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For Your Small Business September 23, 2021

Is Your SEO Pulling its Weight? Five Tips to Implement Today

Do your customers know how to find your small business? Given that 93% of consumers use the internet to find a local business, you want to make sure you’re using modern search engine optimization (SEO) strategies so your company pops up in the search results, leading them to your virtual door.

Yet as a small business owner, you probably already wear a multitude of hats – and marketing specialist might not be one of them. Fortunately you can boost your ranking with some simple website tweaks. Here are five to try today.

1. Know what Google is looking for.

Sure, there are other search engines, but there’s no doubt that Google is the one you’re looking to impress. And it is very transparent about the factors that help you rank high so that when users search for a relevant site, yours is apt to be one in the returns.  The three factors Google uses to determine a web page’s quality are “E-A-T.”

  • Expertise
  • Authoritativeness
  • Trustworthiness

In a nutshell, they want to know your website will provide users with the answers they need when they click on it. Google has handy SEO starter guide with more information that can help your SEO.

2. Determine what people are searching for.

Your keywords determine how likely it is your site will show up in a user’s inquiry. While you can use a keyword finder site (SEMRush is a popular one), it’s also smart to just think like a customer. What questions does your target audience likely ask that you can answer? Those are the keywords you should start with. As you pop them into Google, take note of the dropdown box that says “People also ask…” for more ideas. And remember that if you are seeking a local clientele, it’s important to make sure your town or location name is part of your keyword matrix. After all, you don’t want someone searching for auto repair in Cleveland if you are in Cincinnati.

3. Refresh your content.

The days of “stuffing” content with so many keywords that it reads like gibberish are over. Google knows that trick and will ding you for using keywords excessively or in a stilted fashion. Instead, use them organically throughout your site so they sound natural. Also go through your pages and look for outdated stories, surveys or schedules and update any links to newer sources. If you find a lot of your content is old, give it a timely spin and a new date. Google will reward your quality content with a higher ranking.  

4. Acquire backlinks that underscore those qualities.

A backlink is a link from one page to another; when you link to another site, you are providing them with a backlink, but you need to have other sites link to you also, which helps with that E-A-T score. To earn these links, start with quality content that will appeal to others, and then start looking for sites that might want to link to you. For example, a real estate agent could compile a list of local festivals and ask the library and other community resources link to it. You also can start a guest posting strategy where you offer content to a complementary website in return for a link.

5. Optimize your images.

Search engines don’t just read the text on your webpage, they also look at your image file names. A lot of business owners just leave the photo named as whatever the camera assigned to it, like “IMG.247820,” but you can boost your SEO potential by naming your images descriptively and using keywords in the file name. Another strategy is making the most of your “alt text,” which helps visually impaired people know what the image is, but can also boost your ranking when you use relevant keywords.

For more great marketing tips, visit Old National Bank’s “Insights” portal today.

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