As a small business owner, youโve likely heard time and time again that search engine optimization (SEO) is critical for the success of your company in the age of the internet. But while countless articles and blog posts will go on and on about if SEO is important (it is) and if you need to be practicing it (you do), you want actionable advice.ย
So letโs cut to the chase. If youโre curious about the logic, reasoning, and tech behind search engine optimization, weโve got you covered. But if you just want to hit the ground running, here are 10 search engine optimization tips to help your business today:
1.ย Do some keyword research
Keywords are how people search. When someone types โbest flower shop in Minneapolisโ into Google, the search engine is pulling the results that are most optimized for that particular phrase. So itโs crucial for you to know how your customers are searching for businesses like yours, how your website performs in the rankings for common (or uncommon-but-useful) search terms, and if the people searching for these terms are likely to convert to actual business for you. If you donโt have a list of keywords and phrases you want your site to rank for, nowโs the time to make that list.
2. Create meaningful content for your visitors
Websites rank higher when theyโre offering regular updates that are meaningful and useful to search users. Content Marketing is an approach to web marketing that works by turning your website into not just a sales portal, but a useful resource for your customer community. This could be offering blog posts with solutions to common problems faced by your customers, it could be writing white papers that position you as an expert in your field, or even just attractive and insightful infographics that promote sharing on social mediaโthe point is, your website now becomes the go-to place for people looking for answers.
3. Optimize your website content
Once you have technical issues resolved and keywords researched, one of the best steps you can take is to start tweaking your websiteโs visitor-facing content. From making sure your page titles and headers accurately integrate your chosen keywords to adding tags and appropriate metadata to every page and photo, these are the small details that wonโt make your website look meaningfully different but will make it far more attractive to Googleโs ranking algorithmโwhich means more eyes on your site and more customers in your door.
4. Fix common SEO problems
The nice part about getting started with search engine optimization is that a lot of the early work is just picking low-hanging fruit. There are plenty of common SEO problems that can often be fixed in a matter of minutes, from using the right file types (and sizes) for photos on your website to removing outdated tech and plug-ins. Using Google SEO tools like PageSpeed Insights can help easily identify technical SEO problems and offer ways to fix them so you can put yourself on solid ground to start tackling the more work-intensive issues.
5. Make sure your website is easy to use
Websites are meant to be user-friendly. If youโve put all this effort into ensuring potential customers find your website, but then they get discouraged by poor navigation, slow loading speeds, and obtuse information, theyโll turn around and leave with no regrets. This is not only costing you those particular customers, but Google also uses that information and will rank your site lower, making it harder to find future potential customers as well. So make sure your site is as intuitive and easy to use as possible!
6. Set up your Google Business Profile
It may seem like a simple thing, but itโs shocking how many small businesses still havenโt claimed their business on Google by setting up a Google Business Profile. Itโs likely that your business is on Googleโs radar, but building your Google Business Profile, it puts you in control of all the data like hours, website, contact info, menus, photos, and more. Countless search users engage with businesses via their profile, so thereโs no reason for you to not be the one managing that information.
7. Track your performance
You already got great baseline information with Google Analytics, but thatโs just the startโnot the endโof the process. You have to keep checking back as you implement these SEO tips, checking frequently to make sure youโre moving in the right direction and tweaking your approach if you arenโt. It may seem like magic, but SEO is a science, and like any science, it requires hypothesizing, testing, and retesting to get the best results. Once again, SEO is all about data, and if you arenโt paying attention to the data, then you arenโt getting the most out of your efforts.
8. Start using Google Analytics
Effective SEO is all about data, and effective SEO work starts with getting a baseline of where youโre at. If you havenโt set up Google Analytics, nowโs the time to do soโthis platform will help you track your siteโs performance including showing you visitor stats, keywords, bounce rates, and all the other important info that SEO work is meant to help improve. This will likely be your home base for tracking your progress!
9. Respond to Google reviews
Responding to online reviews is one of those practices that every business owner wants to do, but often becomes the first to fall by the wayside when things get busy or chaotic. And thatโs a shame because responding to reviews is a great way to not only connect with your customers but show potential customers that you really care about their experience. And with Google reviews in particular, meaningful responses show that youโre an engaged and active business person, helping your business show up in the rankings even more effectively.
10. Contact an SEO professional
With 9 SEO tips in your back pocket, youโre likely excited to get started, and also overwhelmed at the amount of work that goes into getting your site ranked effectively. Fortunately, you donโt need to add a whole new skill set to your plateโyou can always bring in an SEO professional to handle the hard work for you, so you can continue focusing on running your business and serving your customers like you always have.
Ready to bring your small business SEO to the next level? Skol Marketingโs Minnesota-based team is here to help. To learn more about how we can assist you in making sure your small business website reaches all your potential customers, please donโt hesitate to contact the local SEO experts at Skol Marketing.
