Top Small business SEO Tips for Getting More Organic Traffic

0
261

Small businesses are using organic traffic to grow their businesses. A report from Conductor shows that almost two-thirds of small business owners are attempting to drive more organic traffic by improving their search engine optimization (SEO). If you’re a local business that is serious about growing your business with organic traffic, follow these small business SEO tips for getting more organic traffic.

It’s All About Rankings for Local Businesses

If you’re serious about growing your local business with organic search, it all starts with rankings. While top spots on the first page of Google get around 65 percent of click-through, only three percent of searchers actually look past the first page. It doesn’t matter if you’re focused on SEO for your site or utilizing Google AdWords; if you want to dominate the search results, you need to be ranking high for local keywords.

Know Who Your Audience Is and What They Need

According to Search Engine Land, 70 percent of searchers never scroll past the first page of organic results. Even if your site ranks high for local keywords, you need to make sure that visitors can easily find what they’re looking for when they get there. If you don’t have a good grasp on who your target audience is and what kind of content they expect from your site, start talking to people. You can conduct keyword research or ask current customers. The more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be to design and develop a site that meets their needs.

Backlinks Matter for Local Businesses

We want to make sure we mention backlinks because they do still matter for local SEO. According to Forrester Research, sites with relevant and high-quality external inbound links are more likely to rank higher in local search results. Keep that in mind when you’re evaluating your link-building strategy. Sites that have earned high-quality, relevant links are generally trusted by Google and other search engines.

Optimize Your Site for Speed

According to research from Aberdeen Group, 40 percent of online shoppers will abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load. If people are leaving your site because of speed issues, they’re probably not going back. Follow Google’s recommendations for optimizing blog performance and use a hosting service that offers both quality and speed. Load time is important for experienced webmasters, but it’s easy to forget about page load times when you’re dealing with other site issues.

Quality Content Matters for Local SEO

Writing quality content is still important for local search rankings. According to Search Engine Land, having unique, fresh content on your website will increase the chances of getting better rankings. However, you don’t have to spend hours writing blog posts or articles. If you want to try and rank for keywords related to your local business, start by focusing on meeting the needs of your target audience. Customers want information that meets their specific needs and they don’t want to wade through mediocre content just to find what they’re looking for.

Maintain a Consistent Cadence

As we mentioned earlier, people generally look at the top results on page one and then move on. You need to maintain a regular publishing cadence if you want to stay in the running for local search rankings. Use an editorial calendar so you can easily keep track of when your content will go live and what type of posts or articles you’ll publish.

Optimize Your Images

The average Internet speed in 2015 was just north of five Mbps. That’s ridiculously fast, but that’s still going to take a while for most people to load up an image. Add alt tags with relevant keywords so search engines can easily understand what the images are about and include links where possible.

Build Relationships With Local Online Influencers

We’ve talked about how to build relationships and network with local business owners and influencers. Most of these people will be online whether they’re on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Find ways to engage them by sharing their content and offering genuine compliments when it’s deserved. You should also try to get them involved in your site; if you can get a local business owner to contribute content and share it with their followers, you’ll get instant exposure.

Reach Out to Local Businesses Who Are Already Ranking Well

If you’re an SEO expert or consultant, keep track of the sites that are already ranking well for local keywords. Reach out and see if they’d be willing to collaborate. Tell them about your site and offer to write guest posts or provide information that can help their readers.

Utilize Social Signals

Every day more and more people are turning to social media for local business reviews. According to a recent Search Engine Watch report, 90 percent of consumers conduct some type of research before making a purchase. That means people are accessing social media to read reviews and get recommendations before they buy something. Social signals play a role in local rankings, so you should monitor what’s being said about your company on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Make sure the interaction is two-sided; if customers or clients are talking about your business make an effort to reply and get involved.

Don’t Forget About Email Marketing

One of the easiest ways to maintain a solid local SEO campaign is to use email marketing. Your subscribers are already interested in your products or services, so they’re likely to be some of your best customers. Send them weekly emails that include promotions and sales information, but don’t forget about sending coupons and other deals. You can also use emails as a way to stay in touch and build your brand.

Be Consistent With Your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) Information

If you own or work for a local business that has an online presence then you should have the following information published on each site: name, address, hours of operation, description of services provided and business phone number. If you display this information consistently across all your online profiles then customers will be able to find you more easily when they search for your company’s name.

When it comes to local SEO, content is king. While this holds true for a majority of the SEO strategies we’ve discussed, it’s especially true when dealing with local businesses. Here are some tips to help you stay ahead of the competition:

Utilize Citations & Addresses

A citation is a mention of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across the web. Using as many as possible gives search engines more signals that your business is legitimate and trustworthy. Use a citation-building tool like Whitespark to find directories where you can add your business, or do it yourself by hand if that’s something you know how to do.

Write Localized Content

Content is king when it comes to local SEO. Find ways to create original content that’s specific for your customers in the area you serve. If you can’t think of anything to write about, create a list of tips or local search directories where your clients can find information along with their address and NAP.

Spotlight Your Local Employees

You’ve probably noticed that many businesses let customers know who they are by featuring employees on their website or social media pages. This is a great way to get potential customers to connect with your business, so find ways to add your staff members’ names and faces.

Be Consistent With Metadata

Metadata is important for local SEO because it tells Google who you are and where you’re located. Be sure to submit information from all of the local directories you use so that Google has everything it needs to connect customers with your business.

When it comes to local SEO, you should take advantage of all the tools that are available to help target potential customers in your area. Take a look at what Whitespark can do for you and see how our software can get you ahead of the competition! The tool allows businesses like yours to research potential clients, learn about your competitors and then rank you above them on Google’s first page.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here