Small business owners need to understand the importance of SEO for small businesses. However, understanding SEO is not easy. Technical knowledge of websites and search engines is required. This article will tell you what SEO is and its importance in your business strategy.

Importance of SEO for Small Businesses

SEO is the process of improving the website’s position in search results. Your potential customers look for some products or services on Google that your business offers. If your website is ranking higher (preferably on the 1st page), it increases the chances of potential customers clicking on the website. This improves the chances of prospects purchasing your product or service.

Benefits of SEO for Small Businesses

SEO helps your business to establish a strong presence on the internet. B2C and B2B companies can take advantage of the online traffic to improve their business. There are many SEO case studies that show the growth achieved by businesses. SEO offers many benefits for small businesses.

1. SEO Increases Website Traffic & Customer Conversion Rate

Nowadays, People use the internet when they need something. Google owns a major share of the search engine market. According to Hubspot’s ‘Google search statistics’ report, daily searches on Google were about 5.6 billion in 2021. 

If people search for services or products related to your business and your website ranks at the top, it will increase the chances of making a transaction. A perfectly SEO-optimized website will drive higher organic traffic. The traffic obtained from organic channels is highly targeted. I.e., There is a good chance that the visitors coming to your website from Google will have a higher conversion rate.

You need to develop a keyword-targeted strategy to rank for these keywords. You can also hire companies that offer affordable SEO services for small businesses. They will create an effective strategy for your business.

2. SEO is an Affordable Marketing Strategy for Small Businesses

SEO is one of the best affordable marketing options for your small business. Once your website starts ranking for targeted keywords, you get free clicks on the website. 

There is some cost involved in ranking for these keywords. But the return on investment is significant. But, it is advised not to go for cheap SEO services. Even though very cheap services cost less, they will not guarantee the quality of work. It can also attract a Google penalty for your website. It is crucial to choose a  professional digital marketing agency.

3. Local SEO Helps You to Increase Brand Awareness

Local SEO improves your online presence for a specific area. Local SEO will be helpful if your business has a physical location or operates in a specific geographical area. Google business profile is a service offered by Google free of cost. You need to set up & verify your Google business profile.

You need to optimize your business profile to improve your search results and Google maps ranking. Read about the hacks to rank your Google business profile on top. Your listing will start to rank for relevant keywords. This will help to build brand awareness locally.

You can also track the leads obtained from Google business profile. Here you can see calls made to this particular business from Google business profile in Apr 2022.

4. SEO Gives a Competitive Advantage Over Your Competitors

With the number of small businesses starting every day, competition is more than ever. Businesses need to allot marketing budgets for digital channels to generate leads/revenue. An SEO-optimized website will rank higher on Google compared to an unoptimized website.

SEO needs time and consistent efforts. The Sooner you start doing SEO, the better your chances are to stay ahead of your competitors.

In 2022, many businesses are investing in SEO. If you miss this opportunity, the gap between you and your competitors might increase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does SEO work for small businesses?

A. Yes. SEO work for small businesses. Businesses can achieve higher ROI and growth with the help of SEO. However, consistent efforts are required. Content is the king. Blog posts should be published on the website regularly. A customized SEO strategy can generate results for small businesses.

Q. How do I get my business at the top of Google search?

A. You can perform the following things to improve the ranking of your business on Google.

• creating in-depth content that will provide value to users
• Acquiring backlinks from relevant websites
• Implementing the best on-page SEO tactics
• Ensuring that the website is mobile-friendly

Q. Is SEO or PPC better for your business?

A. PPC stands for pay-per-click, where websites bid for keywords, and their ad is shown when users search for related queries. Both methods can generate results for you if appropriately implemented. SEO is a slow process but can generate free traffic, lowering the CAQ. This is one of the reasons for the importance of SEO for small businesses.
PPC can generate quick results for you. But a good strategy needs to be in place to avoid losing money. A lot of research should be done for selecting and bidding for keywords. PPC services for small businesses can offer practical strategies for you.

In today’s online era, Businesses are aggressively targeting & focusing on google to break in and have a presence in the online market by grabbing the top search spot that will attract a high number of users and visitors to their websites from all over the world through Google searches and google maps.

Another important way to attract new customers to your business website through Google search and Maps is by creating a Google Business Profile (previously known as Google My Business). Google search and local SEO has become an integral process for a business’s successful digital marketing strategy.

