The Beginner’s Guide to Small Business SEO

by

14 August 2020

SEO

Small Business SEO

SEO has leveled the playing field when it comes to marketing and promotion for small businesses. Previously, small businesses didn’t have a way to compete with larger companies in their industry. These days, when small companies use effective strategies to implement SEO, these organizations can work their way into large competitive spaces. Even though big businesses have an immediate advantage when it comes to SEO, smaller companies can find creative loopholes to be just as prominent when it comes to online searches. Here are some important tips you need to know and how you can utilize the best SEO companies in Kansas City to grow your business.

What You Need to Know About SEO

SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of making your business website rank for applicable keywords to create more search traffic. SEO is based on several factors, including impact, local SEO, HTML tags and titles, links, keywords, and website organization. These factors assist search engines in determining what your website is about.

It’s also important to ensure your content quantity and quality is appealing. You should release new content regularly so potential customers will see the value in your product or service. When you update your pages, you’ll increase search rankings.

SEO can also boost your company’s reputation. If your domain has a high search ranking and provides links to additional domains, your page will usually rank faster. Your small business will also rank higher when local customers search for you. For instance, if your business is in the Kansas City area, you should utilize the best SEO companies in Kansas City to bring your website to the top of the search engines.

If you’re just getting started with SEO, the terminology may sound overwhelming. You don’t have to be an expert to get started with small business SEO and the technical aspects of search engine optimization aren’t as complicated as they may sound.

SEO is essentially creating digital content that potential and existing customers want to read and share. This means you’ll have to research the content your audience searces for the most and write blogs and articles that answer audience questions. It’s also important to optimize your content with features that are compatible with Google to bring more traffic to your website.

SEO Terms You Should Know

It’s important to have a glossary of SEO terminology on hand so you can make sure your website ranks as high as possible in search engines.

Organic search: An organic search is when you type a phrase or word in a search engine. Google will return organic search results and paid search results. Paid search results will be labeled “sponsored” or “ad.” The higher the website ranking, the more likely the person searching will visit the website.

Google Answer Box: This is also called rich results or featured snippets. The Google Answer Box is a small box with a page excerpt and a link to the page. Most snippets will answer a specific question or share general information about the topic the individual is searching for. Google usually has a separate link to the website in the box. Google-featured snippet ranking is ideal for increasing your traffic. You don’t have to rank at the top to get a snippet. You just have to answer the question in a way that Google deems informative and interesting.

These are just a few of the ways you can improve SEO for your small business. The more you incorporate these tips into your business model, the more success you’ll see when it comes to promoting your company.

Read Also:

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All Comments

Good post! We will be linking to this particularly great post on our site. Keep up the great writing

