A good SEO strategy is essential if you’re a small business looking to grow your presence and reach. It can be the difference between your business taking off from the get-go or struggling to get off the ground.
Building a comprehensive and all-encompassing SEO strategy is not easy, as there are many factors to consider. It’s a task that’s best left to an SEO agency handling small and midsized enterprises (SMEs) in FL.
But first, let’s look at what small business SEO is.
The Difference Between Small Business SEO and Local SEO
Small business SEO and local SEO have some interconnectivity, but they’re not exactly the same. Local SEO is a set strategy focused on a single location, regardless of business size.
On the other hand, small business SEO is an approach that focuses on placing your small business on the map and helping it grow. This may or may not also include local SEO, depending on whether you have a physical location or not.
The Benefits of Small Business SEO
Running a successful SEO campaign as a small business carries many benefits. It increases your reach, develops your presence, and makes your website more accessible to visitors. Here are just some of the benefits.
- Increased local visibility: By optimizing for your vicinity, you’ll appear more often in local searches about your service.
- Targeted reach: You can target more effectively the groups that you think will bring the most profit to your business.
- Increased trust and credibility: Proper services and SEO strategies bring about positive reviews that can benefit your endeavor.
- Cost-effectiveness: Having a proper SEO strategy in place will drive traffic toward your site. This will allow you to cut down on marketing costs while still gaining a return on investment.
- Accessibility: Proper SEO makes your website accessible at all times and ensures that everything runs optimally – something that both Google and organic customers greatly appreciate.
Tips for Implementing SEO Properly as a Small Business
Following these tips should immediately result in some of the above-mentioned benefits. Just keep in mind that SEO practices change all the time. If Google releases a content update that radically changes something, adapt your strategy to comply with that content update.
Set Up Your Google Analytics & Dashboard
Google Analytics and Google Dashboard are two extremely useful SEO tools that you simply cannot do without. Here’s why:
- Google Analytics is an analytics platform that gives you a detailed look at your data traffic, i.e., how users interact with your site, user demographics, conversion rate, etc.
- Google Dashboard shows you how your site appears in Google searches. It also allows you to view your sitemap, submit fixes & more. To be more specific, Google Dashboard shows you how Google views your site.
Don’t Forget Your Google Business Profile
Most people today find services via Google searches. Businesses with a Google business profile rank higher in searches than businesses without. A Google business profile also allows you to post important information about your business, such as location and contact information. It also allows you to see how customers interact with your site and how often they search for you.
Do Regular Keyword Research
This is the step that will put you on the map. Make it a habit to do regular keyword research regarding the type of service you offer and what you expect people to search for. Start by targeting less competitive keywords until you grow your presence. Go for keywords that aren’t very competitive and don’t cost too much to run a Google Ads campaign.
Don’t be overcautious, either. Targeting an extremely niche keyword with zero competitivity that no one searches for is the best way to waste your money.
Keep a Watchful Eye Over Your SERP Competitors
SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page. These pages will appear whenever you search for a specific term. Do this often, see what the top results are doing right, and try to mimic their practices as much as possible.
Note what keywords they’re using, how they structure their website, and who they’re targeting. Local SEO practices are just like traditional business practices. You have to see what the competition is doing so that you can match or surpass them in some way.
Optimize Your On-Page Elements
Your on-page elements should be brief, informative, and to the point. They should always contain the targeted keyword and the user’s search intent. Furthermore, they should always be a specific length. Your titles should never exceed 60 characters, and your meta description should never exceed 160 characters.
Divide the on-page content into headers rather than an entire wall of text. Including bold and relevant internal links will also help with user retention and CTR.
Be Adamant with Fixing SEO Issues
Whenever you alter your website, certain issues might crop up. It’s important to address these issues immediately as they appear, or they’ll hurt your SEO standing with Google and hamper the user experience. Watch out for things like:
- Broken links
- Slow site speed
- Duplicate content
- Web security issues
- Uncrawlable pages
- Sitemap errors
- Title tag fails
- Missing alt tags
- Missing meta descriptions
Performing an audit after making changes is a good idea, as that will flag any such problems, allowing you to resolve them immediately.
Tonic Enterprises: The #1 SEO Agency in Orlando
If you need an SEO strategy yourself, contact an SEO agency for small businesses in Orlando, FL, like Tonic Enterprises. We help small businesses grow their presence by introducing them to the latest SEO practices. Whether you need an SEO strategy, a social media campaign, or a website redesign, we’re here to help.
Contact us for a free consultation today!