What is a Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile or Google My Business is a free business listing tool from Google for businesses of all sizes, including large-scale businesses, small-scale businesses, and local businesses. Google Business Profile is the best suit for businesses looking to have a strong presence locally or give hyper-local services.

Creating a Google Business Profile allows you to share details and photos of your business, including physical business location, services you provide, and products you sell. Sharing this information with your clients will let them know more about your business.

A great way to increase your visibility across Google is another benefit of creating this free Google Business profile. Your business information that you have added to your Google Business Profile may appear on all other Google Platforms like Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping giving you a better chance of driving more traffic and getting more business through by implementing this SEO trend.

Is Google Business Profile Listing a Free Service?

Creating your business profile on Google Business is FREE. A Google business profile can help you connect with the customers interested in your services or products that you sell. A well-optimized and regularly updated Google Business Profile can help you increase your business revenue by giving valuable insights about your client base and interests. Users can also get in touch with you through contacting and messaging directly through the contact number that you have updated on your listing.

Why Is It Important to Have A Google Business Profile? How Will It Help Your Business?

Get Discovered: Having a Google Business profile helps you get discovered in Google searches and on Google Maps. It also helps ensure that people find your business profile when searching for products & services like yours in their locality. Your Google My Business listing profile guides users about where and how they can find and visit your business. Google Business Profile also improves and boosts your local rankings. When people look for a nearby business using Google Maps for a specific service or product, there are more possibilities for a local business listing to appear.

For Ex.

Update Business Information: Google Business profile helps you regularly update your business information like address, business hours, contact details, business description, business opening date, photos, and other important details. It will also help you post updates about your business like expanding services, temporarily closed, or sharing any achievement or award that your business receives. Google Business Profiles have strong local SEO, which will rank the updated information that you share above the third-party sites that might have out-of-date details.

Gain Trust Through Reviews: Reviews are a major source of social proof that can help you build trust and credibility in your business. A section of Star rating with space for detailed reviews by Google allows your customers to share whatever they feel and the experience they had about your product or service. All these ratings and comments will help your future potential customers decide whether they should choose your business or not.

How To Easily Set Up Your Google Business Profile?

Now that you know how much potential Google Business Profile provides to your marketing efforts for promoting your business online, let’s move ahead knowing how to create a new google business profile that will assist and boom your online presence along with the efforts that you may have put into Paid Media Marketing or Social Media Marketing.

The steps given below will help you create a new Google Business Profile for your Business.

Step 1: Sign in to your Google Business Profile

If you’re already logged in to a Google account, you will be automatically logged in to Google Business Profile Manager. If you don’t have a Google account, go to google.com/accounts to create a free account for your business with any email address.

Step 2: Add Your Business (Business Name & Category)

Enter your business name in the blank field to check if a Google Business Profile already exists for your business or not. If it exists, go ahead and claim your business profile. If it does not appear in the drop-down menu, click Add your business to Google. Moving ahead, select the closest relevant business category for your business and go to the next step.

Step 3: Enter Your Location

Add your business address to your profile If you have a physical location where you want your customers to visit you. You will also be asked to adjust and add a marker for your exact location on the map when you add your physical address.

If you don’t have a physical location where your business is located, but your business offers deliveries or in-person services. In such a case, you can list the service areas where you offer your services. Move ahead to the next step when you are done.

Step 4: Fill in Your Contact Information

Add a phone number, website address, or both on your Google Business Profile to make it easy for your customers to get in touch with you. You can leave the phone number field empty if you don’t want your customers to contact you. If you don’t have a business website, you can select the “I don’t have a website” checkbox below the current website URL field.

When you are done adding your contact info, click Next.

Step 5: Get Your Google Business Profile Verified

Enter your complete physical address in the blank fields provided. This step is done to verify your business. It will not be displayed on your Google Business Profile or shared with the public.

Step 6: Customize Your Google Business Profile

Add and update all your business-related information to your Google Business Profile. Add and list all the products & services that your business offers along with the service description.

Also, make sure to add a business description to your business profile. The business description field is where you can share relevant and helpful information about your business with your potential customers. Details about the types of products and services you offer, history about how you started your business & what was your idea behind it, or about your business mission.

Your business description should help customers understand and have a clear idea of whether they should consider your services for the betterment of their brand or not.

How to Optimize Your Google My Business Profile

After setting up and claiming your Google Business profile page for your business, the next step is to properly optimize the data and information you’ve added to the page. 

