How Is Small Business SEO Different? (Tips To Boost Ranking)

Small business search engine optimization (SEO) is about improving a small business’s website ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). The more a website ranks highly, the more it becomes visible to people looking for its products or services.

Small business SEO is different because it uses cost-effective organic traffic-generation strategies such as the following:

• Conducting keyword research
• Developing a logical site structure
• Optimizing meta titles and descriptions
• Creating strong backlinks
• Enhancing page speed
• Improving content
• Including local SEO
• Focusing on mobile optimization

Ready to find out how small business SEO can enhance your presence? Let's go!

Want to learn more about the Digital Authority Partners approach to SEO? Watch this video!

Conducting Keyword Research

Keyword research is essential to small business SEO because it reveals the target audience's language and terms when searching for products or services. Small businesses can guarantee higher rankings on SERPs by using the right keywords in their content and other site elements. Consider these keyword research strategies:

• Define the target audience's needs, interests, and preferences. Identify their pain points, motivations, and keywords they might use. Consider their demographics, location, and other factors.
• Utilize keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner to provide insights into popular search terms, related keywords, and search volumes.
• Focus on long-tail keywords. They have lower search volumes but less competition. Instead of targeting "shoes," you can target "affordable running shoes for women."
• Analyze competitors' websites and see which keywords they are targeting.
• Consider the search intent behind different search queries. People might search with informational intent, navigational intent, or transactional intent.

Developing a Logical Site Structure

A logical site structure is crucial for small business SEO because it helps search engines understand the content and improves the user experience. Search engines can better identify, index, and show content for relevant searches with a well-defined structure. Here are some tips for developing a logical site structure for small business SEO:

• Decide on your website's main categories or sections, then break them down into subcategories or pages.
• Use descriptive and keyword-rich URLs for the website's pages, such as "www.samsgarage*com/services/change_oil" for a service-related page instead of "www.samsgarage*com/page1".
• Incorporate internal linking within your website to establish connections between related pages.
• Design a straightforward and user-friendly navigation menu that is easily accessible and understandable.

Optimizing Meta Titles and Descriptions

Meta titles and descriptions directly affect search engine visibility and click-through rates, especially for small businesses. If they are optimized, search engines and customers can better understand what a web page is about. Effectively optimize this metadata with these techniques:

• Place the most important keywords closer to the beginning of the title or description to maximize their effect.
• Follow character limits. Meta titles should be 50-60 characters, while meta descriptions should be 150 to 160.
• Create concise and compelling meta titles and description content that accurately represent the page's content and entice users to click through.
• Write unique and specific meta tags for each page that accurately reflect its content.
• Include a call-to-action (CTA) within the meta description, such as "Learn more," "Get started," or "Shop now."

Creating Strong Backlinks

A solid backlink strategy is essential to small business SEO. Quality backlinks improve a website's authority, visibility, and search engine rankings. The first step is to create valuable, unique, and engaging content. A website with helpful information, insights, or resources encourages others to link. Here are techniques for a solid backlink strategy:

• Contact relevant websites or blogs within the industry and offer to contribute guest posts. Ensure that these websites are reputable and have good domain authority.
• Build relationships with influencers and industry experts by engaging with them through social media, commenting on their blogs, or participating in industry forums.
• Register your small business in relevant local directories and industry-specific associations.
• Develop resources, tools, or guides that are valuable and unique to the industry, such as infographics, e-books, calculators, or templates.

Enhancing Page Speed

With quick page speeds, small businesses can enhance the user experience, reduce bounce rates, and positively affect their search engine rankings. Improving page speed requires technical SEO expertise; follow these techniques:

• Use online tools or plugins to compress images without compromising quality, remove unnecessary metadata, and choose the right file format (JPEG, PNG, etc.).
• Enable browser caching on the user's device to store static resources, such as CSS files, JavaScript files, and images.
• Minify CSS and JavaScript to remove unnecessary characters, white spaces, and comments from CSS and JavaScript files.
• Implement content delivery networks (CDNs) to store copies of the website's files on servers in different geographic locations.
• Choose a reliable hosting provider that offers fast servers and adequate resources.
• Minimize the number of HTTP requests and avoid unnecessary plugins or scripts.

Improving Content

Quality content is crucial for small business SEO because it helps attract and engage the target audience. Having high quality content also increases visibility and drives organic traffic. Improve site content by following these best practices:

• Avoid keyword stuffing and use keywords naturally in headings, subheadings, and text.
• Create compelling and unique content that gives the audience a fresh perspective or valuable insights.
• Use storytelling techniques, include visual elements such as images or videos, and provide practical solutions or advice.
• Regularly update and optimize content. Identify areas for improvement or updates and make the necessary adjustments.

Including Local SEO

Incorporating local SEO strategies into small business SEO efforts helps the company target customers in their specific geographic area. Local SEO improves visibility in local searches and ensures prospective customers can find the small business using a local map. The following local SEO techniques can optimize a small business's ranking:

• Provide accurate and up-to-date business information to claim and optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP).
• Use relevant GBP categories, write compelling business descriptions, and upload high-quality photos.
• Optimize the website for local keywords. Include location-specific keywords in the content. For example, a  bakery in the Upper East Side in New York City can optimize for "Upper East Side bakery" or "bakery in the Upper East Side."
• Ensure consistency in the name, address, and phone number (NAP) across all online platforms, including your website, GBP listing, local directories, and social media profiles.
• Get listed in local directories, industry-specific directories, and other online platforms relevant to the business and location.
• Encourage and respond to online reviews and testimonials on the GBP listing and other platforms such as Yelp or TripAdvisor.

Focusing on Mobile Optimization

Mobile optimization is critical for small businesses as more and more users access the internet through mobile devices. A company with a mobile-friendly website can guarantee better search engine rankings, visibility, and engagement. Prioritize mobile optimization using these strategies.

• Use a responsive website design to adapt to different screen sizes and devices, and test it on smartphones and tablets to ensure it works well.
• Improve page load speed because mobile users expect fast-loading websites to reduce bounce rates and improve the user experience.
• Use a hamburger or sticky menu that stays visible as users scroll for mobile-friendly navigation. 
• Create content that is easily readable and consumable on mobile devices. Use short paragraphs, subheadings, bullet points, and white space to improve readability.
• Test and monitor mobile device performance using tools such as Google's Mobile-Friendly Test or PageSpeed Insights to identify issues and improve performance.

Summing Up

Small business SEO differs from traditional SEO because strategies such as keyword research, logical site structures, building backlinks, content optimization, and mobile optimization must adjust for small business needs. Local SEO is also an important part of the strategy, because  most small businesses are local companies with brick-and-mortar stores or offices.

Follow these SEO strategies and help promote your small business’s ranking, engagement, and revenue. Contact Digital Authority Partners for the latest in small business SEO services.