SEO, aka Search Engine Optimisation, isn’t just an important strategy for big companies with big budgets.
Small businesses owners are wise to employ SEO tools too, which will ensure their business has strong visibility online.
SEO boosts business exposure in search engines, thereby increasing website traffic, and more importantly, revenue.
Most of the time, business owners will know very little about SEO, even though it’s an important aspect of marketing. In such instances, an SEO marketing agency can be a crucial partner in the overall success of a company.
This blog highlights the basic steps that every small business owner can take to get started with SEO.
SEO 101: Start With a Well-Built Website
It’s no secret that search engines, like Google, have their preferences when it comes to the websites and content they display in search results.
Thankfully, Google’s algorithm and ranking factors are also no secret.
The first and most important step to take to gain some search engine love is to get a well-built website. A good website will be:
- User friendly – well-structured for easy usability
- Mobile-optimised – designed to display properly on mobile phones and smaller screens
- Security protected – security plugins installed and strong passwords
- Fast – Google favours websites that load quickly
- Have a website terms and conditions page to let your customers know your terms of service
SEO Fundamentals: Maintain your Website
Unfortunately it’s not enough just having a well-built website; you need to water it like a plant so it flourishes.
Search engines sniff out the flowers from the weeds, rewarding websites that:
Are well established
The longer a website has been around, the more kudos it gets. Obviously there’s no fast-tracking this step – a website has to earn some of its stripes.
Have backlinks
When one website links to another, it creates a backlink, and in SEO world, backlinks are like the golden stars of Mario Kart.
Search engines especially value backlinks that come from high authority pages. In fact, backlinks are seen as one of the most important factors for ranking on search engines.
The more backlinks you get, the better. This tells the search engines that your website or content is really worth linking to.
The process of gaining backlinks is referred to as link building, and there are many ways to go about this. Find out more about link building and SEO here.
Create content
Creating quality content on your website, typically in the form of a blog, not only keeps customers on your website, but also feeds the hungry search engine beasts.
The right content, ideally covering your service or products, your expertise or reputation, will better inform Google on what your business is about.
Creating content with the right keywords – those that your customers are searching for – is also important. Find out more about keyword research here.
No Excuses: Simple, Low-Cost SEO
The basic steps of SEO are relatively simple and low-cost, which is ideal for small business owners who may not have much technical experience, or finance.
The above strategies are just a few key steps that will improve SEO to generate some wins and create lasting results.
Author Box
Dana Da Silva is a freelance writer for Orion Marketing who has spent the past decade working in PR within both the public and private sectors. She writes sharp copy for a broad range of clients and topics, and has a flair and passion for storytelling and creative writing, including novel writing, blogging and penning poetry. Dana considers writing to be an exquisite art, free therapy and a form of meditation.
