Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial if you want your small business to stand out online. Tailoring your website for SEO establishes your online presence, making it easier to gain new customers, encourage return customers, and stand out from the crowd.
If you’re ready to top local search and take advantage of your online presence, read on for 7 SEO strategies every local business should try.
Why SEO is Important for Small Businesses
SEO. You’ve heard about it. You know you need to do it. But why is it important?
Imagine you want to take yourself, a friend, or your family to go apple picking. You want to have the best experience possible. You’re really looking forward to this activity. The only problem is, you don’t know any local orchards that offer apple picking. Where do you turn? Probably a search engine—most likely Google. Local businesses that have taken full advantage of local SEO are going to show up in your Google search results first—this makes them more likely to secure you as a customer.
It’s all about getting found online. The more you tailor your website to the preferences of popular search engines, the more you’ll show up in potential customers’ searches.
7 SEO Strategies to Help Your Small Business’s Online Presence
Not sure where to get started? Let’s talk about 7 strategies that are worth trying.
1. Target the Right Keywords
Search engine optimization pretty much boils down to one thing: keywords. The wording that you choose for your website, blog content, social media platforms, online business profile, etc. should all include keywords that make it super easy for customers to find you.
For local businesses, focusing on local SEO is especially essential. Choosing the right keywords gets you a higher ranking in search engine results. But if you are in a large or saturated market, you need to use words that show local customers you’re the obvious choice. For example, if you have a shoe store, you probably won’t show up in the top search results for the keywords “women’s shoes” but you are likely to rank a lot higher for “women’s shoes in Denver, CO.”
Choosing the right terms takes a little keyword research. When getting started, think about which relevant keywords your customers are likely to associate with your small business—get as detailed as you can.
Better yet, check out SEO tools that can help with keyword research like SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, and Ahrefs.
2. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Search engines, especially Google, are invested in offering the most relevant search results to each user. The more relevant your keywords are to your customer, the higher you’ll rank.
It isn’t just your website that needs to be built around local SEO; this rule extends to your Google Business Profile too. Your Google Business Profile is a huge make-or-break component for small business owners online. This is where customers get to see your phone number, location, business hours, reviews, pictures of your product or building, etc.
Customers need to see—immediately—that your local business is what they’re looking for. And optimizing your Google Business Profile with all the right information will increase your website traffic, leading to higher conversion rates.
