Search Engine Optimisation, or “SEO”, lies at the core of any successful online marketing strategy. Learning some key SEO tips and tricks can be a really powerful way to grow a small business in today’s fast-paced, digital led world.

With increasing numbers of businesses competing online, it’s important to stay ahead of the game.

Did you know that 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results and 89% of customers begin their buying process with a search engine?

SEO – yep you guessed it – “optimises” your website! It incorporates certain commonly searched keywords into the content of a website. So, when those keywords are typed into a search engine, the site is seen as relevant and appears further towards the top of the search results.

If you’re not on the ball with SEO, your business may fall behind your competitors. Want to know the good news? It’s not that complicated to run an SEO campaign if you’re willing to put in a little groundwork. In this post, we’re giving you all the SEO tips and tricks you need to develop your small business.

Most important SEO tip/trick: use of keywords

Keyword research and implementation are essential to successful SEO.

Keywords are words that are relevant to your business and have low to medium competition in your market.

Make sure you use keywords on your permalinks, post titles, at least one subtitle, tags and once within the first 200 words of copy on each post or page. Don’t overload users with keywords, as this makes the copy disjointed and insincere. Scatter keywords throughout the copy in a natural way.

Aim for a keyword density of 1% and definitely don’t go over 3%.CLICK TO TWEET

So, 1-4 keywords or keyword phrases per 500 words of written copy.

Also, spread keywords across landing pages, advertisements, about pages, and navigation bars. By ingraining keywords or phrases into the core fabric of your website in addition to your written content, search engines classify the site as “relevant” and bump you up the ladder!

One of the easiest ways to start keyword research is using Google AdWords. It can show how often a specific keyword is searched, where it is being searched from and related keywords/phrases. We can also give you all the advice you need.

If you’re a small business, it may be more beneficial to focus on niche keywords and bring a specific group of potential customers onboard. The most popular keywords aren’t necessarily the best to make your business stand out from the crowd. Keep that in mind when implementing SEO tips and tricks.

Make use of hyperlinks

You can either direct users to another part of your website (internal linking) or to a noncompetitor’s website where a specific concept is explained or expanded upon (external linking). Again, this helps to increase your website’s search ranking position.

Top SEO tip: Link to other sites and ask them to link to your website too – a sure fire way to make Google eat out of your website’s hands.

Take advantage of social media

Using social media is a great way to increase your website’s SEO. Consistently posting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+ is a great way to raise the profile and the profit of your small business.

Not only will search engine algorithms notice the change, you’ll be reeling in the hundreds, thousands or even millions of social media users who may stumble across your businesses account at any time. Use keywords in your posts, link to your website in your posts/bio/about sections and post relevant content regularly.

Begin a backlink campaign

By ensuring your web links are available on various online sites, your search rank position will go up and you’ll reach more potential users or customers.

If you’re writing great content on your business’s blog, people will share it and your name, product or services will get around too. You could also try guest posting and forum commenting.

Register on Google Maps

If your business has a physical address, register your information with Google Maps. By doing so, you’ll increase the chances of your business appearing higher in search engine results when a customer is looking for services in your local area.

Use pictures

Pictures are a great way to make websites appear more attractive and prevent a potential customer from clicking off.

Place keywords in image URLs and captions.CLICK TO TWEET

If a customer does a search for your keyword, boom – they’ve come to your website from another channel!

Use fresh and engaging content on your website

It’s vital that your copy stays current, relevant and interesting to your potential customers or users. Don’t be tempted to post the same article with a more recent date. Discover new subjects relevant to what your business sells and write engaging copy that your audience will enjoy.

You don’t want to constantly be rewriting the core copy within your website. Therefore starting a blog is a great way to keep your content fresh and flowing.

Strategically use and promote reviews

Reviews are influential when it comes to good SEO. They play a powerful role in how your website ranks in search engines.

In fact, 92% of consumers read online reviews before purchasing a product or service, and the majority of people judge a business on how many stars they have gained over time.

It’s not enough to gain one five star review either. Consistently positive reviews are what matter most.

Why not offer incentives for reviews such as prizes or discounts? You can achieve this through social media and directly on the website.

Final thoughts on SEO tips and tricks

There are far too many SEO tips and tricks to fit into one post. So, if you want to know more about our SEO services, what our customers really think, and what information we think you need to know, check out our site or reach out to us!

We provide an in-depth SEO strategy for all our customers and at all affordable prices – for both our local Cheltenham and national customers.