No-Tricks SEO: Big Steps Small Businesses Can Take Today

Search engine optimization is no magic trick. There’s no secret code or search engine whisperer who can push your business to the top of the first page of search results. The process takes time and investment, but the payoff is well worth it in a world where 75% of people don’t scroll past the first page of search results.

There are many ways to tackle SEO with the help of a professional. There’s on-page SEO, which executes best practices on your website to make sure it’s being read properly by search engines. There’s off-page SEO, which works with other websites, directories and more to help build your credibility online. Each category has dozens of moving parts that need to be taken into consideration, all while following the latest updates on what’s considered more important or less important by search engines. In short, there is no shortcut SEO, no tricks that cut your way to the front of the line. (Those tricks are called “black hat” SEO, and using them can get your site de-listed from search engines altogether.)

It’s burdensome and certainly not easy, but that doesn’t mean small business owners are left totally stranded in this complicated landscape. There are several steps you can take today to help improve your visibility, or make it easier to dive into search in the future.

Make sure your name, address, and phone number are consistent

Your business name, address, and phone number are referred to as NAP in the shorthand. NAP is a key way that search engines recognize results related to your business. Maintaining an up-to-date and consistent NAP ensures that the correct information about your business appears when someone looks for your product, service, or for your business by name. (While you’re at it, be sure to claim your Google My Business listing if you haven’t already!)

Take a moment to check your digital footprint, which includes your website, social media pages, and any directory listings you may have. Confirm that the name, address, and phone number is correct, as well as opening hours or any other relevant information. Make any corrections if the information is wrong or outdated.

Write an article that helps you stand out

Take a quick minute to read up on how your competitors talk about your product or knowledge base. How can you make it better? Viewing a blog, guest post, article, or other website content

Good content with something unique to say is more likely to be liked and shared on social media, emailed to a friend, or linked by another publication. Those are indicators to search engines that you have something important to say and that readers want to see your content. That plays a factor in where that information appears on search engines.

Make sure your site is free and clear of black-hat tactics

Think of black hat tactics as the witch’s hat of search engine marketing. If you’re wearing that tall, pointy hat, you’ll get noticed – and not in a good way.

A lot has changed in SEO in recent years, so if you haven’t revisited your website or your site content in a while, you may want to ensure that you site doesn’t violate any guidelines for a compliant website. For example, do the headers on your website pages match the topic at hand on the page? Is the content deliberately stuffed with keywords in a way that sounds forced, or even irrelevant to what the page is about? Those tactics are all frowned upon by search engines and should be changed at the earliest opportunity to prevent a disaster down the road.

Ready to dive into SEO?

Search engine optimization can be a crazy roller coaster, and our suggestions only touch the very tip of the iceberg. No matter how long or crazy the journey, though, the payoff is immense! Capturing your audience on the first page of search engine results is an extremely powerful tool, one that pays off in the long run.

Interested in learning more about how SEO can put your business on the map? Contact the experts at JasonHunter Design today to schedule your consultation!