Let’s get straight to it.
Is SEO good for businesses?
A simple question it seems, but the answer is quite complex. There are just so many factors that will affect the results you get from a good SEO strategy and the products or services you offer will determine how easy (or difficult) it will be to get those results.
Being successful in search isn’t just limited to well-established businesses. Google is becoming more and more savvy when understanding the intent behind searches. It isn’t always spot on of course but more often than not Google can determine what the user really needs and more importantly, what businesses suit those needs. That might be a global giant like Amazon or it might be the local butcher. Amazon isn’t great at delivering fresh steak for example.
An estimated 97% of people get knowledge of a local business online these days. Gone are the days (well almost) of flicking through a huge phone book to find your local plumber. This means that with the right approach, when needed your small/local business will be in a prominent position on Google.
What is the best SEO for a business?
The question above is a commonly asked one according to Google and we think what this is really asking is “So, if it’s worth it, what’s the best way to go about it?”.
Let’s start off nice and easy…
Google analytics. This is the first thing to get set-up when starting out. You’re going to need insight into how many visitors you’re getting and where they are coming from. A little further down the line you’ll be able to use this to get some insight on what users are up to when they do come to your site as well. Things like session duration and user flow can be vital when making decisions further down the line. Also it’s completely free, which is nice.
Another great tool to be aware of is Google Search Console, which also happens to be free! Once up and running, Google will notify you in an instant if it finds any issues with your site and it can be used to get some “from the horse’s mouth” data with regards to what people are searching for when they find you.
There are also tools out there that can help you to do research into how your potential customers are using search and even help you plan content around those queries to help guide them to exactly what they need. Your service or product hopefully!
Can I do SEO by myself?
Hiring a digital marketing agency is a great way to take the learning curve and stress out of getting found in search results, but naturally, companies and individuals want to know if they can do SEO themselves. Having reached this point you may be starting to develop some idea what SEO is at its bare minimum so lets break down some of the basics:
On-Page SEO
First of all we have on-page SEO, this generally refers to anything that is on your website and under your control . Examples include the title tag and meta description that appear in search results and website content. Content will often need to be tweaked to include keywords and phrases which help tell the search engine what your page and website is all about. The more you use popular keywords and phrases (in a non-spammy way of course!) the better your website will perform in organic search results.
Imagine if you own a furniture business. You may choose to write blogs providing tips on what furniture your audience should go for, whether that be indoor or outdoor. With a little research into what exactly is being searched for you can tailor these “blogs” to really give users what they are looking for. Alternatively you might want to answer common questions which are asked in terms of DIY for the household or you could provide answers to the most common questions you receive almost every day in the form of FAQs. Within all your content you should try to include keywords (queries that are being typed into Google) but don’t over do it (we call that stuffing). Google will pick up the first time you mention something relevant, the second time you mention it Google will take less notice and the third time…well, you said that already!
Off-Page SEO
Outside of what’s happening directly on your website there are things that Google will look at to help it evaluate your site. Improving search presence means at least keeping an eye on this and there are a number of tactics out there that people employ to try and influence these external factors. We call this off page SEO.
Let’s keep it short and sweet; backlinks are the backbone of off page SEO. Links are used as a strong indicator of your website’s content quality. What does this mean you may ask? Simply put, a website with quality backlinks (referrals as Google sees them) will generally perform better ranking wise than competitors which have lower quality backlinks. Quality over quantity is the key!
We can almost always put backlinks into one of the following two categories:
- Natural links – These are links that are added to the web to simply provide users with a link to something. No thought for passing credibility or for helping with search presence has been given when these links were created. For example, a designer clothes enthusiast writes a blog and includes a link to their favourite brand.
- Manually built or self created links – In some respects all links are ‘built’. Code was added to a website that ‘created’ a link. However, when links are added for the intention of passing credibility there is often a specific link-building process that was followed by someone. An example of this might be asking a customer or supplier to link your website, or enquiring whether influencers would be kind enough to share your content and link back.
Google is smart. It knows what kind links it expects to see and understands the methods that create them. Making sure that you do not embark on, or participate in, Link Schemes is very important as this goes directly against Google’s guidelines. Manipulation is not the way to go here. Creating great quality link worthy content is the right approach.
Local SEO
You may have also heard the term local SEO. What this really means is making sure that when a user is looking for a local service or store providing certain goods your site shows up in the listings. Of course this means having ‘bricks-and-mortar’ in the specific area is essential. You may have come across this yourself, in which you searched for something of interest such as ‘dessert shops near me’, the results? Local businesses which offer those sweet delicacies. Bamboozled about how you should go about getting your local SEO right? We suggest you begin by creating a Google my business account for your business, claim your business (if Google already has some information on it) and make sure it always displays the correct information such as: contact details, opening hours, location, and any other important information which may be useful to customers.
One small step for you, one giant leap for your business!
Why do SMEs businesses need SEO?
Good SEO will increase your visibility online, and will lead to more prospective customers finding your business. Always remember, creating a fast and easy to navigate website is imperative when trying to get good SEO results. Never underestimate the importance of user experience after all the users that Google directs to your site are really its customers first. You wouldn’t want to send your customers somewhere they were going to get a bad experience would you?
Get things right and you will be rewarded in great abundance with more loyal customers, subscribers and returning visitors to your site ultimately increasing your customer base.
Here’s a fact to make your day, businesses that invest in SEO have twice as much progression compared to those that neglect SEO. Long story short, SEO is one of the most efficient marketing strategies available, it will only attract customers who are searching for the product or service YOU are providing.
Brand Awareness
Lastly we have an increase in brand awareness, which is often gained through SEO. Appearing on the first page of search engines like Google and Yahoo when someone searches for your brand is so important as it gives potential customers the confidence that you are credible and well established. This should be your first port of call with regards to SEO as it’s often achievable in a short period of time. In some respects, it gives small businesses a good reason to invest in SEO from the very beginning. This can then be expanded into other areas using keywords which are relevant.
There is never a better time to start than now. Invest in SEO.
Want to start your SEO journey today? Call us on 0121 516 2500.