Add as much information as possible on your Google Business listing as it will help your customer know more about your business. In the search results, when people find your business, the next they will do is click on your business to know more about you and what products/services you offer. They will look out for business descriptions, contact details, website addresses, listed products & services, photos & videos.

But before all this happens, your business needs to be listed in the top search results. For Local search rankings, google considers relevance, distance & prominence as the three important factors. (This can be a very helpful SEO Tip for small businesses)

• Relevance – It checks how relevant is your business for the keywords or search query the user is looking for? If it fits what the user is looking for, it will show your business name and other business information in the local search results.
• Distance – If a user near your business area is looking specifically for a nearby business to fulfill his needs, your business will be shown in the search results. For example, If someone searches for “SEO Company Mumbai,” all the nearby business profiles listed in Mumbai for “SEO Company“ will appear in the search results. This strategy is hyper beneficial for local service businesses such as plumbers, electricians, and HVAC contractors.
• Prominence – It checks for how well-known your business is, based on the number of backlinks, number of reviews, review ratings, etc.

Let’s focus on these steps below to increase your business profile score for all the above factors for your business listing to rank higher.

Complete All Necessary Fields of Your Google Business Profile

Having a completed Google Business Profile increases the possibility of making your business more reputed among other businesses. This, in return, encourages the users coming to your profile to visit your location.

Google says that business profiles with complete and accurate information are easier to match with the right search terms. Having a completed business profile also improves your score for relevance which google considers before ranking your listing.

The importance of having a completely updated business profile is to tell the visitors about your business, where it is located, and when they can visit you.

Verify Business Locations

A verified business profile has more chances to appear in local search results in Google Maps and Search. If you have already asked for verification, Google will send you a postcard with a verification code to your registered address.

If you have not verified your business profile during the account creation steps, go to your profile dashboard and request verification of your business profile by postcard.

Add Images & Videos To Your Business Profile

A Google Business Profile includes a logo and cover photo section displayed at the top of your business listing in search results.

Use consistent images that you have posted on your website & social media profiles to make it easier for customers to recognize your brand. Keep adding more images and videos to showcase your business location, work environment, and team activities.

How to Add or Edit Photos on Google Business Profile

1. Go to your business profile dashboard – http://business.google.com/. Click on Photos in the left menu or click on Add Photo.

2. First, start adding your logo and cover photo. Add business location photos with your business name tagged, and add your team photos & business event photos.

3. To add videos to your business profile, click the Video tab on top of the photos page.

Include High-valued Keywords in Your Business Profile

Adding keywords means not stuffing as many keywords as possible into your description. Keyword stuffing is a very bad SEO practice. You have to focus on using the right & important keywords necessary to improve your business relevance. You can use Google Trends or Keyword Planner to list your business’s targeted keywords. Naturally, adjust the keywords in your Google Business profile’s business description. Don’t make your description sound like keyword stuffing or using irrelevant ones. This can badly hurt your search rankings.

Ask your Clients for Genuine Reviews and Post Relevant Questions & Answers on your profile

People usually get influenced by a product or business by knowing what others say about it. A Google review can be the deciding factor that tips prospective customers in your favor. Having important keywords in your reviews can also improve your Google ranking.

You can ask your client for a review after giving them a great experience of your business. Ask your customers to review your business with Google’s direct review link.

Respond professionally to positive and negative reviews. When responding to a negative review, keep it simple and be honest by offering an apology to your customer.

Keep your Google Business information up to date

Keep your business profile updated when you change your business hours, contact information, etc. Not keeping your profile updated with important information will annoy your customers more.

If you have any different working hours for holidays or special occasions, update them and check if they are reflected in your Business Profile.

Also, create and post the latest updates, product offers, business events &  informational posts on the Google Business profile.

Add special features and attributes to your business.

If this sounds too confusing for you, get in touch with our experienced Digital Marketing Team.

ThirdSlash is a Digital Marketing Agency in Mumbai helping small & medium businesses over the globe drive engagement by giving SEO Services & Paid Search Marketing Services. We help you drive traffic to your website by boosting your business’s online rankings and getting you the top spot in search results. Check out our successful SEO case studies to know more.

Get started with us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What actions can a user take through your Google Business Profile?

A. A user can take multiple actions through your Business profile, such as visiting your website, contacting you on your phone number, texting you on your profile, requesting directions, and requesting answers by asking a question.

Q. What are the key elements to a successful GMB account?

A. Key elements for a successful GMB account are:- Enter complete data about your business in your profile, include keywords, keep the accurate business working hours, add photos & videos about your business, and ask your customers for genuine reviews.

