A proper SEO presence in all available digital channels including search engines, social media and mobile will get you maximum exposure.
Communicating with your target audience about your products and services is a must in marketing a small business. One of the best ways for a business owner to do this is through Search Engine Optimization, better known as SEO. The phrase “improve your SEO strategy” encompasses the actions taken to ensure your website can be found in a search engine’s results page when searching for words or phrases relevant to the content on your website. A proper presence in all available digital channels including search engines, social media and mobile will get you maximum exposure.
According to a Google survey, 58% of businesses in the U.S. do not have a website and around 97% of Internet users look for local goods and services online. That’s a lot of companies that are missing out on potential business because they are not online. An SEO strategy will help you gain the exposure and visibility in search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Bing. Here are a few tips to make the process of building brand awareness and establishing your digital identity through SEO a little easier.
1. Register with Google or Bing Webmaster Tools – Assuming that you already have a website up and running, the first step to establish your presence is to register with Google and/or Bing webmaster tools and submit your sitemap. Doing this is the best way to inform search engines about your website and future content updates. It’s also a good way to find out what search engines know and understand about the content you are putting up on your site.
2. Keywords – Keyword research is your next step towards a successful SEO strategy. First you must understand what online users are searching for when they look for your business in a search engine. Utilizing the right keywords on your website can drive targeted traffic and ultimately convert searchers into customers.
To get started, brainstorm potential keywords associated with your products and services. Then assess the competition for these keywords using the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. If certain keywords are too competitive in your niche, go with long-tail keywords (between two and five words), which will be easier for you to rank higher in. The longer the keyword, usually the less competition you will have for the phrase in search engines.
3. Social Media – Search engine algorithms have changed since social media first emerged. Many content websites are community-oriented. For example, Digg got started by allowing users to vote which stories made the front page, and YouTube factors views and user ratings into their front page rankings. Therefore, your company’s website must establish a strong social media presence on sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Pinterest, because these sites send search engines signals of influence and authority.
4. Company Images – If you think photos don’t play a role in your SEO efforts and social media, think again! When consumers search for products in search engines, not only are they looking at the web results, but they are also looking at the image results. So, if you have quality images of your products and services on your website and the file names contain relevant keywords, these images will rank well in search engines. The photos on your company website have the potential to drive lots of traffic as potential customers click on that image and find your company.
Finally, if you still aren’t sure if you should invest in SEO or not, open Google and search for your competitors. If they have a strong online presence then you are already one step behind. Including SEO strategy into your marketing efforts will only boost your company’s profile and its business. Have questions about SEO? We’re happy to help! Contact us today.
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Three Girls Media, Inc. is a public relations and social media management agency with teams in Silicon Valley and the Seattle area. We love working with small and emerging companies across the nation to raise their brand awareness and name recognition. We offer a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation with our CEO and can answer your questions and discuss your specific marketing needs.
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Photo Credit: Jessica S Smith