Guide for Small Businesses: SEO Basics You Need to Know
For small businesses, mastering the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) can be a game-changer. With limited budgets and resources, SEO is a powerful tool to increase online visibility and attract potential customers.
We want to help you get to grips with what Google and search engines want to see so here is Let’s Do Marketing’s guide to help small business owners get started on SEO.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation—the process of optimising your website to rank higher on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The goal is to make your website more visible to people who are searching for products or services related to your business.
In simple terms, SEO helps your business appear higher in search results when potential customers type in relevant keywords, giving you more organic (non-paid) traffic.
Why SEO Matters for Small Businesses
Cost-Effective Marketing: Unlike paid ads, SEO helps you gain traffic organically. With the right strategy, you can rank higher without constantly paying for ads.
Increased Visibility: Most users never scroll past the first page of search results. By improving your SEO, you increase the likelihood of being seen by potential customers.
Builds Credibility and Trust: Websites that appear at the top of search engine results are often viewed as more credible. SEO can help establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
Long-Term Results: While SEO takes time, the results are long-lasting. Once your website gains authority, it can maintain its ranking with ongoing optimisation.
SEO Basics Every Small Business Should Know
Keyword Research for Small Businesses
Keywords are the foundation of SEO. These are the words and phrases that people type into search engines when looking for your products or services. As a small business, you need to identify keywords that are:
Relevant to Your Business: Think about the terms your customers are likely to use.
Low to Medium Competition: Competing for highly competitive keywords can be tough. Target keywords that are easier to rank for.
Free tools for Keyword Research
seoreviewtools
Mergewords
Ubersuggest
SEMrush
Moz
On-Page SEO for small businesses
On-page SEO involves optimising individual pages on your website to rank higher and earn relevant traffic.
Here are key elements to focus on:
Title Tags: Each page should have a unique, keyword-rich title tag that clearly explains what the page is about.
Meta Descriptions: These are short descriptions that summarise the content of your page. It is what is visible when you do a search on Google that describes the page it is connected to. Meta Descriptions should also include relevant keywords to improve click-through rates.
Headings (H1, H2, H3): Use headers to organise your content. The H1 tag should include your main keyword, while H2s and H3s can be used for subtopics.
URL Structure: Use clean, simple URLs that include keywords and reflect the content of the page.
Internal Linking: Link to other pages on your website to keep users engaged and help search engines crawl your site.
Alt Text for Images: Every image should have descriptive alt text that includes keywords, helping search engines understand what the image is about.
Content Creation
Content is king in the world of SEO. Regularly updating your website with high-quality, relevant content helps search engines recognise your site as a valuable resource. Here’s what to keep in mind:
· Create Valuable Content: Focus on addressing your customers' pain points and offering solutions through blogs, FAQs, and guides. You want to create content that answers your customers questions and showcases you as a credible source and expert in your field.
· Use Keywords Naturally: Avoid keyword stuffing. Incorporate keywords in a way that feels natural and relevant to the reader.
· Update Regularly: Fresh content signals to search engines that your site is active. Consider starting a blog to keep content flowing.
Mobile First
With mobile devices accounting for more than 50% of web traffic, having a mobile-friendly website is essential. Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily uses the mobile version of your site for ranking purposes.
Other things small businesses should consider for SEO
Loads Quickly: Aim for a loading time of under 3 seconds. Keep images small and in a web friendly format
Responsive: Your site should adjust smoothly to different screen sizes.
Offers a User-Friendly Experience: Ensure buttons and menus are easy to navigate on a mobile device.
Sitemaps: Submit an XML sitemap to Google to help it understand your site structure.
SSL Certificate: Ensure your website is secure by using HTTPS. Google prefers secure sites.
Broken Links: Regularly check for and fix broken links, which can negatively impact both user experience and SEO.
Local SEO
If you're a small business serving a specific area, local SEO is crucial. This type of optimisation helps your business appear in local searches and Google Maps results. Here’s how to improve your local SEO:
Claim Your Google My Business Profile: Ensure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web. Regularly update your hours and respond to reviews.
Get Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. High ratings can improve your local rankings.
Local Keywords: Incorporate location-specific keywords into your website’s content (e.g., “plumber in Hastings”).
SEO can seem daunting, but by mastering these basics, small businesses can start to see significant results over time. The key is to be patient and consistent. SEO is a long-term investment, but when done right, it can generate lasting benefits by increasing visibility, credibility, and traffic to your website.
By focusing on keyword research, optimizing your site, creating valuable content, and keeping an eye on performance, you’ll be well on your way to SEO success!