Related

SEO Campaigns

8 Reasons Your SEO Campaigns Aren’t Showing the Desired Results

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the digital marketing strategies that have been talked about for years. Established businesses on digital media swear by this strategy in boosting their web traffic, increasing visibility, and improving returns on investment. As a result, all businesses are running towards this strategy with the hope to see positive results. SEO campaigns are essential for your business to improve your business to the next level. Unfortunately, to the disappointment of many firms, SEO isn’t showing the results that they expected. This has led to great losses after spending thousands of dollars to develop a strategy that does not bear results. The question is, “Is SEO overhyped?” If not, why is it not working for your business? And what can you do to improve your SEO strategy and begin to experience positive results and increased ROI? SEO is an effective digital marketing campaign, but it only works for firms that have learned how to leverage it. In this light, here are eight reasons why your current SEO campaign isn’t bearing traffic and leads, and what you can do to realize positive results from it. Different Factors Are There Why SEO Campaigns Do Not Show The Desired Results  There are several factors are there why SEO campaigns do not exhibit the desired results all the time. Try to achieve your goals in the best possible ways. Work out the plans that can help you to achieve your goals in the correct order. 1. Your Web Design Sucks How visually appealing is your website? Do you have a professional look that would appeal to a new customer? How are the pages, posts, imagery, calls to action, and other page elements placed on your website? Does the site look busy and stuffed? When an individual visits your site, they will move on quickly if they don’t like the design and layout. This results in increased bounce rates which causes search engines to rank you at the bottom of the search page. What’s more, a poorly organized page makes it hard for search engines to crawl the site, and this results in lower rankings. You can improve your SEO strategy by taking the time to design a user-friendly website. Make sure that page elements such as the content, imagery, and CTAs are correctly placed on your site. 2. You Have Poor Content  Experts say that content is king and this statement has never been more accurate than in matters of SEO. Content is what will draw people to your site and keep them coming back. If you don’t give your readers a reason to return, they will not. What does poor content look like? First, it does not provide any useful information to the target client. Secondly, it is poorly written with an unappealing structure and poor-quality imagery. If readers find your content unattractive, they will pass by your page regardless of its ranking. Take the time to develop quality content for your readers. It should provide meaningful information that's easy to read. Use an appealing tone and organize your work into visually appealing formats. Finally, use high-quality images and video for your content. 3. You’re Targeting the Wrong Audience  SEO only works if you are targeting the correct audience. This may seem obvious, but not all businesses can accurately sift through the millions of online users and identify their target audience. For example, if you are an auto repairs company but your content leans towards the car manufacture industry, you may lose out on your target audience. Before developing an SEO campaign, identify your target audience. Strive to produce content that is directly targeted to them. For example, an auto repairs company should focus on clients who are seeking repair services and not to buy new vehicles. If you are not sure, consider seeking help from a Minneapolis SEO Expert . 4. You’re Using the Wrong Keywords  One of the top techniques in an effective SEO campaign is the use of keyword phrases. These are search terms that prospective clients feed on search engines when looking for a product or service. Note that not all keywords will guarantee success in your SEO strategy. If you use simple keywords, you will face stiff competition from other players in the industry. If you go for very narrow ones, no one will find your site. The best way to use keywords effectively is by using long-tail over short keywords. Long-tail keywords utilize a series of terms, at least two or more, that are commonly typed by readers. So instead of using “dentist” as your keyword, you would have a phrase such as “best dentist in Minneapolis.” The longer phrase has a higher chance of ranking higher and shaking off competition. 5. You Have the Wrong Priorities When employing an SEO campaign, various metrics come into play. You can choose to measure web traffic, conversion rates, bounce rates, ROI, and many others. Failure to focus on the right metrics can cause your SEO strategy to fail. Unfortunately, most businesses pay attention to the wrong metrics. For example, they will strive to increase their following on social media and their site traffic but ignore other metrics like the conversion rates. Having a large following doesn’t guarantee that they will all convert. Therefore, make sure that you are paying attention and directing your resources towards metrics that will generate returns for your business. 6. Your Conversion Rates are Low  One of the ways to know that your SEO strategy is working is when your conversion rate increases. Conversion rates go up when users take your desired call to action (CTA). It could be to sign up to your newsletter, join your email list, or buy your product. Different businesses have varying CTAs based on their needs. If your conversion rates are low, your SEO campaign is not working. To improve your conversion rates, focus on strategies that will draw and keep people on your site. Have an appealing website and ensure that your call to action is visible. The CTA should also have attractive graphics and terms – it should be like the magic button that everyone itches to click. SEO campaigns can work well in your favor as it can help your business to grow in the right direction. 7. You Have no Precise SEO Plan  What do you intend to get out of your SEO campaign? Do you have specific goals? If not, the chances are that your strategy is not targeted at anything in particular either. Lack of an actionable SEO plan will cause you to try out anything, including strategies that are doing nothing for your campaign. Come up with a practical plan of what you wish to achieve with SEO. Do you want traffic? What for? Do you want to write blog posts for your website’s blog section? What will the blogs help you achieve? Outlining your goals enables you to channel your efforts and resources towards a worthy cause. 8. Your Site is Not Mobile Responsive Search engines today are favoring sites that are mobile responsive over those that maintain a desktop view even on mobile devices. Mobile friendly sites load faster and have easy readability on phones and tablets. If your website isn’t mobile responsive, search engines will rank it lower, and this will stall your SEO dreams and goals. Develop a mobile site that will appeal to search engines and visitors. SEO works for businesses that have mastered the strategy. If your campaign isn’t working, look into these eight things and make the necessary tweaks to gain positive results from your SEO campaign. Final Take Away Hence, these are some of the core factors that can work well in your favor while you want to develop your business in the right direction. SEO Campaigns can work well in your favor when you apply the correct techniques in the proper manner. Do not lose out on the chance that can provide you the opportunity. Read Also: How To Integrate Email Marketing With SEO Two SEO Trends To Take Advantage Of In 2018 5 Ways To Improve Mobile SEO

