If you think your small business can’t compete with the big dogs when it comes to Search Engine Optimization, think again!  It doesn’t take a big company (or a big budget) to get into more advanced SEO for your small business.  There are plenty of low and no-cost strategies you can use to ensure potential customers find your business before your competitors.

Keyword Research

The first thing you need to know if you want to conduct successful SEO is how potential customers search for businesses like yours.  What keywords are they using?  There are a number of keyword research tools you can use to find out, but you can also learn a lot by looking at your competitors’ sites and social media pages.  If they’re ranking higher than you on searches, see which keywords they’re using and gear your content towards hitting those phrases.  You can also use the power of local SEO to your advantage when going up against national corporations by creating content with the names of cities and communities in your area.  Chances are, even the largest corporations don’t have the resources to do SEO for every city in America.

Website Content

Once you know which keywords your customers are searching for, it’s time to update your content.  You can start with your website pages, boosting word counts as you pepper in your best keywords and local citations.  Once your website is squared away, it’s a good idea to make regular blog posts that expand on your local SEO strategy.  Good content isn’t just about what’s on your website, either; you’ll want to make sure your social media pages and Google My Business (GMB) listing are regularly updated with keyword-relevant content as well.

Backlinks

One thing search engine algorithms like to see is backlinks – keyword-relevant content that links from other sites back to yours.  Building these backlinks can be difficult but it’s not impossible.  One good strategy is to contact relevant or local websites and ask to post one of your blogs as guest content.  Be sure to ask them if you can insert links back to your website so you can make the most of the opportunity.  Good examples would be industry blogs or local chamber of commerce websites.  You can even work out a deal with local businesses in other industries to post each other’s content with backlinks that will boost everyone’s SEO profile.

Local SEO Strategy

We’ve already covered the importance of local SEO for small businesses, but here’s one more tip.  Once you have your Google My Business page optimized, be sure to ask past customers and other local businesses for reviews.  Your GMB page is a free resource and these listings appear as an above-the-fold widget on many search engine results pages.  If you want your GMB listing to appear above all others, having plenty of positive reviews will help you achieve that.

Remember that if you want to win the SEO battle, it doesn’t take a lot of money, all it takes is time and a consistent strategy.  Follow the tips listed above and you’ll be in a much better position to reach the top of your search engine results pages.  Of course, we know that right now, many small businesses have been forced to cut their in-house marketing departments and that many small business owners simply don’t have the time or energy to manage SEO on their own.  The talented team at TIC Digital Marketing is always available to assist you with all your SEO needs, including inbound digital marketing, WordPress development, and so much more.  Head over to our contact page and fill out the form to find out more about how outsourcing your SEO can be the most affordable solution for you!