Right keywords in the right places
Headings, body copy, meta description, page title, alt image tags.
SEO Basics
for Small Business
SEO = Search Engine Optimization
Enhance your website so it is found and indexed by Google to make your business show up on the first page of search results.
Doing some key things on your website helps it to rank higher in the free, ‘organic’ search results on Google.
Good rank on Google is a long-term strategy that just takes time, continual tending and understanding of what’s important to Google. If you want a short-term boost to your traffic, consider Paid Search Ads.
Research
Do you know what people are typing into Google when searching for your products or services? Even if you think you do, there is an easy way to do research. Find the right keywords with the highest-volume of searches by using Google’s Keyword Research Tool. within the Google Ads system (it’s great for paid and organic search results).
Effort
Good SEO is all about having the right content, with the right keywords in the right places, that are linked to other relevant information on your website and off. Content is king!
The off-site things that are important include a solid Google Business Page, properly set up Social Media accounts and accurate listings and links in directories
Time
There is no fast way to get a good rank. Google’s algorithm doesn’t allow ‘gaming the system’ like you could 5-10 years ago. They want high-quality, relevant content, freshly updated pages and information that can be indexed by their system. Think of it like a spider that’s crawling the web of information.
“The basics of SEO are relatively simple, but require 3 major things: research, effort and time.”
Good SEO for small business takes some cumulative efforts
No one task is going to make your site rank, there are many cogs in this gear. Some are more important than others, but there are a few key elements to good SEO.
Search Engine Optimization Tools
There are some tools that can make it easier to optimize your site!
Install a system like Yoast SEO® on your WordPress® website. Yoast analyzes your content and gives suggestions for improvement, lets you create custom meta descriptions, sitemaps, and creates links to your social media and search console accounts.
Use Google Search Console to submit sitemaps, monitor progress and spot potential problems with your SEO efforts. It also allows you to request that Google index your site and individual pages.
Google Analytics can be integrated with your website so you can see where traffic is coming from, how people use your site and provides TONS of other data so you can see your efforts paying off!
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Purple Jen
I’ve worked in marketing, strategy, SEO and paid search for nearly 20 years, and as a freelance website designer for 8 years. My approach to web marketing: strategize. maximize. analyze. repeat. came from learning about my own personal strengths. Not only were they my Strength Finder talents, but together they create a solid, simplified approach to successful marketing. I like to write about that stuff here, and share my knowledge to help fellow small business owners achieve more, and see the world through purple colored glasses. Jen Lorenski
