In this digital age, we know that SEO or Search Engine Optimization is not a new concept in business. Small business owners know that it’s an important strategy that can help boost their business’ online presence.

For example, a survey said that 46% of searches made on Google were people who were looking for local information.  This data alone shows that SEO plays a big role in getting local shops to gain more exposure online.

However, not all are capable to properly execute SEO strategies even if they have the budget and resources to run an SEO campaign. So here are a couple of tips that can help you understand how to use SEO for business.

1. Create An Optimized Website

Most business owners only care about how their websites look without thinking about the functionality and features of the website. Sure, your website looks good visually but if it’s slow, not mobile-friendly or if the elements are not properly placed, you can lose a lot of potential customers in the long run.

For example, if your website does not have a solid structure that search engines can crawl properly, you will lose a significant amount of traffic that can hurt your sales.

2. Prioritize Keywords

Knowing the right keywords to use is one of the most important things that business owners need to do. The goal is to determine the keywords that people often look for in search engines and then use those keywords for your website. The better keywords you use, the better chances of being ranked high!

But why is it important to be on the first page of search engines? Well, the higher you rank, the more people will discover your website’s business. It’s that simple.

You need to remember not to overdo keyword placement in your website. Don’t just stuff keywords into your blogs, landing pages or any other content in your website. Make it sound organic whenever you use a keyword.

3. Optimize Website Page Metadata

Once you’ve started with the initial stages of SEO, your next task is to make sure that all pages must contain your keywords. You need to optimize your work by putting the keywords in the titles, meta description, and content body. This will make it easier for the search engines to crawl your website’s content.

Apart from that, you also need to make sure to always include an alt tag for your images. Google reads words when it crawls the internet so it needs text information to be able to determine your content.

4. Create A Content Calendar

Search engine optimization will not work if you don’t have content to share. Imagine having an optimized website that does not have blogs, photos, videos or other types of content in it. Content is the value that a business offers to its customers so make sure to create a content calendar so you can plan in advance what content to create and when they will go out.

But apart from that, there also needs to be consistency! Don’t create a blog one time then create the next one after 6 months. When you create content on a regular basis that has the right keywords, you are showing Google that your business has authority within your industry.

Just make sure to also avoid duplicating content. Keep your URLs unique and never use the same description for some pages in your website.

5. Build Website Authority Through Backlinking

Just like the name implies, backlinks are links from other websites that link back to your website. Sometimes, it can also be a link from your website that links to another part of your website.

Typically, backlinks come in the form of blogs where one blog cites another blog for resource purposes. The purpose of backlinking is to give search engines a signal that other websites consider your content as resource material. This means that you have authority within the industry so there’s better chances of ranking high.

6. Use Google My Business Page

Google My Business should be a requirement for every business. GMB has so many features that can help boost businesses’ social proof and searchability on the internet. It has a review feature that allows users to leave positive feedback to businesses. You can also upload videos or photos to your GMB account so potential customers can see what you have in store for them.

Conclusion

Search engine optimization is a must-have for every business. It’s essential because it makes your website more visible on search engines like Google, which will mean more traffic and more opportunities for your business to convert prospects into new customers.

If you’re ready to invest in SEO for your company’s website, Smith Marketing offers a free initial SEO site review that will help assess your current website’s status. Our free assessment will determine your specific needs and anticipated budget at the same time.