When it comes to small business digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve, specifically in areas like SEO, can be tough. Given that many small businesses are short staffed and even shorter on time, tackling SEO on your own can be a daunting feat. While agencies like NxtGen can help you accomplish your goals with done-for-you SEO marketing for small business, there are also plenty of DIY approaches that can make a significant impact in your organic search results. To skyrocket your SEO optimization for small business, we’ve put together this handy list of 5 actionable steps you can take to make a meaningful difference in your searchability.
1. Dig for the Gold (i.e. Do Strategic Keyword Research)
Before you make any changes to your site, start with the foundation of effective SEO. Conduct a thorough keyword research. Take the time to explore keywords related to your business and industry. But here’s the real key—focus on longtail keyword phrases. Look for relevant phrases that are less competitive but still demand a healthy monthly search volume. Make a list of keywords and track them through an SEO tool so that you can see how your rank changes as you build content around the keyword or phrase over time.
2. Focus on Quality
Crafting compelling content isn’t just about churning out words to keep your site updated; instead, it’s about creating a valuable and engaging experience for your audience. Plan your content calendar around high-quality, interesting topics within your niche. Search engines reward sites that offer valuable and useful content. Quality content leads to higher authority scores and improved search rankings. Also, don’t shy away from leveraging productivity tools like AI to shape your ideas, but ensure the final product is edited to original work that is written in a tone well suited to your target audience.
3. Master the Art of On-Page SEO
Attention to detail can make or break your SEO strategy. Fine-tune the finer details of on-page SEO to optimize your site fully. This includes incorporating keywords into title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, URLs, internal and external linking, image alt text, and featured snippets. Plus, be sure to optimize your page load speed. All of these small tasks combined can make a big difference in your search engine rankings and many small businesses don’t even do these things. That means you can gain an edge in search just by following the list above and ensuring all of these areas are complete.
4. Forge Alliances: Off-Site SEO and Consistency
Expand your digital footprint beyond your website. Develop PR relationships that secure coverage in high-value publications to increase the chance that you will score valuable backlinks to your site. Guest posting and thought leadership pieces on platforms like industry trade publications, business journals, and LinkedIn can significantly boost your off-site SEO efforts too. Consistency is key though. Be sure to regularly contribute and build your brand’s online presence.
5. Diversify Your Content Portfolio: Embrace Other Media Types
When planning SEO marketing for your small business, realize that text alone won’t cut it in our visually driven digital world. Instead, embrace a variety of media types to enrich your content. Produce useful and informative videos on YouTube and embed them on your site for increased visibility. Supplement your content with relevant images, graphs, and photos, ensuring you complete all alt text for enhanced searchability. By diversifying your content, you cater to a broader audience and capture attention through different mediums.
The Bottom Line
These five tips for SEO optimization for small businesses are your ticket to supercharging your organic traffic in 2024. Remember, SEO is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Stay updated, adapt to changes, and watch your small business soar to new heights thanks to your new and highly actionable SEO skills.
