Best SEO Tips for Small Businesses

As search engine optimization, or SEO, continues to change and evolve, small businesses often find themselves struggling to come up with an effective strategy. From concerns about business interruptions and changed consumer behaviors to the uncertainty of how to go about effectively implementing SEO, SMBs and their teams may be wary to invest in their optimization efforts. However, that’s the last thing that you want to do. When things are slow, when sales are down, and when forecasts are tentative at best, investing in marketing and branding can do wonders. 

That’s where SEO comes into play, and for the future of small businesses, it’s an integral part of the overall marketing strategy. SEO involves optimizing your entire online presence so that it’s search engine-friendly and easily accessible. This will improve your rankings, increase your business’s visibility, and help you grow your business by attracting new audiences. Of course, as with anything, you have to do it right. 

Here's what that means for small businesses in today’s world. 

Research trends and best practices 

Knowledge is power. There’s a reason that saying is so popular: it’s true. One of the best things that small businesses can do to improve their SEO is to research current best practices, market trends, and other industry insights that will help them craft an effective strategy of their own. There’s a lot of information out there today and it’s not all created equally, so make sure that you’re researching with the right sources. 

For SEO, some of our favorites include:

• HubSpot
• Semrush
• Moz
• Search Engine Land

You can also just search Google for “SEO trends” or “SEO best practices [YEAR]” to make sure that you’ve got the most up-to-date information. Just double-check the source to ensure it’s a reputable one before you start taking notes. 

Claim and use your Google Business Profile 

Formerly Google My Business, your Google Business Profile is the key to unlocking the potential of your small business SEO. Especially for local businesses, this listing can make or break your success, in many cases. You can check out our other blog that explains everything that you need to know about using your Google Business Profile. 

In brief, you’ll need to claim your listing, complete the profile to the best of your ability, and make sure that you optimize it with keywords and relevant information. Google even has tips and advice for the best chances of success with the GBP, making it easy to do it right if you’re willing to invest the time to read up on the process. 

Focus on local SEO 

If you’re a local small business, local SEO is your bread and butter. Your Google Business Profile is a big part of this, but it’s only one part. You also need to incorporate local keywords and optimize your NAP, or business listing (NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number). This listing has to be exactly the same on every single listing and website where it appears. 

That means you need to choose one standardized format for your business contact information and leave it that way. Even so much as the difference between “St.” and “Street” could impact your local rankings and your overall reputation. Local SEO also includes: 

• Online reviews
• Check-ins at your location
• Social media shares
• Google Maps ratings 

At a high level, local search works much the same as a “normal” search, except that someone will be searching for or from a specific location. Therefore, your business needs to be optimized to return in those results, as well. 

Become an authority 

Today’s consumers don’t want to be sold anything. They want to work with companies that they trust to solve their problems. The purchase of products or services is a byproduct of problem-solving and relationship-building. The competition is fiercer than ever, but you can also overcome that and reach your audiences more effectively by becoming an authority within your industry. 

This includes posting relevant content, providing useful information and resources, and sharing news and industry information on your website, social media, etc. You want your audience (and the rest of the industry) to see your brand as an industry leader and authority that can be trusted for reliable information. Establishing this kind of reputation can do a lot more for your SEO than any kind of keyword optimization. 

Understand that SEO is a long game 

SEO isn’t something that’s going to get instant results. It might not even have your rankings increasing next week. It’s going to take time to perfect your SEO strategy. Understanding that is half the battle. The strategy that you’re creating and implementing is setting your business up for the long-term, not just the “right now” of marketing. 

That means you’ll need to create a strategy that is agile and can grow and change with your business. SEO best practices will also change with time. Create a strategy that allows flexibility for these changes, as well. When you utilize the tips above, you can speed up the process and ensure that you’re doing your part to maximize your results with search engine optimization. However, keep in mind that it will still take time to come to full fruition. 

If you do it right, the leads will come—are you prepared?

Once your SEO is optimized, your leads will start to increase. It may take some time, but that just means you have time to get all the right resources in place. That starts with a 24/7 answering service, and when you partner with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, it’s indeed just the start. 

We can also support your outreach campaigns to help with leads in the first place, as well as assist with lead intake and appointment scheduling. That way, you can focus on running your small business and taking care of the customers at hand. To learn more, schedule a consultation or reach out to hello@smith.ai. 

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