By Marketing for businesses of all shapes and sizes can be a tough task, and the online world presents a brand new bevy of unique challenges for business owners everywhere.
That's why it's crucial that small business owners become masters of their own domain, specifically when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). Here at GroupM7, we know a thing or two about SEO best practices, so today we'll let you in on some of our secrets!
Keep Your Content Compelling and Fresh
When your visitors come across your website, you don't want them to have the same boring cookie-cutter experience of clicking from page to page, staring at pictures of your products, and then navigating away to your competitors' sites.
You want to provide them with content they can really sink their teeth into. As a small business, you're supposed to have a more personal, relatable image as opposed to that of a massive corporate enterprise. The more interesting and topical your website content, the better.
Optimize Keywords, Page Titles, and Headlines
Any time you write a new post for your website blog or include various headings on your pages, make sure they're optimized for search.
One of the key best practices for SEO is to craft perfect headlines that appeal to the specific needs of your customers while including relevant keywords. If you spend time doing a little research on which terms are most commonly searched by your target audience, you'll bring in boatloads more clicks.
Ensure Responsive Design
Keywords and relevant content matter, but Google now pays slightly more attention to how well your website functions across all devices.
Your business absolutely needs great web design in general, but specifically mobile optimization matters. In 2018 and beyond, your visitors will likely access your website on devices like tablets and smartphones far more often than they would on their desktop PCs.
Stay Secure
Far fewer people are afraid of online shopping than they were at the turn of the century, but search engines like Google still pay close attention to how safe your website is to browse.
With the appropriate security measures in place, search engines will recognize that your website will keep their users protected. The last thing Google wants to do is to send its users to a website where their information is stolen, after all.
Visuals Matter
If your website is crammed with fascinating blog content and informative pages, great! But search engines also look closely into whether your website is home to relevant videos, images, and other graphics.
The more visually active your website is, the better it'll do in search engine rankings. This doesn't mean you should strongly favor images over text, but rather a healthy balance is your best bet for SEO success.
What are your thoughts on these small business SEO best practices? If you liked reading this blog post, share it on social media with your followers to get them in on the conversation!
Aaron Dunn
Aaron is a writer by trade with several years of professional experience under his belt. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Before joining the Group, he worked as a freelancer and tech reviewer in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Aaron currently lives in Pittsburg, TX. 
