Small business SEO tips
For those not in the know I've posted before about SEO and what it is in my WTF is SEO post. It gives a bit of background on what Search Engine Optimisation is and is a good starting point before reading this post.
Why is SEO important for small businesses?
Check out the graph (care of Google Consumer Barometer). It basically says that in Australia, only 4% of people don't research online prior to purchasing a product or service. That's tiny. So if you're not focusing on Search Engine Optimisation, you're missing out on 96% of your potential customer base. No biggie, right? WRONG.
How to get it right
Follow the simple three steps below and you'll be in a much better position.
Do a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) health check
Put yourself in the shoes of a potential new customer who is looking for a product or service. Ask your friends or family, if you were looking for what I'm offering, what would you type into Google? It's important to pin down the exact words. Record notes and findings and a shortlist of the most often suggested keywords.
Lock down your power keywords
Start with your top 3. It's going to be tricky but you need to decide on . Google keyword planner can sometimes help too so give it a go. Consider your location. For example if you're a shoe shop in Hobart you might want to look at "shoes Hobart" and "shoes Tasmania" to cover off both searches.
Get your small business found
Once you've got your power keywords sorted it's time to focus on the three pages of your website that most appropriately fit for each keyword. If you don't have 3 appropriate pages, build a new page! You can get SEO tools for some website platforms that can guide you through the process. Or you can do some online research and figure out what you need to do to shape the page to make sure it's optimised. Always make sure the keyword is in the page text a few times and preferably use the keyword as your page title and page heading. Add an image and use the keyword for the image title and alt text and description. Make sure the page text is over 300 words long and informative for your reader. If it's a page of fluff it's no good to anyone.
Of course, if you want 1:1 small business SEO training we can help with that. And we can also just sort it for you so you don't have to lift a finger. Get in touch if you're interested!