The Ultimate Guide to SEO for Small Business

June 8, 2023 | Advanced SEO

SEO Guide for small business

Engaged in running a small business, but got stuck with the high competition? If it is so, it’s the peak time to move on with some actionable practices. And, that’s SEO! No matter whether you own a small business like a plumbing company, a restaurant owner or a dentist; SEO is now the most comprehensive and necessary process for all businesses. To keep it simple for your understanding, let’s first understand what does SEO mean for small businesses.

It’s pretty simple. SEO refers to the process of optimizing the website in such a manner that helps it get ranked among search engine results for the right and profitable keywords.

Why Do Small Businesses Need SEO?

It’s an undeniable fact that if you own a small business, you lack the amount of cash to be spent on your business promotion. Why go for the expensive promotions when you can do it in a budget-friendly manner? SEO can bring you more search traffic, more business, and ultimately, better ranking. And, do you know what? It’ll eventually bring your business up from the high-competition.

The Most Effective Local SEO Tactics Of 2019

Head on to the following strategies that guide you with everything you need to know about SEO for small businesses. Let’s get started-

1. Develop A Strategy To Target Local Keywords

The very first step, to begin with, is that you need to find which keywords are helping people find your business. Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, Kwfinder, are some of the most popular tools that you can use to find the relevant search terms.

It depends totally upon you what size of the area you want to target. Decide whether you want to stick only to your location or you are open to target nearby locations. Then, accordingly, target keywords. Using LSI words too can work well for you.

2. Tackle On-Page SEO

On-Page SEO helps businesses optimize the individual web pages of their websites so that they get higher ranking and earn more relevant traffic from search engines. From every piece of content that you publish on your site, On-Page SEO brings more conversions for your business by driving the relevant search traffic on your site. Here are the best tactics that you must consider for optimizing your website-

2.1 Optimize Content For User Intent

Think about what the user wants to search. Take an idea by analyzing long-tail keywords. You will understand what they are searching for. And, then present your business specialties by providing content that satisfies user intent.

In simple words, put content on your site that matches closely to the users’ need.

2.2 Optimize Meta Tags

As you want to tell search engines and its users what your web page is all about, how can you forget about meta tags? Meta tags describe what your business is going to serve the search engine users. It includes meta title, meta description, meta robot tags.

Meta title describes the main title of the particular webpage, whereas the meta description is a brief description of that particular webpage. Apart from that, meta robot tags tell the bots what they should crawl or what they should not.

Have a look below-

2.3 Optimize Images

To make your website more compelling, it requires adding some visuals on it. But, just adding images is enough? Of course not!

An unoptimized image on your site can increase the chances of losing potential customers. Obviously, you wouldn’t like to do so. So, how will you optimize your images? Here is the answer-

  1. Compress the file size. You may use tools like tinyPNG.
  2. Select the right image format.
  3. Add a relevant title along with a captain and description while uploading the image.
  4. Don’t forget to add keywords in the alt tags.

2.4 Optimize URL Structure

URL is the address of your webpage. So, don’t you think it should be such that your site visitors can remember? For the same of readability, make it short and use the keyword in the URL that relates to the webpage.

Apart from that, we recommend you to canonicalize those URLs that have similar content to avoid duplicity in your content.

2.5 Optimize Content Structure

Think you’ve landed on a site and figured out difficulty to find the relevant content. What will you do? You’ll end up with frustration.

Make your content structure optimized and readable so that everyone can understand your business correctly. Here are some of the ways that you can follow-

  1. Use heading tags wherever necessary.
  2. Write concise paragraphs.
  3. Don’t fluff your site visitors with irrelevant content.
  4. Use LSI keywords wherever possible.
  5. Don’t over-optimize with keywords.

2.6 Optimize Content For Voice Search

Nowadays, people prefer using voice search instead of typing in the search bar. The important point to be considered is that their voice queries are basically conversational and long. The best way to optimize your content for voice search is to use question phrases and add structured data within your site. Apart from that, don’t forget to make your content mobile-friendly.

2.7 Add Schema Markup

In order to determine your page’s relevance and position in the search engine results, search engines look at a variety of factors within your webpage other than the content. Schema Markup is a great way to leverage these additional factors.

In other words, you may call it a kind of metadata that helps you in giving an edge over your competitors. Look how a webpage appears in search results by adding schema markup-

3. Move On To Off-Page SEO

As the name suggests, Off-Page SEO is performed outside the site. In other words, all those activities or practices that you do to increase your website authority to rank higher in search results, fall under the scope of Off-Page SEO. Keep in mind that it doesn’t only consider link building practices, rather, it covers beyond more.

Depending on your business goals, the strategies you should opt to optimize your website may vary. Here are the best Off-Page Search Engine Optimization practices that you must consider properly-

3.1 Optimize Your Google My Business Account

Being a small business owner, your main purpose is to seek great local exposure. Google My Business can help you with the same. By optimizing your Google My Business account, your local search ranking gets improved.

So, here are a few points that you should keep in mind-

  1. List out your business on Google My Business.
  2. Add each detail accurately about your business like address, business hours, category, reviews, etc.
  3. Add compelling photos of your business.
  4. Manage your customer reviews.

3.2 High-Quality Local Link Building

Search engines analyze the websites’ authority before providing them rank in search engine results. So, there is a need to build high-quality links. Linking to everyone can’t bring desired results, rather Google may penalize your ranking.

Acquire links from those sites that come under your niche and can satisfy the search intent of your site visitors. Again, you need to beware of spam sites while building links.

Check out this blog to know 5 effective strategies to generate backlinks in 2019.

3.3 Perfect Citation

Cite your business details consistently wherever you have listed your business. It might be a local directory, a Google My Business account, your own website. Make sure the business details don’t mismatch.

A perfect citation is necessary for every business to gain credibility and trust from the site visitors.

3.4 Promote On Social Media

When it comes to targeting high-quality leads, social media promotion can bring worth for your business. But again, not every social media platform is meant for your business. You need to analyze on which platform your customers are active. Then create content accordingly.

Here are some useful tips for you-

  1. Make a strategy to promote your business on social platforms.
  2. Decide the best platform.
  3. Know your audience and build a relationship with them.
  4. Keep your tone conversational.
  5. Focus on helping them rather than selling.

4. Monitor Your Local SEO Performance

This step is very crucial while performing SEO for your business. You need to track whether you are going in the right way. How your efforts bring results for your business? Analyze everything in detail and then take further corrective actions, if necessary.

You can use different analytical tools to track your performance on the web like Google Analytics, Semrush Analytics, Ahrefs, Moz Analytics, etc.

Conclusion

At last, I would like to conclude by saying that don’t make haste. As it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so, you can take help of local SEO experts. By implementing all these Small Business SEO strategies, your business can rank well for the right keywords.

Use these tips and see how your brand gets exposure in the digital world. Keep on updating yourself of the latest Google Algorithms so that you can present your business more efficiently in search results. Always remember, whatever efforts you’ll put in today, will surely pay off in the future.

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