There are many small business owners who ask, “Is search engine optimization (SEO) worth it?” SEO is important to all businesses especially small businesses.
According to Kate Harrison, a Forbes Contributor, the number 1 mistake that small business owners make is “Waiting until after you launch a website to consider SEO” (Harrison, 6/30/18).
If you have an older website that has not been maintained well over the years, then maybe it is time to consider a digital facelift. When it comes to small businesses, there are different ways to optimize your pages on your website such as; create localized content and on page optimization, optimize your page for the different types of searches, and help secure backlinks and collect reviews. Understanding ranking factors is important in order to properly be seen by the search engines that analyze your site and determine if the information presented is relevant enough to show the users. All of these different aspects of SEO are equally important, and you want to keep in mind that the end goal is to grab the attention of the users, keep the users interacting with your website, and have them become customers.
SEO is important for small business because it helps you create content that will attract both tourist and local traffic. You must first ask yourself “what is the most important topic for each web page that I want to design?” There should be one important topic per page on your website. At the same time, you do not want overlapping topics throughout your website, so use one page per topic as well. This will help keep the keywords that you choose from overlapping from page to page. You do not want overlapping keywords because when the crawlers are analyzing your site they get confused as to which page to take the user. On page optimization is important when it comes to utilizing the proper keyword to use for each page “It will make up a significant portion of your headline and meta-title… What you don’t choose for the main phrase can become secondary keyword phrases… the research gives you insight into how your potential audience thinks about and looks for information” (Millen 10/17/16). You want to use them in the proper places on the site like the page name, the different headers, and throughout the content. Thinking of local key terms when developing your list will also increase the visibility of your site. You do not want to over use your keywords either. Over usage is considered “stuffing” and Google will penalize your website and lower your domain authority. In order to find out what truly works you have to try different things, and using specialized software to track the progress of these changes may be something to consider. SEO is a long-term process and may take time to find the best keywords for each page as well as the different seasons for your market.
When you optimize your website, you have to consider that people use mobile devices with voice command. This means people are using natural speech to ask questions and not just typing out their searches. The different types of searches users conduct are contextual, inferred, and intent. Contextual searches are when a user searches on Google for a specific location and that user is currently in that location. Inferred searches are when a user searches on Google for a specific location and that user is not in that location. Intent based searches are when a user searches a location based term such as cupcake bakery without an actual location. “Google tries to bring up immediate answers to many queries via Answer Boxes. These are usually based on well-optimized, relevant content” (Hall, 8/31/18). Therefore, Google will automatically list bakeries in the area and provide the top three cupcake bakeries in the area based on their website, content, and several other factors called “local teasers”. Google also knows the difference between looking for a shop or bakery for cupcakes vs. looking for a cupcake recipe. A blog is an example of where you would post those recipes. Proper keyword selection while considering each of these factors is extremely important. “Semantically related keywords are now a thing. You don’t just optimize content for a single target phrase, but for related phrases that mean basically the same thing” (Hall, 8/31/18). Changing the content and integrating these variations of keyword in your website to better target and engage users will attract the right customers and create more revenue.
Securing backlinks to your site is important to your SEO strategy, but you always want a quality link over the quantity of links. If a cupcake bakery were to obtain a backlink from a monster truck rally located five states over it would be a damaging link. However if it was a local monster truck rally that you are a vendor for, that would be a very relevant backlink. Focusing on local backlinks is an effective way for a small local business to build. Obtaining both follow and no follow backlinks are both valuable when you optimize for search engines. When you gain a follow backlink, the website allows some of its relevance and credibility through to your site. When you gain a no follow backlink, the website will link to yours but will not vouch for your site and allow any of their relevance or credibility through to your site. “If many sites link to the same webpage or website, search engines can infer that content is worth linking to, and therefore also worth surfacing on a SERP” (https://moz.com/learn/seo/backlinks). Links from social media pages, even your own, are valid links, but if the social media account is not active enough it will be a damaging link to your website. Google and customers love reviews. Gather as many reviews from as many different places as you can such as Yelp, Google reviews, TripAdvisor etc. All of these different factors are valuable when it comes to building your domain authority.
Understanding ranking factors like securing backlinks, collecting reviews, and having relevant content on each page are very important when developing and maintaining your business’s SEO campaign. Having a quality Google My Business profile and being consistent across the web are also best practices of SEO. Using relevant content ensures the user is finding the right information and a quality Google My Business profile lists you properly according to the services you provide, where the business is located, and how to contact the business. Having your business’s information consistent like your business name, phone number, and address ensures that the users and the Google crawlers do not get confused. Every aspect needs to be monitored continuously in order to run an effective SEO campaign.
According to the same article by Kate Harrison, the third most common mistake is “Having your web developer perform your SEO” (Harrison, 6/30/18).
The reason is, most developers are not SEO experts and do not have the time, resources, or software in order to properly develop an SEO campaign. Overall, SEO for your website is always going to benefit your business. The more exposure that you receive through the website the more traffic you will see and ultimately more income.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2018/06/30/5-common-mistakes-small-businesses-make-with-seo/#78758b551264 5 Common Mistakes Small Businesses Make With SEO. Kate Harrison 6/30/18 Contributor
How to Choose the Right Keywords to Optimize For, By Jacob Millen October 17, 2016
Keyword Research 101: How to Choose the Right Keywords for SEO by Sharon Hurley Hall on August 31, 2018