Aren't you tired of missing out on sales? Is it tough to get customers into your store? Or maybe you're frustrated after seeing the competition build a strong web presence.
Rest assured, local SEO is a great way to solve all of these problems and more!
Keep reading as we walk you through the basics of what you'll need to know about SEO for a small business!
1. Rethink Your Website
The core way search engines determine if and where a site appears is through web crawling technology. Think of web crawlers as little bots that scour the internet to look for certain criteria. Those criteria include:
- Relevance to the search term(s)
- Site security
- Readability
- Loading speed
To even register on a crawler's radar, you'll first need to build an XML or HTML sitemap.
Suffice to say, you'll need to approach your website-based local SEO strategies carefully.
The best approach is to think like a visitor. Think about what design changes you can make so that your website loads quickly and provides a complete picture of your business and its values in a matter of moments.
More of your customers will start discovering your business through mobile search, so account for mobile site functionality, too.
Also read: 5 Essential Local SEO Tips that every Small Business owner needs to know
2. Create Valuable Content
A great website is crucial for small business marketing, but it isn't quite enough to get you where you want to be, especially in the era of the search engine. Thankfully, you can increase visibility simply by providing your audience with quality, high-value content.
Of course, everyone is going to have their own definition of "high-value" so what does it mean in this context?
In small business SEO terms, high-value content refers to original works on your brand's website and social channels that prioritize information and entertainment over pushy sales tactics. Examples include short-form videos on your YouTube channel or this exact blog post you're reading right now!
To start your content creation journey, think about the types of questions and needs your audience may have. Again, this is when it's helpful to put yourself in their shoes.
Next, you'll want to develop a link-building strategy, which you can learn about at https://www.thehoth.com/learn/local/seo/link-building/. Linking is important for many reasons, but at its core, this strategy will help you establish authority and trust, both with consumers and web crawlers.
As you did with your homepage copy, sprinkle relevant keywords throughout your content to improve visibility.
3. Build Your Reputation
Be honest, you feel skeptical when you see an ad, don't you? Well, you're in good company, as about 96% of consumers are wary of advertisements.
Aside from content creation and a user-friendly design, you can earn customers' trust by building a library of positive, informative reviews. Always encourage customers to leave reviews of your business, both on your webpage and through aggregates like Google My Business and Yelp.
Customers trust other customers. The more reviews you can accumulate, the better.
Start Small and Dream Big With SEO for a Small Business
With these three key strategies in place, you're on your way to improving visibility and sales. It's important to note that SEO takes time, though, so be patient and check in with your analytics as often as you can.
To learn more about SEO for a small business, make sure to check out the rest of our advertising and marketing content.
