8 Most Effective SEO practices for small businesses

If your customers can't find your website, it was a waste of time and resources to build one. But how can you differentiate your website from the vast amount of online content?

Search engines regularly modify their search algorithms and alter the importance they place on different elements of your page. This makes the already difficult process that SEO managers must complete much more complex.

This is the reason we created this guide, which offers effective SEO strategies and industry best practices. Your website can keep a high ranking and remain competitive by concentrating your SEO efforts on these. So let's begin immediately.

Tip #1 - Content! Content! Content!

Without content, search engines won't have enough data to properly index your sites and aid in your ranking. Content is crucial for SEO and a very effective SEO practice for small businesses. The pages on your website won't ever be seen or shared if you don't have a strong SEO strategy. They will simply exist online without any visitors, which somewhat defeats the purpose.

The quality of your content is the most crucial element in Google ranking. This is coupled with user interaction and the regular creation of high-quality content. So what defines strong, relevant content? How do you post properly on social media? A few things to consider include:

• Matches the intent of the keyword or keyword phrase.

• Trustworthiness

• Legibility

Tip #2 - Know Your Competitors Better Than They Do.

Extensive competitor research and analysis is one of the most effective SEO practices for small business to boost results. Simply identifying your main competitors using keywords, industry, location, or any other relevant criteria should serve as your initial step.

A thorough research study will enable you to identify your rival's strong points and, maybe, vulnerabilities that you can exploit. Find Your Competitors Best Performing Keywords & Pages. Find what other pages on the web link to them. Look at their content and online engagement. Use this to your advantage and take the best of what they do and do it better, in addition to doing all the things they currently are missing.

"68% of online experiences begin with a search engine." – BrightEdge.

Tip #3 - Focus on User Experience (UX)

Over time, the metrics that make up Core Web Vitals will change. But Google released updates revealing they are focusing on user experience. The measurements (and corresponding thresholds) in the current set  concentrate on three facets of the user experience: loading, interactivity, and visual stability.

Tip #4 - Know Your Keywords & How To Use Them

Because they inform search engines about the content of your website's page, keywords are significant, and therefore using them effectively is an excellent SEO practice for small businesses. The words and phrases that people type into search engines to find the information they're looking for are sometimes referred to as "keywords" in this context. You can use tools online to find your relevant keywords, and write your content with that in mind, or add the right team to handle it for you.

Tip #5 - Have a Secure Site

Notice that locked button in the corner of browser where the URL is displayed? Notice how this site is HTTPS? 82% of users leave a website when it is not secure. Google released "HTTPS Everywhere", as a ranking factor to ensure all users can access the internet safely. Don't take the chance and get your website built properly the first time.

Tip #6 - Analyze Your Backlinks

Not all backlinks were created equally, and why should they be? A website with high domain authority and relevance linking to another website should be worth more than a link on a spam site right? It's about quality, not quantity. Ensure you are on top of you backlinking strategy. Feel free to call us for a free consult as well to help you on your journey.

Tip #7 - Analyze Your Internal Links

The whole point is to keep them clicking. You want people spending time on your website with them clicking on one of your CTA's being the result. This can only be accomplished by linking to your relevant pages throughout your content. Notice how this blog post and our home page all have plenty of links? That said, having a page full of links can actually be harmful for your SEO. Be sure you follow the best SEO practices to ensure you rank above the competition.

Tip #8 - Optimize Your Site For Mobile

Chances are, you are viewing this on your phone. In fact, the majority of total website visits are currently mobile. Search engines penalize websites that are not easily displayed or navigable on mobile.

"75% of users never scroll past the first page of search." – Hubspot.

Final Thoughts

And that’s a wrap for the 8 most effective SEO practices for small businesses! The tips above are proven to drive up your organic traffic and improve your SEO strategy. It can be overwhelming without the right people in place. Not saying you can't take it on yourself, but you have a business to run. Let Hermit Group handle your needs for you. At the very least, get a free consultation today to see how we can help your business grow today!