Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an absolute must for your business website to get traffic to rank higher in search results. However, great search engine optimization services could be expensive and low-priced SEO services can lose you customers and business. Many such services use unethical SEO strategies that get fabulous results in the short-term but risk your website’s expulsion from Google, Bing, and other search engines. Small businesses with tight budgets find it difficult to hire skilled SEO services and pay for popular keywords against competition that is prepared to pay top dollar.
Even without spending any money, small businesses can take some steps to improve the search engine ranking of the business website. Take for example the option of using non-textual media to generate traffic. A great opportunity has opened up with Google’s Universal Search concept that brings up videos, pictures, maps and more apart from the regular search results. Other free of charge SEO tactics that can make a difference to your page ranking in search results are:
1. Registering your business on Google Local Business Center
Google Local Business listings present your business for several keywords in your local area, with your business name, a map along with directions to your office and contact information and website address if any. Use this option to promote your business irrespective of it being an e-commerce website or a physical establishment. List your business address here and include important keywords in the listing title and details. The data is verified before your registration is accepted. Ask customers to post their review of your business in your local business listing and get links from other web sites such as business directories, yellow pages, etc. Yahoo! Local offers comparable features.
2. Registering your business on Google Product Search
Build a web feed for your products and include information such as description, price, specifications, benefits, and other product information. Make sure you include pertinent keywords, brand name, and product name in the title and description of the product entry. Product feedback make your claims sound more trustworthy. You should motivate customers to leave their reviews by offering discounts or similar incentives.
3. Create a buzz with social media websites
Social media networking is the hottest trend in marketing a business or a brand. These websites are the social hub of a large number of users and ideal locations to start a discussion about your business. Social networking portals such as Facebook and Twitter drive interested customers to your website as “most searched” topics often get pulled out in search results.
4. Using multimedia
When customers type some keyword phrase into a search box, their main idea is to get information. Multimedia such as videos, audio files, animations, etc. can also meet this requirement. You must make sure that the video title and description includes relevant and popular keywords to make it come up in search results. Here too, customer reviews and feedback helps build your credibility. If your video is informative and liked by people, more of them will post links to the video or mark it as their favorite, thereby improving your brand visibility.
5. Publishing articles related to recent industry news
Websites such as Google News love to show content on happening topics. Develop articles on pertinent trending topics and make targeted keywords part of the title. Good articles are linked to by bloggers and other websites. It helps drive traffic to the site.
These guidelines should help small businesses start on their SEO initiatives. Without applying basic SEO tactics, a business website cannot attract traffic. Even if advertising is not the principal aim of your website, not optimizing it is your loss. Websites cannot miraculously improve sales or expand your customer base. Some marketing is a must, and SEO is the least expensive means of pulling in traffic. Daljeet Sidhu is the author of this article.