SEO for small business

Running a small business is a difficult task. According to statistics, most companies fail in the first year of operation, many others do not reach the five-year mark. And those who have managed to hold their own in the competitive environment must quickly adapt to changing circumstances on the market.

In the world of digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) is very important for success. After all, thanks to the presence on the first pages of the publication, it is possible to attract new customers and organic traffic, create targeted content and monitor its effectiveness, obtain valuable data and analyze the current situation to optimize work processes. Competent use of SEO tools will allow a small business to win the race for supremacy and challenge the big players in its field.

SEO for small business: what to pay attention to?

Experts recommend starting work on the site with technical optimization and correcting errors that negatively affect the rating of the resource. Ideally, attention should be paid to this issue at the stage of project development and launch. But practice shows that there are few resources on the Internet that do not require refinement or even global reconstruction. Although the need for large-scale structural changes arises only if a professional SEO specialist was not involved in the process.

It is worth paying attention to the following aspects:

• loading speed - insufficient efficiency forces a larger number of potential customers to be screened out at the stage of viewing the first tabs;
• structure – recommended hierarchical architecture with an average number of folders;
• navigation – the site should be equipped with a convenient search system and page-by-page navigation.

All these components are much more important than attractive design, well-thought-out graphics, colors and fonts. Modern users first of all pay attention to convenience, and then to visual content.

In addition, regular analysis of competitors is very important for success. This also applies to virtual business. In this way, it is possible to analyze the strategy of each player, find useful information and identify priority areas that need improvement.

Features of On-Page SEO

On-Page SEO is the internal optimization of the resource and individual web pages. Such work is carried out to increase the site's ranking in search results. The main goal is to make page content easier for algorithms to understand and increase organic traffic. Among the main methods of optimization, the following are distinguished: collection and systematization of keywords, work with tags, meta-descriptions, headings and sub-headings, internal linking, optimization of text and visual content, creation of URLs that are easy to read.

What is Google My Business and why do you need it?

A Google My Business strategy should be the focus of any small or local business. It is a free service that is quick to set up and can have a big impact on the success of the project. The main thing is to provide comprehensive information about your company:

• specify the name, exact address, current contact information, link to the site, mode of operation, etc.;
• specify the business category and type of activity in order for your company to be subject to relevant search queries;
• photos and videos make the profile attractive to users. Fill it with high-quality visual content that better reveals your brand and services;
• reviews help build a company's reputation, so try to encourage customers to leave reviews and don't be afraid to engage with your audience. 

The Google My Business service allows you to manage your presence in the Google search engine and Google Maps. When users enter a relevant search query, your brand will appear in the search results section. This can be a significant boost for your site and business in general.

The influence of social networks on the rating of the company

Social networks are a powerful tool for improving search engine optimization and brand promotion on the Internet. Among the main advantages of social platforms, the following should be highlighted:

• strengthening the presence on the Internet and increasing brand recognition: it is necessary to open accounts on all possible platforms, fill them with interesting content, interact with the audience - all this significantly increases the company's visibility in search results;
• increasing traffic: if you share a link to your own resource, you can attract additional traffic, which will have a positive effect on the search ranking;
• building backlinks: helps to increase the link mass and attract the attention of new users. Distributing content that links to your site is an important link building strategy.

Please note that it is not necessary to be present on absolutely all social platforms - choose a few important or priority areas and focus on them. In addition, social networks are ideal for the use of targeted advertising, which is considered an inexpensive but effective tool for promotion.

About the importance of guest posts

Guest posts are articles published on third-party resources that mention your brand/company or link to your site. This method provides several important advantages at once. First, it is again about increasing the referral mass and the volume of incoming traffic, as well as increasing recognition among other users and authority. Secondly, in this way it is possible to reach a new audience, find interested customers and expand the sphere of influence, going beyond the boundaries of the established customer base. Third, it is a great way to build business relationships with other companies. There are many platforms that are interested in quality content and are ready for fruitful cooperation.

If you have recently started your own business, it will take time before you can see results after implementing an SEO strategy. But it is an effective tool that is designed for long-term returns. Of course, beginners are interested in the opportunity to increase the rating and not spend the budget on it. But experts recommend combining free and paid services. While you are building a successful business, it is worth allocating at least a minimal amount of funding for advertising to maintain the flow of users. When the traffic turns into a stable flow, there will be opportunities to launch a well-thought-out campaign.