5 Pivotal SEO Strategies For Small Businesses

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the few remaining organic marketing channels, making it an essential implement for every business. In a time when it is becoming progressively more difficult to obtain recognition online and even harder to stay visible, search engine optimization techniques provide businesses with the assurance of organic growth and a strong return on investment. However, most business owners and marketers consider SEO strategies expensive and when limited by a tight budget, they choose to employ other marketing techniques.

Despite this, search engine optimization is much more cost-effective than other forms of marketing in the long run. While the initial investment of time, resources and agency costs may seem high, well-planned SEO strategies are able to divert organic traffic to the website or page on a consistent basis! Nevertheless, here are 5 pivotal SEO strategies for small businesses operating on a tight budget -

1. Invest In Local SEO:

Local search engine optimization is the practice of optimizing one’s website for local relevant searches to boost its visibility and drive targeted traffic to it organically. Research indicates that about 46% of all Google searches feature a local intent and keeping this in mind, investing in local SEO is an absolute must for businesses. One of the easiest and most rewarding ways to boost quality lead generation through local SEO is by getting one’s business registered on Google My Business (GMB) and meticulously updating all the details (including address, business hours, photos, contact details, etc). A verified GMB listing is a sure shot way to optimize, manage and boost a business’s online presence. Apart from this, businesses should get themselves registered on local online directories and enhance their digital presence across all platforms with positive ratings and reviews from past customers to engender customer loyalty and establish a strong market presence.

To learn about 7 mistakes to avoid while performing local SEO, read this.

2. Target Long-Tail Keywords:

Next, it is important to have a strategic and detailed keyword strategy in place, customized for the business. An effective search engine optimization technique for small businesses is to target long-tail keywords from their industry. Long-tail keywords, as opposed to generic competitive keywords, are greater in word-count and are extremely specific to a consumer’s requirement. For example, in the case of an SEO agency based in Toronto, a generic keyword to target would be ‘local SEO agency’, while a long-tail keyword to target would be ‘local SEO agency in Toronto’. These generally have lower competition and hence are easier to rank for, resulting in substantially higher conversion rates! Therefore, integrated carefully, these keywords could be the means to generate qualified leads for a business on a consistent basis, thereby fostering profitable customer acquisition. Some of the leading tools for search engine optimization keyword research include SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz and Ubersuggest.

3. Master Keyword Placement:

Another significant aspect of SEO is keyword placement. While simply using the right set of keywords pertaining to one’s industry is not enough, it is the right integration of these targeted keywords that will yield exceptional results in terms of organic traffic, lead generation and conversions. In order to optimize the website for SERPs, be sure to create quality content and incorporate the keywords within page titles, meta descriptions, URLs, subheadings, first paragraphs of write-ups and the body text. Having said that, ensure that the keywords fit seamlessly in the context and the overall content flow because keyword stuffing - the process of adding keywords without any context, will affect the website ranking negatively.
To learn how to generate content ideas for your business using Google Analytics, read this.

4. Get Quality Backlinks:

52% of digital marketers say that link building and brand mentions directly impact organic search rankings, making it a valuable SEO strategy. Inbound links from sources that display high authority like news or media websites or even well-ranking websites from an industry niche convince Google’s algorithm that the website is relevant to one’s industry, trustworthy and thereby deserving of ranking higher in the SERPs. Small businesses can even register themselves with online directories, write guest blogs (specific to their industry) and promote their content extensively in order to earn relevant and quality backlinks to their webpages.

5. Optimize For Mobile Devices:

Last but not least. optimizing one’s website for mobile devices is of paramount importance. Research shows that 52% of customers are less likely to engage with a company because of bad mobile experiences and thus, investing in technical and mobile SEO is imperative for every business! This essentially involves working on improving site speed, enhancing site accessibility, making use of schema markups and optimizing the website for mobile responsiveness. All in all, it can improve the website ranking to a great extent and lead to a substantial boost in ROI as well.

For further support to grow your business, our team at Parkyd Digital is available and happy to help you. We are a B2B digital marketing agency focused on delivering cost-effective, innovative, strategic solutions that align with your sales and marketing goals.

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