READ MOREDetails
Web Host

Top 9 Factors To keep in mind before Choosing A Web Host

Making decisions while choosing your web host can be a tricky one. You may have multiple options with you and most of them claiming to have 99% uptime, knowledgeable support, and unlimited resources. This can cause confusion and there is no way to make an informed decision. After creating a professional website it is equally important to choose the right web hosting company. There may be positive as well as negative feedback about the service provider. To make yourself at ease, you should know that there are few factors by which you can decide on the web host. Even if you are using a VPS service, check if the Windows VPS has the features you need. Let us look at some of these factors. 1. Area of focus and specialties : This is an important aspect while choosing the web host. You need to make sure that the web host caters to your requirements. Some of the web host companies offer good shared plans but these plans do not suit the growing business needs. For some businesses with a small exposure, you may not need the solutions provided. This is where the company`s specialty comes in to play. Before you buy to make sure that you understand your needs and how it will be fulfilled. The reviews and recommendations can also help to understand the strength and weakness of the service provider. 2. Price : This is something that everyone looks at while choosing the web host. This should not be the deciding factor. Going for the cheapest option is not necessarily the best thing always. If you want to make money from your site, make sure that you pay for the right services. Make sure that you think about the factors which can play a role and then take a closer look at the features that each service provider has to offer. Once you have all the features in place then compare the prices of different web host companies. 3. Tech Limitations : Your website can be used for many things. You can use it for a blog, rich content, as an e-commerce site, or host videos. The cheapest hosting package will not cut the deal. The cheap hosting plan will not have the necessary RAM, disk space, and processing power. Some companies may have Technical limitations or limited after-sale support, hence it is important to understand these factors, before buying the plan. 4. Tech Support : This is an important feature which needs to be there when you buy web hosting services. Some people may also consider it as an important point. If your website is affected and goes down, it is important that you should be able to reach out to the company for support. Also, the team should be able to help resolve the issue and get the site back online quickly. You should also be aware of the reputation of the support and how you can contact them when needed. The companies which are not good with Tech support, you should stay away from them. 5. Hardware : You should be aware of the hardware the company has and the kind of machine they use. It is important because it will be the deciding factor when it comes to uptime and the performance of your site and server. 6. Add-Ons : You should be aware of the add-ons a company has to offer. These add-ons will make them more attractive while buying the services. Some of the add-ons can be energy-saving practice, data centers, data back up, and free domain privacy. If these add-ons are something that you may need or have been looking for then it will help you make the decision. 7. Reputation and Customer review : You will have to do some background checks and look into the details of the reviews posted by the earlier customers. Also, you can read the reviews on Twitter or Google.  You can see what the current and earlier customers have to say about the service provider. This is the best add-on of social media and you can even know about the company by asking more questions. You can get responses from the people and the company employees as well. 8. Scalability : This is something that you will have to keep in mind. It is important because if in future your business grows, does the hosting provider have adequate plans to support the growth. If the hosting company is good for now, it is not necessary that it will work in the future. You should look at the options if the company has VPS or Dedicated Server solutions to support the growth. Get some opinions about the scalability of the company, before you move ahead with the purchase. 9. User Interface : Having a User interface is a bonus. Even if you do not understand technology much, a user interface will help you with a lot of things. It gives you the option to install WordPress, set up emails, and accounts. These things can be done without reaching out to the service provider. Conclusion : The importance of hosting your website with the correct company is critical. Take your time and review different companies. Use all the resources and understand all the aspects, before you purchase the plan. Read Also : Things You Should Know About Web Host Providers What Makes A Web Hosting Good? Cloud Hosting: Top Five Reasons To Take Your Business To The Cloud

READ MOREDetails
interserver

Is InterServer The Best Web Hosting Platform Of 2020?

