SEO Tips for Small Businesses to Improve Your Organic Reach

Apr 10

Many small businesses feel that search engine optimization (SEO) is something only big companies with huge marketing budgets can afford.

We’re here to tell you that simply isn’t true, and with the increase in businesses competing for online attention, you need SEO to stand out from the crowd.

We know SEO can feel complex and overwhelming, particularly if you’re a new business owner.

So, we’ve put together our best SEO tips for small businesses to help you improve your website’s ranking and attract more clients.

Set Up Google Analytics

First up, let’s talk about Google Analytics. This platform is a fundamental tool for establishing your current website traffic and monitoring the success of your SEO efforts.

Google Analytics provides in-depth data on your website’s performance, such as:

Visitor Traffic
User Engagement
Page views
Session duration
Bounce rate
Conversions
Audience demographics
Traffic sources

By analyzing this data, you can gain valuable insight into your website’s strengths and weaknesses and develop SEO strategies to improve your organic reach.

It’s a powerful tool and perfect for small businesses on a budget, as Google provides access to the platform for free.

1. Create a Google Business Profile

If you haven’t claimed and verified your Google Business listing—you’re missing out. This free tool lets you manage your online presence and increases your visibility. It should be a focal point for any small business and is worthy of your time and attention.

Edit your profile regularly, providing detailed information, and consider adding photos and videos to enhance your listing.

2. Solicit and Respond to Reviews

Reviews are critical for small businesses, especially for those just starting out. Positive reviews can increase your ranking and visibility on Google, improve your reputation and attract new clients.

Encourage your clients to leave reviews, and be sure to respond to show your appreciation and willingness to address any concerns.

3. Conduct Keyword Research

You can’t talk about SEO tips for small businesses without expressing the importance of understanding keyword research.

Keywords are the words and phrases your clients type into the Google search bar. For example, a mom awake with her little one in the middle of the night might type, “What are the signs of separation anxiety?”

The goal of keyword research is to identify what your audience is searching for and then use that information to create content that provides an answer, ultimately driving them to your website.

So, if you want to connect with the poor sleep-deprived mama asking this question, you might write a blog post targeting the keyword “separation anxiety.” By including that keyword throughout your content, your blog post has a higher chance of appearing in the relevant search results.

Keep in mind that keywords are ranked for difficulty from 0-100, with 100 being the hardest and 0 being the easiest to rank for. Try and target low-difficulty keywords to give you the best chance of ranking.

4. Analyze Your Competitors

Analyzing your competitors’ websites can provide valuable insight into their SEO strategies. Start by examining their website structure, content, keywords, and backlinks to gain a deeper understanding of the online space for your industry.

Once you’ve gathered this data, you can use it to optimize your own site.

5. Create Quality Content

If you want to improve your visibility and drive traffic to your website, you need to create quality content consistently. Without content, search engines can’t properly index and rank your website.

To please the search engine algorithms and increase your chances of ranking, your content must be optimized for SEO. This is where your keyword research and competitor analysis come into play.

However, SEO is only a tool to drive traffic to your site. If your content doesn’t benefit your

potential clients, they won’t stay on your website for long.

So, use your target keywords to please the search engines, but make sure your content also provides genuine value to your audience.

6. Optimize Your On-Page Elements

Optimizing the on-page elements of your website, such as titles, header tags, and meta descriptions, is one of the easiest ways for small businesses to achieve SEO progress.

Make sure your content is structured correctly with these essential elements so that search engines can efficiently analyze your website—and don’t forget to use your target keywords to improve your rankings.

7. Develop a Link Building Strategy

Link building involves acquiring high-quality links from other websites back to your own site. As a result, they improve your site’s authority which is one of Google’s core ranking factors. At a basic level, a quality backlink tells Google that your site is trustworthy and a reliable source of information.

Getting backlinks as a new business is not easy, but here are some excellent places to start:

Google Business Profile
Facebook
LinkedIn
Apple Maps
Yelp for Business
Bing Places for Business
Industry-specific business listings and directories
Guest blogging opportunities

8. Use Tools and Resources

There’s no doubt SEO can be complex, and if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, don’t worry—there are loads of tools and resources available to help you.

Yoast—This SEO optimization tool for WordPress suggests improvements to your content and website accessibility.
Google Search Console—This free platform allows you to access essential data such as ranking positions, clicks, and impressions. Additionally, you can use the platform to check and fix technical issues and submit sitemaps.
Ahrefs and SEMrush— These two platforms are the industry leaders in SEO strategy and research. You can identify target keywords, assess keyword difficulty, and track your rankings. While both platforms are paid services, many of the tools are free to use, making them a budget-friendly addition to your SEO toolbox.
SERP Snippet Optimization Tool—This free tool lets you see how your meta description and title will appear in the search results. It’s super helpful in ensuring you stick to the character limits for optimal visibility.

9. Consistency is Key

When it comes to SEO tips for small businesses—consistency is key.

Remember that SEO is a long-term strategy that requires time, effort, and patience. But the results are most definitely worth it.

Creating a plan for your business and maintaining consistency will improve your organic reach and connect you to the clients seeking your knowledge and expertise. Plenty of parents out there need your help—they just have to be able to find you!

If you’d like more information on how to take your business to the next level, the Sweet Sleep Academy is here to support you.

Check out our mentorship program and watch our upcoming events page for virtual workshops and online retreats.

Sarah Lougry