4 SEO Methods your Small Business Should be Using

It’s 2017 and without a doubt we have reached an era where the internet is a huge part of small and large businesses. It has changed the exposure of small businesses and created the opportunity for customers to discover who you are and what you do regardless of your size. As a small business, you want to be seen online but unless someone knows exactly who you are, your chances of discovery can be very slim. This is where the need for a great SEO strategy comes to the rescue.

But wait… What is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a process people use to increase the quantity of traffic to a website. It has amplified in importance in recent years with the growing popularity of search engines such as Google leading people to websites through keywords. Improving your websites SEO, can be done through a series of changes and alterations to your website and if done properly will lead to a higher ranked position in the search results page. See our older blog SEO for Beginners if you are new to SEO.

Now the question is, what techniques should you use when improving your SEO?

Check out our 4 favourite SEO techniques to find out quick and easy ways to improve your ranking.

1. Long-tail Keywords

‘How many SEOs does it take to change a bulb? Lightbulb, lightbulbs, lighting, lights!’

You would think choosing the right keywords is easy; Just think of the words that first pop into your mind when you think of your company and use those. Am I right?

Wrong! When selecting the right keywords, they must be precise and descriptive as not all keywords are equal. They must connect to your business and what you offer but must also be something that you think your customers would type in to find your service. These key words can vary from 3-5 (possibly more) key phrases which are specific to what you are providing- This is what we call long-tail keywords.

See these examples:

Regular keywords:

Italian food service

Nike running shoes

Girls dresses

Long-tail Keywords:

Italian catering service in London

Women’s Nike running shoes

Girls evening dresses

Choosing the right keywords makes a huge difference in search results. The longer and more precise each key term is, the higher the conversion rate is.

What to think about:

Specific keywords bring more specific customers and therefore increase your sales opportunities and leads.

Be different. Don’t target the same keywords as bigger competitors- they have more coverage already, so you won’t make much of an appearance!

Use keyword research tools like Google keyword planner to fill any gaps in the market.

TIP: A good thing to do is type the long-tail keywords you think you are going to use into Google and judge the search results and if they are similar to what you offer. Play around with different keywords and if your business is strictly local, make sure to put the location into your keywords. 

2. Build links and networks

Building quality links to your website is crucial for successful SEO. It helps your site gain traffic and build a reputation in your field. However, it is often a tactic that is overlooked by smaller businesses, particularly those who aren’t familiar with SEO strategies.

Have a look at these simple possibilities of building your network:

• Leverage or create local business partnerships

Forming partnerships with local organisations in your geographic area or industry can be a great opportunity to build up your links! It makes sense to partner up with businesses that compliment yours or websites that would find your content useful.

For example, your Italian Catering service can be publicised on a local events centre website in their ‘preferred vendors’ page.

• Produce premium online content

Producing premium content demonstrates that you have ‘thought leadership’ which simply means you are a leader/expert within your industry. This creates major backlinks to large-scale publications and leading blog industries.

Some premium content includes:

• Unique blog posts;
• case studies
• Infographics
• Podcasts

Note: creating premium content requires a lot of time BUT has a much higher chance of being linked to than an ordinary post.

• Regular social media engagement

Social media platforms play a vital role in a business’s search results visibility. It’s obvious that the more active you are on your social media, the more chance you have of building traffic to your pages and increasing followers.

Ideas for engagement:

• Keep viewers updated with the latest news such as: new products/ services, competitions, giveaways or activities.
• Acknowledge those who are supporting you.
• Respond to those trying to reach out to you.

 

3. Visual Content

Visual content is simply what kind of things are displayed on your website(s). Your websites visual content is an asset for a strategic SEO to make it successful in search ranks. Relevant, unique images and optimized text content accentuates your organisation.

Don’t forget that quality is ALWAYS better than quantity.

Tips to try:

• Infographics! Post content that has a visual story-basically more images than text. This makes it easier for viewers to learn and understand.
• Choose visuals that encourage interaction and sharing. For example, create a #hashtag trend on Twitter.
• Every image you put on your website, make sure you include an ALT Tag so google knows what this picture is of and if it is relevant
• Create video presentations (this is the most powerful form om of a great visual content)

 

Now this brings me to the last conjunction…

4. User Experience

It’s important that you keep up to date and be prepared for any SEO changes that may affect user experience. You always want to assure that users have it easy when they are visiting your site!

Keep these mind:

• Is it easy to use, navigate, and understand?
• Is the information provided direct, actionable and relevant?
• Is it designed professionally?
• Mobile friendly?
• Speed optimization fast?

 

Focus on your users and get to know who they are.

You’ll realise that the quality of your user experience is what generates the effective communication between you and viewers. A great user experience will drive in more traffic to your site.

The finale…

If you didn’t know already, let me emphasise how powerful SEO is in helping your business gain exposure. Not only does it help bring more attention to you; it increases revenue for your organisation.

SEO is the missing piece that will aid in your organisations growth, competitiveness and profitability. Content is always king and when used with other marketing tools, it provides branding, visibility, traffic, and credibility.

 

Lucidica is the IT support team for London businesses.