This article was originally published on Wildember Brand by Emily Kallick, GCG's Marketing & Brand Strategist.
SEO is a marketing tool that large companies and small businesses can both use to increase their online presence. Whether you do it yourself or bring in an expert, SEO is one of the most affordable marketing strategies available to small businesses, and it levels the playing field.
What Is SEO and Why Does It Matter For Your Small Business?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. The goal is to increase the likelihood that your website will be served to people searching for terms or questions related to your business and services. When you have correctly optimized, the benefits can be front-page worthy.
The important thing to remember, especially in search engine optimization for small businesses, is that your targeted keywords are truly related to your business or services. We are going for quality over quantity here.
How To Find The Right Keywords For Your Business
Before diving into the three strategies, you need the right keywords to work with. Here are some tools and techniques to find them:
- Use Google Analytics, if you have it installed already.
- Try the free version of Ubersuggest. It also gives you a shortlist of things to work on when you run their Site Audit.
- Use Answer The Public and make sure you select USA as the location. It defaults to the UK.
- Type a basic industry keyword or phrase followed by "a" into Google and look at all the suggested autocomplete phrases. Then proceed through b, c, d, etc.
- Visualize your keyword research by dropping your notes into a free word cloud generator to see patterns at a glance.
Strategy 01: Add an FAQ Page
Add an FAQ Page
The purpose of SEO is to tell Google that your website has the best answers to searchers' questions. What better way to jumpstart your optimization than to add an FAQ page?
Take a minute to brainstorm the frequently asked questions you get from your audience, customers, or clients. Use your email or messenger inbox to jog your memory if needed. Once you have your questions, fill out the answers.
Place FAQs in the blog section if you already have one, or in the footer with your contact information. Link the new content generously throughout your site and social media channels.
Strategy 02: Update File Names for Images and Graphics
Update File Names for Images and Graphics
The file names and alt text for all your photos and graphics can pull in hits for search terms to your site. That means you can take advantage of a whole new layer of content on your website. Here is how to do it right:
- Choose one topic to optimize per file. Do not mix two different keyword ideas in one file name.
- Add a location or area served when relevant. For example: cute-pajamas-for-babies-winchester-va
- Use hyphens between words so Google can read them clearly.
- Always refer back to the actual content of the photo. Do not name a photo with keywords for one product if the photo shows a different one.
Strategy 03: Add or Optimize Headings with Search Terms
Add or Optimize Headings with Search Terms
Headings are used by Google's crawlers to categorize your content and rank it by importance as the page is read. You can tell the hierarchy by the size and weight of the text. In HTML, that is the difference between H1, H2, H3, and so on.
Here is how to SEO your website headings:
- Only have one H1 heading per unique page.
- Use a keyword, keyword phrase, or entire question in your heading.
- Include your location or area served when appropriate.
- Include popular search terms like "checklist" or "how to" when relevant.
For example: instead of a generic heading like "About Me," try something more descriptive and searchable like "About Your Certified Diabetes Care & Education Counselor." That single change helps Google understand exactly what you do, for whom, and where.
Bonus Strategy: Write Content In Response To Search Queries
When you write dynamic content for humans but because of keyword searches, you end up ranking for related search terms too. This is how blogs and resource pages earn traffic from multiple keyword variations over time without you having to update a single word.
The goal is to write content that directly answers a question your ideal customer is already searching for. When you do that well, Google takes notice, and so do the right people.
Now go forth and optimize. Your customers are already searching. The question is whether they are finding you.
