Search Ranking Tips for Small Businesses
In keeping with the website optimization theme we’ve had this week, here’s Alex McArthur, Vice President of Search Strategies at OrangeSoda, with some simple yet effective tips to get your business ranking better in the search engines.
Search Ranking Tips for Small Businesses
Another energy drink breakfast after a late night of paper work. The new hire didn’t show up and you’ve got to put off an important meeting to run the store. Oh, and you can’t seem to get over how much you spent on your website that doesn’t generate business. Sound familiar? With all of the things that must be juggled to keep a business profitable you deserve some free advice that will help out your online marketing campaign. We’ve put together a few simple tips to help out any small business with search marketing.
1) Revisit Keywords
So a few years ago when online advertising was getting big you learned about the whole keyword thing, setup your paid search campaign and crammed all your focus keywords on to your homepage. You’re done with keywords, right? The truth is that you should review them often. Trends change and search is continually evolving. For a small business it’s important to review keywords at least monthly with the Google’s keyword tool or another keyword tool of your choice. It’s vital that you know what people are looking for online in regards to your industry.
2) Get in the 10-Pack
No, I’m not advising the consumption of alcohol on the job. The 10-pack is how many refer to Google Maps listings that show up in the normal Google Results (see image below). If you run a business that has a storefront this is the first place to promote your business online. Local search has some of the highest converting traffic and could get your phone ringing in no time.
3) Revisit your dying blog
I know. It’s hard to keep up with your blog. The only way to make your blog successful is to put thought into it and stick to routine. Here are a few blogging tips that will provide the most search engine value:
a) Write good, compelling copy and publish it on your blog. Don’t forget to include a clear call to action.
b) Cross link any related content you mention in your post that may reside on another page of your site. Make sure to use keywords in your anchor text, not “click here” or “read more”.
c) Promote your post through social media (facebook, relevant industry news sites, etc.)
d) Research a new topic for you next post based off of your keyword research or hot industry news. And schedule a time to write it on your calendar.
About Alex McArthur
Alex McArthur is the Vice President of Search Strategies at OrangeSoda, an online marketing company that serves small businesses. OrangeSoda is a leading Internet Marketing company specializing in SEO and pay per click management.
Photo Credit: dullhunk
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If I could only remember the password to my “dying blog”.
Great summary. Though I constantly read everything I can find on blogging and SEO tips, I learned something new here – specifically to interlink within my blog using keywords. (3 b)
I always learn something when I visit Small Biz Bee! Thanks.
@Alex
LOL, I hear you! I’ve got a couple blogs out there where I can’t remember what email address they’re attached too so even recovering the password is not an option! =)
Matt
@bblackwood
I think SEO is a mystery to a lot of us, or we just don’t have time to learn the in’s and out’s. Alex’s tips show some of it really isn’t that difficult or time consuming.
Matt
Matt and Alex,
Great job. A lot of these kinds of posts are so long, it’s tough to decipher the least bit of good info from them.
This gets right to the point, and the tips are mah-velous. Incorporating them today.
Thanks guys!
George
@Tumblemoose
Alex deserves all the credit – I just gave him the space to “be the expert”. This is an area I think we’re all learning, I know I am
Matt
Great stuff. I pay little attention to keywords and other such issues that I really should think about. Thanks for the reminder and the motivation to do something about it!
On topic solid advice for beginners and a reminder for the rest of us.
I find that it helps if you redesign your site once in a while too along with new and improved keywords and phrases. Then again not everyone can pay to have it done so often – this is exactly why I think, at the least, html language should be something every savvy business man should be aware of. (asking for too much here?)
again, cool short post.
I had a friend tell me the importance of getting on Google maps, but I live in the middle of nowhere (cross-roads in a forest), so I never really tried. I submitted my partners site, but never did more. Will have to look at that again.
These are some simple tips that most people could use. I think that many people believe they will pay $XXX to have a nice looking, though often poorly optimized site built for their business and they expect it will open the flood gates of cash flow. Even if a site is visually appealing and well optimized, it may take a period of time for the flood of business to happen. Once business is consistent and self-generating many business owners do not revisit their site on a regular basis to check the continual relevance and searchability of things like keywords that you mention. And letting a site’s blog die or fade away…just seems lazy to me. Blogs are such an easy way to create a dialogue with consumers and continually update your site with fresh relevant content. To me, if your blog dies, your site is not far behind.
@Stephen
As a blogger I don’t think we should fixate on keywords, but be aware of them. If you write in a conversational tone/style I think most keywords come naturally without the need to “stuff” the post with more. Taking a second look to make sure our posts have some keywords is definitely worth the effort though.
Matt
@Luke
I’ll say that I am better off, and have saved thousands of dollars over the years by knowing a bit of HTML. It’s not that hard to learn and the effort you put in will pay you back in the long run.
Matt
@McLaughlin
You’re in an interesting position. Let us know how it goes for you if you try google maps for yourself.
Matt
@Rich
It’s certainly not a get rich quick endeavor, but it will pay dividends over time. Many people lack the patience and give up, long before their websites and blogs can begin working for them. But I totally agree with you there is no better medium to create a dialog with your customer than a website/blog.
Matt
Thanks everyone for the kind words about the article.
@SmallBizBee I appreciate the offer to post again in the future. Any specific topics related to search marketing that you or your readers are most interested in?
@Alex
First off, thank YOU for sharing your expertise with our readers!
As for other topics, let’s ask the audience. If you can give me say 3-5 topic areas you’d like to write about I’ll run a poll here and on Twitter and we can have you back to answer the most popular of the topics you suggest…deal?
Matt
If your website is not in the first 10 results you’re basicaly screwed. Barely anyone looks past the first result page. So if yours is 32 it might as well be 30000 – noone will find it anyway.