Small business owners should know by now how important Search Engine Optimization is. SEO is not just a trending industry buzzword, it is here to stay. Dominant search engines are the backbone of internet search, and the standard procedure for anyone who is looking for anything on the internet is to search the popular engines for information.
As a small business owner, you need to understand the basic principles of SEO in order to keep your business searchable and search engine relevant. There are many digital marketers who offer professional SEO strategy, but learning about the few basic steps before you jump into a conversation with any of them will give you huge advantage.
This is what you need to know.
What is SEO?
The term SEO is an acronym for ‘search engine optimization’. This process consists of aligning your website to search engine standards in order to obtain increased traffic from search engine results.
When a user searches for a certain term, web pages, listings, videos, etc. are shown in the search engines based on what those engines consider most relevant. Search engine algorithms determine this relevancy. Although the algorithms aren’t publicly available, search engines are pretty clear about what can help or hurt your rankings.
What is SERP?
Even though it’s a lesser known term, SERP is just as important as SEO, and it stands for Search Engine Results Page. It describes the actual ranking order of websites and pages presented to the users after they perform a search. If the SEO on your website is good, your SERP score should be strong. It is essential for small businesses to be focused on SERP and constantly aim to rank as high as possible in all popular search engine result pages.
Why are keywords important for SEO?
The most important components of SEO are the keywords. Not long ago you could get high rankings by simply jamming your website with all the terms users often search for, but things have changed. Search engines are growing smarter and algorithms keep changing. Keywords and keyword phrases are still as important as they used to be, but now they must be surrounded by meaningful, quality content. Creating impactful content around a set of keywords and phrases with end users in mind is essential for a good SEO strategy.
Social Media and SEO
A strong social media presence is very important, which is why you should have profiles for your business in all appropriate social media networks. Promoting your content on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Vine or other social media channels will help you get higher search engine rankings and improve the visibility of your website.
Why is quality content important?
Creating high quality content is the essence of SEO for small businesses. Always create pages with end users in mind and treat your visitors with quality content that is relevant to your industry. Tricks such as keyword jamming won’t get you anywhere. The best way to different yourself from your competitors and rank high on search engines is to create meaningful, engaging and valuable content for your website.
Every small business needs a well-optimized website. A good SEO for small businesses strategy is essential for the success of your website and your brand’s visibility. Strong SEO leads to increased traffic and with so many professional SEO experts on the market today, optimizing your website shouldn’t be a problem. Once you understand all the basics, you will know exactly what to look for, when searching for a SEO expert.
