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SEO Strategies For Small Businesses

seo strategies for small businesses

Getting the SEO (search engine optimizatino) game right is critical for any business, but particularly so for small ones. Everyone knows that Walmart is a great place to go for deals, but what about the mom and pop store on the corner? If you want to get the word out about your small business, you should study the principles of SEO carefully so as to maximize your results on the search engines. 

Can this be done by non-tech professionals? Sure, as long as you follow the rules. And there are some useful online tools that can help you in the process. The Mellow Promo company, for example, is an excellent source of SEO information and assistance for those who need it. 

Keywords Are Critical 

If you are not familiar with how to use keywords, you should do some research on which ones are popular in your industry. Once you have made a note of them, you can verify your list by means of looking at Google Ads. Then, you should start thinking about where exactly to use your keywords on your site. There are several places that they should be listed: 

● Page Content

The most important substance of your site is your page content. You’ll want to use your keywords and keyword phrases consistently on each of the pages of your site. Be sure to avoid keyword stuffing, though! If you load up your page with too many keywords simply for the sake of getting noticed, you will actually be downgraded by the search engines. Your use of keywords should be smooth and natural sounding. Your goal should be to hit the “sweet spot” of sufficient keyword usage without the appearance of stuffing. 

● Meta Description 

Don’t forget this! The Meta description is the first thing that appears in search results. It consists of approximately 160 characters and should be a short, substantive description of your company’s activities without extra information. 

● Titles 

Be sure that your chosen keywords are also included in your page and section titles. This plays a role in how the search engines rank you. 

● URL 

It is always good to have a clean, easy-to-read URL, and this includes the use of keywords. People would much rather look up something they can remember than a long, strange-sounding name with a bunch of odd symbols in it. 

Emphasize What Makes Your Business Stand Out 

If you are a small business, you are naturally at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the big players. But you can use this to your advantage if you are smart about the way you construct your site. What makes your business different from others in your industry? You might not be Walmart, but perhaps you offer clothing that is slightly more expensive, but of infinitely better quality, for example. Or you might carry rare brand names or use fabrics that are hard to find elsewhere. 

You can also emphasize the preferred customer experience of doing business with you rather than the giants. Many people shop at big places reluctantly. They miss the quaint, personalized experience of shopping at small places but often feel that big businesses’ prices are just too good to resist. You can counter this by talking about your personalized services, pleasant atmosphere, or whatever you think gives your business an advantage vis-a-vis big companies. 

Build Quality Backlinks 

If you are a little guy in the industry, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to get your business endorsed by trusted players. If you work in manufacturing, for example, obtaining a backlink from an industry association or another source that is valued by your target demographic could do wonders for your business. Reaching out to people about gaining these backlinks could eventually result in important gains for you. 

Diversify Your Message On Different Social Media 

Websites don’t act alone in marketing businesses these days. In fact, depending on your target demographic, some groups are more likely to look at Instagram or Facebook than traditional websites. 

As you plan your media strategy, be sure to research with social media are popular among businesses in your industry. Your goal should be to diversify, but not blindly. If you look at your competitors and find that none of them have any solid base in TikTok, for example, you might not want to waste a lot of time on it. 

When you do have your chosen media determined, be sure that your messaging is consistent. This applies to all aspects of your content - titles, content, etc. You should also ensure that each of your social media icons is present on all of the others. This way, people can easily find you wherever they search. 

Keep On Top Of Things 

Quality SEO isn’t a one-off. If you optimize your site, it will help you in the immediate future but remember that things are changing all the time. This applies both to industries themselves as well as search engine standards for ranking. Demographic preferences, trends in content standards and even language are constantly evolving to keep up with the times. As a responsible business owner, it is your job to stay on top of the game, as well. 

Keep on top of the competition, too. In addition to staying on top of the industry standards, you need to be aware of where you stand in comparison to the rest at all times. If your competitors start pulling ahead of you, you need to figure out why. And if you are the one pulling ahead, keep going!