How to Optimize SEO For Your Website

Achieving success as a local business doesn’t work like it used to. Advertising was once a simple matter of sending out mailers and buying newspaper ads. Now? You’ve got to have a strong Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy if you want any hope of being seen. This blog will explore the basics of SEO and explain what optimizing your website entails.

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing a website or page so that it ranks higher in search engine results, such as Google or Bing. These platforms serve people search results based on relevant keywords, phrases and topics. Optimizing a website includes making certain changes to its content and structure that makes it more attractive to search engines, which can lead to higher rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

SEO as a Local Business: Why It Matters

You may be reading all of this and thinking “SEO sounds like the kind of thing big brands need. Why would I invest time and money into it as a local business?”

The answer is simple: visibility. No one uses the phonebook to find local service providers anymore. People turn to Google to search for everything from plumbers in their area to the nearest taco spot.

If you don’t have a solid SEO strategy, your business won’t show up in those searches. That means fewer customers and opportunities passing you by.

What Does SEO Involve?

SEO involves several different elements, such as title tags, meta descriptions, content optimization and keyword research. Let’s take a look at each one in closer detail:

Title Tags

Title tags are the words or phrases that appear in your website’s headings; they help search engines understand what your website is about.

Meta Descriptions

That little snippet of text you see underneath a website’s title in search engine results is called a meta description. This adds context to your web page and can influence whether people click through and visit your website.

Content Optimization

Website content essentially refers to the words, images and videos on your website. Search engines crawl it for relevancy and value when indexing results.

Keyword Research

Keywords play a role in each of the aforementioned elements. Commonly searched ones should be prevalent throughout a website’s title tag, meta descriptions, and internal content to make it easier for search engines to find.

The Fundamentals of Local SEO

Of course, local SEO strategy isn’t the same as optimizing for global search. It involves a few more technical elements to make sure your business is visible in local search results.

Google My Business Listing

A Google My Business listing helps you appear in local search results for geo-related searches. It also provides a platform to share information about your services, store hours, contact information and more.

Citation Management

Citations are essentially references to your business name, address and phone number – also known as NAP data. Consistent citations make it easier for search engines to pick up signals about the local relevancy of your site and to display it in local search results.

Social Media Presence

Creating a presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more can help establish authority for your business online.

While basic SEO doesn’t require too many special skills, you may find that consulting with an experienced SEO specialists can help you get the most out of your local campaigns. Properly executed local SEO strategies have the potential to bring more leads and customers to your business, so it pays to invest in effective tactics.

Daria Kiseleva, Media Manager at Consumer Choice Award