As a small business, it is essential to understand SEO in order to be seen online.

Throughout the years, we’ve seen many companies who come to us and report they have optimized their site for search engines, but once we dig, we learn that isn’t the case.

Often times, companies think that a few tutorials or info graphics outlining how to nail SEO equate to online success. That simply isn’t the case. SEO is an extensive process that begins with creating a long list of target keywords and then spirals from there. Without someone whose background is in SEO, a business can miss out on opportunities that can result in an increased profit and larger audience.

While we always suggest working with someone who understands and can execute SEO properly, we also realize that business owners like to be hands-on and tackle this themselves.

So, how can you rock your SEO?

Remember the world of SEO is constantly changing.

What you read a year ago isn’t necessarily relevant today. With Google’s recent changes to the way it ranks content on mobile devices and the increased attention to mobile responsiveness, it is more important than ever to really be up-to-date.

Include a blog on your website.

Yes, blogging takes time, but have a blog can greatly improve your SEO. Aim for one post a week with content which is relevant and insightful. Try to hit 500 words per post and include an image which can be shared via social media outlets. While not necessarily a part of SEO, the more your content is shared, the more visibility your company can have … and at the end of the day, being in front of your audience is the most important thing. Within your blog, be sure to install a plugin the helps optimize your posts.

Identify your key words.

Keywords take on different forms on your website. For your blog, they will be long tail (multiple words). Determine what your audience is searching for in terms of keywords, and what possible keywords can lead them to your site.can save yourself a TON of time by researching what key phrase your competitors are targeting as it relates to both SEO and PPC. By collecting this data you can benefit from the countless dollars and man hours invested in order to arrive to this list. While it is just the start, you can easily build an effective and targeted list and find the soft spots in your vertical as it relates to key phrases. There are many great tool available for this exact purpose such as keywordspy.com and spyfu.com.

Comb through your website.

Having duplicate content or pages can hinder your SEO results. Examine each page. Do pages link to others on your site? Is the content filler or does it provide a value to your readers?

Tap into other solutions to help propel your SEO.

Are you familiar with PPC or CMS solutions? These can greatly impact your SEO, but cost money (which is truly a necessary spend in order to create success in search engine results). If you aren’t using these to help your SEO, talk to someone to see how they can benefit your business.

Build up backlinks 

Research and find websites which align with yours to create guest posts that are informative and link back to your site. Larger online publications with high domain and page authority are key to this. Simply providing a guest post to a blog with a small audience won’t help and isn’t a proper way to spend your time. By providing posts, not only does your brand emerge as a thought leader, but you tap into readers of other sites who may click on the link to your site and convert into a new business opportunity.

Don’t go it alone

Seriously. SEO takes a lot of time, and if you aren’t an expert, it is a waste of your resources. Invest in an expert or company to help handle your SEO in order to propel you in search engine results.  Have questions? Send us a message. We’re here to help.