Q. How will Google Business Profile reviews help your business? 

A. People usually get influenced by a product or business by knowing what others say about it. A Google review can be the deciding factor that tips prospective customers in your favor.

• Higher rankings on SERP
• More organic traffic to the website
• The increased conversion rate of customers

Strategically using SEO can help your online business to grow organically. As an SEO expert, you are expected to stay updated with the new trend and implement the same. We will now look into upcoming top SEO trends, which you can implement on your marketing strategy for a positive outcome.

1. Rise of Local SEO

Well, this is not the new trend to watch out. However, the rising shift from web to mobile will make local SEO stay on top. If your business is on the first page of the SERP, then being in geo-targeted ads will be vital to increase the traffic. Many studies have found that 3/4 of people searching for information do not go past the SERP. This means, if your company mainly relies on local business without considering Local SEO, it is time to do. Here are some ways to do-

• Post your address on the website with the map
• Target local location when choosing keywords for SEO and PPC. 
• Focus on off-page SEO

2. Voice will remain

Siri that was launched in 2011 has exploded in the market, giving businesses to offer something new. If you want your business to grow using an innovative solution, then you need to implement a voice search. According to the report from eMarketer, more than 100 million people will use a voice assistant in the US and soon will spread in other countries. Voice search is quicker than text, making it a search-friendly option.

3. Mobile Indexing at High Level

Rolled out in 2018, mobile-first indexing was flagged where websites in the mobile versions were welcomed. If you are building a website, then it should carry high-quality content, an AMP version, and mobile compatibility to survive in the competition. 

4. Viral Content

We are living at the time of memes and viral content production. Each online business uses a viral content method to promote the brand and reach out to the maximum audience. Moreover, people are inclined towards visuals to reach infographics and video content than the article. In case your content is excellent in terms of visuals and information, then other sites will post the same. For instance, if you are running a digital marketing company and created an infographic titled “Most happening digital marketing strategy in 2019” with examples, then other websites will post your infographic and link to your site. This will boost your website SEO.

5. Mobile First

More than half of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices. In 2020, this figure is set to rise since the number of internet users and smartphones is set to rise. Moreover, Google has also decided to shift its algorithm towards mobile-first indexing. Websites having low resolution, low readability, and low navigation do not fare well with the search engine. If you are moving from the desktop version to mobile, then design your website accordingly. You can implement below things-

• Accelerated Mobile Pages are responsive which translates to higher rankings
• Larger typography and bigger buttons

6. Long-Tail Keywords

More than half of business owners fail to understand the importance of long-tail keywords or keyword research. Also, have no idea about how long the keyword should be for the content purpose. For an SEO point of view, long-tail keywords matter the most. In 2020, the trend of long-tail keywords is set to grow where search engines will push the content of the website used long tail keywords rightly.

Long-tail keywords do make up the majority of user searches because it is how people naturally type. For example, the Headphones keyword is added with “Best headphones under $100. Long-tail keywords also help in getting higher conversion rates compared to short-tail keywords.

Conclusion

SEO can either make or break your business. Staying updated as per the trend is essential. More than 40% of traffic comes from organic results. In 2020, it would be exciting to see how SEO will bring a massive change in online business.

One of the significant benefits of using SEO tactic is to improve the visibility in the search engine. With the blend of on-page optimization, link building, and social media marketing, SEO can be a successful strategy. If you do not have the required budget to hire a digital marketing company for SEO implementation, then this blog is for you. We now take you to 8 budget-conscious SEO tips to implement for small businesses

1. Presenting Enough SEO boosting Content

Each of your websites should contain SEO optimized content having limited word content. Each content on the website should carry thorough information that can also make sense for the search engine to rank your site on top. Do check how competitors are posting content on their site and why search engine pushes their content on the top. 

2. Discard Duplicate Content

Usually, search engines do not penalize websites for duplicate content on the website. However, some content duplication on the site can confuse the search engine bots and get your site ranked lower on the page. To find if there is any duplicate content on your website, visit Google Webmaster Tools and go to Search Appearances > HTML Improvements to see which materials are duplicate. Removing them can help search engine bot to push the right content to the top search page.

3. Giving your Website a Facelift

According to one survey, nearly the staff itself build 40 percent of SMB websites. This is because small businesses do not have enough budget to hire a professional agency. This is why many small businesses face issues in succeeding. However, making the website look appealing is not that hard. Look for a digital agency that charges less and gives your website a facelift using SEO technique. Giving your site a professional touch can help to work well in a search engine. 

