How to Improve SEO for Small Business: 9 Strategies

SEO is the lifeblood of your organic online traffic.  

SEO can improve your rankings, bring in more leads, create authority in your industry, and more. While changing algorithms and shifts in search patterns may impact SEO performance, there are several fundamental SEO techniques that help improve rankings.

In this blog, you'll learn nine top SEO strategies you can employ today for more significant traffic and higher conversion rates, plus a marketing agency experienced in delivering SEO performance.

Why Website Rankings Matter

Which website do you trust more: a website that appears on the first page of your Google search or a website on the 2nd, 3rd, or 24th page?

If you rank on the first page of the search engine results pages (SERPs), searchers will view your content as more valuable and relevant to their search. 

Ranking higher on Google and the other SERPs means more traffic which translates to more customers. Additionally, higher rankings put you ahead of competitors. If people are already searching for products or services in your niche, you want them to land on your page first. 

Therefore, small businesses (including roofers, real estate agents, property managers, and others) must apply the right SEO strategies to boost rankings! It matters. 

9 Techniques for Better SEO Performance 

There are many ways to improve SEO for more traffic. Today we're targeting nine of the top techniques small businesses should apply. 

1. Optimize On-page Factors for Better SEO Performance

While you might have written one of the best available pieces of content for your industry, your content will not be seen without the right on-page SEO factors. 

Some steps to assist with your on-page SEO performance include:

• Long-tail keyword research and implementation in the title tag and body of the article

• Accurate meta descriptions that reflect the content 

• Header tags to structure content and make it scannable

• Use of internal and external links 

• Image SEO such as alt tags 

• Optimized content for mobile use

• Optimized URL to reflect the content 

Due to the sophistication of the Google search algorithm, the need for spot-on keyword use is decreasing. While exact keyword usage is still important, Google can also determine the topic of your content through context and the use of closely-related keywords, which are variations on your original keyword. 

These closely related keywords can also benefit SEO performance by ranking in broader search queries and building more traffic to your page. 

2. Focus on Low-Competition Keywords When Creating Content

Highly competitive keywords mean you'll likely compete against a wider pool of competitors. So if you're wondering how to improve SEO for small business, taking a niched-down approach may be the answer instead of going against the heavy hitters immediately. 

An easy way to get started targeting low-competition keywords is to use question keywords (how, what, why, where) that target a specific search query a customer may have. Check the "people also ask" sections of Google for inspiration, or use a Google keyword planner to discover new keywords.   

3. Conduct a Content Audit on Existing Content

Are all your online assets fully optimized? Updating existing content is one of the easiest and quickest ways to inject a boost of traffic to your page. 

To begin, target content that has not been updated for about 12 months or older—then correct for the on-page factors listed above. Don't forget to check for changes such as broken links and focus on high-performance pages first, as they will have the most significant impact. 

Remember to consider the following: 

• User intent

• Content format and scannability

• Graphics, images, visuals, and illustrations

• Clarity and whether the content answers the question 

Remember that the Google algorithm rewards significant changes with a freshness boost—so take your time with the updates and ensure the changes are substantial. 

4. Improve Local SEO

For roofing companies, local real estate brokerages, and property management companies, local SEO is a "must-do" step to hit local users and get traffic online and through your door.

One of the driving forces of a successful local SEO strategy is maintaining and optimizing a Google Business Profile (GBP) page. This means establishing a profile with up-to-date contact information such as name, address, phone number, etc. 

To make the most of GBP, remember to update the page with regular posts, respond to positive and negative reviews, and ensure the information about your business is consistent across all channels. 

Additionally, remember to maintain a presence in online directories such as Yelp. 

5. Include Quality Backlinks from Trusted Sites

If you imagine your SEO performance as a spider's web, then backlinks are strong threads of authority that connect your page to other established web pages. Therefore, Google is more likely to consider your page a high authority if other authority sites reference it. 

Some strategies to assist with building out backlinks include: 

• Creating high-quality content that other sites want to share

• Guest blogging on other pages

• Reaching out to authorities in your space and offering content or insights in exchange for backlinks

Remember to focus on high authority sites and conduct regular audits to ensure up-to-date links are unbroken.

6. Optimize Images

Images provide much-needed context and add a layer of scannability by breaking up the text on your page. For this reason, they should be considered an integral component of your SEO ranking factors. 

When optimizing images, remember to use descriptive file names and alt tags, compress images to improve load times, and focus on relevant and unique images that add real value to the content. 

7. Use Google Analytics To Measure Performance

Knowing how and when your content is performing well is critical to improving and maintaining a steady flow of leads. 

Google Analytics can show several key data points, including traffic, returning traffic bounce rate, and overall pageviews. Experience data such as bounce rate and duration highlight the extent to which viewers engage with your content and can indicate overall issues, such as readability and utility. 

Ensure you measure metrics on past performance, for example, on a month-by-month basis, and understand that statistics such as page views can fluctuate from time to time. 

8. Front Load Mobile Friendliness

Over 80% of internet users are on their mobile to surf the web. This means if you haven't optimized your page for mobile-friendliness, you're likely missing out on a large chunk of traffic, and Google will punish you on its mobile-friendliness test. 

Increased site speed, compressed images, and even specifics such as the size of your text can all contribute to the mobile-friendliness of your page. 

9. Reduce Load Times

It's a tale as old as time: you click on a webpage, it takes too long to load, and you click out again in search of a competitor. 

Load speed is essential for the user experience and impacts SEO performance as SERP can crawl and index your page more efficiently. If you're concerned about load times, check Google Page Speed Insights to uncover factors dragging your page speed. 

Common areas for improvement in page speed include image optimization, reducing HTTP requests, and using caching to minimize files. 

SEO Techniques Are Only Part of the Puzzle 

Consistency, creativity, and deep knowledge of the ever-changing SERP algorithms are all required for tangible benefits in your website rankings. Unfortunately, proactive business leaders don't often have the time or technical knowledge to implement all the above methods (plus a bunch more). Therefore, outsourcing your SEO performance to a committed team is the best strategy forward. 

Our team of trained SEO specialists is ready to help you improve your website performance with the best SEO techniques to help you climb those rankings, reach new customers, and build a steady traffic flow. To learn more, Speak to a Geek today!