Many people believe that SEO for businesses is too challenging and not worth the effort. This is untrue because the basics are simple if you have the right beginner's SEO guide.
The majority of web traffic comes from Google, and this is why small businesses need to improve their digital marketing and SEO tactics. Otherwise, it is exceedingly difficult to get ranked.
Here is everything you need to know about SEO marketing and why it is so essential.
SEO for electricians and other small business owners is crucial because most web traffic for small businesses comes from Google’s organic search results. Basically, organic search will account for more traffic than any other source combined.
This makes SEO such an important process because it boosts your ranking in the search engine’s organic results. Then your company can appear on the first few pages to attract customers and leads.
This saves your business from getting forgotten about despite being on the web because no one ventures to page 100 on Google if they want to buy something.
SEO leads to more traffic because people click on the first few search results they see. If you rank higher in the search results, you will gain more traffic to your website to sell products and services.
SEO also leads to consistent and passive traffic if it is done right. This is different from email and social media marketing, where you always see sudden traffic spikes that fade if you do not keep aggressively advertising.
This is because social media networks require fresh content to succeed. And email marketing is also not as effective as SEO because your newsletters can stay unread or forgotten in someone’s spam inbox.
Once you start ranking well on search engines, you will notice that the number of visitors stays consistent unless your website develops problems.
SEO also leads to free traffic. This is when you do not need to pay for ads because they can be expensive.
For instance, if you got approximately 400K visitors to your site each month, this would be free if your SEO game is strong. Otherwise, you would need to pay Google about $1 million to gain that many monthly visitors.
Creating content on Google is not free, but it plays a significant role in helping you rank higher for organic traffic instead of forking out big money for ads. Check out Oklahoma City SEO company to see how this process increases revenue while saving clients a lot of money.
Even though SEO helps you rank higher, this would not be possible if your website is not appearing on Google in the first place. Google can eventually discover your website without SEO because it would be live on the web.
However, manually submitting your site has better perks. For instance, you can benefit from the faster discovery. Many new websites lack backlinks, so it takes a longer time for Google to find them.
The first step to submit your website to Google requires a sitemap. Sitemaps are files that mention all the important pages on your website. Then you need to create a Google Search Console account, which is free. This is where you will submit your sitemap.
When you finally submit your site and are ready to be indexed, you join the race with all your competitors. This does not mean that you will win, but you can gain an ongoing advantage if you keep improving your SEO. This becomes easier if your website is set up correctly to succeed. Consider hiring a professional content marketing consultant to start out.
The first thing you need is a good domain name. Even if your domain does not mention your keywords, you should still ensure it shows the name of your business. The domain should also avoid hyphens and be short and sweet.
Then you need the right website platform. If you do not know how to code your own website from the ground up using CSS or HTML, you can opt for a hosted platform.
Hosted platforms host your website and have ready-made designs that you can install or edit easily. This way, you can create and manage all your content without needing to learn how to code.
Google rewards small businesses that give visitors a positive experience. Therefore, you should always build a website that benefits your viewers. This is where you can ensure you use HTTPS to protect your visitors’ data from being exposed to hackers.
Encrypt your site with TLS or SSL to keep it safe and secure. Then you should pick an appealing design because no one enjoys a lagging website designed in the ‘90s.
Although you do not need to redesign your website every few months, you should ensure it is visually appealing. Your website is the first impression people get about your brand, so you should always make it a great one.
Most people search for things online using their mobiles more than a desktop. You should always run tests on a mobile device to check if your website works effectively and looks presentable.
To further improve visitor experience, avoid pop-up ads because these can be intrusive, ensure your site loads at lightning speeds, and test whether your visitors can navigate between pages effortlessly.
SEO for businesses is necessary in today’s world. A brand cannot thrive without a strong online presence, which is why so many companies are joining the SEO rat race to rank higher on search engines.
With a few simple tweaks and expert advice, you can optimize your site to guarantee the best user experience. Then Google will naturally reward you for your SEO efforts by sending traffic your way.
If you enjoyed reading this SEO guide, check out some of our other articles for more information.
