Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an online marketing tool that every business should invest in – small and large. The problem with small businesses though, is that resources tend to be limited. Staff and budget are smaller and it doesn’t always leave enough time for online marketing efforts so many small businesses fall into the trap of ‘running’ their businesses rather than promoting too.
But both sides of the fence are just as important as each other so finding time for both is essential for business success. There are many reasons why businesses should invest in SEO and in today’s day of age, content marketing should be a core part of it. For small business though that don’t have much time and budget, here’s a few SEO tips you can master in minutes that will get your brand and website on its way to being better noticed.
1. Internal Link Building
Internal link building is your best friend in the world of online marketing and SEO. Not only does it help major search engines like Google find all the juicy content on your website, but’s a great ‘mapping’ guide for readers too. Internal link building prompts users on your site to find out more about your company, products and services. It points them in the right direction for more content and information and can keep them on your site longer, ultimately lowering your bounce rate.
Keep your link building techniques natural to avoid over stuffing your website. A lot like the use of keywords in your content, you want them to be relevant to drive effectiveness. Links (both internal and external) that are not relevant to the content or page will damage your SEO visibility over time – so be smart about it.
2. Bulk Content on Web Pages
Google loves content that’s meaty and appealing so aim to be putting bulk content on all your web pages – especially your business blog. At bare minimum, you should have at least 300-400 words on every page so Google (and people!) can gather enough information about your business. Without great, fleshed out content major search engines like Google have a lot less to go on when considering your website for a good page ranking.
Content that’s juicy in nature and relevant to your industry is paramount to attracting both people and search engines to your website. Use it to educate your readers and search engines about what your business is all about. Useful and interesting content too, creates an ideal reason for people to keep coming back to your site.
3. Encourage and Respond to Online Customer Reviews
Online customer reviews are an essential part of driving people to your brand and business, so don’t be afraid to encourage them. When clients express their gratitude about the work you have done for them, ask them if they mind writing a quick review on your social media channels or as a testimonial for your website.
Reviews do more than provide a helpful tool for future business, they boost your visibility in local search results too. Regardless of whether they are positive or negative, online reviews and your engagement in responding to them can say a lot about your brand and customer involvement. Plus, they are great for SEO purposes too! Stay away from posting fake reviews – you want authority and credibility too, and if the posts are negative ask the client to get in contact with you so you can address their concerns professionally.
4. Create Local Places Listings
Ensuring you have a local business page and listing is one of the most effective ways to boost local SEO. Google and other top search engines are always on the lookout on these sites to develop a stronger understanding of your business and the local web so it’s a definitely a tool that shouldn’t be disregarded.
Start by creating a local business page for all of the three main search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing) and make sure all your business details are accurate and updated – location, phone number, operating hours etc. Build your listing with images and information over time so your pages look more attractive to users and use relevant keywords to help the search engines find you better.
5. Be Mobile-Friendly
If your website isn’t on mobile, then you are losing a lot of potential customers. Not to mention, your rankings with Google can decline significantly if your site isn’t mobile friendly. As of April 21st, Google released its mobile-friendly algorithm and in this tech-driven world we live in it definitely pays to be on board with it.
Mobile SEO is an extremely crucial part of effective online marketing. Whilst in the past it was simply about having a responsive design, websites that aren’t mobile-friendly these days tend to get left behind pretty damn quick. Sites that do well on mobile offer visitors a better and more practical experience. If someone can’t access your site on the go, will they bother coming back again? Probably not.
By a few simple SEO tweaks and regular online maintenance (a good one or two a week is fine to get you started) your website, business and brand can be on its way to the forefront of people’s minds.