4. Optimizing website Pages

Usually, search engines take their cue from the title, URL, headings, and content of each page to know about your site. One of the cost-effective methods of SEO is by creating separate pages for each product and use appropriate keywords. However, make sure you do not overstuff the content with keywords in an attempt to get a better ranking. Search engines are becoming smarter than before and will penalize your website is not optimized well.

5. Creating Back-Link

Creating links and back-link is the most effective and cost-effective web optimization tricks. For instance, you are mentioning a product in the blog post and linking it back to the brand. Including quality links from other websites on your pages will also work best. Creating backlinks is the best way to gain traffic for your small business. 

6. Making Business Information easy to find

Another useful SEO tips to follow is to make it easy for people to contact your business. Always place your business email address or phone number in the header and footer to ensure it is visible to people. As a part of SEO strategy, adding contact details on your site will help to index on the search engine. 

7. Search for the Mystery Link Donors

One of the easy ways to gain backlinks to your website is by conducting Google search for the brand or business name of the individual site that has mentioned your brand but fails to provide a backlink. Connect with the website owner and ask to add the link to mention your brand.

8. Optimizing Videos for better Search

Videos, similar to images if well optimized, can bring good traffic. Creating appealing video content on your site and optimizing it well can help in bringing good traffic. Create a title, file name, and description-having keywords that will work best for your website. You do not have to hire a professional and pay extra for video optimization. Once you learn the method, you can do it by yourself. You can even add videos on YouTube, which offers a field to add a description of your video and product. This will help in gaining better traffic to your traffic and is an effective SEO method.

Conclusion

Following the above-mentioned budget-conscious SEO tips will work effectively for small businesses if used with strategy. Even though these tips require no monetary investment, but does require your time. Connect with the right digital marketing team that can assist in getting the best out of SEO with the lowest of the budget.

1. Answer the public

Answer the public is a local SEO tool that helps to identify more than 450 keywords in a few seconds. Most of the SEO tools get their data from Google keyword planner but Answer the public works in a different manner. Answer the public SEO tool finds questions users are raising on different forums, blogs and on social media inclusive of “X vs Y” questions. The SEO tools capture these questions and convert these into amazing keywords. 

2. SEM Rush Listing Management

This listing management tool from SEM Rush harness Yext Knowledge Network helping to publish data across high-traffic online directories. By using this tool, you can update your information once and publish it where people do the search. The only thing you need to do is input the data and find the location. 

Image Source- SEM Rush

3. CanIRank

CanIrank SEO tool uses the user input and can help you in deciding if the keyword can be used to rank the website. CanIRank is a detailed keyword difficulty tool and cannot be used if you want to know the competitiveness of the keyword or the competition. It will help you in defining to use the keyword as a better target. It not only size up the first-page competition but also gives in-depth suggestions to help rank for a specific term.

4. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test

Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test helps the site ready for Google’s mobile-first indexing. With the applications being developed for mobile devices and changes in algorithms for mobile made by Google, the test tells if the site is prepared for the new Google algorithm. It also shows the page loading issue, thus helping Google’s mobile crawler to find and index all of the resources on the website.

5. Seed Keywords

Seed Keywords tool helps you in finding fresh keyword ideas. With most of keyword research tool works as getting a list of closely related terms for seed keyword, but Seed keyword tool takes a different approach trusting users on different ways to search for your website online and using these keywords in a keyword research tool. This way, the keywords are very competitive and help to bring the results in the top using a search engine.

6. WhiteSpark

Started as a web design agency, WhiteSpark now offers a range of SEO tools helping business with local search marketing. One of the important tools you will find is the Citation Finder helping to improve your local rankings. Along with this WhiteSpark also has other SEO tools including-

• Local Rank Tracker– This tool uses precise location settings giving the insight into your overall SEO performance. Further, it lets you know how to stack up against your competitors and ranking on the search engines.
• Reputation Builder– It allows customers through SMS or email to share a review on the WhiteSpark review site. Furthermore, it calculates the Net Promoter Score.

7. Moz Local

Moz Local is a local listing management tool allowing users to manage local listings and claim. It also works with data aggregators to push listings and make your business visible. Furthermore, it scans the citations and notifies you of any errors hurting your local SEO.

Apart from listed SEO tools, there are many more such for helping local business meet the competition and face success.  It is important that you use these tools effectively for a positive result.