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In this post, we’re going to look at an important topic for getting your business noticed online – SEO.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the practice of making changes to your website and online presence to increase the visibility and ranking of your business in search engine results pages.
How does SEO work?
To understand how SEO works, it’s important to understand how search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo operate. These search engines scour the internet, find web pages (like yours) and index them based on a variety of factors. These factors include relevance, authority, and user experience.
So, when a user (potential customer) types a query into Google, like ‘plumber near me’, Google attempts to provide the most useful results based on SEO factors.
Why should you care about SEO?
Now, you might be thinking: “why is this important for my small business?” The fact of the matter is; the majority of people turn to search engines like Google when looking for a product or service. If your business isn’t showing up on the first page of search results, you’re missing out on potential customers and sales.
How to improve your website’s SEO
So, how can you improve your website’s SEO? Here are four basic tips:
Start with keyword research
Keywords are the terms that people enter into a search engine’s search field. To start practicing SEO you’ll need to identify the keywords and phrases that potential customers might use to find your business. Then, make sure those keywords are strategically discussed in your website’s content and meta descriptions.
For example, if you want people in Winnipeg searching ‘plumber near me’ to find your site, make sure that your website clearly and descriptively talks about the plumbing services you offer in Winnipeg.
Be authentic with your content
The algorithms that search engines use to index websites are pretty smart and are evaluating content less and less like robots and more and more like humans. Loading your website with the phrase ‘plumber in Winnipeg’, in an inorganic way, will red flag your website for ‘keyword stuffing‘ and ultimately lead to a negative effect on your SEO. Balance authentic language with SEO intentionality in the way you write web content.
Optimize your website’s structure and accessibility
Ensure your website is easy to navigate and has a clear structure. Use headings and subheadings to organize your content, and make sure your website is mobile-friendly. Having an accessible site is also essential for SEO. Make sure images have alt tags, that font size is legible and has sufficient contrast with the background.
Build high-quality backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites that lead to your website. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more trustworthy and authoritative your website appears to search engines. Backlinks essentially prove that your website is a referenced source.
A few ways you can get backlinks to your website include:
- Join an organization (like a chamber of commerce) and ask them to link your organization profile to your website
- Work on a collaborative article or blog post with another organization and swap backlinks to each other’s website
- Reach out to business partners that might be willing to list a link to your website on their website
Regularly update your website with fresh content and stay patient
Search engines love fresh, relevant content. So, make sure to update your website regularly with blog posts, news articles, or other content related to your business.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process. Kind of like a workout regiment, the results of the work you put in will build slowly. It takes time and effort to see results, but the benefits are worth it.
By improving your SEO, you can attract more visitors to your website, increase your online visibility, and ultimately, grow your small business.