Did you know that 93% of online experiences now start with a search engine, such as Google? Search has basically replaced the conventional phone book for what people turn to when they need information about local businesses they can rely on for products or services.
Many small businesses struggle to see return on online Search Engine Optimization (also known as SEO). We probably all know at least one business owner who brags about all the Facebook “likes” they’ve racked up for their page. The reality, though, is that new studies show that Facebook links don’t impact Google search rankings at all, according to Search Engine Watch.
Are you making mistakes in your SEO marketing strategy that can be easily fixed? Here are three things you should be paying attention to.
1. Free Search Engine Marketing Tools
There are many search engine marketing tools available online that are completely free for users, and these tools can help you determine what to change or improve for better search engine ranking results. Google Analytics, for example, can be used to get useful information about who visits your website, what keywords draw them in, how long they stay, and which pages are most popular. There are also many backlink checking tools available. These search engine marketing tools run test to determine how many backlinks point to your website, and whether any of them are potentially weak links that could make Google think you are participating in illegitimate link building practices.
2. Control the Information Available About Your Business
With just a few clicks you can make sure informative profiles come up on Yahoo, Bing, Google Places, and anywhere else your business is likely to have a profile. If search is the new phone book, then the companies who receive the most attention are those who provide contact information, a description of their services, and photographs with their claimed business profiles. Addressing critique is also important, since consumers tend to zero in on negative comments. The links to your website on these profiles will also be perceived as fairly relevant, which will help with your search ranking struggle.
3. Keep a Blog and Update Often
A key part of small business search engine optimization is getting content out there, and blogs are one way to do it. According to SmallBizTrends, websites that blog not only see 55% more visitors, but they also have 97% more quality links to their website, which impacts search results. Make sure your blog looks professional, is informative and engaging (not a constant sales pitch!), and is updated on a fairly regular basis. Nothing says “we gave up” like three lone blog posts on your website dating back to 2008.
Along with these tips, we recommend you hire a search engine marketing professional to help you out. Let us know your thoughts on internet search engine optimization in the comments! Continue your research here: suburbanmarketingco.com