seo – the best practices

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is like the secret sauce for websites in the digital world. Imagine the internet as a vast library, and search engines like Google as the librarians. When you want to find a specific book in that library, you rely on the librarian’s recommendations. Similarly, SEO is all about making your website more appealing to these digital librarians. By optimising your content, keywords, and structure, SEO helps your website stand out, making it more likely to appear at the top of search results when people look for information online.

It’s the art and science of ensuring your website gets noticed in the online world, driving more visitors and potential customers to your virtual doorstep. If you’re a small business looking to enhance your online presence, our marketing agency specializes in SEO strategies tailored to boost your website’s visibility and drive organic traffic, helping your business thrive in the digital age.

Here we have listed the 5 essential SEO strategies for small businesses to increase their online traffic:

Step 1 – Keyword Research

Step 2 – On-Page SEO

Step 3 – Content Marketing

Step 4– Link Building

Step 5 – Outsourcing SEO

STEP 1

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the foundational step in any successful SEO strategy for small businesses. It involves identifying and targeting the specific words and phrases (keywords) that potential customers use when searching for products or services related to your business.

By understanding which keywords are relevant and have high search volume, you can optimise your website’s content and structure accordingly.

Effective keyword research not only helps you rank higher in search engine results but also allows you to create content that resonates with your target audience. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can be invaluable for this task, helping you uncover valuable keywords that can drive organic traffic to your website.

Case study - Keyword Research

Let’s say you own a small bakery in London. Through keyword research, you discover that there’s a significant search volume for phrases like “best cupcakes in London,” “London bakery,” and “custom cakes London.” You realise that these keywords are valuable because they reflect what potential customers are looking for in your area.

You decide to incorporate these keywords into your website’s content, including your homepage, product pages, and blog posts, to increase your chances of appearing in search results when people search for these terms.

STEP 2

On-Page SEO

On-Page SEO involves optimising the individual pages of your website to make them search engine-friendly.

This includes optimising meta tags (title, description), using keywords strategically in your content, ensuring fast page loading speed, and making your website mobile-friendly.

Properly structuring your content with headers and subheaders also helps search engines understand the relevance of your content. On-Page SEO isn’t just about pleasing search engines; it’s about enhancing the user experience too.

When your website is user-friendly and provides valuable information, visitors are more likely to stay longer and engage with your content, which can indirectly boost your search engine rankings. Small businesses should pay close attention to On-Page SEO as it forms the foundation for a successful online presence.

Case study - On-Page SEO

For on-page SEO, you focus on optimising your website’s individual pages. You ensure that each product page on your bakery’s website for instance has a descriptive title tag and meta description, containing relevant keywords like “London bakery” and “cupcakes in London.”

You also organise your content with clear headers and use alt tags for images. You make sure your website loads quickly, and it’s mobile-responsive, providing a seamless experience for visitors.

STEP 3

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a potent SEO strategy for small businesses. It involves creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience.

This content can take various forms, including blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, and more. The key is to provide value and establish your authority in your industry or niche.

Content marketing not only attracts organic traffic but also encourages other websites to link to your valuable resources, which can improve your website’s authority and search engine rankings.

Additionally, fresh and updated content signals to search engines that your website is active and relevant, further boosting your SEO efforts. Small businesses can leverage content marketing to compete with larger players in their industry and build a loyal online following.

Case study - Content Marketing

To implement content marketing, you start a blog on your bakery’s website. You regularly publish articles about baking tips, cake decoration ideas, and stories about the history of your bakery.

These articles not only engage your audience but also incorporate relevant keywords naturally. Over time, your blog becomes a valuable resource for baking enthusiasts, attracting more visitors and potential customers to your site.

STEP 4

Link Building

Link building is a critical component of SEO for small businesses looking to enhance their online visibility.

It involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from other reputable websites to your own. Search engines view these backlinks as “votes of confidence” in your content and website’s credibility.

However, it’s essential to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to link building. Building natural, relevant, and authoritative backlinks is key to success.

You can achieve this through various methods, including guest posting, creating valuable infographics, and participating in industry-specific forums or communities. Link building not only boosts your search engine rankings but also exposes your business to a broader online audience. It’s a long-term strategy that requires patience and diligence but can significantly impact your website’s authority and traffic over time.

Case study - Link Building

You actively engage in link building by reaching out to local food bloggers for instance and offering to provide them with free samples of your baked goods in exchange for a review on their blogs.

As they write about your bakery and link back to your website, you start gaining authoritative backlinks from reputable sources. This not only boosts your search engine rankings but also exposes your bakery to a wider audience interested in your products.

seo – the best practices