SEO Marketing is the behind-the-scenes marketing that helps your business reach the right customers online at the exact time they’re searching for you. Sounds great, right? But, how do you start? 

It can be a daunting process to undergo without prior knowledge, so we’re laying out the simple and effective steps to start your small business’s SEO marketing attempts to get your business in the right place at the right time to reach the people that need you most. 

Ever wondered why certain businesses pop up first when you type something into Google? That’s SEO marketing. SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization, is the process of competitive keyword research, strategic communication, and writing content that is relevant to your audience’s search queries. All of this is working towards the goal of getting your business higher on Google result pages when your customer types in those keywords. 

So, let’s get started: 

Step 1: Know Your Business, Know Your Keywords 

As I mentioned above, SEO marketing is based on keyword searches in Google. If someone types in a relevant keyword to the work/services your business provides, Google will trigger your business as a viable solution to that search. But, it takes both time and effort to get Google to recognize your business as a proper solution to that search, and for your potential customers to agree. This is best done by knowing your business and knowing how to reach your prospective clients. 

So, every SEO strategy starts with keywords. It’s best to outline all the words you find relevant to the market your small business is in. Think of what you do, what solutions you provide, the location you are providing those solutions, and in the same thread, think of what you would put into Google to find a business like yours. The more you think with ‘search intent’ in mind, the more likely Google will trust you. 

Step 2: Research Yourself And Your Competitors 

The best place to see where your business’s SEO marketing can improve is to see where it’s already working well for your business and where it is not. Start with a website audit, and look at how your page is performing. The best way to get a clear data-driven picture is to set up a Google Analytics account and monitor the working parts of your page’s performance. This is the best way to see where your website is working for you and learn areas of opportunity that can be improved to help your overall SEO efforts.

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Another important place to audit is your Local Listings. Something that both Google and prospective clients look for is consistency. Make sure all of the information about who you are and what your company does is clear and consistent across all online platforms and listings. 

The best way to start understanding how Google interprets your business in the ranking system is to research the market you’re in. By observing what the other businesses are doing with their SEO marketing, you can be more strategic in your planning. The next thing is to update your Google My Business listing and communicate clearly with Google what your business does and the clients you’re hoping to reach. 

Step 3: Encourage Client Reviews 

Authentic reviews that reflect the work/services your small business provides is a great way to boost your SEO ranking and overall marketing efforts online to a local audience. As customers, we trust what other people are saying about a business. When what others are saying is matching what a business is saying about themselves, trust is strengthened and loyalty earned. 

A simple way to encourage your current clients to write reviews is to send a follow-up email asking them to let you know how your business did at providing them with the services/work they received. Sending this email immediately following a transaction is crucial to capturing that positive experience with your business right away. We’ve been practicing review marketing since our inception and this is where it’s gotten us:

Step 4: Strategize, Adapt, and Review 

Now that you’ve gathered information, know why your prospective clients would be searching for you, and are acquainted with the competitors in your search query, it’s time to strategize. The best way to achieve your SEO marketing goals is to make a robust SEO strategy, and you don’t have to do this alone. We can help you do just that here at South Street & Co.!

With monthly touchpoints and continuing analytics, we are committed to adapting and growing the strategies we set up for your small business as your needs change over time. Reviewing your strategies and results on a regular basis is key to maintaining patterns of growth and consistent exposure in Google results. Consistency is key. 

If you don’t have the time to monitor your SEO marketing efforts or have any questions about how we can help you develop a strategy for your small business, schedule a call here.