Are you looking to work with the best web hosting platform for 2020? Have you heard the name of InterServer Web Hosting? Can you optimize your WordPress Blog in less than 20 minutes? Do you know where you can get the most affordable Server Solutions in the world? Is there a way by which you can optimize your cloud computing capabilities with the help of experts? If you have been asking yourself any of the above questions. We would like to introduce you to InterServer. For people raising their eyebrows and acting all skeptical, let us clear some of the obvious doubts at the very outset. InterServer, the company and organization started back in the year 1999. For over 21+ years, it has been helping startups and established businesses optimize their web hosting and digital capabilities. It is by no means a brand, which does not have experience or the expertise to help you grow your business. On the contrary, the range, prices, and affordability of its products and services are by far the best in the industry. In this article, we will look at a brief history of InterServer, the brand. We will also talk about two of their most sought after services- Web Hosting and WordPress VPS. Besides these two, we are going to point out InterServer’s ‘X-Factor’. What are we waiting for; let us get right to it. InterServer: The Brand Can you imagine a web hosting company started by two teenagers that offered 24x7 Support right from the time it started? Mike Lavrik and John Quaglieri started InterServer as they were fed up with the poor quality of service from their own web-hosting providers. In the days of dial-up internet, these two high school tech-savvy individuals got a domain and a license to become a web hosting reseller. 21 years and a few thousand milestones later, InterServer is one of the world’s most respected web hosting providers. With two data centers in Secaucus, New Jersey and one in Los Angeles, California, the company helps some of the biggest Fortune 500 Companies. By focussing on affordability, service, quality and a very on-hands approach when it comes to 24x7, Mike and John have set an industry benchmark. The fundamentals have not changed much over the past 21 years. InterServer’s team claim that the response time to query support is less than 20 minutes. Guess who beats everyone to the response- owner and founder, John Quaglieri! We tried the same for ourselves and were pleasantly surprised to have our query heard and solution offered within fifteen minutes. Talk about great service- Wow! The only Web Hosting Service Provider you will ever need- InterServer Every web hosting service provider tries to specialize in a niche. However, when it comes to InterServer Web Hosting, you will get access to the following: A Free and Complete Security Shield Automatic Caching and Cloudflare Free Clean Up (Inter-Insurance) during Migration Completely Free Migration with Price Lock Lifetime Guarantee 24x7 Tech Support Besides these eyeball-popping free features and a dedication to uncompromising service, you get the basics as well. You get an inbuilt Domain Registration service for only $1.99 with any of InterServer’s web hosting packages. The tech support team had promised me that the Server Capacity is always maintained at only 50%! This helps in optimizing the performance of the customer’s websites. It also ensures that no performance issues are ever experienced. However, the best part about InterServer is the amazing Control Panel. Running an e-commerce website, with this Control Panel is going to make your life easy. With various tools, dashboards, and insights at your disposal, you will enjoy a streamlined approach to your business. In addition, you can also take their help in building great e-commerce sites from a host of operating platforms. Take your pick from Magento, WooCommerce, OperCart, and others. InterServer’s WordPress Expertise: The Best in the World? Let us put a number of the most sophisticated WordPress solutions in the world. Wait for it; I have come up with some numbers- CPU Cores- 4 Memory- 32768 MB Storage- 480 GB SSD Transfer- 32 TB If we were to play a little game and ask you as to how much the above would cost you, what is the figure you would arrive at? Let us start throwing some numbers- $150, $250, $350… What if I told you that you could get the above for less than $99 USD! $96 USD to be exact! InterServer has developed a highly successful level of specialization when it comes to WordPress Hosting and Solutions. I can stretch my neck out and say, that it is one of the best WordPress hosting platforms in the world. It should be pointed out that InterServer WordPress Solutions is 100% optimized for peak performance. You get more than 99.9% guaranteed uptime. In addition, you are looking at dedicated WordPress resources. Not to mention, free migration service and 24x7 tech support to sweeten the deal. I kept reading various forums while researching InterServer’s claimed capabilities. Some of the reviews complimented the platform for offering high-performance storage. Others stated that they liked the ease of working on the Control Panel. However, one thing that clearly stuck out was how everyone was in a consensus of InterServer as being an industry standard when it came to WordPress sites. The Final Word There is no dearth of web hosting service providers claiming to make the stars fall down. However, being in the industry for over ten odd years, my team and I have nearly tried them all. The biggest problem of companies working in the digital domain is their lack of personality. What I personally liked about InterServer was the fact that this was an honest and earnest team. Here is a company that cares so much about their service that even the owner and founder get their hands dirty from time to time. They make it a point to offer information and educate audiences on the nature of the services and industry. If you are looking for some great educational and informative articles, you can head over to their tips section. Whatever the nature of your query- WordPress Tips, Ecommerce Tips, etc. you will find complete guides. If you are looking to migrate to a new web hosting provider, you should check out InterServer. Bloggers, who are looking to take their WordPress site to the next level, can also lookup InterServer. From affordability to genuine service with dedication, the InterServer team was able to win me over successfully. Great going guys; keep up the good work for the next 21 years! Read Also: Top 8 Advantages Of Effective Web Design And Development Hosted Mail Service That Runs on the Cloud

READ MOREDetails