authors and also it's normal they will drive more traffic from search engines.
"Structured data markup" is a standard way to annotate your content so machines can understand it.
Schema markup helps your website rank better for all kinds of content types.
It increases the CTR by displaying rich snippets on SERPs.
There is data markup for:
14. Write content with a longer shelf life
15.Use Schema markup - Rich snippets
Schema markup helps your website rank better for all kinds of content types.
It increases the CTR by displaying rich snippets on SERPs.
There is data markup for:
- Articles
- Local businesses
- Restaurants
- TV episodes and ratings
- Book Reviews
- Movies
- Software Applications
- Events
- Products
16.User reviews
17. Encourage And Respond To Online User Reviews
Also responding to those reviews is another way of encouraging your users to review your products.
18. Write your own product descriptions
Don't forget to write your unique product descriptions because this will bring people from search engines or social media directly interested in your products.
19. Put the customer or reader first
Don't think only about search engines, firstly think about your customers or readers by creating great UX (user experience).
20. Go Mobile
Read here about how to connect with your costumers with mobile marketing
21.Use Webmaster tools - Search Console
By using different webmaster tools will give you the edge of knowing how to optimize your site for search engines.
For example, read these articles on how to use Google Search Console for your SEO.
22. Find out who is linking to you
There are a lot of SEO Tools on the Internet that will tell you who is linking to your site and how.
Some of the tools where you can track backlinks are:
23.Ensure An Appropriate Link Strategy
Having a link strategy is a vital part of every SEO campaign, so you should start having a strategy on how to get more relevant natural backlinks to your site.
Every backlink counts but having backlinks from sites that have related content to your site and that have a bigger reputation than your site will give your site SEO benefits.
Natural backlinks are links that other blog authors or webmasters will link to your content from their sites.
You can gain this kind of backlinks by writing quality content on your blog and promoting it in the right way, for example by sharing it:
- a) in social media.
- b) with email outreach, etc..
Keep reading…
Check out also these great free tools to find link building opportunities for your site:
Also, another tool to help you with your link-building efforts is Linkio is an SEO management software that makes it easier to plan and deliver backlinks.
24.Set up pages on social sites
Make use of social media by setting up company pages on social sites.
A lot of companies and small businesses are selling directly or indirectly through social networks.
After creating company pages regularly update the content by posting your articles and try to engage your followers by asking questions, by asking them to review your products, to review your site articles, etc.
Don't forget to use hashtags, because that will get you more followers, traffic to your site and more sales.
This one is hard to achieve without spending, but if you can spend money than use it because the benefits can be very rewarding.
Try to use HARO: "Help a Reporter Out" to achieve this task and if any of reporters will link to your site, this can give you valuable backlinks from huge media companies.
Do not forget to set your site to Google Local listings (Google My Business) because you can gain more consumers and also your business will look more trustworthy in the eyes of the customers when they know your exact address.
This is because there is nobody will ever guarantee you that they will rank you on the 1st page of search engine results.
SEO is not an exact science so there should not be any guarantees about SEO results.
Keep an eye on your agency's methods- they should use only white hat SEO techniques otherwise your site can get penalized from search engines and it requires hard work from SEO experts to remove a search engine penalty which will cost you a lot.
You should keep an eye on SEO trends because search engines will change their algorithms periodically you definitely need to keep up with SEO trends to be able to rank on SERP.
You can do this by reading the latest SEO news and tutorials from reliable sites like:
In the end, you should don't expect quick results.
If you liked this article or have found it to be useful please share it on social networks to spread the word.
If you have any further questions and feedback about this article then you can share your opinions in the comment section below.
After creating company pages regularly update the content by posting your articles and try to engage your followers by asking questions, by asking them to review your products, to review your site articles, etc.
Don't forget to use hashtags, because that will get you more followers, traffic to your site and more sales.
25.Drive Media Coverage
This one is hard to achieve without spending, but if you can spend money than use it because the benefits can be very rewarding.
Try to use HARO: "Help a Reporter Out" to achieve this task and if any of reporters will link to your site, this can give you valuable backlinks from huge media companies.
III.Local SEO - Small Business SEO
26.Set up a Google Local listing
Do not forget to set your site to Google Local listings (Google My Business) because you can gain more consumers and also your business will look more trustworthy in the eyes of the customers when they know your exact address.
27. Secure, Build Out And Update Your Business Listings On Local Websites.
- Like I said earlier, include your local keywords on page title and content and
- Add useful information to your local pages.
28. Specify Country and Site Language
- Specify the country and your site language in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools if you would like to get more traffic from local costumers through search engines.
- Use meta tags to specify your site language and Geo-Targeting.
IV. SEO Agencies - Small Business SEO
29. Don't trust agencies that promise guaranteed results
This is because there is nobody will ever guarantee you that they will rank you on the 1st page of search engine results.
SEO is not an exact science so there should not be any guarantees about SEO results.
Keep an eye on your agency's methods- they should use only white hat SEO techniques otherwise your site can get penalized from search engines and it requires hard work from SEO experts to remove a search engine penalty which will cost you a lot.
V.SEO Trends - Small Business SEO
30. Keep an eye on SEO trends
You should keep an eye on SEO trends because search engines will change their algorithms periodically you definitely need to keep up with SEO trends to be able to rank on SERP.
You can do this by reading the latest SEO news and tutorials from reliable sites like:
In the end, you should don't expect quick results.
If you liked this article or have found it to be useful please share it on social networks to spread the word.
If you have any further questions and feedback about this article then you can share your opinions in the comment section below.
For SEO consulting services you can always write to us in an SEO consultation form and we will contact you ASAP!